Opening up new possibilities
FX editorial director Theresa Dowling took the panel back to where it all began, with the story of William Henry Perkin, the English chemist who, in 1856, accidentally discovered the first synthetic dye. It enabled a real shift in people's perception of colour when it came to clothes, fabrics and furnishings. Kramer said: 'It's the art of the possible. It is up to the imagination of designers how you use what's out there and get the best out of it.'

Helen Bygraves director, Hill House Interiors

Of course, the correlations between the design and fashion worlds are well documented, with the likes of Vivienne Westwood known for bringing an injection of colour into her work but without always having to 'over use' it. The idea of a dash of colour in an otherwise neutral environment can be a powerful design tool, hence some clients wanting a minimalist Apple Store-look or, as Bygraves called it, 'operating room chic'.

BIID president and interior designer Daniel Hopwood said: 'Nowadays, we have a kind of colour anarchy in terms of choice which they didn't have in the 19th century.

And yet we've not gone berserk with it; we're all still quite restrained.' He pointed to the example of Sir John Soane, who famously embraced yellow for many of his interiors since the ability to do so had only just been invented. 'We've got used to talking about using a "pop" of colour in quite a subtle way. Now I'm finding that some of my younger clients are asking for more and more colour.'

Littlefair added: 'Property developers coming to us for show apartment designs who would traditionally be used to the monochrome 'shades of grey' scheme now want something else: they want to see colour, such as orange in the upholstery and other furnishings. We're being asked more and more to get away from silver schemes.'

Cherrill Scheer, director of public relations company CSA, pointed out the recurring nature of colour tastes. 'When we built our home in the Sixties - I'm rather vintage myself - the first thing that would greet you in the small front hall was bright orange walls and a dark blue ceiling. Some years later, my daughter who had gone on to study interior design said how old-fashioned it looked. By the time we got around to redecorating it, the trend had come back around to orange and dark blue.'

Of course, the 'elephant in the room' when it comes to discussing the rights and wrongs of colour is that this whole topic is so subjective. What's right in one person's eyes is most definitely not for another. Simon Fisher, founder of lighting design consultancy F Mark, said that within a commercial project, creating a colour scheme that appeals to all is a particularly tough challenge. 'The environments that you're applying these colours to can be so varied and there is such a broad demographic within the space. From the 18-year-old intern to the 60-year-old CEO, you have to try to appease them all.'

Kramer replied: 'I think that's why you have to vary it quite a lot within a project. It sets the tone and if you have a constant then you miss the opportunity of using colour to create contrasting spaces and experimenting in certain areas. It helps create different moods for different areas of the project.'

He added that the big banks are a good example of organisations that have had to rethink their approach in recent years. 'It's not about them, it's about the people they're attracting and getting into the mindset of the younger generation. _ is can mean very simplistic interiors, dynamic, and edgy. Corporates are seeing the benefit of that, as it is attracting the right people to their organisations.'