You can give a room a lick of paint or spruce it up with new furniture but nothing warms up a home like fresh flowers, writes Lisa Haynes Just like our fashion tastes, we all have different ideas about the perfect flower - from tiger lilies to tulips and tiny buds to extravagant blooms.

"There are some flowers that just look good whatever home they are in," said Jane Scott (pictured right), floral designer for John Lewis.

"White roses sit comfortably in a modern or period house and they can be structured to look formal or loosely arranged for a casual feel."

Forget the wallpaper and scatter cushions, you can inject some serious style into your home with a quick dash to your local florist.

AMAZING ARRANGING You don't need to attend classes to learn the tricks of clever flower arranging. According to Jane Scott, those stuffy, traditional rules have changed.

"There used to be a lot of 'rules' to arranging flowers in the home, which included specific vase-to-flower proportions, flowers had to be in certain numbers and arrangements had to follow certain shapes," she said.

"Fortunately, this has all changed and things have become much more informal."

Rather than relying on the shape and structure of your blooms, look to their colour to make a statement in your room, Jane said: "In the way that new colour can be injected into a room with cushions or a luxurious throw, the same colour theme can be carried through into flowers.

"Vivid orange gerberas look great with clashing pink hydrangea, for instance."

VASE VANITY So you've bought your blooms, and now all you need is a vase to show them off. But what key styles should you seek out in the shops?

"There are no real rules on vases and flowers can be displayed in any waterproof container from junk shop cups to a huge goldfish bowl vase or an old watering can," Jane said.

To create a modern twist with your flowers, look for cutting edge display vases like Object Havoc's shaped vase laminated with black resin (right), £82, Jane Packer's metallic black relief vase, £15 at Debenhams, or Dwell's square giant vase, £69.

If you prefer the traditional look to rival a stately home, opt for Marks & Spencer's embossed vase, from £15, or Littlewoods Direct's damask vases, from £8.

But if you want the flowers to do the talking, Jane advises going back to basics. "A few simple key purchases can suit a multitude of flowers, such as a plain cream jug," she said.

"I've had one for years and it looks great filled with masses of tulips, peonies in summer, a country garden bouquet or different coloured sunflowers."

Try Laura Ashley's enamel embossed jug, £10, or for simple window ledge chic try Sainsbury's blue pot planter set, £5.99, for smaller flowers.

DAZZLE WITH DISPLAYS Avoid wide necked vases as they need loads of flowers to fill them. Try Au Naturale's tall and narrow spot and leaf detail vases, both £8, Kelly Hoppen at BHS's embossed wave vase, £21, or Jane Packer's rose orchid relief vase, £25 at Debenhams.

For extra theatre, display flowers in a glass vase and use sparkling water. The bubbles are a real talking point! For inspiration look to Jane Scott's purple Vanda orchids in globe vase, £50, John Lewis.

Try grouping vases. Three types of flowers in one colour look very stylish displayed in coordinating vases and placed together on a shelf or table. It also looks stylish to leave one or two of the vases in the group empty. Look to Matalan's set of three matching vases (above), £7. Or for a non-uniform look, try Woolworths' wide selection of vases, from £4.

Scented flowers give the best of both worlds as they look and smell gorgeous. Place them in the hall so as you walk through the front door the fragrance greets you. However, keep them away from the dining table as the perfume may overpower the food. Try John Lewis' Blissful basket arrangement (left), £45, which includes white narcissi, genista, roses and cream tulips.

If you are a fan of flowers, it is always a sorry sight to see them slowly wilting away. But Jane has this insider advice for getting the most out of your blooms.

"There are lots of ways to ensure you get the best from your flowers," she said. "The easiest ones to follow are to use the food sachet which often accompanies cut flowers, display them away from draughts and radiators, make sure your vases are super clean and always buy flowers in bud."

Even if your floral display is really starting to look beyond repair, there's still hope!

"Once flowers in a bouquet start to fade, rescue the ones worth saving, cut the flower heads off and float in a large shallow bowl with scattered petals or floating candles," Jane said.