Don't let rules rule you

For years, the decoration ‘Gurus’ have decreed that white or neutral colours such as beige are best for small spaces.  Now, however, experts are examining this rule very closely.  You are advised to focus on how you want your space to feel and not on the size of the space itself.

A manager of a leading Paints Company cautions that, “The big mistake is being afraid to use colour; people think that if you paint all your walls white it will make your place more spacious but that’s not entirely true; there are a lot of factors to consider.”

One such example of “thinking out of the box,” is to paint just one wall with a dark or bright colour, and a lighter colour on the rest.

A dining room, for example, can even be painted in Burgundy or dark Red and with appropriate furniture look gorgeous and luxurious.

These words of advice, however, do not give you license to go colour crazy.  You need to consider the lighting in your rooms – both natural and artificial – before you decide on a colour.  A glossy finish reflects light and this can make a small space look spacious.  Another technique decorators use is to paint a wall in vertical stripes to make the room look higher.

While choosing colours for your apartment, it is important to bear in mind that you need to stick to colours from the same family for all the rooms.  You can, for example, pick three different shades of the same colour throughout your flat. 

If you can see two different rooms from a third, don’t let the colours in the two, clash!  You have to ensure that the colours you see from each place are coordinated.

You will enjoy colours coloring your judgment and enjoy the process of choosing the colours of your interior, and if all else fails, there’s always white!