The colour red has been long associated with sensuality and red dresses, as well as red lipsticks, are the stuff divas are made of! But it's interesting to know that in the ancient times, when there were no lipsticks or designer dresses to up the oomph factor, the Indians of the Amazon added the colour red to their lips with red hot chili pepper to lend a touch of sensuality to their looks!

It is interesting to note how a single colour can have vastly contradictory connotations in different cultures around the world. One such colour is orange. In the Hindu tradition, orange is a colour associated with spirituality and is considered to be an auspicious and sacred colour often sported by holy men. On the other hand, if we look at the western world, orange is associated with Halloween along with the colour black.

Red is a fiery colour which stays true to its stubborn nature even when sitting on the head of redheads! This is not very widely known but red coloured hair holds on to its original pigment for a much longer period than other hair colours, thereby reducing the omnipotent fear of going grey. Red coloured hair retains its original colour for longer and then slowly changes into beautiful faded-copper or rosy-blonde colours, finally emerging as silvery white.

This is for those who pride themselves on being painting pros but miss a very basic component of smart painting. It is always advisable to buy a canvas drop cloth, rather than using cheap plastic drop cloths, to protect the floor against nasty paint spatters. Apart from being usable for a very long period of time, they lay flat on the floor making it easier to walk across, unlike plastic drop cloths which become slippery when spattered with wet paint, multiplying the chances of tripping over.

It is wise to not assume that the task is over once you are done painting your house. Refrain from throwing out the paint cans et al, as it may come in useful for touch-ups later on. If the paint has been fully used, it's also important to note down the brand name and colour of the paint. This way, you can buy the same exact shade of paint when required to touch-up or repaint.

One of the most difficult areas to paint is perhaps the staircase, as these are often in constant use and cannot afford a holiday when being painted! To add some freshness to those withered steps, we have to use some smart ways rather than tried methods. One such innovative way to do this would be to paint one half of your steps one day and when the first half is dry paint the other half of the steps and you have a sparkly new staircase without needing to stop using them!