Turn your home into a Manor House with Sainsbury's

You don't need to live at Downton Abbey to enjoy the magnificent elegance of country-house interiors. Opulent colours, sophisticated prints and rich metallics will immediately inject grandeur and glamour into your home.

Sainsbury's latest homeware collection - inspired by Britain's great country estates - is perfect for helping to achieve this look. Aptly named Manor House, it is packed full with antique floral motifs, luxurious prints and gilded accessories that instantly conjure up a sense of stately charm.

Start your home makeover by choosing rich jewel-like shades. Rona Olds, Head of Buying for Home at Sainsbury's, recommends a sumptuous palette of royal purple and deep aubergine, enlivened by glittering gold accents and set against a refined backdrop of smoky grey and understated taupe.

To evoke the faded glamour of a British country estate, Rona suggests combining vintage country motifs, such as antique florals and damasks, and offsetting them with tonal plains. Soft furnishings are the easiest way to do this both in your living room, where you can mix and match plain and patterned cushions in luxurious shades of purple, and in your bedroom, where you can layer rich violet cushions and a plush damask throw over striking floral bed linen with a period undertone.

Texture is also key to creating a chic, sophisticated feel - think smooth, soft velvet but also sleek burnished gold. In particular, burnished mirrors and picture-frames, along with fluted tealight candle holders, add a touch of vintage elegance to any room.

To tie off the look, select stylish details that help suggest a country-house atmosphere, such as antique-look frames, beautiful candles and lustrous glass vases brimming with flowers.

To find out more about the Manor House range and Sainsbury's other homeware collections, visit: www.sainsburyshome.co.uk