AFTER spending weeks taking care of the floor, the ceiling, the necessary furniture and convenient appliances in your new apartment, you need a more delicate touch to give it life, and style. This can be easily achieved with different choices of colors and shapes for the curtains, cushions, bedclothes, lampshades -- and a host of other pretty little things if you like.

　　The dynamic approach of modern interior decorating relies heavily on a neutral palette brought to life by touches of strong color. With light orange curtains in script and block backdrop, and a Tuscan sofa in plainly woven canvas, the basic tone of the living room is natural and cozy. While cushions in red, oatmeal and black script help to add spice. A red checked fabric, for a throw on the Tuscan footstool, creates a look which is anything but dull.

　　Combine dainty floral prints with simple shapes, clean colors and understated accessories for a look that is unaffected and truly refreshing. A tub chair covered in ink blue, a small footstool in lilac, and another chair in blue and white checks will make a comfortable drawing room when combined with a simple blind patterned with blue flowers.

　　Pure linen is a current favorite for living and sleeping areas. The approach is to soften the rough, natural texture of flax with crisp white or cream colored bed linens and add a dash of embroidery, which brings an ageless and very gentle touch of luxury. A light linen square cushion teamed with a cream colored monogrammed neck cushion provides an unexpected take on mixing textures.

　　A small blue pleated lampshade sitting atop a white ringed lamp base provides a gentle touch for your bedside table. Minty green gingham will balance dainty flowers, and a mini photo frame, in the classical oval shape and decorated with lace all around, could remind you of all the good memories from your childhood and add a touch of elegance. While pretty cloth-covered dustbins, also decorated by frills, laces and even delicate dolls, are so appealing that you may not have the heart to throw things into them. They are just too dainty to be dustbins, at least for me.