Original article featured in Velvet magazine, March 2011. Image credits, Fired Earth

Colour can be intimidating but with a bit of expert advice you can add warmth, interest, drama and character to your home. Follow these tips and you can use colour like the experts.

Most colour schemes are based on a palette of colours that you are instinctively drawn to. Neutrals show up that point well because the colour difference is subtle. The neutrals that you pick out as your favourites will then form the basis of your scheme that you can start to add stronger colours to.

Stronger colours are traditionally used on the wall but you could also use them on woodwork, with a neutral on the wall. You could also use bolder colours on a feature wall if you have a good reason to; for example as a backdrop to a collection of framed photographs or art. Stronger colours are best introduced into your colour scheme as accents in fabric or accessories because these are much easier to change if you tire of them. If you want to introduce more than one colour, wallpaper can be useful; it is also great for introducing textures or tones of colour. It can be tricky to get right, but the key is to keep the other patterns in the room to a minimum and ensure they blend with the colours in the wallpaper.

Light in a room can change dramatically during the day. There is also a huge difference between natural and artificial light and it can be really hard to predict how the light in a room will impact on the paint colour. For example, you might choose a particular colour in a shop only to find that it looks totally different when you get it home. The solution is to paint your chosen colour onto a large piece of card (minimum A4 size) pin it on the wall and look at it during the day and night to see how it changes.

Remember that your colour scheme is not just about paint but a layering of different colours and materials. These obviously include fabric and accessories but flooring is also important to consider and frequently overlooked. One of my favourite ways of adding colour is to create a fairly light, calm background scheme using neutral tones for walls, floors and major furnishing items. You can then add you main accent colour in rugs, cushions, occasional furniture, accessories and even flowers.

Interior Design Talks runs home design courses in central Cambridge including an evening class on Planning Your Colour Scheme. This class will give you an insight into the exciting but tricky topic of colour in the home. For more information go to www.interiordesigntalks.com or call 01223 328001.