AVOID DECORATING DISASTERS
By Cherie Harding (27 February 2004)

You only need to turn on the TV these days to see how much we're fascinated with the idea of giving our homes a new look. And there's no doubting our enthusiasm for styling our homes, either; we're doing more and being more daring in our choices than ever before. But deciding to redecorate your home can be a minefield of style pitfalls if you're not very careful.

In fact, DIY retailer B&Q say that over half of us have decorated our homes at some point with disastrous results. Their poll of 1,000 keen homestylers found that a hefty one in ten are still living with a dodgy decorating job that they did five years ago - sadly lacking the know-how, money or energy to rectify the situation. So how do you make sure that the end result of your grand decorating scheme will be something you'll be proudly showing off in years to come - rather than cursing each time you walk into a room?

COLOUR IN

First of all, sort out your colour scheme. You might be impressed with the latest TV makeover, but is that lime green really a colour you could live with long-term? Have a good think about your favourite colour - and if you don't already know it, take a look at your choice of clothes, car or furniture colours. See a pattern emerging? This could be your base colour - the one you feel most comfortable with.

Second, decide how you'll use this colour. If you're after a relaxed, easygoing style, a harmonious colour scheme may well be your best bet. Take a look at a colour wheel, which shows how colours shade into each other, and choose colours that harmonise with (are closest to) your favourite - for example, green shading into yellow, or red shading into brown.

Alternatively, how about a complementary, or contrasting colour scheme? In this approach, you'll contrast your base colour with colour(s) that lie opposite it on the colour wheel. So if you're a big fan of blue, you might want to contrast it with a vibrant orange. Go carefully, though; contrasting colours are often reserved for limited 'accent' areas and the end result with inevitably be more daring and lively than the relaxing feel of a harmonised colour scheme.

And don't forget to experiment in any case. You might think you've hit on your perfect scheme, but it will pay dividends in the long run if you get some sample pots, apply the colours to non-absorbent white paper and hang them around the areas you're planning to paint. Let them dry and leave them for a few days - and see how you get on with them.

SIZE MATTERS

Another big mistake that we make when decorating is choosing a colour scheme or approach that fails to take account of the size or layout of a room. For example, if your room has low ceilings, painting them in a shade that is darker than the walls will instantly make them appear lower still - so give them hight by adopting a lighter shade.

Similarly, if the floorspace feels limited, try to paint the walls in a lighter shade than the floor. This will help increase the sense of floorspace. Other tips for increasing the sense of space include choosing a 'cool' colour scheme - this will boost your sense of roominess.

WARM IT UP

One of the problems we often encounter in north-facing homes is rooms that don't get much sunlight - but keen decoraters often excacerbate the problem by choosing cool colours. So again, before embarking on a trip to the paint store, have a think about the orientation of your chosen room and how that matches up to your colour scheme. North-facing, but you'd planned a cool blue scheme? You might want to think again!

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