Black and white is always super smart thanks to the crisp contrast of shades, but if these hues are a little stark for you then you could try swapping out the black for a rich chocolate brown and warming up the white with a hint of cream, sound tasty?

Open-sided staircases allow light to travel unobstructed through a living area, and encourage a feeling of greater space.

When going for a beautifully sleek and simple design like this dining room, remember to create an interesting focal point, as illustrated here by the oversized and sculptural pendant light; just one well placed and generously proportioned piece can completely change the image of a smooth ensemble.

This modern wall mural is full of energy with its overlapping ripped edging, and the best thing about it is that it could be recreated with very little artistic capability; just source your favorite images, acquire blown-up prints at your local copy shop and start ripping… hey presto, cool wall art!