Hi Evie. The reason I've been slow to post photos is because my house is very much still a building site and work in very slow progress. I have flung paint on walls a relief from 1927 plaster and peeling wallpaper that went up decades ago. I haven't hung pictures yet as the walls are so hard - picture hooks break - and the friend who is going to do the task hasn't yet been. So, none of these photos will persuade you to use colour - the walls are bleak. But I'm posting them in the right spirit. As for feature walls, I have never liked them. For info, Kate Watson-Smyth said, in a recent post, that they are "so ova". I associate them with the 1970s, which is when I believe they first emerged. I like all over colour; I find it much less intrusive than one wall that stands out awkwardly. As for my furniture, it's mostly interim - on loan as I had nothing after chucking out my two sofas which I bitterly regret. Anyway, with all those embarrassing provisos, here we go. Terracotta sitting room: Caravan by Paper & Paint Library (it's not a current colour; my local independent paint shop keeps records of previous colours and identified it for me); it goes up to the picture rail; I haven't yet found the colour I want above it and on the ceiling; the picture rail, window frames, doors and door frames will all be Caravan, too; the room is really bitty (four doors, jutting out bits, fussy door and windows into the garden, a big fireplace, original tiles around the fire area that I wanted to complement but tone down, and a busy stained glass window) and needs blanket coverage to make it seem less busy. .Green bedroom: Sanderson Laurel below the picture rail; Goblin Green above it and on the ceiling; picture rail and all other woodwork not yet painted; I might do them in a linen colour to tie in with the bed frame though I hate the bed frame and am desperate for a new one. You can see that I'm work in progress by the undealt-with and unpainted grille covering the hole where the fireplace was. Hideous and offensive; longing to put it right. Lots of pictures/paintings to be hung all over. Blue bedroom: This blue is a bit flat but it was only after painting it that I discovered the colour I really want - Abigail Ahern's Bowery Blue which despite being intense has a real lift to it giving it life and vibrancy. The ceiling in here is the wrong blue (bought in haste); I will use a lighter blue. The unhung painting on the right (sorry it's not more visible) is so much more vibrant against this blue than it was against the pale yellow of the wall it was hung on in my previous home. I will have mirrors above the bedhead and a gallery wall opposite plus a mirror near the small window to throw a bit more light in this seriously dark bedroom (dismally dark before I painted it interestingly dark). Bronze shower room: Impossible to photograph this as it's a tiny room; the tiles in the shower area are subtly jazzy and moody. I love having it open (I grew up in India where all showers were in the middle of the room so I've never understood the closed-in box version or the fiddly over the bath option). The bronze tiles are much richer in colour than the photo conveys; the walls are Sanderson Brick Light which looks pale and peculiar in this photo; it is a lot more interesting than on the paint card and picks up on colours streaking through the tiles; it's not such a stark contrast as the photo conveys. That's it. The bedroom that will be a mustardy yellow isn't painted yet so I can't show the walls in there. And, again, apologies for the really unsophisticated furniture and mismatched upholstery, etc. Lots still to be done!

I think you should go with what makes you happy. Don't be afraid of your own style. Try to choose a nice smokey pink and maybe instead of paint look at some wallpaper that has a little green on the pink that way it will be a softer and less sharp change from the dark green to the pink enabling you to add other tones and textures like natural leather and wood that way you have more options for your sofa colours. scatter cushions will break up the solid colour of a sofa and a mirror over the fireplace will mirror the wall paper opposite bringing it all together. there are some beautiful papers out there!

The problem is everything looks different in different lights. I recall a poster saying the Wevet on her walls had a distinct pink tint. Mine definitely doesn’t. I would class mine as a white with the very merest hint of blue/grey. So subtle that if you weren’t looking at it critically you wouldn’t even notice it. Mine looks the same colour in both daylight and when the downlights are on during the evening.

With north facing rooms you have to accept they will never be light and cheerful so it is better to go for warmth of colour with layers of textiles to create an inviting space in which you feel coddled and comforted. Looking at your photos and where you are in your thinking I would use your favoured peachblossom but perhaps zone the dining area back wall and cupboards to the side with the slaked lime to keep the rear of the room lighter and aid the mirror. I notice there is an eating area in the kitchen so how often is the dining table used? If the room is primarily used for sitting then the table could be pushed back releasing more floor space. To tie the two ends of the room together recover the chair seats with a peach/blue/grey patterned linen and dress the table with a runner, decorative bowl or plant/flowers in the same palette. Even if you are not keen on pattern it does hide spills on dining chairs! The aim is to layer up the decoration using plains and patterns without confusing the eye. Your wonderful urn flanked by a pair of bowls or candles on a pale runner would work. The side window is crying out to be dressed and could have a roman blind set in the alcove or a flat pelmet of dramatic shape or proportions to match or complement the dining chair fabric or runner fabric. The window corner would benefit from a standard lamp, perhaps a multi bulb to avoid using the over head lights. If the table goes back slightly the sofa could move to in front of the garden doors with the mirrored console behind. It may be difficult to get power to here for lamps but it is possible to find battery operated ones although they are still very costly but there are realistic wax battery candles (some of which are on remote controls) that could go in a pair of glass storm lanterns to an extra glow to both the dinning and sitting areas. The wooden sideboard could then go on the right hand wall as you look at the garden with two small arm chairs flanking it to provide more seating when needed, another mirror above to catch the evening sun and either a pair of tall lamps or one huge one. The navy chair could be angled in the corner of the doors with the sheep to the window side. The tv console is a bit of a problem as the proportions are slightly out. Just pulling it out of the corner along the wall slightly with a turntable underneath the tv itself for angling may help. Alternatively could the console be used at the dead side or the sofa for books and cups etc? The tv could then go on a small round table in the corner. The space between the doors and sofa needs a large rug to define the space and minimise the wear to the carpet from garden traffic. A large square storage footstool would layer the space whilst giving extra storage. The finishing touches will be throws and cushions to complement the peachblossom walls and navy chair; a navy blue wool/mohair throw for the sofa mirroring colour and adding texture, with cushions in the dining chair fabric along with your velvet ones and one other texture or colour. I seem to have got rather carried away! Sorry, but thank you for providing a break from the misery of the day! A