Turn your home sunny side up with tan-talising decor

If you’re a sun-worshipper who likes to bake, soft brown tones and furniture in natural materials which celebrate those shades - wood and leather - will probably appeal. Dipping into a burnished colour palette and adding a few well-chosen pieces will beautify rooms, and can accent their best features in much the same way as bronzers highlight facial features.

Beach babes could match their more subtle look in their spaces, with sand and bleached blonde hues, conjuring a gorgeous, golden glow. Meanwhile, those who shun the sun completely could simply opt for ‘pale and interesting’, with on-trend nearly nude, blush tones.

Whichever tan factor you go for, these looks will turn your home sunny side up...

Summertime, and the glowing is easy - if you embrace brown hues, from mahogany to chocolate, to beautify your abode.

“A wonderful way to inject that summer feel into your home is to opt for warm, tan-toned furniture. When searching for the right colour, keep in mind the holiday tan spectrum, ranging from a golden glow to a dark, rich mahogany,” advises Rebecca Snowden, interior style advisor at Furniture Choice.

“Natural materials have beautiful mellow richness, which brings tone and character to rooms. Caramel and butterscotch shades are featuring strongly in trends for autumn and will help inject warmth into a home in the colder months too. Set pieces against a neutral backdrop, particularly white, to allow them to shine in the same way that an all-white outfit will always show off an enviable tan.”

GET THE GLOW: Leather looks luxurious, but can be an expensive choice. Made.com’s range offers design-standard furniture at discounted prices, and their Seattle 2 Seater Sofa, £749, and matching Seattle Armchair, £549, available in an outback tan leather, are a snip.

Give walls a bronzed shimmer with brown Mix Mosaic Tiles, around £18.95 a sheet, from Walls And Floors. Soft and lustrous copper is the metal of the minute and will add a gleam to blonde wood and shades of grey. Show off metal magic with a Cobre Stool in Copper, £179, Swoon Editions. A Viva (1090 d) stripe rug, from £34, The Rug Seller, echoes the grades of an enviable tan, from brown and beige to ivory. Habitat’s Elzora Chalk White Serving Bowl, £25, has a white salt glaze, which sets off the natural brown of the pottery.

COOL COLOUR: Evoke memories of sun-bathing sessions with a Life Is A Beach Deckchair, £110, In-Spaces.

Your skin may not go golden on demand, but your home will be right on hue if you tan up with sand and bleached-blonde shades.

“We lead busy lives, so we need our homes to be relaxing havens where we can escape from the stresses of the outside world, and there’s nothing more soothing than golden tones, reminiscent of sun-baked tropical climes,” says David Roebuck, managing director at Direct Blinds.

“These will work particularly well in light-starved rooms, but if you want to add more punch to larger, airy spaces, opt for sunset shades, such as amber, flax or burnt orange. This palette is ideal for those wanting to create their own paradise decor inspired by nature.”

GET THE GLOW: Wallpaper designer Debbie McKeegan’s renowned for her stunning designs, and her Coir Wallpaper, from £120 a roll, is in the perfect shoreside shade. Take colour to the walls with a Colours Premium Golden Turmeric One Coat Matt Emulsion, £19.84 for 2.5L, B&Q. Pick up on the palette with accessories such as a Wading Bird Cushion, £42.95, Clare Loves. Perk up a sofa with a Mustard Yellow Herringbone Throw, £58, The British Blanket Company.

COOL COLOUR: An Actuelle Beach Rug, £264, Modern Rugs, looks exactly like a stretch of shell-strewn beach.

Pale can be interesting and is a subtle alternative to sun-baked mahogany hues, so bare all with nude and blush pink tones, which will add a twist to neutrals.

“Glamour and pallor are definitely proving an winning combination, as increasingly we shelter from the sun’s damaging rays. So as temperatures rise, go nude in your home and introduce buff, caramel, pale baby pinks, and even beige shades into your decor,” says Sarah Quilliam, head of product design for specialist blinds and shutter company, Hillarys.

“Often wrongly viewed as boring, beige is infinite in its subtlety, and the shade you choose can alter the entire mood of a room. It can look great as an accent colour - a warm, dark buff works wonderfully with light, pale blues, while layering nude hues creates a soft, calming look, especially if teamed with sensual textures such as cashmere and silks.”

GET THE GLOW: Paint walls in soft Pink Sand from the Colours Durable range at B&Q; £17.63 for 2.5L Matt Emulsion. JAB Anstoetz is renowned for its desirable fabric collections, and its Chivasso range, from £41.33 per metre, would suit this look. Pink and white team well, and an Etano Home Modu M Pendant Light Pink, £106, from a A Splash Of Colour, could be the finishing touch for a scheme.

COOL COLOUR: Blush Pink Dougal Throw, £85, The French Bedroom Company.