Here are the colours you should pick to optimise your rooms, according to an expert

Picking the right colour for a room can make a world of difference, but it can be difficult to know where to start. 

Speaking to FEMAIL, Alison Standish, a leading UK colour therapist working with technology brand LG, explained the hues that foster the desired emotions and feelings in each room of the home, from a clean bathroom to a calming bedroom. 

Alison said that subtle shades of terracotta in the living room can help make it more welcoming to guests, while yellow will help with digestion in the kitchen.   

Here, Alison shares her tips…  

 Front door and hallways: Black, dark green, or dark blue 

As one of the UK’s leading colour therapists, Alison Standish, in collaboration with LG, told FEMAIL which colours to use in order to sell your house and making it as welcoming as possible. She said a black front door conveyed a sleek look, and that dark colours gave a feeling of authority and structure to a house (stock image)

‘Choose either a Black front door, which will be elegant and sleek, or dark green, which will give it a feeling of opulence and abundance,’ Alison said. 

Dark blue is also great to add authority and structure to your house.

Hallways connect the room and therefore would need to be of the same colour. 

‘You could paint it a soft green or add plants or paintings that depict nature. People feel less ‘cut-off’ from the outside if you have no front garden or living in an apartment,’ Alison added.

Dining room: Orange

Orange is a good colour for a dinning room, as it conveys joy and encourages conversation, Alison said (stock picture)

Orange is a good colour for a dinning room, as it conveys joy and encourages conversation, Alison said (stock picture) 

Alison explained that deep orange or terracotta shades can help make your dining-room feel more welcoming, allowing conversation to flow.  

‘You may choose to have these in table mats or table covers instead of on the wall and make sure the lighting in subtle and not with a blue ting as this can put people off their food and make it feel that it is not a comfortable place to have a meal,’ she said.

Kitchen: Yellow

Yellow in the kitchen is good for digestion, and will look fresh thanks to these citric shades. Stock picture

Yellow in the kitchen is good for digestion, and will look fresh thanks to these citric shades. Stock picture 

‘Kitchens are best when they are plain but the yellow and orange shades are great to help with digestion,’ Alison said, adding:  ‘They also are related to citrus making the room feel bright and fresh. 

‘Food appliances in another colour are fabulous in the kitchen along with clear spaces as this takes the buyers eye to the colour and shows the kitchen is used to create restaurant like food. A tip is to have just a few cookbooks out,’ she added. 

Bedroom: Purple or blue

Soft purple or blue in the bedroom will help to relax, but magenta and red colours will also encourage sexual energy (stock picture)

Soft purple or blue in the bedroom will help to relax, but magenta and red colours will also encourage sexual energy (stock picture) 

Go for soft colours in the bedroom, where sleep should be the priority, but get creative with accessories, Alison said. 

‘Bedrooms can be soft yellows and soft blues although I do think a Dark Blue throw on the bed or even a deep purple makes the room feel luxurious and takes the buyers eye to how the bed fits in the room,’ she said. 

‘If I was selling my home, I would also add some plush red cushions in the room. Red stimulates the blood and heightens sexual energy. This allows the buyer to feel that the room also supports this energy,’ she added.  

Bathroom: Blue

Blue is the perfect colour for your bathroom, Alison said, explaining it conveys a sense of cleanliness and adds an 'anti-bacterial' feel to your water room (stock picture)

Blue is the perfect colour for your bathroom, Alison said, explaining it conveys a sense of cleanliness and adds an ‘anti-bacterial’ feel to your water room (stock picture) 

‘Bathrooms are at their best when they are blue as it is a colour of antiseptic and cleanliness,’ Alison said. 

‘I always add a touch of bright to my bathroom with orange or yellow towels, rubber duck maybe and glasses or vase which is a warm colour,’ she added. 

‘This perks up the bathroom and detracts from any negative issues with the bathroom.’ 

Living room: Grey, green or blue

In order to sell your house, try to keep your living area plain, or opt for soft grey, soft green or blue tones. 

‘The warm colours though should be in the curtains, cushions, throws or ornaments and paintings. Again, this area should feel relaxing with some vibrancy, in oranges, magenta or yellows,’ Alison advised. 

‘Large cushions are also a fabulous for bringing in colour and maybe a painting or print that adds additional colours into the environment making is warm and friendly with a relaxed backdrop.’

Study: Yellow

Colours in an office space of study should allow for maximum concentration, Alison advised. 

‘Yellows are excellent colours for opening up the mind and helping us to digest information,’ she said.

‘Again, prints and maybe a yellow cushion will make this area bright and welcoming,’ she added.