With hindsight I might not have been the best member of the team to write this post. When it comes to colour my teeny East London flat is pretty much, well, colour-free. Think white walls, wood floors, a white bathroom suite and a white-and-wood kitchen. There’s a bit of an orange accent colour thing going on but other than that it’s pretty much the definition of neutral.

If anyone could persuade me to introduce more colour into my home it’s Will Taylor of Bright Bazaar blog fame. Like any top blogger these days, Will’s got a book coming out, called Bright Bazaar, filled with totally doable advice on filling your home with colour. There are tips on bringing colour into specific areas, colour combinations for you to try, room-by-room guides, page after page of pictures of colourful homes to get you as hooked on hue as Will himself, and a directory of the very best interiors websites in the world so you can shop for brightly coloured goodies for your home.

To get you on the road to embracing colour, here’s Will’s 10 steps to colour confidence.

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Leave your fear at the front door

Decorating with colour will result in a space that speaks directly to your personality. You might make mistakes along with way, but learn from them and embrace the challenge.

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Take it slowly

Don’t feel you need to decide on all your colours at once. Start by taking note of colours you are drawn towards so you can gradually build up an idea of your perfect palette.

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Trust your instincts

Remember that colour is a very personal element of an interior, don’t feel swayed by trends or a neighbour’s home.

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Find a focus

Pick a key piece for your scheme (anything from a vase to a rug) and use it as the reference point for the rest of the palette and room design.

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Pin-point your approach

Once you’ve narrowed down the colours you like, it can help to decide how you plan on using them. Choosing to create a contrasting, tonal or harmonious palette upfront will help you pick the right shades and tones for the room.

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Build on your existing expertise

While you might still be building your confidence with colourful decorating, maybe you can pull upon expertise from elsewhere? Perhaps you can throw together the perfect outfit, or prepare a delicious (looking and tasting) meal without breaking a sweat? Look at how you pull colours together in other areas of your life and apply it to decorating.

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Plan, hunt, gather

Take time to pull together tear sheets, swatches and pictures so that you have a moodboard of ideas and inspirations for your colour palette.

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Section the space

While it’s important to keep in mind the whole room and how your chosen colours will sit within it, it will also help to tackle the space in sections. For example start by layering colourful cushions and throws on your sofa and live with the new hues before introducing colour to other parts of the room.

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Start small

As tempting as it might be to dive headfirst into a new kitchen or living room overhaul, it can help to start with a smaller room while you build your confidence with colour.

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Look for the light

The light of a room has one of the biggest impacts on how your chosen colours will actually look in situ. In simple terms, with a north-facing room you’ll be well placed with warm tones to balance the cooler light. In south-facing spaces lighter shades will make the most of the abundance of light.

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Bright Bazaar is available via Amazon but we also have a copy to give away, to be in with a chance of winning it, just leave a note in the comment section by Friday 18th April about how you incorporate colour into your home.