Here are a few simple design ideas that you may find useful. If you scan through a number of home interest magazines you will find these ideas used over and over again.

Flowers
Rather than mixing flowers in a vase, keep to one variety – a bunch of cream roses, a vase of yellow tulips. You will get more of a sense of structure.

TIP: Try to use an interesting container. It may be something that is not intended as a vase but is equally, if not more, effective.

If you are aiming for a minimalist look, then go for a single flower, real, dried or artificial, placed in a slim vase. The larger the flower and vase, the greater the visual impact. A large seedpod grouped with a few grasses or bamboo sticks will look stunning. If funds permit, try 3 of the same arrangement in a line on an occasional table or fireplace.

Fruit
A simple and most effective design trick is to put the same variety of fruit together, a glass dish of oranges, a plate of apricots, or a bowl of pears. It is often much more effective than mixing them all together.

Mirrors
Add an element of surprise and a touch of glamour. They can create an illusion of space in even the smallest of rooms.

Topiary
Topiary need not be confined to the garden. Just as topiary can add structure in a landscape, so it can in the home. An inexpensive way to achieve the same effect is to use ivy trained on specially made frames. The advantage with ivy is that it is very fast growing and will tolerate the warmer temperatures found within the home.

TIP: There are also many pieces of topiary available using artificial materials - a welcome change from the usual dried flower arrangement