You all know that I am a huge fan of pastels in my own home, but as a designer, I love bold colours and I know how to use them in interiors without it becoming overpowering, but do you know how?

Using big, bright shades in the right way can lift your spaces, and even your mood as some colours have been scientifically proven to affect the way we experience the world. I have about talked colours in my previous posts like Pantone colour of the year or pastel pink and even about marsala colour.

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Blue, for example, is recognised to be a relaxing shade, while green can also help to combat anxiety. Yellow is believed to be an energising colour, while purple is believed to help fire creativity. Orange can help to stimulate and even make you eat more, so consider this carefully when decorating the dining room! Pink has been proven to be calming, making it the perfect choice for any room really.

Stunning bedroom with very unusual colour giving soft bold finish by Cathy from Decoraide

While there are no hard and fast rules on how bold colours should be used in interiors, choosing one or two bolder shade as accents to an otherwise neutral space is usually a good way to reap the benefits of the trend without risking the integrity of your space.

Use bold paints sparingly

While it is still fine to use bolds on walls, the best results are achieved as accented features or even art blocks painted against a neutral background. You can opt for a striking shade for features such as paintwork while keeping walls light and bright. Yellows are particularly popular for the coming season, and you can pair them with light grey walls for a real Scandinavian feel; it’s the perfect place to hone your hygge! If you are lucky and your landlord allows you to paint the wall, then you want to go half and half, any direction. You can go vertical or horizontal- totally up to you. To make sure your walls are covered the right way, it’s best to hire a professional painter and decorator. This way you can achieve any look you need and save your time. As much as it may simple to just paint your walls, for an inexperienced person you can make many errors leaving strikes, or use too much paint which can result in this being over expensive to fix it. 

This particular IKEA photoshoot really caught my eye, love the effect on wall and simple accessories! Yes to anthracite!

Be bold with furniture and accessories

If you want to introduce bolds to your home but your landlord allow you to repaint walls, consider choosing furnishings in exciting shades. Bringing bolds into your home can be as simple as choosing bright scatter cushions, while the brave might opt for an exciting new signature sofa to show their new commitment to colour.

Housology it’s my endless source for stunning furniture and accessories, perfect example of bold furniture colour with patterned distinctive curtains

Add soft textures and patterns via cushions, bedding and accessories like these on Primark. Primark definitely up their game with seasonal trends but also adding or soft of hues from bold colours, to accent colours and pastels. This affordable homeware is definitely one to look at.

Colourful, wonderful windows

If you are keen to bring bold shades into a room, the window can be a great place to start. ( and you can do whatever you want here) Ripping down old curtains and blinds and taking a fresh look at the space might provide you with some vibrant inspiration. For the non renters. Adding new window dressings in bold hues is a great choice for renters who are unable to make permanent changes, while homeowners who are looking to become colourful might want to consider a solid window dressing such as an interior shutter in a bright shade as this can help to modernise the look. The clean lines of wooden shutters also allow for more daring colour choices as shades that would look over-the-top in flouncy fabric can often be carried off better in a more simple, shaker-type style. Colour is big in kitchens, but if you are not quite ready for a full refit, consider some of the bright fixtures and fittings that have been featuring in the interiors pages. How about these pretty handles?

Feature walls

Using feature walls is bald. That’s it. You would think that these days, feature wall panels are saved for commercial spaces? You couldn’t be more wrong. People who love interiors especially strips out their walls to reveal bare bricks so they can enjoy that natural feature. Not everyone, however, is fortunate enough to find such a gem in their houses especially in a more modern apartment, but you can now add this feature with a variety range of brick slips or brick tiles. These options allow you to create a beautifully bold statement in your home.

Homesense is probably one of my favourite to find affordable homeware. You have the exclusivity that once something is gone from shop-it’s gone for good which means- you are the only owner of the unique piece! Now how cute is this stripy blue rug?

Carpets ( and rugs for renters)

It can be tempting to opt for a neutral tone with floor coverings as we tent to think that the carpet or vinyl will last beyond this redesign, but if you want to make a real colour statement, floors are a great place to do it. Bold block colours are one popular choice, and they work well when paired with more subdued furnishing choices. Meanwhile, bright patterns are making a comeback in heavy-use areas such as hallways and landings – think stripes and tartans rather than geometric or florals! And don’t be scared to cover your carpets with rugs, as renter I did with my habitat rug and I love it.

Below slightly softer version of rugs from Urban Outfitters. It’s a great way to add colour without overpowering the room.

Hues should reflect you

The key to using colour in the home is to ensure that you select shades that are reflective of your own tastes and personality. After all, you are the one who will have to live with them on a day-to-day basis. Be guided by trends and interiors advice, but do tailor these tips so that the resulting rooms are places that you can relax and remember trends are passing so those your colours wisely.