Blue pigment is nature's colour for water and sky, but it is rarely found in fruits and vegetables. Blue has very little connections with taste and smell. Therefore, it may act as an appetite suppressant. It can make eating unappealing as we don't see the colour in our food naturally, so it's a great colour for plates for those who are on a diet. So, the next time you plan to diet, ditch colours like yellow and red, and opt for blue instead! You'll surely get closer to reaching your goal of losing some weight!

Did you know that carrots were once purple? They originated in the Afghanistan region and were once purple in colour. There are many theories behind why most carrots are now orange. As far as we can tell, the Dutch had something to do with it. As the story goes, 17th century Dutch farmers began to cross-breed carrots specifically to get orange carrots in honour of their ruler, William of Orange. It became extremely popular in the Netherlands as a tribute to the emblem of the House of Orange, and the struggle for the independence of the Dutch. Interestingly, the orange carrots that the Dutch developed were sweeter and fleshier than their purple counterparts!

In Chinese culture, colours correspond with the five primary elements, the four seasons and the directions. Yellow was associated with earth and the centre in relation to direction. The Chinese placed a lot of emphasis on the colour yellow, unlike anywhere else in the world. During the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty, it was the colour of the emperors. There is Chinese saying, "Yellow generates Yin and Yang", implying that yellow is the centre of everything. Yellow also stands for neutrality and good luck!

If the door of your home is painted a different colour on each side, remember to paint the lock edge the same colour as the side of the door that opens into the room. Paint the hinge edge of the door so that it is the same colour as the adjacent, visible face of the door. You don't have to paint the top and bottom edges of a door unless the top edge is overlooked from a staircase as it can stand out as bare wood if not painted at all.

Are you renovating your home? If the answer is yes, and if you are thinking of using polystyrene tiles, make sure to paint them with emulsion after thoroughly cleaning them. Make use of a roller and a small brush for the joints between the tiles. Remember, never use gloss paint as it creates a fire hazard when put on expanded polystyrene. If you plan to stick polystyrene tiles on the ceiling, it is much simpler to paint them before you put them up, especially if they have chamfered edges.

Planning to paint the ceiling? Use a scaffold board that is supported by trestles or stepladders. Walk slowly and with caution when standing on the scaffolding and wherever possible, clamp the boards to the supports. Make sure that your head is about 75mm from the ceiling. You can use an extension handle or even a broomstick fitted to the hollow handle of a roller or pad, for most of the painting. But you will need to stand on steps or a board to cut-in where the walls and ceiling meet and around the tops of doors and windows.