Focal Points and Feature Walls

With the days getting shorter and less time being spent outside, many of us start turning our thoughts to changing our interior décor.  Show Home Designers often have to work to a very tight budget and in a very short time-scale so we asked Show-Home Designer Amanda Edney for some top-tips for decorating!

I live in rented accommodation and I’d love a new look in my lounge but really don’t want to paint as we may not be living here very long!

Decorating can be a costly process, both in terms of time and money and specially if it all goes wrong and you don’t like the end-result!  If you are living in a rented property – even more consideration is needed as you will have to return the property to its magnolia origins when you move out.  Do you really want that hassle on top of everything else at a busy and stressful time?

If you simply want a change, carefully consider whether changing wall-colour is necessary – often you can change the look of a room by simply changing the accessories – such as cushions, lightshades, rugs, pictures etc.  A very simple change for a new look is to create a new focal point to the room - something that's interesting to look at and visually appealing, either because of its colour, texture, shape or structural form.  Some examples are: fireplaces, chimneybreasts, console table, chair, pictures and mirrors.  The fireplace is a natural focal point– so emphasise it by dressing up the mantle, hanging artwork or an interesting mirror above it, and adding decorative fireplace accessories. If you don’t have a fireplace dress up a console table, sideboard or chest-of-drawers instead, by adding interesting accessories, artwork or a mirror.  A table lamp at each end can look very attractive.  Artwork makes a wonderful focal point—either a large piece by itself or a grouping of smaller pieces hung together.  

I am really keen on painting my bedroom to get a whole new look but am afraid of getting the colour wrong!

It is always important to test out new colours before attacking those walls.  Get sample pots first and paint large sheets of lining paper (sold in rolls in all DIY stores) – you can then fix them onto the wall with blutac and move them around to see how the colours work at different times of the day and in different lights.  Leave them up for a few days to make sure you can live with the new colours!

I don’t have the time to paint the whole room but like the idea of a feature wall – any tips?

Rather than decorating a whole room – just concentrate on the one, easy to coordinate when all the other walls are painted Magnolia!  And when you move all you need to do is just paint one wall back again!   To unify the look, use a colour appearing within a favourite fabric, rug, vase or piece or artwork for your feature wall.   Many DIY stores will colour match your items – a great way of getting a unique colour for your wall which coordinates with your favourite things!  You can even use left-over paint to paint your own canvases!

I don’t want to spend much on decorating my rented flat, is it really worth buying expensive paint?

It can be false economy to buy cheap paint. Top quality paints also tend to last longer, adhere to surfaces much better and usually are easier to apply, getting a more even coverage.

There are so many different types of paint, I’m really confused!  Help!

It is important to select the right finish for the job.  The level of sheen or gloss you select depends as much on appearance as functionality. Matt paint is an excellent choice for a uniform appearance across a large area. It tends to hide dents and bumps, but it can trap dirt and stain easier. Silk finishes offer a crisp long-lasting just-painted look and are popular for large wall areas. This finish resists dirt and stains, better than matt paint and is suitable for high traffic wall areas and children’s rooms but imperfections in the wall surface will be more obvious.

I’ve seen some budget brushes in my local budget store but my husband thinks I should spend out on good quality brushes – I’d rather use the savings on some nice accessories –I’ll probably throw the brushes away after using them anyway (saves cleaning them!)  What do you think?

Always buy the best brushes/rollers you can afford!  Quality brushes give you a thicker, more uniform paint film for improved finish and durability. And a smooth application will be more resistant to dirt and fungal or algal contamination, than the same paint with brush marks.  Micro-fibre rollers are a great investment, saving time and money in the long-term as you waste less paint, get a better coverage and make less mess!  Having made the investment – remember to clean your brushes and rollers immediately following use!

©Amanda Edney 2008