A small amount of paint can go a long way to creating a dramatic decor. As you can see in this bedroom photo courtesy of Dulux Paints, the small amount of focal colour around the top of the room adds height and style to the space. In combination with the soft, creamy wall colour, the green paint brings in colour without darkening the room. For those who are hesitant to use dark wall colours, then using rich colours in small, dramatic ways may be the solution.
I updated the small entryway into our kitchen last year. I used a vintage 1950s green paint which gave the formerly boring white entrance some drama. I wanted to continue the paint colour into the kitchen as I knew it would work well with the navy and white colour scheme, but wasn't sure if I wanted to paint entire wall with the green colour. I sat on the idea for a few months then decided upon the very treatment seen here in the bedroom photograph. I painted a band of green near the ceiling, which made the white window frame and kitchen door pop. This technique brought in just the right amount of green and was an easy project to complete. This paint topper technique created a sense of height, which is helpful because the actual room has a tiny footprint.
When you use paint in this way you often get enough colour without the commitment, which for some is the perfect balance. Using small amounts of paint colour in the decor also allows you to use up remnants from past decor project or to take advantage of less expensive mis-tints at the paint store. When considering either of these ideas remember that you can often change the colour of the paint to suit your tastes.
For example, the green paint I chose for my hallway project last year was a little too yellow when I actually got a coat onto the walls. I added blue acrylic craft paint in a small batch until I got the green I wanted. The integrity of the paint did not suffer from my experiment and looks awesome.
You can create instant drama at the head of the bed by using a block of rich colour as a headboard backdrop. Hanging your artwork on this colour block will make the picture really pop. You might also try painting a wide stripe of colour right to the ceiling to add dramatic height to the focal wall.
Sometimes painting a ceiling in a rich colour can work as well. A small power room, den or sitting area might benefit from a sumptuous colour on the ceiling. Keep in mind that darker colours on the ceiling can bring the ceiling closer visually, but this can work to your advantage in certain situations. In a den, for instance, a dark ceiling colour might make the space more masculine and intimate like you might find at a men's club.
You can see how colour makes the white window trim pop in our featured photograph so imagine what a vivid colour might do against a white stair railing, white crown moulding or ceiling medallion.
In the kitchen, a small amount of accent paint might be just enough to update boring or dated cabinets. Add a new colour to cabinet doors for a two-tone effect or paint the cabinet face and leave the doors as they are. These days the popular mix is to have different finishes on the upper and lower cabinets. You can use this to your advantage as well and paint only the top or only the bottom cabinets for a modern update. A fresh coat of kitchen and bathroom paint on the backsplash can add some zing as well. I still have my faux tile backsplash that I painted years ago in our kitchen and I still love it.
Another benefit of using paint in small doses is that it's easier to change if and when you want to. You won't have to repaint the entire room if you get tired of the colour.
Believe me, painting is not my favourite pastime so if I can do it in little increments and still benefit from a great visual result, I'm in.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
