You’re giving your home a makeover and you are so overwhelmed with the colour choices that you end up playing safe and sticking to neutrals or just the one colour.

Guess what though, all of those rules you want to follow because they make you feel safe and like you’re not going to mess up, are holding you back. I’m not saying you should copy the crazy orange ceilings and neon shades in the latest episode of Interior Design Masters, but when it comes to interiors, colour rules were made to be broken.

So take a deep breath, be bold, and unleash your inner colour rebel. Check out my top five colour rules that should be ignored. At all costs.

1. Don’t mix green and blue

I think because they are so close together in tone, and are both cool shades, people tend to avoid mixing greens and blues in one room. But if you’re going for a cool, botanical space, and are prepared to mix it up with plenty of white and a contrasting accent shade such as yellow, golds or pink, you’ll end up with a gorgeous, bold yet calm scheme which will make you feel amazing.

2. Keep small spaces white

Deep, rich colours can in fact make a small room feel way more sophisticated and dramatic than lighter shades. A navy blue or a deep green is immediately evocative, lending an interesting intensity to the room’s interior. This will introduce a sense of indulgence, in stark contrast to the room’s limited size. As bathrooms are intended only for short periods of use, the dark colour schemes will not become oppressive. The lack of light will add to the interior, rather than take away from it.

3. Pink is for girls

Now I don’t tend to advocate decorating according to the latest trend, as you don’t want it to go out of fashion and be something you hate in a few years time, but pink is a shade I’ve always been a huge fan of and happily for me it’s currently the in shade in interiors. There are some gorgeous super pale pink shades out there which can make a space look oh so sophisticated. Pink can be used as a stunning backdrop, it works as a brilliant twist on a neutral. So forget those gender stereotypes and please don’t be afraid to think pink.

4. Always paint your ceiling white

This is my absolute favourite rule to break at the moment. Painting your ceiling a paler shade of the walls will create some interest and add depth to the room without making it feel darker. Going bold with your ceiling paint will create some real drama, and wrapping your ceiling paint onto the walls is a great way of making the room feel cosier.

5. Stick to white woodwork

White skirtings, architraves, coving and doors is the traditionally, safe decorating option but a more modern approach and one that gives a lovely streamlined, clean effect, is to paint the woodwork the same as your walls. Alternatively, a great way to make the room feel lighter and more spacious is to go light on the walls and a couple of shades darker on the woodwork.

Five colour rules that were made to be broken