Colour is a truly personal thing. I love green; some may hate it. It can even come down to the tone or shade. Pillar box red? Not for me, but a deep, pinky burgundy hue? I can get on board with that. I've always loved colour and have worked with it for years, both at university and onwards into my career, but if you're not confident with colour, it can stop you in your tracks when decorating a room and I understand why some choose white as a safe option. However, saying that, white can be one of the hardest colours to get right! I've pulled together a short list of books on colour that I think are a great place to start if you'd like to learn about the effects of colour and how to use it in your home.

Karen Haller is a leading colour consultant and her book 'mixes the science, psychology and emotional impact of colour'. The Little Book of Colour goes into great detail about the psychology of colour and will help you to understand how it makes you feel. You will find out your colour 'season' to show you what tones and shades you should use not only in your home, but in other aspects of your life.

Once you've chosen a colour for your space, you're faced with the various shades of a colour chart, plus, you're hearing people talk about north and south facing rooms... what?! In steps Jess from the wonderfully colourful Instagram account @thehousethatcolourbuilt. Her book is full of information on colour undertones, which to choose for north, east, south and west facing rooms and how to bring them all together on a moodboard. It covers a lot of information but in a relatable, easy to understand way and it's full of beautiful photos of her home, too.

This one is a feast for the eyes if you're a Farrow & Ball girl - which I am. Their colours have a touch of grey which create that dusky, chalky subdued tone. Described as a guide to inspire, this book explores the Farrow & Ball brand, but is also full of diagrams and inspirational images and colour palettes to help you understand how to pair colours together. It goes into detail about making the most of architectural features and how light affects colour, so it's still a great book even if you are partial to bolder, punchier colours.

Colour can be a bit of a minefield, but these books should help you to understand how to use it in your home. My one piece of advice? ALWAYS GET A TESTER POT. Light really affects colour. Don't believe me? Search Inchyra Blue (one of my favourites) on Instagram and see how different it looks in each photo.

If you're still unsure and would like some help choosing a colour scheme, I offer online and in person paint colour consultations. Click here to learn a little bit more about colour consultations and how they can help you make the right decisions for your home.

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