BEING BOLD

• Published date: 27 July 2022
• Publication title: Stratford Press

There are numerous options available. First — and so on-trend at the moment — is the mini mural. You might have a large open-plan living area with limited full-wall space. Why not find a small section of that wall and go for it

Start by drawing your design in pencil on paper, before practising with your Resene testpot in your standout hue on card. Once you’ve decided on the right scale for your design, apply it in paint to your wall. Try using three different colours within your mural for added adventure. For contrast, ensure your background is light. Or you could paint your wall in the dusky red of Resene Half Coral Tree and paint a mural onto it in pale Resene Quarter Alabaster for the reverse effect.

Do you have a dado in your home? Paint it in your bold colour, leaving the area above in a pale neutral for contrast.

You may have a section of a room that is suited to one purpose — a sewing area, office or reading nook — such gems may not fill the whole room with four walls, but what they do have can be painted in your vibrant colour. While using these spaces, people tend to benefit from a little stimulation, so what better way to provide this than with a beautiful colour? Leave one of the walls white and colour any shelving on that wall in the bold colour for repetition and continuity. For instance, orange lovers might feature soft Resene Sour Dough on one wall of an office nook, while the perpendicular wall and shelving would resonate in bright Resene Whiskey Sour.

One way of adding a bold colour is a simple thin line of it on your wall. You can even try playing around with it at varying heights and angles. You’ll need high-quality painter’s masking tape, a level, ruler and a testpot of your chosen colour. Section the strip you want to paint with tape on either side of it, ensuring it is level and straight, and paint between the exposed gap. Once dry, peel back the tape and you’ll have your horizontal line in your desired colour, stretching across the width of a wall.

Painting a headboard on your bedroom wall or a curved block of colour on your study wall gives the chance to tie in a powerful colour too.

Painting a feature wall or colour blocking, where you apply your bright colour across a section of one or two walls for effect, are also useful methods of bringing in bright colour to your home. It is important to get the balance visually right, so as you layer these tones, also layer your furniture and décor too. This will ensure you get the balance...