Find your palette

Choosing a palette from a paint chart is why so many rooms end up beige. Start from an object instead.

Start with something you own

A rug, a painting, a book cover, a jumper you keep wearing. Pull three colours out of it: one dominant, one supporting, one sharp.

The 60/30/10 split

Sixty per cent dominant — walls, large furniture. Thirty per cent supporting — curtains, a sofa, a rug. Ten per cent sharp — cushions, ceramics, books, one chair.

Test before you commit

Put the three colours next to each other on a shelf for a week before buying anything. Most palettes fail in artificial light, not daylight.

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