Sinuous, elongated, curvy lines the whiplash line vertical lines and height stylised flowers, leaves, roots, buds and seedpods the female form - in a pre-Raphaelite pose with long, flowing hair exotic woods, marquetry, iridescent glass, silver and semi-precious stones are all features of the art nouveau style.

The following are essentials of the style:

Floors - are parquet and should be stained and varnished

Colour schemes - are quite muted and sombre and became known as 'greenery yallery' - mustard, sage green, olive green, and brown. Team these with lilac, violet and purple, peacock blue. Mackintosh experimented with all-white interiors.

Furniture - Mackintosh is renowned for extremely high-backed chairs in glossy black lacquer. If that's not your style go for curvy shapes upholstered in a stylised floral fabric.

Lighting - you've got to have a Tiffany lamp - the beautiful umbrella-shape rainbow of favrile glass with bronze and metal latticework. Original ones cost the earth but most of the high streets stores produce very good imitations.