Click through our gallery to discover some worthwhile paint colour tricks. And checkout the living room paint colours, left (from the top): PALE BUFF: pink – pretty but subtle and definitely not saccharine. GREENY BEIGE: a sophisticated choice, elegant and unusual but still easy to combine with other shades. WARM SATINY OFF-WHITE: very versatile and its velvety quality makes it more interesting and comfortable than white. WARM STONE: works with most other colours – easy to live with and never overpowers a room. PUTTY: subtly warming

PAINT COLOURS BY FARROW & BALL (01202 876141; www.farrow-ball.com). From the top: PINK GROUND,JOA’S WHITE, SLIPPER SATIN, STRING, BONE

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A darker colour behind shelves draws the eye, providing a strong backdrop for displays.

Walls in Pavilion Gray, interior of shelf area in Fowler Pink, both Farrow & Ball (01202 876141; www.farrow-ball.com)

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If picking out chimney breasts in a different colour, paint the sides, too, as this adds depth to the room rather than making it feel smaller.

Wall in Chemise (archive colour, to order), chimney breast in Hardwick White, both Farrow & Ball (01202 876141; www.farrow-ball.com)

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Match the weight of colour in adjacent rooms for a cohesive look: if a very dark colour appears next to a light one it creates a fragmented feel. To soften a room where colour has been used on the walls, and make it appear larger, paint woodwork, such as a run of cupboards, in a sympathetic shade of white.

Interior designed by Emma Sims-Hilditch (01249 783087; simshilditch.com). Walls in String, cupboards in Light Gray, both www.farrow-ball.com)

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Stylish space savers

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Living room carpets