With the summer over, the nights drawing in and the sun seemingly well and truly gone, Gabrielle Fagan looks at ways of keeping the holiday spirit alive using exotic interiors.

Going away on holiday can leave you with more than happy memories and souvenirs - it can also give you new ideas for your home.

If you love the style of that French farmhouse there's no reason why you can't recreate that chic style in your own home with elegant furniture, pretty toile wallpaper and fabrics, and decorative mirrors.

A trip to the Orient may make you long for an Eastern boudoir with the windows and bed dressed in sari silks.

Travels in Sweden or Norway could start a love affair with the clean, pared-down style of Scandinavia.

Here are a few tips to recreating the holiday look.

French

Look For: Vintage lace, linens, ornate mirrors and tableware from antique markets to give an authentic feel.

Don't buy: Oversized furniture which may not fit your home, as the dimensions of old French rooms were larger than UK homes.

To be safe take room measurements with you on a buying trip.

Get the look: For a chateau effect choose traditional toile de jouy wallpaper and fabric and team it with white painted furniture, which is currently in vogue.

Eastern

Exploring the Orient from Thailand to India can have you hankering to decorate your rooms with vibrant colours and ornate carved woods.

Less is more is the rule for this look as a little vibrant colour can go a long way.

Some inspirational websites:

  • AMPM: redoute.co.uk
  • cucinadirect.co.uk
  • dibor.co.uk
  • firedearth.com
  • gardentrading.co.uk
  • gustavian.com
  • theholdingcompany.co.uk
  • habitat.net
  • ikea.co.uk
  • lauraashley.com
  • reallylindabarker.co.uk
  • ianmankin.com
  • pier.co.uk

Look For: Handmade rugs, silks, saris, black lacquer accessories and porcelain.

Don't buy: Too many different coloured things. Try to stick to a few vibrant colours to accent a room.

Remember, less is more.

Get the look: Use a striking wallpaper on a feature wall. Both Graham & Brown and Zoffany have excellent selections. Leave other walls plain so those dark pieces don't make the room seem too gloomy.

The Pier should be the first port of call for Eastern-style furniture.

Scandinavian

This relaxed, pared-down style is one of the most popular trends around.

Simply painting the floors and walls white, and using crisp, fresh gingham fabrics could turn your rooms into pretty as a postcard Scandinavian settings.

Look For: Fabrics, enamelware, silver and pewterware and china.

Don't buy: Too much furniture. A couple of well-placed pieces will give the effect much more than cramming a room with Ikea cabinets, chairs and tables.

Get the look: Natural fabrics are key to this look, and a way to add colour and interest.

Think checks or stripes in sunny deck chair colours.