It’s hard to find time to take on decorating projects at this time of the year, so I’ve compiled three simple decorating touches that you can do on a budget and in less than an afternoon.
Darker days, darker doors
Impress guests with some drama when they come through the front door by painting your front door a deep, luxurious colour.
The trend of a dark pronounced exterior door is coming back in style as dark colours add a sense of sophistication and importance to the front entry.
Choose a dark colour that is ‘almost black’ in its tone; dark purples, greens and navy blue top my list, and if by standing at the road it looks almost black, then you have the right tone!
Choose a high-gloss paint finish to add not only durability, but a glamourous sheen to the door. And while you are painting, why not wrap the colour around to the inside of the door? Adding that dark impact will do wonders to wake up your front foyer.
Colour coding
Looking for an easy way to choose the right paint colour for the front door? Look at the colour of the body of the house and choose the opposite on the colour wheel.
For instance, if you have yellow-ish brick or siding then choose a purple colour; if you have orange brick choose a blue or green colour; if you have greenish siding then choose a burgundy-red colour.
Opposites do attract!
Bedroom highs
Is the bedroom looking a little bare without a headboard?
Well, with a bit of paint, edging tape (try 3M’s EdgeLock blue Painter’s Tape — it is new on the market and gives a crisp, clean edge to your paint job) and a level, you can create a faux headboard, which will add a focal point to your room.
For good proportions, measure the faux headboard six inches wider than your bed and at a height of around 52 inches (standard size).
To make the painted headboard blend into the room, choose a paint colour similar to the colour of your bedskirt or bed base.
When the paint is dry, lean some large pillows across the top of your mattress and you’ll add a luxurious layered look to your bedroom.
Art tricks
You can use the same paint-blocking trick to make artwork look larger. Artwork is often purchased for the subject matter or colours, but may not be the right proportion for the wall space you intend to use it on.
A simple way to make a small piece of art look larger or to tie together a collection of smaller pieces of art is to tape off an area slightly larger than the art, paint a block of colour and you’ll visually grow the overall scale of your artwork larger.
