If you’re sick of the white, beige or grey walls in the your bedroom, then inject some of your personality into your bedroom with these tips on selecting paint colour.

The chill out zone: if you want your bedroom to be an escape from the kids’ tantrums and the general rat-race of modern life, then you should select calming colours, like pale blues and greens. For rooms with antique or classic furnishings, deeper blues create a stately backdrop against these pieces; while blue and green can be used together to create a cool, soothing look.

Some like it hot: contrary to popular opinion, red can be used in the bedroom – though use it with caution. Red stimulates and too much can be overwhelming. Try muted tints, or using red on just one wall – either behind your headboard or on a wall that has a large window, which serve to break up the intense colour.

The alternative hipster: so your teen wants to paint their room black, but you didn’t think it could be done – well it can be, but the rules that apply to red also apply to black. Select a wall with a large window – or maybe a wall with some interesting art? – which will break up the intensity and accent with yellow or turquoise trim.

Don’t forget to consider the rest of your home when you’re selecting the colours you want to use in the bedroom. It’s also important to consider the colours used in ensuites – if your ensuite bathroom already uses a particular colour scheme, it may be necessary to select a scheme that’s similar for your bedroom. If the ensuite is white, however, consider it a blank canvas. Style it to match your newly repainted bedroom using similarly coloured rugs, hand towels, and so on.