A beautiful living room is a pleasure to come home to. But if your living room is looking a little dull and uninviting, don’t despair. With the perfect paint colour, you can add much-needed warmth to the space and bring it right up to date. Interior stylist Julia Green shows you how with a stunning living room transformation. Artworks: by Katie Wyatt and Georgie Wilson. Colour featured: Dulux Pinkham.
Julia's styling tips
Try and work with what you’ve got when making over a room – this can really help keep costs down, particularly when you’re talking big-ticket items such as sofas and flooring. For smaller pieces, such as side tables and storage, you’ll often find that a lick of paint will bring them right up to date.
When choosing colour for a room, think about the mood you want to create. Here, we’ve chosen calm, nurturing hues for a relaxed, conversational feel.
Be aware that colours will look different throughout the day under different light conditions. To be sure it’s a colour you love, hang an A4 swatch on the wall, or use sample pots to paint generous patches on the wall(s) and look at it at various times of the day and night. Given you will invest a lot of time choosing the right colour for your walls – only put a Dulux colour tint into a Dulux product, otherwise you are taking a gamble with the outcome if you mix and match tints and brands.
Look to add texture in creative ways: the second artwork we’ve chosen here (in the nook) is a highly textured oil painting, which adds another layer of depth to the room.
Liven up existing neutral pieces, such as the grey sofa here, with scatter cushions and throws in a mix of shapes and fabrics, such as wool, velvet and silk.
Go bold with greenery: a big fiddle leaf fig will make a statement in your living room and draw nature indoors.
Don’t forget the little details: fresh flowers and a few vessels in different shapes and finishes on the coffee table add impact to your scheme.
Get the look with Julia Green
Time to paint
Planter pot
Wipe down your pots, and allow pots to dry
Prepare the surface by applying one coat of Dulux 1Step® Prep Water Based.
Start by cutting in around the edges of your furniture piece.
Apply Dulux Aquanamel® to the surface using short, horizontal brush strokes.
Once you've completed an area, while paint is still wet, lightly smooth over the painted section with long brush strokes. Do not reload the brush when you do this. Don’t brush it too much – a few strokes should be enough to smooth the surface.
Allow two hours to dry, then give the surface a light sand with 400 grit sandpaper and repeat for a second coat.
Side Table
Prepare the surface by applying one coat of Dulux 1Step® Prep Water Based.
Start by cutting in around the edges of your furniture piece.
Apply Dulux Aquanamel® to the surface using short, horizontal brush strokes.
Once you've completed an area, while paint is still wet, lightly smooth over the painted section with long brush strokes. Do not reload the brush when you do this. Don’t brush it too much – a few strokes should be enough to smooth the surface.
Allow two hours to dry, then give the surface a light sand with 400 grit sandpaper and repeat for a second coat.
Wholeself palette
Colours displayed should be used as a guide for your colour selection. To ensure best accuracy, test your colour choice at home by ordering Dulux Sample Pots and A4 Colour Swatches
Suppliers
Chairs and side table: Douglas and Bec @douglasandbec
Couch: Globe West @globewest
Rug: Armadillo & Co @armadilloandco
Rectangle artwork: Georgie Wilson @georgiewilsonart available from @greenhouseinteriors
Square artwork: Katie Wyatt @katiewyattartist available from @greenhouseinteriors
Cushions and throw: Norsu Interiors @norsuinteriors
Vase on table: Marmoset Found @marmosetfound
Vessels: Formantics @formantics available from @greenhouseinteriors
Discover your own style...
Deciding on the right colour can be difficult. To help you take on your next painting project, order a 100ml sample pot, A4 swatches and stickers to see your colour at home.
Dulux expert colour designers take their knowledge of all the latest trends and timeless colour schemes to help bring your home to life.
Our expert support team can help with everything from choosing colour, what product is the most appropriate for your job or troubleshooting when something hasn’t gone your way.
Disclaimer
Colours displayed should be used as a guide for your colour selection. To ensure best accuracy, test your colour choice at home by ordering Dulux sample pots, stickers and A4 colour swatches.