Paints

The Farrow & Ball range is especially strong in mid-tone architectural colours which have a strong umber presence creating "weight" and "depth". Always remember that their colours are darker and stronger than on the colour charts. It is worth experimenting with their tester pots before painting an entire room.

Ceilings should be painted off white - F&B No 59 New White for period rooms or something paler - perhaps "White Tie" or "Pointing" (from their Off White Range) for 9 ft high modern spaces.

Do not pick out mouldings: it is much more subtle to have one colour and let the light differentiate the parts. Flat emulsion is normally adequate; use distemper for extra matt surfaces and soft distemper only if elaborate mouldings have been cleaned and you are prepared to wash it off each time you decorate.

Today painting the woodwork with the walls is rather reminiscent of American 1930s taste, and normally woodwork is the same colour as the ceiling.

Purists use flat oil but it is not really washable.

However, if you are mixing your own colours try a 50 per cent white undercoat with a 50 per cent tinted eggshell for a matt finish that may be cleaned. Walls should be matt emulsion or distemper.

There is a huge range of architectural colours suitable for recreating the Palladian feel.

Some examples might be: for halls, F&B No 16 Cord; for livingrooms, No 44 Cream or 75 Ball Green; diningrooms can be a bit of a problem as specific diningrooms were rare until 1750, so it might be appropriate to deepen the livingroom colour, using No 8 String or No 51 Sudbury Yellow.

Paint the faces of skirting boards a dark colour, using, for example F&B No 36 Mahogany, which will give the room a visual plinth.

If you are brave and use some of the stronger F&B colours, it is an idea to cut in half with Ivory (BS10.b.15) to reduce the intensity of colour.

Floors

A rule of thumb to remember is: always decorate from the floor upwards! An important source of colour in Palladian rooms came from Turkish rugs. Good Oriental rugs are, of course, a huge investment but once bought, they seem to go up and up in value.

It is far better to make do with a woollen sea grass mat bound with a colourful tape until you can afford an appropriate rug.

Cotton or poor imitations are a hopeless base for decorating a room. If you have floorboards - reveal them. If they are good enough, lightly sand and wax. If they are pitch pine do not varnish - the intense orange will dominate the room. Stain them with a medium stain - walnut is especially good - and save up for that Uschak or Zieglar for the centre of the room.

Furnishings

The best way to get a feel for the arrangement of authentic period rooms is to study conversation piece paintings. These illustrate the placement of furniture, the height of mirrors, the symmetry of pictures and above all what pieces are worth collecting. Those by Gaven Hamilton, Arthur Devis and William Hogarth are rich sources of information. To buy any antique from this period is a considerable investment and one must consider what pieces will fit into everyday requirements.

Plain brown mahogany side tables, armless chairs and tea tables will set the tone in most rooms.

The American manufacturing company, Kindel Furniture, which has an Irish outlet, makes some good reproductions of Irish pieces - particularly their sofas, which combine elegance with great comfort.