As an interior designer, people often assume I walk into a room and instantly know exactly what colour should go on every wall. The truth is, sometimes I’m just as stubborn as everyone else.

Recently, I decided it was time to redecorate our hallway and landing. In my mind, the answer was obvious: I had fallen in love with a beautiful soft green. Then I showed the colour to the man who lives in my house, otherwise known as my husband.

His response was immediate. “We can’t have any more green.”

To be fair, he had a point. Most of our rooms already feature varying shades of green, and he thought it might be good to try something different. His suggestion? Yellow.

Anyone who knows me knows I hate the C-word – compromise. Yet, on this occasion, I decided to listen because I’m a nice person. We settled on Little Greene’s Travertine, a soft, gentle yellow that brings warmth without being too bright. Our hallway and landing are naturally quite dark spaces, so introducing a warmer tone made sense. Once the walls were painted and the artwork back in place, something surprising happened. I loved it.

The colour works beautifully in the space, and all the artwork I have collected over the years suddenly stands out even more against the warmer backdrop.

The whole experience reminded me of something I often tell my own clients. When we live with a space every day, it’s easy to become fixed on one idea. Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective, whether from a designer, a friend, a family member or even a spouse, to help us look at a room differently. Being open to another point of view can lead to a result that’s even better than the one we originally imagined.

And, as it turns out, listening to other people’s ideas is not only good for interior design, it’s probably quite good for a marriage too.

Stay tuned for part two, when my husband says I can’t have an avocado bathroom suite…

If you’re feeling stuck with a room, colour scheme or renovation project, a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. Get in touch with Jewels Interiors to start the conversation.

You can get in touch via email, hayley@jewelscanley.co.uk or call 029 2070 7779.