Clever chaps at leading paint companies Pantone and Dulux predict Marsala, “a naturally robust and earthy wine red” shade, will rule in 2015.

In-your-face colour, it’s true, may not be for the faint-hearted, but there’s no better time to play with a warmer palette, a trend which experts say is a reaction to a more positive general global outlook, and replaces those cool blues and greens.

Embracing rich but subtle hues could not only give a much-needed glow to rooms, vital throughout the remaining chilly months, but also conjure a seductive setting whose style will endure far beyond the season.

Pantone’s Colour Institute, which has nominated a ‘colour of the year’ since 1990, believes berry-rich Marsala promises so much more than a different look to your walls.

It’s a shade to “enrich our mind, body and soul, exuding confidence and stability... its grounding red-brown roots emanate a sophisticated, natural earthiness”, notes Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute.

Add elegance to any room by incorporating this welcoming hue in accent pieces, such as accessories or a feature wall. It’s featuring on dinnerware and bedding in 2015.

The shade sparkles when set against metallics and can illuminate a range of smokey-neutral colour combinations.