Summer is the perfect time of year to give our homes some well-deserved TLC. And while it’s easy to spend hours drooling over picture perfect rooms on Pinterest and flicking the dreamy pages of glossy interior design magazines, rolling up our sleeves and getting down to the business of actually transforming a room can be really tricky.
To help get you started, we’ve teamed up with the good folks at Dulux to bring you some simple tips to bring your home to life this summer. Take a look below. And good luck!
1. Surf the web
The internet jam-packed full of home interior inspiration. From design blogs like Pinterest, to appls like Pinterest and Visualizer, there are so many resources out there to help you find the perfect look for your room!
2. Get the light right
Lighting is key to getting your look right. In a room where everything is lit evenly, nothing stands out. Pick a focal point or two and highlight these two spots in the room. Then add general ambient lighting and some lower lighting like table lamps. Having different layers of light will make a world of difference.
Dulux shades: Hepburn Blue (walls); Sea Urchin 1 (bed head)
3. Funk up your door frames
Try your hand at painting door frames in different colours to the doors. A white frame around a coloured door can really make statement. Experiment with lighter or deeper shades of same colour used on the walls for the door and the frame.
4. Flooring
For high traffic areas like hallways, invest in better quality carpets or flooring – they will stand up to the wear and tear, making the extra spend worth it over time. Also they’ll be seen!
Dulux shades: Calico
4. Perfect pick me up
Paint the darkest wall in a room in a brighter shade in the same colour palette to give a great bounce of light. It only takes one simple change to totally transform a space.
Dulux shades: Inky Pool 4 (left wall); Inky Pool 1 (right wall)
5. Always test everything first
No matter what room or project you’re undertaking this summer, always test everything in your home first. Pick up a fabric swatch or buy a paint tester to see how the colours or materials you’re introducing will look in your home. You’ll be amazed how colours can change depending on lighting.
6. Pops of colour
You don’t always have to paint a whole room or wall the same colour. Get brave with bold, bright colours on a smaller scale first. A pop of colour can act as an interesting contrast in an alcove, the inside of a window or as a simple stripe along a skirting board. Paint the back wall of a bookcase a hue that’s a couple of shades deeper than the room colour.
Dulux shade: Window Frame – Auburn Falls 4
This article is brought to you by Dulux. The new Dulux Visualizer app is now available for smartphone & tablets. It allows you to choose colours and see them live on your walls, colour match existing items in your room, match them with paint and even suggest complimentary colour schemes.
