Happy home

Ask almost anyone to describe their ideal home, and the chances are that it'll be spacious and glamorously decorated, as though it has leapt straight from the pages of a glossy magazine.

But enviable decor alone does not result in happiness.

The days of simply 'getting the look' are over; we are now more interested in achieving a contented home life than in considering purely the aesthetics of our interiors.

After all, home is not simply a pretty backdrop to life, but a practical and integral part of it.

In this timely new book, interiors expert Rebecca Winward first considers what makes our homes so vital to our happiness, then outlines the basic principles that create a happy home.

The main part of the book follows a clear room-by-room arrangement, with sections on such elements as layout, colour, coverings for walls and floors, storage and accessories for each main space in the house.

Useful, down-to-earth advice is accompanied by inspirational photographs from stylish homes of all kinds, and every chapter concludes with a list of dos and don'ts for achieving the perfect happy room.

Happy Home is not so much about a certain style as about a certain style philosophy. Follow these principles, and your home will be functional, beautiful - and ultimately happier.