What are the benefits of painting your home?
Welcome back friends.
It’s already heading towards late Jan and as I write this, it’s been a mixed week, lockdown/cabin fever along with some very dreary weather - a smidge of sun, a lot of wind thanks to Storm Christoph, plenty of rain and a lot of grey. The kind of ‘meh’ Winter grey that has you longing for colour in your life – whether it’s room décor, furnishings, a bright scarf or even a vibrant lipstick or nails. Anything to add some cheer and help speed us thorough these long months.
If you follow me on Instagram (@willowbertinteriors) you’ll know that we have recently moved from Tunbridge Wells to Edenbridge. The whole house is a blank (well, rather tired dark beige) canvas for us to create our family home and once we have finished repainting the children's rooms, I can get to grips with the rest of the house. In the meantime, there are some ‘interesting’ test patches wherever I go.
Why paint?
Perhaps the big question is “why redecorate”, but I think we all know the answer to that. The feelgood benefits of redecorating are widely acknowledged – from making your house better reflect your family and lifestyle, to a refreshed look. The emotional connection we get from making our mark and colouring our world. So for me, it’s farewell 1970s avocado and hello to 2021’s colours of the year. I say colours as there seem to be a plethora:
1. A.l. Aqua from WGSN, described as a “positive” hue that is both “sporty and trend-forward” a cheery colour, just what we need in 2021.
2. Ultimate Grey & Illuminating from Pantone who decided to go for two colours for 2021. Presumably because the yellow balances out the (slightly dull) grey…am I being harsh?!
3. Brave Ground from Dulux, described as a “warm, natural neutral that lets other colours shine, it provides a springboard for change in your home.” Hmmm, can I confess I’m not a fan. This is not dissimilar from the inherited colour in my new house and it’s a bit dreary.
Cost-effective
One of the big benefits of paint over wallpaper is its cost-effectiveness. A reasonably proficient home-painter can save on costs by DIY, but unless you’re experienced, I wouldn’t recommend hanging your own wallpaper. If you have chosen a bold, intricate design, or have invested in expensive wallpaper, it makes much more sense to use an expert who will do it swiftly, properly and with the minimum of fuss.
One of the things I’ve learnt a lot about recently is the importance of preparation and primers. It’s really key to ensuring the perfect finish, a one size fits all emulsion really doesn’t work for all. In our house alone, we’ve already used four different types of primer and base coat to ensure we get the adhesion and clean finish desired.
Another reason to choose paint over other wall finishes is that it’s easy to change if you don’t like the results! While modern paint mixing techniques mean you can spend a little more to match as closely as possible to key pieces, pictures or furniture you intend to use in each particular space.
Feature walls
Feature walls are a topic of great discussion in the interiors world. Safe to say, some don’t like them and some love them. I must confess, I’m quite a fan, client and location dependent of course. I have fond memories of the splendid deep green feature wall of the sitting room, which had full length windows overlooking the River Thames, in our early childhood home.
So, if you are looking for timeless shades and clarity of colour to highlight the features in your home, a great place to start researching can be the paint company websites themselves. Their individual “Inspiration” sections offer great advice on finding the perfect shades for rooms whichever point of the compass they face – as well as colours to complement. Our key advice, let your home and your imagination be your starting point, you know what you like. And if you need advice and guidance in going forwards we are always close at hand and ready to help.
If you would like further support for your interior design project, get in touch, and we’d be more than happy to help you.