Decorating with Colour

Decorating with bold colours is one of the most effective and rewarding ways to bring an interior to life. Using statement hues on your walls doesn't have to be the daunting experience most believe. On the contrary, it can be a liberating and expressive process that allows you to demonstrate your unique personality and individual taste. This week let's dip our pinkies into the vast colour pot of pigment possibilities out there.

One of the first things to take in to consideration before selecting your statement colour is to decide the purpose of the room or space that you are painting. Keep in mind that colour can influence our mood and thoughts.

For example, painting a toddler's room a cheery bright yellow won't assist in calm bedtime rituals. In fact studies show that babies seem to cry more in a yellow room. Leave this stimulating colour for areas such as the kitchen or bathroom. Consider treating areas of rest and reflection with peaceful greens and calming blues.

Orange, known for its exciting and energising powers is the perfect wall treatment for living rooms or areas where exercise and physical activity take place. Representing the sacral chakra that symbolises vitality and strength, ancient cultures believed this colour increased energy and lung health.

If it's a warm and inviting energy you wish to invoke look no further than sensual red. Used in dining rooms this colour encourages conversation and is said to enhance appetite and aid digestion. Symbolic of love it isn't hard to see why red rules Valentine's Day but use sparingly in the bedroom as its power can also have the opposite effect making partners 'see red'!

If Freud was alive today he would only have to visit a client's home to assess their malady based simply on the patient's pigment of choice. Many a mousey brown, self-deprecating wallflower has an outer shell that belies her inner world of vibrant colour. Don't judge a book by its colour folks!

Still hesitant? Keep in mind that paint is one of the easiest things to correct when decorating needing just a paint roller and a couple of hours of your time to transform a room.

Whether you are an 'Atomic Green Vomit‚ or just 'Plum Crazy', colour your world happy this weekend and go forth with confidence.