How to find your interior colour palette

Get confident with using colour throughout your home with these top tips

Plan out a colour scheme on your computer first. You can use design apps like Shuffles, Canva, Keynotes or Photoshop, which are all easy to use and will allow you to play with colour combinations without committing to painting a wall.

Consider how you’d like a room to make you feel when choosing your palette: bright, vivid colours will feel energising and lively; softer hues will be restful and relaxing; and deep, dark shades create a luxurious, cocooning vibe. If you want to achieve a different atmosphere in each room, but still want a cohesive overall look, use the same colours but in different tones – for example, a rich forest green in a living room, and a fresh mint green in a bathroom.

Start small by tying rooms together with one accent colour. Choosing one consistent shade to use throughout your home – known by interior designers as a ‘red thread’ – can help you create a sense of continuity and flow from room to room. You can use this colour in accessories, artwork or rugs, as well as paint. Emily uses black-and-white stripes and shapes as her ‘red thread’.

Colour-blocking is an easy way to try out a new shade without committing to a whole wall. Try painting just a chimney breast or alcove, or get creative with stripes and shapes. This technique can help you zone an open-plan or multi-purpose space, too.

If you’re not ready to commit to a colour – or aren’t able to paint your walls in a rental property – add large-scale framed prints in your chosen palette instead. You can even try your hand at painting your own. Simple abstract shapes are relatively easy for a beginner.