To go colourful, or not to go colourful, that is the question

Do you ever find yourself sitting at home, feeling a little uninspired?

Well, there is a way to change that.

Something as small as changing the colour of your walls can go a long way in brightening the mood in your house and giving you a lift. That fresh and new feeling is quite therapeutic.

But what is the best colour to choose for your home? Well, there are varying factors to consider, with the most important listed below:

- Decor

We aren't all millionaires, so we can't change our wall colour AND change our decor to make them work together. The best thing to do is to collect a colour sample book from your nearest hardware store and mix and match to see what works. There are also apps out there which can help with selecting the right colour to work with your furniture et al. We live in a country where artwork and carvings play a big role in our homes, so make sure the wall compliments your proudly South African pieces.

- Make small rooms bigger

Dark colours have a way of making rooms look smaller than they are. If the space you want to change is already small, go for a light colour. Going with a dark blue will do nothing for opening up the space, and will make you feel like you are constantly trapped. Dark colours are more acceptable in bigger spaces, but even then they create a feeling of being closed in. See the next point for dark colours.

READ: How to stop that damn door from creaking!

- A feature wall?

Having more than one colour on your walls is becoming quite popular, and has a name in 'feature wall'. This also allows for using darker colours in conjunction with lighter colours. The different colours can be used to highlight certain sections of the room you are painting - where you keep a special piece of furniture or ornament. You could also go full-on patriotic by using the colours of the South African flag, but that isn't for everyone. Playing around with different colours is fun, but again, consider the first two points.

- How much light shines through?

Not all rooms in your house will be filled with direct, natural sunlight, so it is important to factor that in. Dark colours in a room without much natural light are quite depressing, but they work better in rooms which do have that natural lighting. So... dark colours for that beautiful South African natural light, light colours for non-natural light. That is the general rule.

- Be playful

The previous four tips are important to consider, but at the end of the day, going with a colour that is inspirational to you will make life more fun. If you love bright pink, go with bright pink. Yes, that isn't the best example, but it is an example which will hopefully open the door for people to let go and be playful. After all, paint is just paint - you can go over it again in future.

What colours are your walls? Let us know in the comments section below.