White paint is a failsafe that will work in every room. But according to interiors expert Kate Watson-Smyth, this is anything but true.
Related: An interior expert reveals the one thing you should never do when painting your walls
We all have that small dark room, we are desperate to make look bigger and brighter. However, using white paint can make the problem worse, rather than better.
Speaking to Ideal Home on behalf of Barclays Mortgages, Kate revealed why you should never use white paint in a small dark room.
'If you've got a small dark room, the temptation is often to paint it white,' says Kate. 'White needs natural light to reflect off itself, bounce more light around.
'If you've got a small dark room with no window or a very small window, you're not going to get enough natural light in there for the white to do its job.'
Instead of defaulting to a light colour, Kate recommends thinking carefully about the purpose of the room, and when you're going to use it.
'If it's a small dark room and you have a choice not to be in there during the day you won't be in there. Therefore it is probably a room you use in the evenings,' she explains. 'Embrace the dark.'
'Be courageous. You can put light furniture in it, put a pale rug in it. You can place mirrors and light it well. But make it deep, dark, dramatic and cosy.' This dark grey hallway idea is a stylish example of this, with white painted stairs, skirting boards and pale furniture contrasting with the deep, dramatic wall colour.
However, if it is a room you will need to be using during the daytime, Kate suggests opting for a pale colour instead of white.
'If you need to use that room in the day time, and you need to really try and encourage its lightness, don't go for white,' she explains. 'Go for a pale colour, so a very pale pink, blue or green.'
To help create the illusion of a larger space make sure you paint everything. That means the woodwork, the ceiling, the doors and the walls.
'This will blur the edges, and it will cocoon the whole space,' Kate explains. 'It will not draw attention to all four corners of the room outlined in white paint.'
'That is the best thing you can do. That will make it feel calmer because it is all the same colour and it is not distracting the eye.'
You just need to take one look at Kate's Instagram account @madaboutthehouseto to know that she is an expert in transforming a space with a tin of paint.
Related: The best white paint – how to choose the right shade for your walls
So you've been warned. Step away from the white paint.
