We’re just not that into you: Brits ditch colour in favour of magnolia to impress the neighbours – and estate agents

Where once we decorated with wild abandon - going crazy with paint effects and Laurence Llewelyn Bowen-inspired room schemes - it seems we're now avoiding colour in a bid to impress neighbours and estate agents.

A new study, commissioned by home furnishings brand ColourMatch from Argos, reveals that 75% of us care more about what others think of our homes than decorating it to suit our own tastes.

The research also found that over half (56%) admit to choosing 'unadventurous' homeware, showing a lack of confidence when it comes to stamping their mark on interiors, while 47% of us furnish our homes with the resale value in mind.

All this fretting about keeping up appearances means that over a quarter of those surveyed (26%) are unhappy with the way at least TWO rooms are decorated in the house.

'People are often surprised when I tell them how important colour is to everyday life,' says colour psychologist Karen Haller, who worked closely with the team at ColourMatch to analyse the results.

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'Homes are becoming more alike, but the easiest way to differentiate your home is through colour - it has so many benefits, from lifting your mood to reflecting your personality.'

If you want to identify which colour best reflects your personality in the home, check out the ColourMatch test.

'We can help people to identify which colour is right for them,' says Paul Rees, Senior Own Brands Manager at Argos, 'and because everything co-ordinates in the ColourMatch range, they don't have to worry about getting it wrong.'

Well we're looking forward to finding our perfect match.

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