Peaceful Spaces: Cosy up to your partner in a blissfully clutter- and colour-free home for a more enriching, calmer and relaxing existence, says Alice Whately in her new book. Great pictures and brimming with good advice. On sleeping, for example, Whately advises us to invest in a bigger bed, a comfier, more expensive mattress and to "ban all distracting detritus from the room". Keep it simple: plain bed linen can be prettied up with some pastel-coloured woollen throws, if necessary. The living room should have at least one superbly comfortable sofa, while a fireplace, complete with aromatic wooden logs for rip-roaring winter fires, is a must. As are scented candles and fresh flowers, year round. Finally, "a plain but elegant table should be the focus of your eating area". Quite so. Another inspirational book from this excellent publisher. Peaceful Spaces by Alice Whately (Ryland, Peters and Small, £18.99)
