Master STROKES
Applied with imagination and a little know-how, paint can quickly take a room from zero to hero. Here are six very special effects – and looks – that deliver maximum impact.
Limewash & suede effects
ON WALLS Interior Expressions paint from left in Balsam, $75/4L, Haymes Paint. Limewash paint in Laurel, $100/4L, Bauwerk Colour. ON BEDHEAD Dulux Design Suede paint in Lucca Leaf, $101/4L, Dulux.
FROM LEFT Gladom powder-coated steel tray
table, $25, Ikea. Queen-size mattress, $1349, Sleeping Duck. Lampion cotton pendant lights,
$249 (large) and $169 (medium), HK Living. Winston steel and oak armchair with linen upholstery in Pebblewash, $3204, Jardan.
ON SIDE TABLE 1970s ceramic mug from left
(used as vase), $11, HK Living. Siena ceramic vase, $75, Lo & Co. Menu Carrie steel and opal glass rechargeable LED lamp, $349, Designstuff. Ceramic vase, $17, HK Living. ON BED Stream queen-size cotton from left sheet set, $310, L&M Home. Maison Fringe linen-cotton pillowcases in Sage, $40 each, and queen-size quilt cover, $199, all Aura by Tracie Ellis. Brooklyn cotton cushion in Jade, from $141, L&M Home. Cashmere Mix throw in Ash Green/ Sage, $181, and Velvet petite cushion in Emerald, from $77, both L&M Home.
ON FLOOR Hycraft Tatami Twist wool-bamboo fibre carpet in Tokyo, from $65/m2 (installed), Godfrey Hirst. For Where to Buy, see page 188.
STYLISTS’ NOTE We wanted to create a dreamscape in this bedroom. Using a wide soft brush, we made our strokes rounded, organic and cloud-like, deliberately overlapping in places. The cloudy texture can also be achieved with natural paints, washes or suede effects.
Metallic accents
ON WALLS Wash & Wear 101 paint in Fife, $86/4L, and Dulux Design Gold Effect paint from left in Antique Gold, $135/L, both Dulux. Hay Lup wall-mounted brass candleholder, $154, Designstuff. Liquid Gold paint in Rose Gold, $111/L, Porter’s Paints. Brass sculpture, $650, Tracey Lamb.
FROM LEFT Lipa steel side table, $310, Open Room. HC28 Pian Pian T21 walnut dressing table, from $1525, Domo. ON SIDE TABLE Workstead Orbit marble and brass table lamp, $2820, Luke Furniture. Skultuna Spike metal candleholder, $149, Designstuff. ON DRESSING TABLE Nordstjerne glass vase with brass stand, $199, Designstuff. Mio Fig candle in ceramic vessel, $30, Country Road. ON FLOOR Regal Oak engineered-timber flooring in Windsor, $135/m² (supply only), Godfrey Hirst.
STYLISTS’ NOTE Using a set square and level, measure the size of the rectangle you’d like on the wall. For the rounded ends, the length of your radius will be half the height of the rectangle. Position a thumbtack in the centre of the end of the rectangle where you’re adding your first half-circle. Tie a pencil to a length of string, then attach the string to the thumbtack, adjusting the length of the string to equal the length of your radius. Lightly draw the half-circle to meet either side of the rectangle. Repeat at other end. Mask all straight edges and fill in the shape with your desired paint colour, carefully following the curved ends with your brush.
STYLISTS’ NOTE We cut a rectangular piece of ply in half and stained it a soft blue with tinted Liming White, brushing on and wiping off with a soft cloth until we achieved the desired colour. Then we applied the ply pieces offset for a geometric feature. We echoed this shape on the magazine holder by masking the outline and carefully painting inside the masked area.
Paint & ply
ON WALLS Endure Interior paint in from left Blueberry Slice, $82/4L, Taubmans. Plywood feature in two sections, from left: Liming White stain, $26/500ml, and Prooftint Black stain, $9/50ml, both Feast Watson. Blåvik batteryoperated LED wall lamp, $15, Ikea.
FROM LEFT Tuki American oak desk, $4270, Tide Design. Sharky oak chair with Kvadrat Divina Melange wool upholstery, $1630, Fanuli. ON DESK Octaevo Janus waterprooffrom left paper vase, $32, Jardan. Brand X fibreboard file holder in Light Oak, $13, Officeworks. Detail on file holder is Wash & Wear 101 paint in Tidal Wave, $86/4L, Dulux. Babylon bone china teacup and saucer, $30/set, and side plate, $19, Bloom & Co. For Where to Buy, see page 188.
Concrete-look paint
ON WALL Dulux Design Concrete paint in Pale Elements (left) and Onyx Edge, $136/2L, Dulux. FROM LEFT Astor dining chairs with velvet upholstery, $396 each, Coco Republic. Vintage Italian chrome and brass dining table with glass top, $4600, and vintage Sciolari Murano glass chandelier, $3000, both Castorina & Co.
ON TABLE Ferm Living Groove porcelain mug, $59/set of four, Designstuff. Totem earthenware vase, $69, West Elm. Vase painted (from top) Wash & Wear 101 in Snow Season Half, $39/L, Ageless Grey, $46/L, and Dulux Design Metallic in Silver Spoon (base), $82/L, all Dulux. ON FLOOR Oakden engineered-timber flooring in Dusk, $95/m2 (supply only), Godfrey Hirst.
STYLISTS’ NOTE After applying concrete-look paint as per the instructions (rolling on thickly and then trowelling to achieve the desired texture), we added the lighter colour (left) to create a lush, velvety look. You can make this product as subtle or dramatic as you like, depending on the way you trowel it on.
Soft washes & special effects
ON WALLS Low Sheen Acrylic paint in Valkyrie (base layer for French Wash), $44/L, with from left French Wash paint in Victoriana, $45/L, Interno Lime Wash paint in Rock Salt (main wall), $116/4L, and Interno Lime Wash paint in Sangria (painted niche and wooden shelf), $116/4L, all Porter’s Paints. Murowash paint in Fez (inner niche), $38/L, Murobond Paint.
FROM LEFT Cinnamon metal side table, $154, and spun-metal planter, $82, both Lightly. Verner Panton VP1 Flowerpot lacquered-metal pendant light, $495, Great Dane. Custom shelf made from DAR 185x19mm kiln-dried hardwood, from $17/m, Porta. Grant Featherston B230 Contour ash armchair with Mokum Velluti velvet upholstery, from $3900, Grazia & Co.
ON SHELF Cinnamon metal vase, $92, Lightly. Zakkia Speckle stoneware bowl, $25, Designstuff. ON FLOOR &Tradition Another Rug wool-cotton rug in Red Volcano, from $525, Great Dane. Floorboards in Jet Dry Aquatread paint in Ferric Red, $80/4L, Berger. For Where to Buy, see page 188. >
STYLISTS’ NOTE When using limewash, keep a wet edge and work the brush loosely in various directions (any contrasting areas will even out with a second coat). Apply French Wash in small sections with random brushstrokes. Follow with muslin in a pouncing motion to break up the brushstrokes and create a patina effect.
Black on white
ON WALL Wash & Wear +Plus Kitchen & Bathroom paint in Vivid White, $86/4L, Dulux. DAR 40x12mm pine moulding, from $3.35/m, Porta. Mouldings in Interior Expressions paint in Intrigue, $75/4L, Haymes Paint. Polar 30cm wall light, from $330, Ross Gardam. Ex.t Ray mirror, $1669, Meizai.
FROM LEFT Ex.t Stand solid-surface bath with metal stand, $12,659, Meizai. Milli Pure metal robe hook in
Matt Black, $96, and 200 wall-mounted basin mixer
system in Matt Black, $745, both Reece. Black Diamond cotton-velour hand towel, $35, Kesem Boy. Ex.t Stand solid-surface basin on metal stand, $2449, and plate
attachment, $259, Meizai. Grown Alchemist Mandarin & Rosemary Leaf body cream, $27, Bloom & Co.
ON FLOOR Popham Design Squareish On Four encaustic-cement tiles (left), $330/m2, and Squareish On One encaustic-cement tiles, $330/m2, all Tiento Tiles. For Where to Buy, see page 188.
STYLISTS’ NOTE Create a simple graphic pattern with timber mouldings. Keep the measurements related; we used spaces of 90cm and 45cm (multiples of nine). Cut the mouldings to size, then paint in a colour that contrasts with your main wall. Once painted, apply to the wall with a nail gun or glue.