Well, it seems like a simple concept. You’ve heard from all the experts that a fresh coat of paint is the most economical and quickest solution to revitalizing any room. How complicated can choosing a paint colour be, right? No big deal.

You may have noticed the return of bright colours over the past few months. Perhaps most prominent among them is pink. Not the dusty rose hues of the early 80s, or the fluorescents from a few years later, but a bold, fuchsia-like tone. So it is not terribly surprising that Pantone has named it their 2011 colour of the year.

Until recently, contractors, homeowners, and the general public in the U.S. had little knowledge of the dangers around them as they worked on older buildings. Many historic restorationists who focused on buildings from the 19th and early 20th century knew that the lead commonly used as a binder and colorant in old paint could poison them. In 1971, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD) enacted laws to reduce lead in house dust in federally-assisted housing. It wasn’t until 1978 that the US outlawed the manufacture and application of lead-based paint. Most European countries had done so decades before.

Given the bold hues chosen by the likes of Pantone (Tangerine Tango) and the Color Marketing Group (Boyz-N-Berry) as the 2012 Colours of the Year, some people will naturally question the impact of colour within their home and how it effects mood.

PPG’s 2012 / 2013 colour trend forecast calls for an awakening of the senses, a new positiveness, a search for increased intensity, and a sense of luxuriousness.

If you’re planning ahead for 2012 and want to know what is happening in terms of colours, the Color Marketing Group (CMG) suggests Boyz-N-Berry, a “deep rich purple with slight red undertones. It is mature and elegant yet has a youthful edginess. It reflects our changing mindset on so many issues — off centre and unconventional, spiritual, meditative yet impulsive. It is serene and in control.” It is also able to blur the line, being both masculine and feminine and appealing to everyone.