I’VE only just realised what a huge responsibility having the house decorated can be. After ten years in out ‘new’ house we decided that a re-fresh of the hall, stairs and landing was long overdue and for some reason I couldn’t quite fathom out, the housemate was reluctant to let me dig out the paintbrushes.

“Because you’ll start the job, then get distracted by something and wander off and start something else…or you’ll get into a paddy about something and there’ll be ructions for days and the job will take about three times as long as it should,” she explained when I questioned her unwillingness to allow me free DIY rein.

“And there’s the added issue of you having to climb up a ladder to tackle the stairs,” she added with with a raised eyebrow.

Having grudgingly agreed to call in an expert the subject turned to colour.

“Won’t we just keep it the same colour?” I asked having spent many hours pouring over endless colour charts when we originally decorated.

“No way,” came the reply. “I’ve hated this colour for ten years and we’re not having it for another ten.”

“You’ve never mentioned before that you hated it,” I replied in shock. “And you didn’t say you hated it when you chose it.”

“ You spent so long anguishing over whether to have burnt coffee, chocolate milkshake, cocoa butter or perfect pancake I was just happy to settle on the vague browny colour you eventually chose,” she said with a snort.

“I hate fawn…it’s not a colour…it’s a…nothing colour,” she added vehemently.

“It’s not fawn it’s mocca milkshake,” I muttered under my breath.

“I think we should go for something greenish,” announced the housemate.

“I like a nice pale green,” she added pulling out the colour chart she’d clearly been studying for some time and stabbing at a colour

“ That would be fine for a bedroom or bathroom but not the middle of the house,” I said, resisting the temptation to point out her choice was a ‘nothing colour’.

“I think it need to be light to lighten the area,” she announced.

“I think it need to be a darker colour which will have the effect of lightening the space,” I retorted, drawing on all my Channel 4 home design TV experience.

The argument continued until the weekend when we headed to the Midlands to pay a visit to the family.

“I think we need to go and pick up some tester pots,” said the housemate’s son in law diplomatically when asked to referee between us.

“I hate all these colours,” said the housemate later that evening as we lined up her choices on the hall wall.

“That’s too light, that’s too green and that’s just plain horrible,” she said crossing them off one by one.

“This is the one I think we should have,” I said painting on my wildcard choice.

“Ok…you may be right,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Sorry I did’t quite catch that,” I replied grabbing my phone to record the admission that for once…and probably once only…I was right!