It can take so little to make a colourful statement in your decor.
Something as innocuous as a plain cupboard can become a stunning feature in a ho-hum room. A little bit of paint and imagination can transform just about any surface into a showpiece.
Our feature photograph, courtesy of Sico Paints, proves my point. I imagine the room that surrounds this cupboard as a small, galley kitchen in an apartment with white walls and no personality. By painting the back of each shelf with a vibrant colour, suddenly this little kitchen is teeming with character. The once-plain items sitting on the shelf become attractive accessories.
If you live in an apartment and are not allowed to paint, you can get around this minor dilemma in various ways. You could paint heavy cardboard and cut it to the size required for each shelf and snuggly insert the painted panels in the back of each shelf. Use bits of leftover paint or purchase inexpensive craft paints for your project. If needed, a small piece of tape behind each panel will hold the piece in place. You could use colourful fabric, wallpaper or self-adhesive shelf liner in the same way. You may even be able to find the right colour of card stock or poster paper at a dollar store to use. With this project, you could feasibly change the look of the room often and without much fuss or expense. Simply remove the cardboard when you move.
You can use this colour-blocking technique in bookshelves, entertainment units or other furniture that needs a visual lift. If you are planning to make a more permanent change using paint, and you're putting together one of these "some-assembly-required" bookcases, paint the back panel before you install it. If you can remove the back panel from an already assembled piece, do so. It's much easier to paint a flat surface than to try to paint inside each cubby after the unit is put together.
Update the inside of a tired medicine cabinet in the bathroom with a vibrant paint. When you open the door, you'll have a surprise boost of colour to brighten your day.
Turn your dim closet into a hidden showpiece by painting the inside of the closet and/or the inside of the closet door with a vivid colour. A bright colour, like sunny yellow, will make the storage area more cheery and bright. Go a step further and paint plain shoeboxes in co-ordinating colours and store your shoes in style. Again, you can also cover shoeboxes with coloured paper, wallpaper or fabric instead of painting them. If you have a lot of shoes and have trouble finding the ones you want, you could take snapshots of each pair of shoes and paste the photo on the front of the shoebox, so you'll always know what's inside each box.
Another great area with small paintable surfaces is the stairwell. Painting the risers of a wooden staircase in a fresh accent colour (or several colours if you're bold) can transform the entire area. Imagine the three Sico paint colours painted in sequence up a long, winding stairwell. What a statement that would make! Hang an oversized painted canvas in similar colours in the vicinity and you've created a great look.
Choosing your palette
The colour trio in our feature photograph is edgy and youthful. In small doses, bright colours like this can do wonders for your decor. Be a little bold when choosing colours for any of the above projects. Keep in mind whether you're working with dark or light accents. For example, the substantial white shelf board between each cubby in our feature photo cabinet helps separate and define each vivid colour. If the cabinet were dark brown instead of white, the look might not be as effective.
The lighting around your project will also play a part in the success of your colour choice. If, for example, you want to paint your bedroom closet dark purple but lighting is limited, you may be creating a cave-like atmosphere. In lower light conditions, use brighter colours, such as yellow, hot pink, orange, light blue or lime green.
Splashes of colour, whether permanent or not, can add tonnes of personality to your space. Start with a small project and see how it goes. The great thing about these smaller projects is they are easily undone or redone if the look is not quite right. Play with your colour options on paper before you commit to a project. Practice makes perfect.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
