Strike a balance with cool and warm colours

STUDIES show that colours affect us in many ways, including mood. Some decorators talk of colours in terms of landscapes, where warm colours such red-orange are those you would see in bright daylight and cool colours such as green-blue are those you would see on an overcast day.

Warm colours such as yellow, orange and red are also called high-energy colours. The positive side is that these colours energise, but the drawback is that they can be tiring.

If you use them on walls, maintain a balance by keeping the floor and ceiling neutral. For example, throw in an egg yolk yellow wall and balance it with a dark wooden floor or pine cabinets and a cream ceiling.

If you think bright walls are too much, use warm colours as accents. For example, hang yellow curtains in the kitchen and paint the door yellow so that you are energised when you eat breakfast.

Some studies suggest that red also increases your appetite, which is why you see this colour in many fast food restaurants. As such, if you have children, you might want to paint all your kitchen cabinets red in order to reinforce the idea that home-cooked kitchen meals are best.

Cool colours such as blues and greens are known for their soothing effects. They are excellent for rooms where you want some downtime such as bedrooms and bathrooms.