SMALL SPACES
Use colour to bring those awkward areas in a home to life
MOST OF US HAVE at least one small space in the home that can be tricky to maximise with a beautiful statement. Here are some tips on how to make those small spaces big on style.
Often these awkward spaces have more potential than we think.
Do you have a tricky corner that would benefit from bespoke shelving painted in an on-trend green-blue?
Or is your forgotten under-stair area screaming to be reworked into a storage cupboard in a mood-enhancing colour? Either way, the benefit of creating storage out of unused space and decorating it in an eye-catching way is twofold.
When it comes to an entire room that is on the small side, it can be hard to know how to approach decorating it. Many of us instinctively opt to paint it white. While there is an array of beautiful white shades, there are plenty of colours available that suit small rooms.
Decide on the objective of your small space before choosing the colour. “Do you want your room to feel more intimate?” asks Laura Heynike, director of Pocketspace Interiors. “If you want your media room to feel cosy, opt for a darker hue,” she says. “Alternatively, you may want a lighter colour in a lounge to draw the eye further out to the perimeter of the room. This doesn’t mean you must have white walls only, just soft palettes that allow your eye to work that way.”
The key, if you are painting a small room in a dark hue, is to accent it with elegant items with shiny surfaces or bright colours to lift the space. Mirrors are a useful way to reflect light back into your room too, and the placement of light-toned furniture will help enhance the sense of space.
Tie in side or coffee tables in complementary colours such as Resene Cargo, Resene Kilamanjaro or Resene Clover.
More of us are adding our personal touch with the way we use paint. Get creative and have a go at painting a mural. Try creating an illustration in Resene Bingo and Resene Apache against a neutral
Resene Merino background.
Brenda Ngatai, colour consultant at Resene, believes a small separate space gives far more colour options than an openplan space.
“Separate rooms provide opportunity,” she says. “You could go bold or dark in colour, full wallpaper or a wall mural. Choose patterns that are current — such as tropicals in leaf or florals — but oversized, as long as the colours connect with the overall palette.”
A dramatic, dark colour will enhance rooms in which we don’t spend much time, either because we are always passing through it (an entranceway) or briefly visiting (a powder room), according to Penny Fussell, interior designer at Home Creative.
“When used effectively, tones can be repeated throughout the house to create a colour story for your home,” she says. “For those spaces in which we need to relax and close down at the end of the day, dark colours can enhance the cosiness of a room, such as a television room or sitting room.”
Varied tones are livening up smaller kitchens too. “We’re enhancing coloured cabinetry again,” says Laura Heynike, director of Pocketspace Interiors. “Try a Resene colour on kitchen cabinets but go a tone darker than the surrounding wall colour, staying in the same family. For instance, use Resene Eighth Truffle on the wall and Resene Truffle on the cabinetry to bring depth, or vice versa.”
When artist Greer Clayton painted her
small family bach Resene Double Sea Fog, it made an immediately lighter and more spacious impact on the timber Lockwood home. “We didn’t want to miss out on bringing in some colour, so the kitchen cupboards were painted in Resene Pale Leaf and the red benchtops were painted in Resene Alabaster. Go for colour, even if the space is small. If you are drawn to a colour, then I say go for it. Paint is transformative, and colour is intuitive, so there is no right or wrong. Just enjoy the change!”
If your small room has a vista out to trees or a garden or trees, an easy green such as Resene Linen will provide a seamless link outdoors. Coupled with plenty of lush potted plants indoors, the link between inside and out will feel smooth, thus enhancing the space of your room. Often, when using colour in a small room, painting the trims can make the walls feel taller than they are too. Or if you prefer the contrast with colour, a crisp white such as Resene Wan White can enhance your wall colour.
Prefer lighter shades? Beautiful bluegreens are perfect for creating the illusion of space in a room — try Resene Ziggurat or Resene Gulf Stream, complemented by Resene Foam or Resene Jet Stream on furniture or accents. These light and uplifting tones will encourage the eye to look out, enhancing the sense of space in a calming, tranquil way. And if sweet, creamy neutrals are your heart’s desire, brighten your room with Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta or Resene Gin Fizz, making it feel more spacious than it is.
Some may feel put off decorating a small room, in fear of getting it wrong. But these rooms are just as worthy of looking beautiful as larger rooms, and with the right approach can hold their own within an eyecatching home.
For more ideas and inspiration for your home inside and out, see the Resene Inspiration Gallery online, www.resene. co.nz/inspirationgallery, then visit your Resene ColorShop for all the expert advice and products you need to get your decorating projects done.