With some well-chosen accessories and clever styling tricks you can transform your home into a cosy, warm haven without going to huge expense.

There are some subtle changes you can make to your space that will transform it for the cold months ahead and make it right up to date with the latest trends for a richer, softer style in home decorating.

Colour

It's unrealistic to consider redecorating with each season but if you are considering a new look to your home now might be the time to put aside your taupes and off-whites and try something a bit more daring. There's a rich palette of colours to choose from that will add a touch of wow factor to your home.

Yellow is a good colour to add warmth to a cold, dark space and is ideal to brighten up a dull hallway. A burnished red will create drama and warmth to a dining room or, if you're still unsure, a deep mushroom colour is the perfect backdrop for all the brightly coloured home accessories on sale at the moment.

Soft furnishings

Rich textures and colours combine to add detail and depth to a room. An ochre or plum chenille or wool throw draped over the back of a sofa or chair will give a room a gorgeous, lived in feeling. Scatter cushions in luscious velvets work equally well.

Replacing light summer curtains with heavier, textured drapes will instantly make a room appear warm and inviting and the extra layers of fully-lined curtains can cut down on drafts and help on heating bills.

Prints instantly make an interior feel cosy and warm. The trend this year has been for big patterns but if you don't feel ready for that yet, add touches of pattern here and there. A floral lampshade with an embroidered flower design will add interest to a plain room.

Lighting

The right kind of lighting can add drama and make a room feel really inviting and warm. Uplights work well to bounce light off the ceiling, to create a soft, diffused light. Add dimmer switches to your central light and any wall lights and turn them down low. Some well-placed table lamps for accent lighting can be used to highlight any special features in your room.

Flooring

If you've got a neutral carpet look out for some of the brilliant, well priced rugs around at the moment that will make more of a difference to a room than anything else. Choose your rug first and then work your other accessories around the dominant colours in the rug for an instantly updated cosy, warm room.