Mister David isn't a colour you spread across four walls and forget about — it's a hero, and you treat it like one. Use it deliberately and sparingly: a front door, a single joyful room, a run of woodwork that earns its keep. Drown a whole house in it and you'll tire of it by Tuesday.
The job, then, is to give it the right company so it does the talking without shouting the place down.
Ground it. Warm whites and natural textures are your safety net here. A soft warm white on surrounding trim or ceilings keeps Mister David feeling intentional rather than chaotic. Pair that with timber, linen, rattan — natural materials soften the hit and make it look styled, not loud.
Calm it. If you want it to feel grown-up, bring in soft greys or muted blue-greens. These knock the edge off and let the colour read as a considered accent rather than a dare.
Or go bolder. If you're committing to drama, lean into deep jewel tones. Dulux Night Jewels 4 (LRV 34.1) works as a moodier companion — dark enough to anchor a scheme but still with life in it. Paint & Paper Library Blue Blood (LRV 16.4) is properly inky and gives Mister David real depth to play against, ideal on adjacent joinery or a feature alcove. And Mylands FTT-019 - Ultra Violet (LRV 15.6) leans into the same rich, saturated territory if you want a tonal, layered look rather than contrast.
The "but what about" question I always get: *will it overwhelm a small room?* It can — which is exactly why the front door or a single zone is the safe play. If you do want it on walls, keep the room well-lit, use a warm white on the ceiling, and don't fight it with patterned everything.
Practical advice: buy a sample pot, paint a large board, and live with it in your light across a full day before you commit. Hero colours look magnificent or migraine-inducing depending entirely on the daylight they sit in.