Every so often I come across designer rooms that catch my attention. It would be nice to showcase our own local designers, but they seem to be a very shy lot and little or nothing can be found.

Inspired by her wonderful rooms, Tobi Fairley show us just how easy it is to incorporate colour in a way that is fresh and inviting - and perfect for summer decorating.

Tobi's wonderful sense of colour is displayed in all her room designs and goes to show that you can combine almost any hue, shade and colour to create beautiful interiors.

There are so many different hues and shades of green that is can be used in any room in the home. In a family or garden room a deep green provides a calm setting for a relaxing sanctuary. Use green hues to invoke a spa-like atmosphere in a bathroom.

ABOVE: The intense green of the fabrics would overpower most other colours. But the rich brown of this furniture more than holds its own. Together, the two hues enhance each other, evoking the beauty of a forest.

Green is soothing and relaxing, but can overwhelm a space in its darker shades. Combine greens and rich chocolate browns for a setting that is balanced yet still fresh and vibrant. Use fabric with large prints on a white background to break up blocks of colour.

BELOW: A splash of red immediately catches the eye and breaks up the large expanse of green in the room.

ABOVE: In both these rooms the green stands out. Bamboo curtains, wingback chairs with geometric designs and the framed prints subtly extend the room's natural inspiration.

BELOW: Green can be as captivating indoors as it is in the garden. In this modern living room vibrant cushions on a chocolate sofa are used as an assertive accent. The pink wingback chair and vase of spring tulips in vivid pink offer contrasting colour that pops against the backdrop of earthy colours.

ABOVE: A two-colour palette feels fresh and fashionable when greens meet pale blues.

ABOVE: Among the easiest colours to add to a room, greyish blue is layered over neutral colours to create a calming effect in a living space.

ABOVE: Bathed in soft ivory and being and enlivened with a pale blue, this room becomes warm and welcoming.

ABOVE: In this bedroom, all of the details are painted the same icy blue. A darker hue wraps around the room like a bright ribbon; the same colour emphasizes the soft fabriucs used in the drapes, upholstered ottoman and bed frill. A graphic fabric on the chairs plus paint in matt and glossy finishes keep the overall look from becoming monotonous.

ABOVE: A love of the seaside and a range of neutrals from seashells and stones inspired the choice of restful colours for this living room.

ABOVE: This soft and striking living room is anchored in neutral ice, blue shades, but the white lamps add modern pop to the space. 

ABOVE: Embellished edges and small streaks of contrasting colour give a room weight when the palette is soft ivory or taupe.

Don't be intimidated by the robust intensity of red.

ABOVE: When decorating, use fabric and textiles to enliven a room. The upholstered ottomans provides a simple yet sophisticated design solution.

ABOVE: Afraid of colour? You can start off on a small scale by customizing a neutral room with a few coordinated accessories: a bold red shade on a tablelamp and an arrangement of fresh flowers in a vivid red.

ABOVE: Bring just a touch of unexpected colour into the home: White cushions with red coral design, red textiles and fabrics - all easy and affordable ways to introduce contrasting colour in small doses.

ABOVE and BELOW: Truly warm and welcoming, orange can add a myriad of effects to any room. A vibrant, citrus hue can enliven a room, while a deeper shade of pumpkin can add a lovely warmth.

ABOVE and BELOW: By selecting colour combinations that not only make you smile but also enhance the mood and setting of the rest of your house, you can design a room that is tranquil yet still has plenty of panache. In this single-room batchelor pad, cream, orange and aqua create a welcoming space that is trendy and full of fun.

ABOVE: Earthy orange - the colours of a warm sunset - look wonderful in the bedroom, where burnt oranges and creamy taupe make this room warm and enveloping.

ABOVE: Hovering more towards red than a true orange, and towards green rather than blue, these rooms combine both colours to visually organize disparate elements. Picture frames, a stool and table lamp all wear the same vivid hue. Cushions, throw and a floral arrangement adds accents in a similarly intense shade.

ABOVE: Muted fabrics and finishes are the perfect canvas for highlighting colour. In this living room, splashes of orange create a modern feel against a canvas of pale aqua and cream.

Given time, even the smallest garden can land you with a mountain of things to store – be they pot plants and tools or outdoor furniture. A shed usually provides the answer, but there's plenty to think about before making a choice.

Whatever size garden you have, you are sure to need some form of outdoor storage for garden equipment, tools, outdoor furniture, and other outdoor and DIY accoutrements. Before deciding on the type of storage facilities to install however, it is important to evaluate the extent of your requirements and assess just how much storage space you really need.

Basic considerations
Of course, you may already have firm ideas about just how big your garden storage problem is, especially if you have nowhere to store anything. On the other hand, you may be struggling along with thoroughly inadequate facilities, and wondering how to cope. If your garden tools consist of nothing more than a fork, spade, pair of shears and a small lawnmower, then you could probably be stored on shelves or hooks on the garage wall. On the other hand, if you have a large garden with a vegetable patch, your garden tool inventory might well encompass a whole lot more tools, accessories and various gardening chemicals and fertilisers.

Then there is the question of garden furniture and leisure equipment to consider. Unless you are in the habit of carrying a chair out from the house every time you want to sit in the sun or you are lucky enough to have a covered patio, you will need somewhere to store at least a couple of deck chairs or sun loungers, and of course, all the accompanying cushions as well.

Quite often, it makes sense to combine a garden storage zone with space for a workshop or other activities. For example, the vegetable gardener may also need somewhere to store crops after harvest, such as apples, potatoes and onions for example. A potting shed for spring-time planting activities would also be very useful. The home handyman could combine garden storage with a workshop where he can also store tools and materials. And the family may simply want additional leisure space – an outdoor playroom or sun lounge.

The garden shed
If you decide that your needs are for storage only, your choice of facilities is fairly straightforward – a traditional garden shed. This can be little bigger than a cupboard, to hold a few garden tools and provide room for a couple of chairs. Or it can be big enough to store mowers and cultivators, wheelbarrows and sacks of potatoes. In either case, there is a wide choice of styles, shapes and materials from which to choose. The simplest garden shed consists of a wooden rectangle or square with a floor area of 0,5m² to 1,5m², plus a pent (sloping) roof, door and no windows – although the roof may be of translucent plastic to let in some light. Larger wooden sheds come with either pent or ridge roofs and probably incorporate at least one window. Those with ridge roofs offer more headroom and provide useful storage space for longer items such as beanpoles.

Alternatively, there are Keter sheds – consisting of prefabricated panels that are clicked together to make up a square or rectangular structure, with windows and doors – and easy-to-erect panelled buildings with a simple framework clad with weather-proof panels. Again, there is a wide range of shapes and sizes available to suit your requirements.

Apart from size and style, there are one or two practical points to bearing mind when choosing a storage shed. Firstly, it must have adequate security, as apart from having your costly tools stolen; many house break-ins are committed with the aid of tools taken from unlocked garden sheds. Secondly, it must be totally dry and weatherproof, so that your tools don't rust and the timber doesn't rot. All of which are an integral part of Keter design.

Storage and workroom
If you have decided that you need a workroom as well as a storeroom, then you will want a somewhat larger building. The actual size will, of course, depend on your requirements and the space you have available, but the minimum size you should consider for the purpose is about 1,8m x 3m, with good headroom over the entire floor area. So choose a ridge rather than a bent roof.

One end of the building can then be designated for storage (and will therefore not need a window), while the other end can be used as a potting shed or workshop with a window at waist-level to admit adequate light. This arrangement also ensures that you have plenty of wall space for shelves and other storage arrangements.

Comfort can be important if you are going to work for long periods in the shed. A suspended timber floor will again be an asset here, although you may need to consider ways of setting workbench legs on a concrete screed below the floor level to provide a firm work surface for carpentry and similar jobs. Bear in mind too that a concrete shed will be warmer than a timber one in cold weather, unless the later is lined on the inside.

Storage and summerhouse
You may feel that you additional requirements are not so much for space to work in as for space to work in as for space in which to relax – somewhere to sit in a comfortable chair out of the wind on bright, but chilly days. In this case what you need is a summer house, which can also double-up as an outdoor playroom for the children, as well as providing storage space for all your gardening equipment. Do take care however, to place any sharp gardening tools or chemicals safely locked away out of the reach of children's inquiring hands.

There is a choice of timber outbuildings ranging in style from modern to rustic that come in standard sizes, or which can be custom built to suit your individual requirements. Stack-away doors that can be folded away when the weather is hot, are ideal as they really open up the space to the outdoors, yet can be closed when the weather is a little chillier without disrupting the view of your garden.

Finding the right site
Apart from the obvious practical aspects of size and style, it is important to consider the appearance of the building in the garden – whether you want to make it a feature of the garden or disguise it to blend in with its immediate surroundings. Although it is mainly a question of personal taste, it is well worth looking at as many different types and styles as possible and considering all the options before committing yourself to spending money on a building that might look totally out of character with your garden and home once it has been erected.

Timber outbuildings look very attractive when new, however, you must bear in mind that they require regular applications of wood preservative or paint. Concrete buildings on the other hand, need virtually no maintenance and can be made to look exceptionally attractive with the help of simulated or natural stone cladding.

Sheds that are intended purely for storage are best sited where they are most needed. For example, a storage shed for garden tools and equipment might be most practically positioned at the bottom of the garden, while one used mainly for storing garden furniture could go near the back of the house – to one side of the patio or backing on to the garage. A combined storage/workshop will obviously be of most use near the house and a storage/potting shed should be located near to the flower beds or vegetable garden. A summer house on the other hand, should be positioned according to the geography of the garden to catch the maximum sunlight for the longest part of the day.

It is worth remembering that a building used for any kind of garden storage must be easily accessible, and it might be worth laying a permanent path leading to it, which will be passable in wet, as well as in dry weather. Give some thought too, to whether you will need a supply of electricity to the shed. If it is to be used as a workshop, this will probably be vital for driving power tools and for providing light. Remember that an outbuilding should be supplied via a permanent and separate electrical circuit taken from the house's main distribution board, and that the cables will have to be installed by a professional electrician so as to comply with your home's electrical compliance certificate.

Alternatively, if you don't want to make a feature of your garden shed, it can be tucked away to one side or placed at the bottom of the garden and screened from the house with quick-growing trees, fencing or a screen block wall, or it can be stained or painted to blend with its surrounds, or covered with climbing plants such as ivy.

Summer is on it's way, and that means heat! While a large majority of homes use air conditioners, we can all save money by using them less.

We can all save energy, too, which on the hottest summer days can have an immediate payoff: avoiding an electricity blackout caused by an overloaded power grid, and by lessening the load of air pollution emitted by our power plants.

Let's take a look at some of the best ways to stay cool without using the air conditioner. (Incidentally, these tips are also useful when the electricity does go out, leaving you without the use of your air conditioner.)

We start with the easiest, cheapest tips you can do right now to cool off – and then recommend some home improvements that can help keep your home cooler in the years to come, and tack on some tips for those of us with air conditioners we'd like to pay less to run or replace. And remember – even if you have and use an air conditioner, these tips can help you reduce your need for it, saving both energy and money.

It may seem like the wrong this to do on a hot summers day, but opening the windows will often make your home warmer, not cooler. Open your windows only at night if the air outside is cooler than inside, and close them – along with blinds and shades – before the sun hits your house in the morning. When night falls, open windows wide, particularly those oriented toward prevailing winds so you can take advantage of cross ventilation. This will allow cool night air to circulate, and prevent a good deal of the sun's heat from reaching indoors. You may also put houseplants – particularly larger potted trees – in front of sunny windows to absorb some of the sun's energy.

Ceiling fans can create a pleasant breeze to cool a room significantly. Be sure that you have the fan running in the right direction since ceiling fans can also be used in winter to create an updraft. In the summer, you should feel the breeze blowing down. And remember, ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so turn it off when you leave the room. If you're buying new ceiling fans, make sure you buy Energy Star ceiling fans that use 50% less energy than comparable models – a choice that will pay off in the long run, as you can appreciate the longer you keep your fan running.

Stand-alone fans placed directly in front of you, it's no surprise, help keep you cool. Add in a spritz bottle and you can dramatically change your temperature; as the water evaporates off your skin, your body sheds heat.

It may sound obvious, but it's worth saying: If you're hot, cool off your core temperature by immersing yourself in cold water. Unless there's 100% humidity, the evaporation of water off your skin will further cool you once you emerge from the water.

While ceiling fans may not help significantly to cool your home, ceiling insulationcan help a lot. Insulation keeps cooler air in your home from escaping through the ceiling. If you have central air conditioning, also seal ducts – especially at vents and registers, where you could be losing up to 20% of you cooled air.

Your house gets hot because the sun beats down on it relentless on hot summer days. Let nature help reduce your energy bills by planting deciduous trees on the east and west sides of your home. In the summer their broad leaves will shade your house, while in the winter, bare branches won't stop the sun's warmth from reaching your walls, while they will allow sunlight to warm up your home in the winter months.

Also consider planting trees or shrubs to shade high-heat areas – air conditioning units that emit heat, for instance, and driveways and walkways that absorb it. Of course, sitting under a shady tree on a hot summer day isn't a bad way to pass the time, wherever the tree stands!

Just as window shades and shrubbery work to shield your home from the sun's rays, awnings can save you money on energy bills by cutting down on the heat your house absorbs. This is an investment to make if you like the look.

In the August issue of Easy DIY magazine, the DIY Divas show you how to build your own firepit for entertaining outdoors during the winter or summer months. A firepit is just one of the ways that you can increase outdoor entertainment, but there are many other ways to extend your living spaces outdoors and make the most of a garden or balcony.

We South Africans naturally move more of our attention toward the outdoors as the weather starts to warm up. Thoughts of sipping cool beers while sitting comfortably atop cozy loungers and braais instantly come to mind at the mere mention of summer. The last few years, however, have brought a dramatic increase in the money and time spent on improving our outdoor living spaces.

More homeowners are staying put and improving their current property, and gardens – whether a small flat or townhouse balcony or a medium to large – have become an extension of the house. Outdoor kitchens, entertaiment areas, and decks are becoming popular features that do add value. However, as we spend more money on these outdoor investments, it becomes increasingly important to design our spaces right.

Keep in mind that it is important to conform with the design of the house if you’re installing anything permanent outdoors. That’s one huge mistake that people make.
Permanent structures such as decks and patios should harmonize with the original architecture of your home, and landscaping should follow suit as well.

Exterior spaces are just as much in need of decorating as interior spaces, and before you begin to decorate, think about how you plan to use your outdoor space, and how you can get the best out of the available space. And don't be afraid to use colour and texture when you’re designing for outdoors, these elements are a great way to inject your personality.

Start creating your space with a great piece of furniture as the focal point. It's worth investing in outdoor furniture made of the best quality wood for the outdoors, as this type of furniture can withstand the elements and will last for years.

Once the large furniture pieces are selected, accessories like cushions and toss pillows can add pops of colour.

Lush green, turquoise and rust add an elegant playful touch to neutral furniture.

View your patio or deck as an extension of your living space and design it based on how you will use it.

Even a small outdoor area can serve dual purposes if you choose multi-functional pieces, such as a bench or chairs that allow for dining as well as a conversation.

Planters and lighting can be used to complete the look, and will create a relaxed atmosphere. Tall planters filled with green foliage can define your space and add privacy.

Lighting - especially L.E.D. lighting - is essential for illuminating an outdoor space and for creating ambiance for night-time gatherings, or for evening relaxation.

For those living in flats and townhouses and a small balcony, it's important to make the most of what you have and work with the available space. Take the time to look at the layout and area that's available to determine what can be done. Spend a little bit of energy sprucing it up to extend your living space for the summer months.