An artist has revealed her tips and tricks on how to use colour to add value to your property.
Kelly Jackson, the owner of London-based ONLYCHILD, revealed to FEMAIL the small ways in which you can make your home look more expensive.
She has worked with renowned designer Alexander McQueen, made jewellery for A-listers and has designed multiple hotels from the UK to Australia.
Kelly said: ‘Being brave and bold with your home colour choices really allows you to inject some serious fun and value into your home.’
Here, she reveals the different ways you can add a pop of colour to your space… and more cash in your purse.
1. Live in yellow
While many may be afraid of using such a bright colour, Kelly says the warm hue can brighten up the room and also make your property look more expensive.
She said: ‘Yellow can literally take a dull and uninspiring space and fill it with total joy. You can’t beat an uplifting light and bright living space and yellow provides the perfect pop of colour when it comes to furniture and accessories.
‘It’s a colour you can rely on to dramatically change the feeling of a space, and in turn, add value to your home.’
She designed the living space of The Barn, a two-bedroom 18th Century barn situated in the Cotswolds, with many yellow furnishings to bring more life into the space.
Kelly said: ‘I opted for an oversized yellow velvet sofa and accessorised with yellow soft furnishings and yellow accents in some of the artwork and accessories – it was completely transformative from the flat and dull feeling space that I found when I first walked in.’
She added that you could even paint one wall of your home yellow if you’re looking for a bolder look.
‘Butter yellow is your friend if you’re looking for a more muted aesthetic that will still add a feeling of warmth to your space,’ she added.
But the one colour you should avoid in living spaces is bright red, she warned.
‘It’s not impossible to pull off however it’s certainly not an easy one and can look unwelcoming very easily,’ the designer added.
2. Keep calm in green
Green can invoke feelings of calm and tranquillity when you walk into a space – but Kelly admits that it has to be ‘done right’.
She advises those who want to improve their interior design skills to try out different shades of colour before choosing which one is right for the room. Kelly said greens often work well in bedroom.
‘Generally speaking, it’s best to avoid intensely bright greens when it comes to painting bedroom walls, in favour of green with a creamy or greyish undertone,’ she said.
‘Getting the right shade of green when painting walls can be tricky to get right so make sure to get a wide range of colours to test out if you’re thinking of taking the plunge.’
For a super contemporary look, the artist said to paint the doors, door frames and skirting boards with a muted green.
‘Add some easy-care tropical houseplants like a Monstera, a couple of Snake plants and maybe some trailing Ivy in a hanging pot,’ she said.
3. Pink to make the neighbours wink
Pink is often one of those colours that you either love it or hate. But Kelly says you could be missing out on yet another way to get some more cash for your property.
She particularly recommends a vibrant bubblegum-coloured front door as it attracts attention and ‘the impression that there’s more to find out behind the door.’
This means it would be perfect for those who are renovating their property or people who are looking to do their house up for a profit.
Kelly said: ‘Echoing the pink into the hallway, cloakroom or downstairs WC is a nice way to tie the internal and external areas together too, it could be as adventurous as pink floor tiles throughout the hallway or as subtle as a bright pink framed artwork on the wall.’
She said that if those wanting to go down the pink front door look should ensure their paint job ‘looks professional,’ as messy mistakes will ruin the aesthetic.
4. Match-up your monochrome
If you’re hoping to change your main bathroom or downstairs toilet, black and white tiling can be a low-cost way to increase the value of your property, Kelly said.
‘Monochrome is really a solid tool for upping the drama in your home and instantly elevating a small space, whether it’s by using patterned wallpaper, alternate tiling or even a showstopping rug or artwork,’ she said.
The designer said she enjoys adding contrasting black and white elements to her spaces, whether that is tiling in the bathroom, a chequered rug in the kitchen or a cow print chair in the lounge.
But she warns that too many small-scale busy patterns can make rooms look disjointed.
5. Eclectic electric blue
Kelly said that one of the simplest and most effective ways of injecting some colourful personality into your home is with eclectic accessories.
‘Your space should be a reflection of who you are as well as being a space that you feel at home in,’ she said.
‘There’s never been a better time to go wild with accessories, personal touches and unique pieces.’
Whilst you may not be fully convinced by bold blues, the design expert said artwork and accessories can be the ‘perfect way’ of incorporating colour to get the effect.
Kelly said using objects such as a bright blue vase, a lamp or a turquoise flocked animal ornament can brighten up your space.
‘The most important of all – especially if you’re looking to add perceived value for a prospective buyer – always style it with intent and avoid clashing blue tones,’ she said.