Ok, well apologies in advance, but pics are making the walls look more washed out then they are, and I possibly could have gone one more shade darker in Sherwin Williams...but furniture is dark, and I did not want it to look oppressive.(ignore my recliner, please, LOL--and my couch is not raspberry colored, but deep wine...ugh, limitations of cheap camera). Anyway, I have several Karastan carpets, same pattern, but despite them having every color imaginable, only certain wall colors work with them. I opted for SW "bagel" in LR and "Earl Grey" in DR.--basically going with a complimentary color scheme (orang-ish and blue-ish). Again the DR looks darker in person. The only thing that bugs me is the whiteness of ceiling...but I was not brave enough to do the color on ceiling trend. Beryl, I doubt that this is very much help, but glad to share pics. Incidentally, I have several decorating books from the 80's. I find them much more fun than modern ones in that things like your hall tree, especially since it is a nice piece, could be incorporated in your intimate space by hanging fun collections from it (like funky old hats) or ornate walking sticks in the umbrella holders, etc. I just cannot seem to banish clutter, so I embrace it. ;-)

Red and black screams tacky to me. In the 1970's I did some house sitting for a celebrity. Her master suite was red and black and I don't mean subtle accents. Completely red and black. It still haunts me! My young granddaughters ( 8 & 10) have a pink and orange accented bedroom. I listened intently as they described their plans and shuttered to myself. However, they pulled it off beautifully.

The next time I decorate by a colour of the year will be the first time. Don't hold your breath. I have nothing against this particular colour but it doesn't work with all the things I've collected over the years, and I am not about to discard carpets bought after hard bargaining with dubious merchants in Istanbul or Islamabad because they don't "go" with a paint colour that someone voted "colour of the year." In its place, I think the colour would be quite nice (better than this years choices, certainly). It's just that my place isn't the right place for it.

Turquoise, purples and greens are a fabulous combination. Keep your furniture neutral - grey or white will offset these colours better - so it is transportable when you are renting and bring the colour in with accessories. The only consideration is the aspect of your rooms - purple/mauve is a cold colour and can give the room an uninviting look, in which case you will need to add more of the blues and greens to cheer it up.