Did you know that red is the first colour that babies can see at about 3-4 months. Scientists found that red has the longest wavelength among colours, which makes it easy to process by the receptors and nerves that are developing in the baby’s eyes. On the other hand, blue and violet take longer to see as babies begin developing their colour vision after birth. This is probably because blue has shorter wavelengths and few colour receptors exist in the human retina for blue light. Colours like green and yellow come within the first few weeks after being born.

If you are a frequent traveller, you will know that not all passports look same, particularly with regard to their colour. In general, there are only four types of colours used for passports worldwide — red, green, black and blue. There are, however, no official rules of what colours a country should go for, only suggestions. The choice of colour for a passport is majorly influenced by culture and history. Most Islamic states use green colour for their passport. And some countries choose bright colours to distinguish themselves, such as Switzerland who uses a bright red as their official passport colour, similar to its flag. However, most countries choose dark hues because it looks official.

Cheese is made from milk. So, if milk is white, how do some cheeses like cheddar cheese get its unique orange colour? Well, cheese is only coloured because it is dyed. Back in the day, the colour of cheese changed with the season due to the diet of the cow. And this caused confusion, concern and doubt about the quality of the cheese. To avoid this, farmers started dyeing the cheese to eliminate seasonal colour fluctuations. And to this day, most manufacturers continue to use this cheese dyeing technique. Fascinating, isn’t it?

If you think more paint coats mean a better finish, you are mistaken. There is a limit to the number of paint coats that a surface can support. As the paint thickness builds up over time after drying and the coatings get older, it tends to lose its flexibility. And as the substrate or the surface expands and contracts because of moisture and fluctuation in temperatures, the paint is no longer flexible enough to move with the surface. This causes flaking and cracking of the paint. Usually, about two coats of paint are ideal for interior walls. Dark colours might require more coats, so ensure that you use a good primer that can help reduce the coats of paint needed.

Thinking of a dramatic room makeover but don’t have the time, budget or resources? Simply give your doors and windows a fresh coat of paint, it is the quickest makeover you can give your room. Get creative and use colours. Go for a statement red or yellow if you want to add some drama or character. Opt for olive green; it is muted and welcoming but drastic enough to change the whole look of the room. Coral or orange is great to add a bit of zing and sunshine to the room. Go for quirky door handles and knobs and textured and layered curtains and drapes to give your room a whole new look and vibe.

Are you thinking of painting the entire house but not sure which room should you start with? It is a smart move to begin with the formal areas first. So the living room and dining room should ideally be the first to be painted. Make use of the 60-30-10 rule. Divide the colours in the space into 60 per cent of the dominant colour, 30 per cent of the secondary colour and 10 per cent of an accent colour. The walls will be the majority of the dominant colour, the upholstery the secondary colour and the accessories and accents will fill up the rest.