You've probably walked into a room and immediately felt relaxed - or restless, or suddenly hungry - without knowing why. A big part of what's driving that? Colour.

Researchers have spent decades studying this in hospitals, schools, and restaurants. The findings are consistent: colour has a measurable effect on how we feel, physically and mentally.

Walls can only do so much. A piece of art can shift the emotional feel of a room in a way that paint alone can't - a canvas with deep blues and greys can make a plain white room feel calm and contemplative; warm ochres and burnt oranges can make a grey room feel alive.

So a practical way to approach buying art: start with colour. Think about how you want a room to feel, then find art that carries those tones. You don't need to know anything about art history - just trust what makes you feel a certain way.

One quick trick: if a room feels finished but somehow flat, add a piece with a contrasting colour. A warm room (wooden floors, cream walls, beige sofa) will often come alive with something cool - a deep teal, a dusty blue, a sage green. Contrast creates visual tension, and tension creates interest.