How to use colour in your home

Coasting in neutral

It’s OK to be a fan of neutrals – just choose one accent colour to add to the room. Turquoise, for example, goes with almost anything. I actually use a lot of neutrals in my collections, creating room sets with white, navy, grey and beige then adding a couple of ‘pop’ colours. I’m a potter and believe that the best neutrals are natural materials – wood, linen, clay

A little goes a long way

Distribute colour around the room in small bits and bobs such as lamps, accessories, so that there’s a nice rhythm. Everywhere you look there should be a place for your eye to rest – on a cushion or vase, or a bowl full of lemons or limes. Pattern, too, provides necessary punctuation. I love a bold patterned rug as an anchor – top it with neutral furniture

Make an impact

Want to go more hardcore? Being reckless can work just as well as having a plan, so go crazy with colour and mix it all together. When you’re about to snuff it you want to remember that poppy-orange lamp or turquoise breakfast nook, not a beige-on-beige blur send a message Colours have strong associations and communicate different things. Think about what you want to say about yourself, and your home. If you use orange you’re saying, 'I’m happy and I love life.’ Moss green can communicate that you’re a nature lover. Turquoise is the colour of holidays by the sea; it’s happy and calming. Navy is the colour of classicism

Failsafe pairings

Black and white will work for ever, and make an amazing platform on to which you can layer your single accent colour, say turquoise, lime or orange. Orange with navy is preppy, and with pink is chicer than you might imagine. Team lime green with icy silver or a zesty yellow. I’ve always been obsessed with chocolate brown as an anchor for 'pop’ colours, especially blue, but lately I’ve been having an affair with grey. It’s one of those neutrals that harmonises perfectly with strong colours. Try it with any shade of yellow
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