Did you know that the dyes that were used to prepare the colour pink were known as Madder roots? Madder roots are found in Turkey, Iran and India and is one of the oldest natural dyes. The principal pigment in madder roots is alizarin which produces the rich red colour it is famous for but in smaller quantities, it produces yellow and brown pigments.

While the colour Yellow represents the sun and is traditionally associated with cheerfulness and bright dispositions, in Egypt, it is the exact opposite. Yellow over there is the colour of mourning! According to Egyptians, man's journey did not end with his death but carried on in his afterlife and since yellow and bronze were colours of positivity and power, mourners wore it to give the deceased good vibes in his afterlife.

Were you aware that green is the colour used for night vision goggles? This is because the human eye is most sensitive to shades of green colour. The phosphors on their screens are deliberately chosen to make green pictures because it is easier to look at green screens for long periods than to look at black and white screens. Hence, even though the white light hitting the screen contains all colours, our eyes can pick out only green.

When people enter your home, the first thing that catches their eye is the foyer. To up the ante and ensure that the first impression is the right one, paint the foyer a bright, vibrant colour such as turquoise with a neutral trim. Or you could go for a bold, pink and grey geometric pattern and accessorize the space with contrast furniture. Since the foyer begins immediately beyond the front door, it is best to stick to glossy finishes which are more durable and don't lose their sheen as fast as matte finishes.

If you're painting an exposed brick wall or façade, the most important step is priming. Clean the wall gently with a soapy solution before rinsing and then make sure it is completely dry. Use about two coats of primer so that the chances of the dark brick showing through the paint reduces drastically and keep an extra tin of paint ready. Since bricks have porous surfaces and a lot of tiny holes and depressions, the paint may seep into them easily making you need more than you would on a flat surface.

Sometimes, the windows of a house look really stark and painting them could do wonders for your rooms. In this case, first clean and prime the window you want to paint on. Once that is done, you will need to draw and cut out a template of the design you want on the window. Using good quality glass paint, trace the outlines of the pattern first and after that is dry, fill in using colours chosen. Make sure the painted side faces the interior of the house otherwise the elements can spoil the paintwork.