BRIGHT sunlight falls on the seed heads of a dandelion flower as they scatter and drift across the wall.

The frame for this particular piece of artwork is the wall itself, as the hand-painted mural takes centre stage.

If you are looking for a unique piece of work to grace your walls at home, consider the artistry created by Samantha McLean of Burnside-based Marmalade Murals and Design.

The trained graphic designer, who spent years working in magazines and newspapers in Scotland, is branching out with a rapidly growing freelance career that shines a spotlight on interior design.

Forget about badly drawn cartoon characters and busy walls packed with colours, the beauty in the work of Samantha is in its subtlety. Think slim plant leaves uncurling around a dancing butterfly, tendrils of roses snaking around arches or two birds perched on the end of a branch.

"People will say they want a mural and decide, that's the wall. But the artist hasn't done anything to reflect the design of the room," explains Samantha.

"A huge big in your face mural doesn't always work. I like to look more at the design of the room and take that into account when I'm working.

"You're not just designing a wall, you're creating a living space.

"It is a unique piece of artwork designed specifically for your home. I can get the colours exactly right. I will visit the client's house and see where the light falls. They might point to a wall and say that's where they want the artwork but I will often suggest bits coming off other parts of other walls to continue the theme but in an indirect way."

Samantha works on a computer to produce the original design, then uses a projector to give customers an idea of size and scale before she starts work with the paintbrush.

"My designs are all about simplicity, I find the more subtle the better," says Samantha.

In her studio opposite walls have contrasting colours depicting the outline of New York's skyline. For a client she has created a basic diagram of a world map, perfect for a globetrotter or armchair traveller alike.

Samantha studied for a Masters degree in graphic design at Edinburgh College of Art before embarking on a career in publishing. Her freelance work has been a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with her passion for design.

"I like illustrations that are really roughly hand drawn. The part of the process I enjoy most is the painting. I love designing and get a real buzz when you know something will work really well in a room," says Samantha.

"Once the wall is like a clean canvas I love projecting the image and thinking, 'That's going to look really nice'.

"I put a poem on one client's wall that her husband had written. Writing, in the right font, can be so beautiful."

It's not just stylish rooms for grown-ups that Samantha works her magic on. She has created magical children's playrooms with a fairy sprinkling sparkling dust over a little's girl's bed, dancing ladybirds and giant daisies growing out of the skirting boards. One commission turned a little girl's bedroom into a Harry Potter themed wizard wonderland.

Prices start from £100, depending on the size of the artwork.

Visit www.facebook.com/MarmaladeMurals or email marmalade.murals@gmail.com