Kevin McCloud’s colour advice

It’s all about tone

Kevin says: 'It might seem obvious, but it's worth illustrating how a dash of colour can wake up a moribund idea. Cover up the greenish chairs and the room looks dead. Reveal them and it looks a mite healthier. What's not obvious is that using one strong colour in a monochrome scheme is difficult to do. This green is yellowish mixed with a little grey to bring it closer to the pallor of the room. A red, blue or orange would need to be equally toned in order to strike up a friendship here.'