How I avoid making these common colour mistakes in my rented home – my confidence-building tips to help you make your space feel more personal

Home decorator Ammarah Hasham is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts infusing her rental house with plenty of personality. See the rest of her articles here.

Let’s be honest. Colour is one of the most powerful tools in any home decorator’s repertoire, and yet it’s also the one we tend to shy away from the most. For the past decade, interior design has been dominated by restraint, but as we move into 2026, have you noticed that something is starting to shift?

More and more of us are realising that colour is not about bold statements and trend driven spaces anymore. There is a deeper psychology at play, shaping how we feel and how we respond to the environments we live in. In this era of emotional intelligence, of listening to ourselves and paying attention to what we need, creating spaces that support growth and self-expression while embracing colour wholeheartedly feels like a natural step.

Of course, with colour also comes hesitation. In theory, it sounds easy but in practice it can all feel a bit intimidating.

More often than not, that apprehension comes down to a few common colour mistakes, which, quite frankly, are very easy to avoid.

The problem: Staying in your comfort zone

I am a firm believer that colour choices are shaped by memory, cultures and personal experiences. When it comes to decorating our homes, especially rented ones, we stop trusting those instincts and retreat to what feels safe.

We not only hold back but actively avoid committing to any sort of colour scheme. Over time, neutrals start to feel a part of our decor DNA, shaping our spaces almost by default.

I have gone through various stages of warming up to colour myself. While my wardrobe has always leaned towards colour, introducing it into my home has been a very different journey.

How to avoid it:

Make the neutral base work in your favour. Instead of letting it define the whole space, allow it to act as a backdrop. Experimenting with different colours helps you build a personal connection with your home and feel more confident in expressing your choices.

If you are a renter, this can be achieved through soft furnishings, accessories and artwork, along with anything that can be added or removed without permanence.

The problem: Forgetting how colour feels at different times of the day

We often choose colours based on how they look in a very specific moment, usually in daylight when the room is at its brightest. What we tend to forget is that natural light shifts constantly throughout the day.

In a rental, where artificial light is heavily relied on to keep a space feeling bright, this can make us second guess our colour choices even more. The combination of natural and artificial light can dramatically change how a colour reads, sometimes making it feel flat or slightly harsh.

How to avoid it:

Before committing to a colour, give it time. Observe it with the light you already have in your home at different points throughout the day, particularly in the evening when artificial lighting takes over.

In a rental, where painting the walls isn’t an option, you can follow the same approach with pieces that carry colour, like rugs, curtains or larger items such as a sofa.

The problem: Lack of cohesion

Decorating with colour shouldn’t feel restrictive. That said, there is value in swapping strict formulas with a few guiding instincts. The one principle I always return to when introducing colour into any room is cohesion.

When colours feel unrelated within a space, it quickly leads to mishmash, a competition for attention where each element fights to stand out and pulls focus in a different direction.

How to avoid it:

Repeat before you add. Repetition is what helps colour flow and brings a sense of calm, even when the palette is varied. If there is a colour you gravitate towards more than the others, let it lead naturally. Then echo it elsewhere in the room using similar undertones, materials or finishes.

The problem: Making trend-led decisions

This is an easy trap to fall into in a time when inspiration is instant and non-stop. We are endlessly exposed to beautifully styled homes online, guided by the latest colour forecasts, must have shades and interiors designed to perform well on screens. While undeniably inspiring, this constant stream of trend led imagery can influence our decisions and result in choices oddly disconnected once translated into real life.

How to avoid it:

Use trends as a reference point, taking cues from it and consider how your choices will sit alongside your existing furnishings, so our décor doesn’t feel short lived.

If your 2026 resolution list includes introducing more colour into your spaces, allow yourself to experiment without pressure and remember it can always be reversed.