Day 9: Make an Entrance: Create a Statement Staircase this Christmas

Go for a bold new look and wow your visitors

If you’re lucky enough to have a spindled staircase why not make the most of it and create a welcoming entrance for anyone who visits over the festive period.

If you dare to be bold and want your entrance to make a striking impact paint your spindles and banister in a contrasting colour. Then decorate your staircase with a festive garland, some fairy lights and a string of Christmas cards or your very own homemade advent calendar so you can count down how many sleeps until Santa comes!

To choose the right colour and finish for your hallway check out the Amazing Space Paint range.

Don’t forget to return to us tomorrow for more festive tips and inspiration!

Day 5: Turn Your Home Into a Winter Wonderland This Christmas

Inject some festive cheer with this cool colour palette

We’ve put together this beautiful winter wonderland colour palette for Christmas, it combines whites and greys with more festive hues. You could start with a base of Night Jewels 3, Grey Steel 4 and Pure Brilliant White, then add Quartz Flint 2 and Golden Umber 2 for added festive cheer – all of these shades have been taken from the Amazing Space Paint range.

This fantastic combo could inspire the scheme for your Christmas party or, if you really love it, you could use it to inspire your design schemes and create your own winter wonderland.

For more inspiration check out the whole colour range at Amazing Space Paint. The service will help you to choose the best paint for your space, customising it along the way and delivering within 48 hours.

Don’t forget to return to us tomorrow for more festive tips and inspiration!

Make Your Rental Property Feel Like Home With Our 5 Tried-and-Tested Tips

Just because you’re renting doesn’t mean you can’t put your stamp on the place

Our clients often ask us how they can add their personality to a rental property without upsetting their landlords or making lots of changes they’ll have to leave behind when they move on. It’s a dilemma we’ve all faced at one stage or another so we decided it was time to blog about it! Here are 5 tried-and-tested ways to make your rented space feel like it’s your own.

1. Buy furniture when you can

A rental property doesn’t have to feel impersonal and unloved, your own furniture will make it feel like your space. Furnished properties tend to have fairly basic furniture, which gives you a nice blank canvas to work with and means there’s no pressure to spend lots of money buying everything at once. You can slowly collect your own pieces and develop your own style as you go.

2. Accentuate with accessories

Putting your own pictures and trinkets into a space always makes it feel like home. Use cushions, curtains, and throws to inject your favourite colours and prints against a magnolia backdrop. Small pops of different tones, patterns and textures will add warmth, as well as personality and style. If you’re not sure how to accessorise we’re here to help.

TOP TIP: rugs are a brilliant way of jazzing up a bland old carpet or cold wooden flooring, plus they’ll make your space feel warm and cosy too.

3. There’s no harm in asking!

Lots of landlords won’t mind if you repaint, after all, you’re freshening up their property for free. It’s often just a case of asking nicely – and maybe stay away from crazy colour combinations! If you’re planning to live somewhere for a while it’s always nice to give the walls a fresh lick of paint to match your tastes and furniture.

4. Add your personality with art

By filling plain walls with colourful prints you can create the illusion of a brighter, more exciting space. It’s easy to make small holes good when you leave but if you’re worried about damaging the walls try propping art on top of your furniture to create mini galleries, it works just as well as hanging it. You could make your own budget art too by framing cuttings of quirky wallpaper or wrapping paper to add splashes of colour and bold designs.

TOP TIP: hide any imperfections or marks on the walls behind your favourite piece of art.

5. Focus on the smaller things

You can’t change some fixtures, like the kitchen units or the bathroom suite, but you can swap small features, such as door handles and light fittings. It’s amazing how much the little details make a big difference. And when you leave the property all you need to do is put the original ones back like nothing ever happened!

One day you’ll own your own home and you’ll be to create your unique style in every room, until then you can still live in a beautiful home that feels like it’s yours by adding your stamp to the place. If you enjoyed these tips we’ve got lots more ideas up our sleeves.

For design advice tailored for your space pop over here to start your project.

Get the Light Right in Your Bedroom With Our Top 5 Window Dressing Tips

Looking for some inspiration for your blinds and curtains?

So, you want your space to be light but not get blinded when the sun comes out. You’d like attractive blinds and curtains. And with it being the bedroom you’re quite keen on having a bit of privacy too. Believe it or not it is possible to achieve all three! Here are our top five window dressing tips.

 

1. Layer it up

Turn your bedroom into a peaceful sanctuary by putting up sheer voile behind your curtain for a chic layered look. During those gorgeous hazy days of autumn when the sunlight is flooding into your bedroom the voile will soften the light and create a soothing glow.

 

2. Bounce the light around

To maximise the light in your bedroom just put a large mirror on the wall opposite your window. The mirror will throw light into every corner of the room, making it feel spacious and bright. If you’d like more lighting tips and tricks or any other design ideas tell us what you’re hoping to achieve in your space.

 

3. Adjust your blinds

The wonderful thing about blinds is that it’s easy to adjust them throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. To make your bedroom as bright as possible use Venetian blinds to direct light into the room, or position the slats so that they reflect the rays bouncing off your mirror or metallic accessories. If you’ve got Roman or roller blinds you can put them up or down to control how much sunlight comes into your room, and create a different atmosphere at different times of the day or for different bedroom activities.

 

4. Go for sheer and beautiful

Replace any heavy drapes with subtle sheer curtains for a more gentle and relaxing ambiance. Sheer fabrics will give you privacy and soften the sunlight without blocking it out completely. With gentle light streaming in, your bedroom will be transformed into a warm, peaceful haven, perfect for those lazy Sunday mornings in bed.

 

5. Create a warming glow

If you want your space to be as bright as possible go for a white curtain or sheer voile. But if it’s a warmer look you’re after choose fabric in a neutral or golden tone for a cosier glow.

 

By using different fabrics, tones, and styles at the window you can adjust and control the light in your bedroom depending on the time of day, the atmosphere you want to create and what you’re up to in there, whether you’re having a lie-in, doing a spot of reading or taking an afternoon nap.

If you’d like more advice on how to design your perfect space we’d love to help, start your project here.

Create a Unique Sofa Style with Your Cushions

Mix and match different looks with your soft furnishings

You can use cushions in all sorts of ways to change the look of your living room. With a bit of inspiration it’s easy to have a few styles up your sleeve that you can alternate every now and then for a fresh feel. Whether you like a more symmetrical, traditional look or you prefer an eclectic mix and match approach, our tips will help you add those all-important finishing touches to spruce-up your living space.

Bold geometrics

Add interest to a subtle colour scheme with bold, geometric cushions. Choosing one or two patterned designs using tones from your colour palette (we’ve gone for blue, black and white here) will create a sophisticated contrast with the other elements in the room, without overpowering the softer hues.

Bright and beautiful

For an eye-catching way of making a dramatic impact and injecting colour into a room that’s a blank canvas, mix a combination of statement shades and designs in vibrant visual groupings. We’ve continued the pops of colour around the sitting room above with some bright and beautiful accessories. If you’re not sure which colours would suit your space we’d love to help with your project.

Perfectly balanced

If a more classic style is your thing, arrange your cushions in symmetrical patterns using pairs of different designs. Try to choose tones that coordinate with the colour palette you’ve gone for in the rest of your scheme for an effortlessly elegant look.

Layering textures

Textured cushions and throws are an easy way to create a cosy spot to curl up in every evening that can be as bold and distinctive as your personality. Bring in bright details and interest with knits, velvets and embroidered designs. Or why not add a touch of glam, like we’ve done, by dressing your sofa with cushions that have beaded or sequin detail? The colour, style, pattern and texture of your cushions can make a big difference to the overall look of your living room. Knowing how to position and group them will help you create the impression you’re going for and add those unique touches.

 

If you’ve caught the interior design bug start your project to get tailored advice, a personalised style guide, an interactive shopping list and a 3D visualisation of your space.

How to Make Your Bonfire Party Go With a Bang!

Party in style with our top tips for an explosive bonfire night

Remember, remember the 5th of November, gunpowder, treason and plot, we hope our tips for your party help your Bonfire Night go with a pop! The colours, the smells and the sounds make November 5th one of our favourite nights of the year. We hope our tips help you have a fantastic evening – stay safe and enjoy the fireworks!

 

Sweet treats on an open fire

Are you hosting your own bonfire party this year? Then why not invest in a fire bowl? They give you the same glow, warmth and crackle you get from a bonfire without damaging the ground, and they’re much safer too. Once you’ve got the fire started gather some friends and family around and treat yourselves to something sweet, like homemade toffees, toasted marshmallows (our favourite) and golden honeycomb.

Cast Iron Fire Bowl, Graham & Green – £95.00

 

All light on the night!

Whether you’re planning on spending Bonfire Night inside or outside this year add some sparkle with brightly coloured string lights and funky sign lighting, they’ll be sure to keep the party going long after the fireworks are over. For lighting ideas tailored for your space feel free to ask us for help.

 

 

LED Line Lights, John Lewis – £30.00

Star Floor Lamp, Made – £99.00

Lit Arrow, Graham & Brown – £79.99

 

Stay warm and cosy

If you’re celebrating outside on Saturday night make sure you wrap up warm with lots of luxurious blankets and throws. We love these bright, quirky designs from John Lewis and Dunelm Mill.

Scion Anneke Throw, John Lewis – £95.00

Country Fayre Throw, Dunelm Mill – £19.99

 

Cheers to a good night!

We love bold, eclectic colour schemes and at this time of year, with fireworks going off and fires burning bright, anything goes. If you’ll be eating your hotdogs and jacket potatoes indoors, dress your table with a mix of fun multi-coloured glassware with splashes of warm metallic hues – here’s a gorgeous selection from John Lewis for starters.

 

Kate Spade New York Pearl Place Tumbler (set of 2), John Lewis – £50.00

Handmade Tumbler, John Lewis – £4.00

Helsinki Sputnik, John Lewis – £6.00

 

So, that’s the fire, treats, lighting, throws and tableware sorted, all you need to do now is invite a few friends and family round and your party should go with a bang!

If we’ve got you thinking about design and you’d like to transform a room in your home start your project with one of our Dulux Design Experts.

Case Study: Creating a Bright and Cosy Family Room

Susie asked for our help to transform her tired living room into a bright, uplifting space that would work for her family of adults and teenage children. She asked us to create a more sociable room with a unique style but to retain its cosy, traditional feel. Find out how we worked with Susie to turn her living room into a funky, modern space she loves spending time with her friends and family.

 

Project Summary

The Space: Living Room

The Budget: £2,000

 

The Brief

Susie’s multi-functional family room was being used as a living room, somewhere to watch TV and play computer games. It was quite plain, with cream walls and a large cream corner sofa. The room had to remain a space the whole family could use but Susie wanted it to be brighter and inspire her to do more entertaining. She told us that she likes the ombre effect and asked us to add life, colour and personality to the room without completely changing its character.

 

 

The Design

We started by reorganising the layout to create a more sociable atmosphere and a contemporary feel by zoning an area where Susie could sit and chat with her guests, while keeping the space’s other function as a TV room. To brighten up the space and bring it up-to-date we introduced a new colour palette, with contrasting pops of colour to make it more fun and quirky.

 

The Layout

Susie was happy for us to re-arrange the room so we suggested having two sofas facing each other in the newly created entertaining area, with her new sideboard behind one of them to make full use of the large space. The layout was also designed to leave room next to the sideboard for the cube shelves Susie liked. The TV worked well where it was and was easy to watch from anywhere in the room so we didn’t move it.

 

Updating the Colour

We chose two main colours – a warm, rich grey (Grey Steel 2) and white (Absolute White) – to create a strong contrast and suggested that Susie painted a contemporary two-tone effect on the walls, with the lower section grey and the upper section white. For the added fun factor we went for a strong yellow (Delhi Bazaar 3) throughout the soft furnishings and accessories.

 

Furniture & Accessories

To create a chic, contemporary look we suggested having two mismatched sofas facing each other, with Susie’s new sideboard nearby to provide plenty of storage. We also selected a rustic coffee table to compliment the scheme, with a rug under it for extra warmth and cosiness. We hung onto the TV stand, and picked out a range of cushions and accessories to bring in the dashes of colour.

 

The Finished Space

Susie and her family loved the idea of the zone for socialising and replaced their cream sofa with two smaller ones to fit nicely into that area. They also added a new coffee table and a plush rug, and added storage with the large sideboard, which doubled up as a great place for displaying their new accessories. The family went for the two-tone paint effect on the walls and chose a mixture of cushions in different shades, patterns and textures, and a bright throw. They introduced an extra pop of colour by painting the blinds yellow, and Susie tells us she is absolutely thrilled with the result.

 

Is this has left you feeling inspired and raring to re-design your space you can start your project right now, you’ll just need a few details about your room and what you’d like us to help you achieve.

Trick Your Guests With These Easy Halloween Crafts!

These Halloween hacks are sure to keep your little ones occupied this half term

With Halloween fast-approaching, it’s time to embrace the event and decorate your home with lots of tricks and treats – you can even rope in your little ones during half term and have a warm and snug craft session in the comfort of your own home!

 

Jazz up your jack-o’-lantern

The carved pumpkin has been a long-term Halloween symbol that is loved by us all.  The insides of the pumpkin are removed and spooky faces are carved into the fronts.  A candle or light is placed inside the pumpkin to create a scary silhouetted face.  For a time-saving option, why not draw the faces onto your pumpkin using a marker pen?  You can also doodle decorative patterns such as spots or stripes and use different types of pumpkin to bring your display to life. The white pumpkins are particularly effective to add that ghostly feel!

 

Create ghoulish glows with DIY lanterns

Re-use some old glass jam jars and lightly spray paint these in eerie colours, we love deep purples and navy blues for a dramatic feel. Draw spooky castles, night skies, ghosts or witches onto the outsides using a Sharpie pen, and place a tea light or battery operated candles inside.  The colourful spray paint will be illuminated allowing the silhouettes and patterns to stand out and create creepy shadows on the walls!

If you don’t have any spare jars you can always pick these Kilner Jars up from John Lewis for £9.00:

Creepy cardboard creations

Collect cardboard tubes and create some flying bats and monsters to spook your trick or treaters with these three easy steps:

1) Paint the cardboard tubes in black for the bats or some bright colours for the monsters, cut out wing shapes from card and fix these to the back of the tube.

2) Cut out eyes and teeth from coloured card and attach these to the front of the bats and monsters.

3) Tie some string or wool to the tube and hang by the door or suspended at the windows ready to swoop at your guests or trick or treaters when they arrive.

 

Tins that go bump in the night

Recycled tins and cardboard tubes are great budget-friendly ways of creating Frankensteins, monsters or ghosts.

Paint the tin cans in a bright green, add some felt hair and googly eyes and draw on a stitched mouth using a marker pen.

For the mummies, paint the cardboard tube black for a base for the eyes, then wrap either a bandage or strips of tissue paper around the cardboard tube and secure with glue.  Stick on some googly eyes and you have the perfect mummy.

 

 

If you’d prefer some props that are a little more polished, there are also some great products on the High Street that can add those finishing touches to your haunted mansion!

Here are a few of our favourite picks from John Lewis:

Halloween Battery Powered LED Tealights – £4.50

Halloween Wreath – £10.00

Halloween LED Ghost Line Lights – £6.00

All of these simple tricks and picks will help to transform your home into a spooktacular space to host a Halloween party, as well as keeping the kids entertained during half term.

We’d love to see your creations so make sure you tag us on Facebook and Instagram and use #AmazingSpaceHalloween on Twitter!

Create a Designer Kitchen by Personalising Your Accessories

Inject your personality into your kitchen with our top tips

Kitchens are the heart of the home. Whether we’re cooking, eating, working, or just catching up after a long day, we spend more and more time in our kitchens. So we’ve come up with some really fun ways to add your personality to your kitchen decor and turn it into a designer space.

 

Make your very own mini art gallery

You can create all sorts of different looks with a collection of frames depending on your interests and tastes. So if you like the outdoors, for example, take inspiration from nature by collecting leaves, feathers and pressed flowers to pop in them. And you don’t have to stick to picture frames, you can hang wall plaques or trinkets as well. Here are a few ideas for inspiration.

 

Create wall art with painted plates

This is super-effective and super-easy too. Here’s how to create wall art with painted plates:
1. Once you’ve decided on your designs, start by priming the areas you want to paint and mask off the edges using a low tack paint.
2. Choose your colours from our Gloss or Eggshell paint range.
3. Paint your plates. If you want to layer colours make sure that the first one has dried before you add the next colour to it.

Have fun with your designs, you could go for modern or more eclectic, it’s up to you. We’ve gone all Mary Quant and taken some inspiration from the 1960s with these patterns, in the second image the plates have been designed by the whole family.

 

Update your dining chairs

There’s no need to buy new chairs, you can create a completely new look simply by upcycling your existing ones. Just sand down any rough surfaces, then prime the chairs before painting them and make sure you choose paints with a Satin wood finish. You could try this dip-dye look with colours from your kitchen scheme to tie it all together, this YouTube video shows you how to do it.

 

Painted plant pots

How about getting the kids involved in designing and painting your kitchen plant pots this summer? Either use colours to match your kitchen scheme or add different pops of colour. We’d recommend easy-care houseplants for the kitchen, like succulents and cacti, to add life and colour, or use herbs for an edible addition. Here are some we made earlier…

 

Style fun utensil holders

Recycled tin cans and metal pots make great utensil holders and look really good in rustic or industrial style kitchens, just paint the recycled tins using Dulux Eggshell or Gloss finish in colours to match your kitchen. To complete the look, paint the wooden handles of a few of your utensils to add splashes of colour when they stick out of your new funky personalised utensil holder. Below is a ready-made example if you’d prefer an instant new utensil holder without any fuss.

DEWAR Utensil Holder, Habitat – £8.00

 

Kitchens are our favourite places to hang out and there are sooo many ways you can personalise them. Have fun, try out your own ideas too and we hope you enjoy creating your very own space.

For more advice and help transforming your home feel free to book a consultation with one of our designers.

Transform your kid’s room into a playful paradise

Decorating your kid’s bedroom can seem like no easy feat… until you read this page!

Their personal taste can change from minute-to-minute – it’s all part of the fun of growing up. But finding a fun theme and transforming their room into a playtime-ready space that encourages them to pursue their passions is easier than you think.

Jungle Fever

Explorers and nature-loving little ones will find plenty of adventure in a jungle-inspired bedroom. Start with painting in the lush-green horizon backdrop using deep to light shades for your rainforest. Fill up with their favourite jungle animals to complete the look.

TOP TIP: Use 1000 grade lining paper and tear towards you when you make your jungle-scape.

Call in the clowns

The Circus is in town! For all the fun of the fair, look no further than this circus-inspired big top ceiling effect.

TOP TIP: If you’re not sure how to find the centre of the ceiling, find it by snapping a chalk line diagonally from one corner of the room to another – the centre is where the two lines cross. Et voilà!

Out of this world

Create a bedroom fit for budding astronauts with a space-themed bedroom fronted with this galactic paint effect accent wall. The starry bedroom scheme is no rocket science, but some paint brush splattering in a Space Odyssey approved Rich Black, Purple Pout, Striking Cyan and White Cotton.

TOP TIP: To avoid uttering those immortal words ‘Houston, we have a problem’ try out the spattering technique on some paper before you hit the wall.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?…

…it’s a striking city skyline for your little superhero’s bedroom. Transform their room into a batman/superman ready metropolis to develop and nurture their own super do-good powers.

TOP TIP: A little heads up before you spring into action: to get a sharp point on the inside edge of the building shapes, press your fingernail into the corner you want to create at an angle – and tear the masking tape upwards and away from corner.

On your marks, get set, transform!

Attention all sports fans! What better environment to nurture energy-filled kids than with a vibrant sports-themed zone of their own? Create a space for them that echoes their favourite hobbies and may help in taking them the extra mile when it comes to seeing their goals through.

TOP TIP: Make sure that the foam roller or sponge for stencilling doesn’t have too much paint on it when you apply paint through the stencil. Load it with paint and then roll or dab off the excess onto some old paper before you start.

Feeling inspired but not sure how to bring any of these ideas to life? Let our Dulux Design Experts help you.