With the approach of winter, it's an ideal time to freshen up the inside of your home with a new colour scheme.

But many decorating jobs require more than traditional paints can offer.

Sophisticated colours and textures can make such a difference and transform a room from the ordinary to the exceptional.

The story of Porter's Paints began in 1982, when Sydney house painter Peter Lewis began making traditional lime washes in a small garage in Randwick, after discovering old paint recipes in his grandfather Fred Porter's diaries.

Since then, innovation, tradition and a commitment to quality have all played a part in the development of the Porter's range of paints and finishes - from modern interior and exterior wall paints, to traditional lime and cement-based products, unique reactive metallic finishes and many more.

The beautifully rich colours of Porter's Paints cannot be copied or matched due to their unique tinting system.

They often use five or six colourants to ensure that colours correctly compliment and cleverly contrast. You can see the difference for yourself in their hand-painted samples.

And with the environment in mind these days many people want to avoid the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in paint solvents that contribute to atmospheric pollution and degradation of the ozone layer.

All Porter's paints are formulated and manufactured with user health and the environment in mind, with a range of paint options that are classified by APAS (Australian Paint Approval Scheme) as Very Low VOC ( 5g/L) & Low VOC (5-49g/L).

Thornton & Blake in Leura is proud to be the Blue Mountains stockist for Porter's Paints.

Their colour specialists are there to help, whether you need assistance developing an entire new colour scheme for your home or you just need a litre or two to restore a favourite furniture piece.

And with hundreds of beautifully crafted colours to choose from, you'll be delighted with the difference that Porter's can make.

The Thornton & Blake showroom is at Units 5-8/59 Megalong Street, Leura. Details: 4784 3999 or go to www.thorntonandblake.com.au.

Nothing completes a room like stunning window furnishings. They enhance the interior décor and complement the other furnishings in the room.

Curtains and blinds can completely transform your home, adding a strong design element as well as ensuring privacy, warmth in winter and protection from the heat and glare of summer.

When choosing window furnishings for your home, selecting the right options and the vast array of fabrics on offer can be daunting. This is why the help of an interior design expert is essential to ensure you achieve the best result.

Thornton & Blake offers a professional interior design service to assist you in making the right choices for your home.

They have an extensive fabric library at their Leura showroom and will take you through all the options available to achieve a result you will love. They stock all major fabric brands including Mokum, James Dunlop, Wortley, Zepel, Warwick, Sanderson, Morris & Co, Designers Guild, Osborne & Little, The Textile Company, Hoad & Charles Parsons.

Thornton & Blake also offers a free check measure at your home to ensure a perfect fit. And their expert making and installation will produce the stunning results that you expect.

Interior designer Anne Hogarth says it is always best to have an experienced designer to help you navigate your way through all the decisions you need to make to ensure a perfect result.

"And all curtains aren't the same," she said. "When designing curtains, choose how the top of your curtains (the heading) will look as each curtain heading creates a different look and uses a different amount of fabric.

"Curtain headings determine the way the fabric hangs and can set the atmosphere of a room just by the design of the top of the curtain."

Thornton & Blake can make sure that all the details are just right, so that your new curtains look as good as they can.

Similarly, the choice of blinds for your home will affect the mood and ambience that is achieved.

Thornton & Blake can also help with plantation shutters - timber, PVC and aluminium options are available.

Shutters allow you to control privacy, light, ventilation and warmth in a unique and beautiful way.

They can be designed and manufactured to fit any window or door size and come in a range of paint colours and stains.

Plantation shutters always add something special to a space and can be used alone or layered with sheers or curtains.

The Thornton & Blake showroom is at Units 5-8/59 Megalong Street, Leura.

For more details phone 4784 3999 or visit their website at www.thorntonandblake.com.au.