Colour and paint experts share three easy ways you can spruce up your home for summer
Tackle a fixer-upper
Who hasn’t bought an upcycling project from a charity shop then let it fester in the garage? Time to dust it off. Literally. “We always advise you clean first,” says Annie Sloan, whose Chalk Paint adheres to almost every surface, from metal to timber. “But [cleaning aside] the beauty of Chalk Paint is that prep is refreshingly simple; in most cases, sanding or priming isn’t required at all.” You might only be after a simple coat of paint, but there are loads of techniques to try. “We love using waxes to add depth, softness or subtle ageing, and decorative techniques like stencilling, ombré effects, colour blending and even crackle finishes,” says Annie.
Get your wood working
Sprucing up woodwork or making a feature of your shelves might be all that’s required to give a room a new lease of life. “Eggshell is the most popular finish on woodwork but I’m seeing more people go for a flat, matt finish on wood – or, at the other end of the spectrum, high gloss,” says painter-decorator Ruth Mitchell. “I usually suggest eggshell if the woodwork is a colour other than white; it reflects less light so it’s more forgiving in terms of noticeable lumps and bumps. Saving time on prep work can be complemented by a flatter, less shiny finish.”
Limewash and go
Limewash might seem faddy, but it’s one of the earliest known forms of paint. So as timelessness goes, you can’t knock it. It has a velvety, slightly mottled texture that is particularly well suited to light-filled rooms. It’s best applied to lime-plaster skimmed walls, but a limewash primer can be used on other surfaces (not all, though, so check – limewash paint specialist Bauwerk has guides on its site). When applying the paint, “ensure your brush is neither overloaded nor too dry,” advises Bronwyn Riedel, Bauwerk’s colour expert. “Bear in mind it may look uneven and patchy while drying. Allow it to fully cure between coats. After the final application, the finish softens and settles beautifully over time.”
