Colour Directions

This season’s palette is as much about mood enhancement as it is bold decorating, say Jane Rockett and Lucy St George in their new book Rockett St George: Extraordinary Interiors in Colour. For this autumn, a trend for block colours is not happening just because of their vibrancy, but because they enrich your day as much as they do the space in which they’re used. There’s now a new understanding about how colour can affect your emotions – pastels are peaceful, reds can be passionate, greens feel creative and yellows make you happy. So when picking your paint the modern approach is to first decide how you’re going to want to feel, then go with the corresponding hue. Your new mood starts here.

GREEN deep calm Green evokes tranquillity, renewal, rebirth and even good luck – it’s the colour of a balanced life. Studies have shown that it is also the most restful for the human eye. Due to its strong association with Mother Nature, green is seen as rejuvenating and fertile. Whether you prefer soft sage, rich emerald or deep forest green, this crowd-pleaser is ideal for a creative’s home office or a sumptuously calming bedroom backdrop. Try Sage & Onions absolute matt emulsion, £45 for 2.5L, Little Greene BLUE

serenity now