Rainbow inspired colour scheme

If you ever need any décor inspiration during this cloudy and rainy season, look outside to get some great ideas to bring inside your living space. A case in point is the rainbow.

A colourful marvel of nature that scientists attribute to what happens when sunlight streams through droplets of water in mist and rain, this arc of bright colours is a good guide to the essential bold colours that can be used in any and every home to add a bit of oomph, with great ease: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Below are a few ways to use each of the colours in your home:

Red streaks
You need not paint a whole room flaming red; instead incorporate the colour in accessories. For instance, in your living room, paint your walls soft white and accessorise some plain, chocolate-brown sofas with red tie-and-dye cushions.

To match the streak pattern on the cushions, place a large sunburst mirror on the top of your largest piece of furniture to serve as a focal piece.

The look would look especially good with a mahogany coffee table framed with a glass top and matching storage as the glass would go a long way in making the room look larger and reflect light in the room.

Oranges and lemons
Orange is a great colour on its own, but even better when colour blocked. Use it on your bathroom walls side by side with another contrasting hue such as lime green.

To incorporate the lime green subtly, have it on your towels and even block candles. To balance the bright colours, use a plain white or cream shower curtain and a brilliant wicker basket for storing your towels in style.

Go black and blue
In your bedroom, paint your walls in blue and get a vinyl wall quote in black to go above your bed. For your bed and bedside table, stick to classic black wrought-iron pieces and use a simple black-and-white striped woven rug at the foot of the bed.

Paint a metallic trunk white and use it as a vanity table alongside some safari-themed lanterns painted in brilliant white.

Last but not least, use simple white linen for your bed and a faux black or blue throw. For your curtains, add some metallic pizzazz by using a damask navy blue-and-gold printed fabric.

Mellow yellow
Usually, yellow is used to brighten up rooms inside the house but it looks especially good against green. So do dare to take it outside – your balcony or patio, whatever works. Use some simple, white ceramic plant pots in cream as well. Last but not least, get some wooden African masks and create a conversation starter by hanging them with symmetry on your largest wall.

Green steam
Green is the colour of freshness and it would be a great shade to use in the kitchen, especially if most of your appliances are metallic grey or brilliant white.

Green would look especially good with some black-and-white pieces, so get an open shelf and display some black cups, bowl and glasses.

Use another similar shelf to store black-and-white copies of your favourite recipes and to store your condiments in simple stainless steel accessories. Another way to accentuate the green is to make an apron, matching oven mitts and shopping tote from simple black-and-white gingham fabric.

Indigo moments
Make a simple gallery in your home by painting the walls of a long corridor in bright indigo and placing some simple black-and-white photos. Give the space a professional gallery look by installing some ceiling track lights.

Violet space
To make your toilet look large, paint the walls stripes of white and indigo and place a white-framed mirror above the toilet, adjacent to some tea lights in a simple glass bowl filled with potpourri.

Use a woven rectangular basket underneath the toilet to store toilet paper for an inexpensive toilet upgrade.