The new <b>spring/summer collections</b> are currently being previewed, and the one consistent theme is colour. <b>Bright, pure colour</b> . This is good news. Why? Well, since many of us here live in rented apartments that aren't ours to decorate as we wish, we rely on furniture and accessories for injections of colour and interest. And it's back in a big way. At <b>Ikea</b> , for example, their flagship bookcase Billy has had a dramatic makeover in yellow and green. The bold, graphic qualities gives it quite a retro 1980s look that we really like. Now all our white Lack stuff suddenly looks very boring indeed. For a smaller burst of budget colour, check out their Gavik lamps. Cheap enough, at you can buy one of each (red, green, orange, lime or white). At <b>Zara Home</b> , the bold and the bright are concentrated on their tableware and linens. It's not all the usual soft, warm pastels at <b>Laura Ashley</b> , either. The bold blue swirls of their new Curzon design (available in wallpaper, fabric, cushions and bed linen) is a surprising and telling addition to their spring collection. But as we recently reported in House & Home, the big colour of the year is <b>Tangerine Tango</b> , announced by Pantone to be the official shade of 2012, and a real departure from the paler tints seen in the past couple of years. We are already seeing a lot of this in the fashion stores, but as we get closer to spring, you can expect to see more of this "blushing, juicy red" in your homes. You don't have to embrace it like this - just the odd accent is enough to bring a fresh vibrancy to where magnolia previously ruled.