Currently it's not a great time to move with house prices skyrocketing alongside the worries of increasing bills so more and more of us are looking at how to transform the spaces we currently have and make them into the homes we’re dreaming of. You don’t need a bottomless purse or a magic money tree in the back garden, there are simple and effective tricks you can use to get a luxury look for less and make your house your home! 

You know we specialise in colour matching paint here at Decorating Centre Online. We can basically take any colour you like and mix it up into any type of paint in any size so you can get the most bang for your buck by providing flexibility and choice! All of our mixing is done into trade quality paints meaning you get better coverage, use less and get a professional finish every time. So lets take a look at our top three tips to get the luxury look for less using DCO Colour Match Paint!

 

1.  Try Colour Blocking!

The colour blocking trend really is here to stay! It doesn’t require much paint making it a quick and affordable way to transform your room. Colour blocking comes in many shapes and sizes and can provide some simple ways to add a touch of luxury to your home interior and transform the space. Much similar to the use of colour blocking in fashion, it can be used to create illusions to accentuate your space, make it appear larger, trick the eye to make it feel separate and draw the eye to areas you wish to highlight. Let's run through some of the benefits and ways in which it can be used!

It can help to segregate an open plan/dual function room.

If your home has open plan living or you try and utilise a room for multiple roles (such as an office space in a bedroom or a dining table in an open kitchen) you can use colour blocking to make the spaces feel separate. This can elevate the design, make it feel cosier and also add a touch of luxury to your home.

 

 

 

It can add a focal point to your room or help to enhance accessories.

Sometimes your favourite pieces within your home can end up feeling flat or not having the impact you had hoped. You can quickly and simply transform the spaces around these accessories to really help create a focal point and achieve that luxury look! We’re seeing the use of arches quite regularly to emphasize side boards and entrance ways or even create the appearance of a larger headboard (for which we have a helpful youtube tutorial for here) or simple square blocking being used around picture frames.

 

   

 

The use of abstract shapes can bring your home up to date on the latest trends.

Abstract shapes are a huge trend in home interiors and they’re so simple to incorporate into your interior scheme with some simple colour blocking! You can also utilise these shapes by adding diagonal lines to your walls, once again segregating spaces (such as highlighting corners of rooms or work spaces). You could go bolder and utilise this design idea across your furniture or accessories bringing your doors, frames, wardrobes into the colour block.

 

   

 

2. Paint the 5th wall (aka your ceiling!)

It’s so easy to forget about your ceiling but by popping some colour (even if it's just a more tonal shade of white!) you can instantly create that luxurious designer look! There are a number of key benefits to painting your ceiling including making your space feel cosier, elevating the height and also disguise disjointed or irregular ceiling heights.Lets take a look below!

Keeping things tonal can instantly make the space feel more luxurious.

Having a tonal or monochromatic colour scheme is a great way to keep your space feeling calming, cosy and luxurious. Many people think monochromatic means a black and white scheme but it's actually a scheme using colours (tones, tints and shades) of a single hue. Think about a tonal colour scheme if the purpose of your room is to relax. If you’re not ready to tackle a colour on your ceiling just yet consider the tones within the white you select and ensure it will flow with the colours you opt for on your walls. 

 

 

It can create a seamless transition from wall to ceiling making the room feel larger.

By having one colour from floor to ceiling (including your skirting boards and doors) you can create a really crisp and clean feeling in your room in addition to making it appear and feel larger due to the seamless transition from walls to ceiling. This approach can let the other features and decor of your room take centre stage and can also prevent a disjointed or choppy look if your ceilings are angled or a little wonky (old houses right!).Finally and by no means least, this seamless transition is also quicker (no cutting in!!) and can be cheaper as you can use your existing paint product without having to buy an additional tin for the ceilings! 

 

 

Opting for a bold contrast can draw the eye up and make the room feel larger.

People often worry about darker colours closing a room in, which can be the case in some settings but this may not be a bad thing as it gives the room a more intimate environment! However it can also have the opposite effect. A bolder statement on the ceiling can draw the eye up making it feel larger than it actually is. Add some reflective lighting such as a chandelier or uplights on the walls for a really luxurious, modern and chic look!

 

 

3. Flat Matt

Flat matt paint is more popular than ever due to the modern look it gives with its luxurious velvety finish. The downside to this hugely popular paint finish is its durability which is where our range of scrubbable matt finishes come into play. This way you don’t have to choose between a luxury look and being able to maintain it!

 

Get great coverage, use less paint and make it last longer, especially in high traffic areas

It's really important to consider the use of the room you’re decorating. If it's a high traffic area like a hallway but you really love the modern and sleek matt finish then you really should consider a scrubbable matt. The coverage and quality of the paint mean you get a gorgeous, professional finish and its class 1 scrub rating means that you can keep on top of messy hand prints, mucky paw prints and everything in between whilst not breaking the bank! Opt for the Leyland Hardwearing Matt or the Johnstone’s Acrylic Durable Matt here!

 

 

Get an ultra sleek yet durable look with your deeper shades

Deeper shades look absolutely amazing when applied with a matt finish. It instantly adds an extra layer of luxury to your interior design. The downside to a dark matt finish usually is the sight of marks but once again opting for a scrubbable matt finish will mean that you can maintain your walls getting them to last longer before decorating again! You can opt for the flat matt finishes of Leyland Hardwearing Matt or Johnstone’s Acrylic Durable Matt here or alternatively if you want a really flat finish the Tikkurila Ceramic 3 or the Johnstone’s Cleanable Matt are the flattest matts available here. 

 

 

Get the right finish for your bathroom & kitchens to ensure they withstand the trials of home life. 

People often worry when decorating in a bathroom or kitchen. They’re high traffic areas with the added complexity of needing to withstand moisture and mildew. Opting for a suitable, durable matt paint in these areas means they will give you a high quality, modern and luxurious finish that will be easy to maintain and will last for years to come. The Perma White is specifically designed for these humid areas which has biocides in there to actively prevent the growth of mould and mildew and is durable with its class 1 scrub rating to withstand cleaning from any water marks whilst also being suitable for interior woodwork, it's a winner!