One of the most important decisions you have to make in your home decoration project is painting your walls. Colour selection, while it sounds seemingly simple, can be wrought with uncertainties. Should you follow your heart or the latest colour trends? And where should the balance be between character and neutrality?

Before you run out and grab copies of the latest home decorating magazines, perhaps it’s important to understand colours and their influence on our minds and moods. Warm colours such as orange and yellow are energising like the sun, and should be used in rooms where you need energy – such as the kitchen or playroom. Red, as we all know, is the colour of passion – and should be best applied in the bedroom. Cool colours such as green, blue and violet, have freshening and soothing effects on our moods and are best used in areas where we relax, such as the living room or bathroom. In fact, the colour blue has been proven to have a stimulating effect on our appetite, which makes it a perfect colour for the dining room!

Once we’ve understood the psychology of colours, we are better equipped to mix around and match both warm and cool colours for a more outstanding effect. Of course we don’t mean turning your home into an Andy Warhol piece of pop-art. But more often than not, mixing muted warm colours with cool tones can create a very pleasant effect. For instance, if you’ve decided on Magnolia as the main colour of your living room, add a splash of cool Aquamarine by painting a beam different from the main colour of the walls. This way, you can add character without being overly radical.