Decorate with yellow for instant warmth

Cheerful, energetic yellow adds instant warmth to any room, particularly soft, pale shades that are easy on the eyes. Muted yellows like buttercup, vanilla, saffron or sand could help brighten a space with limited natural light, or make a space with high ceilings feel cosier. (Choose a shade that leans towards orange, rather than green, to enhance this colour trick.)

It’s handy to remember that yellow can look twice as bright on the wall as it does on the paint swatch, or in the tin. Test a few shades by painting two coats of paint onto sheets of white A4 paper. Let them dry and stick the cards to your wall. Observe at different times of day and night, as well as under natural and artificial light. You’ll soon know which shade is the perfect yellow for you