GET COLOUR Confident

How to create beautiful new schemes for every room in your home

- CHARLOTTE BOYD

It's so easy to get into a decorating rut, worrying that a new, bolder paint shade might not work. But the right colour or combination of colours can transform a space, making an unwelcoming living room cosy, a dark hallway inviting or energising a drab kitchen. Unlock your home's wow factor by embracing your colour confidence.

Get the BASICS RIGHT

The colour you choose to paint your walls has a huge impact on the feel of a room, so before you splash out on a tin of off-white paint, consider the purpose of the room and the mood you want to create.

Is it a bedroom that you want to feel relaxed in? If so, calming sage greens or muted pinks will help to soothe and unwind. If you want to make your living room feel cocooning and cosy, a palette of earthy terracotta and ochre hues will do the job. Consider your existing furnishings too – are you starting from scratch or do you need to coordinate with your curtains or sofa?

Light levels

Look at how much or little light the room gets and when you use it the most. Paint colours look different in daylight and artificial light, so it's worth painting an area of wall, or picking up a large piece of paper painted with your possible colour choices, and observing them throughout the day and with the lights on in the evening.

DIRECTION MATTERS