Introduction

From a Turkish market with hundreds of stalls, groaning under the weight of fabrics, spices and trinkets, to a village fair selling everything from homemade jam to second-hand books, bazaars the world over are all about abundance. There's plenty to see and much to delight the senses. Bazaar style encapsulates all this colour, richness and diversity - and brings it home. The look is relaxed and individual, with rooms that are comfortable, maybe a little quirky, but always full of interest.

Bazaar style is the antidote to interiors magazines listing must-have products and the latest colours. It doesn't follow fashion or obey rules, but allows you to set your imagination free, mixing furniture and fabrics from across the decades. It's a look that is easy to pull off because anything goes, from vintage and retro, to recycled and restored. There's no snobbery in a bazaar style home. Pieces inherited from a great-aunt can be cherished alongside something found on a foreign holiday. No item is off limits, either. Shabby objects can be quickly refreshed - a lick of white eggshell can transform a tired dresser, a row of sequins can rev up a plain cushion.

Flea markets, boot fairs, antiques shops and eBay are rich hunting grounds, with the added element of surprise - you never know what you're going to find. From foreign treasures like French linen tablecloths to English country classics like floral tea sets and rustic baskets. From retro wallpapers to Welsh woollen blankets, oil paintings to old mirrors. Pieces that have seen a bit of life or travelled far come with personality built in. A lantern that you haggled for in a foreign market; a neglected chair you found in a French brocante; a frayed throw you nursed back to life with needle and thread - these items will give your home life and soul. How much nicer to have a rug made using traditional artisan techniques than a factory-produced alternative? How much more interesting to have furniture that tells a story, than a mass-produced flat-pack piece, cheap to buy, but hard to value?

The bazaar look cannot be bought on one shopping trip. It grows organically over the years, with finds gathered from diverse sources. It celebrates the beauty of our everyday possessions, too - almost anything can look striking when thoughtfully arranged and given room to breathe - and loves colour. Think of the rich tones of Moroccan kilims on a souk stall, the flowers in a Dutch market or the colours on the spines of old paperbacks in a second-hand bookshop. Colour used bravely and abundantly can inspire, refresh and invigorate the senses. Most of us feel better with some in our lives.

Bazaar Style will show you where to shop, what to look for and how to put it all together. There is plenty of inspiration in the interiors shown on these pages and by seeing what others have done in their homes, you'll gain confidence to experiment in yours. Perhaps you had never dared hang a floral painting, picked up in a junk shop, against flowery wallpaper or had not guessed that granny's old toby jug could look so good as a vase. By absorbing the unusual combinations and innovative ways that everday objects have been made to look exceptional you'll begin to master a whole new style. It's one that need not cost much and isn't hard to achieve - just have fun and follow your instincts.

ENDS