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Shaynna Blaze on how to use paint colour

May 29, 2012

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The Block judge and Selling Houses Australia co-host Shaynna Blaze is also colour consultant to Taubmans. I asked her some questions about using paint and colour in your home. She reveals how she once painted her living and dining rooms emerald green, that she hates painting ceilings (don’t we all?) and she’s currently loving grey walls with pops of colour.

What do you think are the biggest paint colour trends for 2012?ย Currently, I am loving greys and tinted neutrals such asย Taubmans Abracadabra or Taubmans Silvertop and dark shades such as Taubmans Sheffield Grey and Taubmans Invincible. Teaming grey with hints of tangerines, limes and yellows is also very popular at the moment.ย As we move towards the end of the year and into 2013, โ€˜grown upโ€™ pastels are becoming increasingly popular and introducing a dark grey to complement these will take the edge off.ย Accessories are still bold and exciting, with a few more neutrals sneaking in there to balance it out.

(Image: This room is painted in Taubmans’ Tightrope)

Many people play it safe with whites and off whites. Are you a fan of plain walls and adding colour with accessories or do you think people should be a little braver?ย I think a combination of both works for a whole house.ย  If you choose bold colours for every room the house can be a bit overwhelming.ย  Itโ€™s best to select a couple of rooms throughout the house to have a bold colour and keep the rest of the wall colour schemes pretty neutral, then mix your accessories in the neutral areas and pull some of the bold colours from the painted rooms to establish a common link between all of the rooms.ย If you take a softer approach and add a tinted white or off white, like Taubmans Cosmic Rays which is a soft green, or Taubmans Tightrope which has a taupe colour to it, you can put this in your whole house and give it real impact with Crisp White trims and then add your accessories in either bold or neutral colours or both.

Should you always follow the rule of light colours making a space seem bigger?ย It is actually all about linking the surfaces. To make a small room appear larger use a deep, rich colour like Taubmans Ruby Rose and have a matching rug that leads to the wall.ย  By linking the floor and walls in the same colour you are visually joining the surfaces, making it appear bigger.

What’s the bravest you have ever been with paint and was it in your home or a client’s?ย It would definitely be in my own home. I painted the lounge and dining rooms in an emerald green. People were choking when the colour first went up, but when they got used to it I received so many calls asking for the name of the colour as they couldnโ€™t get over how great it made them feel while in the space. However, I like to think the company I provided had a little to do with that as wellโ€ฆ

In terms of economical ways to give your home a new look, painting is right up there. What other cost effective changes can you make in your home?ย Lighting is an easy way to create layers to a room. Freshly painting the walls and putting a floor lamp near the wall with a textured shade will deliver patterns and light reflections on a wall.ย  You can pick a well priced and good quality lamp for $100, and this will not only create a nighttime feature but when turned off becomes a focal point of a room.

What are your top tips for a great finish when painting?ย Get the foundations right and your paintwork will not only look great but last. Patching, painting and sanding is so boring but if you donโ€™t do it properly it wont be long before the cracks reappear and so many people blame the paint not being good enough, in fact when it is the preparation. An undercoat is seen by many people as a waste of time but when you are putting on a colour, getting the right tinted undercoat will reduce the amount of coats you have to do, meaning less time on the roller. A deep colour can sometimes take four or five coats to get the exact depth of colour, but if you use a tinted undercoat you can get a great result just in two to three coats.

Can anyone paint well with enough patience or should you get in a professional?ย Patience, time and the right tools will ensure a great finish. For example, cheap brushes will give uneven results, so if you want the job to last, buy good quality brushes and rollers or you will be forever picking brush hairs out of your paintwork. I hate doing the ceilings and timberwork so I tend to get the professionals in to do this, as it would take many weekends for me to do a whole house. I leave the fun bits for me in adding colour to the walls!

What’s your view on paint effects?ย Some paint effects are passing fads and can date a home pretty quickly but I find they are great when it suits the house style, such as a distressed and aged finished if it is executed properly. They are also hard to get right, so if you do it for the first time I would suggest partaking in a little course to find out the right tools and techniques that need to get the perfect result.

(This room is painted in Taubmans’ Invincible)

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Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial family category and they're a special gift. So ends three weeks with @danisteve81 who left her husband and son in the UK (I'm forever grateful they lent her to me!) to come and cheer me up and help me in the most practical ways after I spent Christmas and New Year in hospital. There were tears and I miss her so much already but how amazing to have had all that time together as adults. Such a rare treat and would never have happened without having been through something so challenging. Silver linings and all that. So many other friends have also been incredibly thoughtful and kind. There aren't many times I'd say this without cringing but I am 100% blessed!

I still cannot believe we have been friends since we were 12! 12! Are you still close with your childhood besties?
The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’— Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’—
Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for thr Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for three decades going out for a child-free dinner ๐Ÿ’“๐Ÿ˜
Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damia Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damianfrancis 

This doesn't happen often these days!
Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks since leaving hospital and I'm doing much better than I expected to be at this early stage. A long recovery road ahead but making progress in how much I can move my arm and although I drag myself through some days non-stop yawning, others I can go for a little walk or out for lunch before collapsing on the couch! I can now tie my own hair back and put on a real bra which is very exciting ๐Ÿคฃ Having my bestie here to help us with the boys, drive me places and just be brilliant positive company is the best thing I could have asked for not to mention the many Dinner Ladies vouchers from friends! Thanks for all your kind messages, cards, flowers, gifts and offers of help โค๏ธ
I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping to raise some awareness off the back of my misfortune (and also very lucky escape).

@newsouthwaleshealth have just put out this warning about a rise in serious bacterial infections. iGAS (invasive group A streptococcus) is what caused my necrotising fasciitis and sepsis.

Apparently there's similar happening in VIC too.

It's extremely rare but very serious nonetheless so please have a read and be aware of symptoms. I've linked to the article from a button via my link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #jenbishop #necrotisingfasciitis #groupastrep #groupastreptococcus #sepsis
While new technologies continue to shape the inter While new technologies continue to shape the interior design scene, one that has been getting a fair bit of traction of late isย marble-look porcelain. A cheaper alternative to natural stone, the latest printed porcelain tile technology makes it difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Founded by husband and wife duo Anton and Rita Bourtsev, Sydneyโ€™s @kaolintiles has a unique offering in this space with over 100 different marble-look tile designs in small and large formats.

More via link in bio now.

#porcelain #porcelaintile #porcelaintiles #largeformattiles #largeformattile #marblelooktiles #bathroomtrends2023 #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #heartyourhome #realrenovations #goldsink #brasssink #jenbishop #kaolin #kaolintiles #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger
Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I'll post and I hope to be home and with my lippie back on by Monday. You know it's serious when I'm lipstick free, right?!

This was about a week ago in intensive care. And although my arm is still bloody sore I'm now on a normal ward and no longer attached to any drips, drains or a catheter. I've come a long way.

This has been the most physical and mental challenge of my life but I'm through the worst. I kept my arm. The doctors saved my life.

I cannot say it enough times. If you're worried about your health, don't hang around. Things can change so quickly. 

A huge thanks to my amazing husband @damianfrancis We've had the hardest year yet and our marriage has never been stronger, even if my rings did get cut off my finger in hospital ๐Ÿ˜œ

As great of a job as he is doing at home with the kids, I cannot wait to get home now. Countdown is on to a new year and a fresh start.

And I can't say enough just how overwhelmingly grateful I am to all the medical professionals involved in my care, from the @healthdirectaus nurse who sent me to Emergency to the exceptional surgeons, doctors, nurses and support staff.

Happy New Year, everyone. Remember you never know what's around the corner and this is not a dress rehearsal!

And huge thank you for all your kindness here. Has been amazing while stuck in bed.

Xxx

For those who missed it, I was unlucky enough to get necrotising fasciitis. You'll have to Google it.
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About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avataremma barrett says

    May 29, 2012 at 11:48 am

    wow, what great advice – thanks!

  2. AvatarSomething Gorgeous says

    May 29, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    Very practical advice. Thank you for sharing. xT

  3. AvatarJulie-Ann says

    May 29, 2012 at 2:34 pm

    Great article with some great ideas:)

  4. AvatarCharmaine (Charmant Interiors) says

    May 29, 2012 at 8:19 pm

    Thanks for the tips. I too painted my dining room walls a deep blue to match the blue velvet upholstery of my dining chairs and the dull gold of the curtains in the room. I had the same looks of shock on people’s faces but they did get used to it. I tired of it after some time though and have gone back to neutral walls with splashes of colour in table linen and accessories.

  5. AvatarKaren Howes says

    May 30, 2012 at 10:20 am

    I had no idea you could get tinted undercoat. Brilliant! A project I have in mind for the near future will benefit greatly from this tip. Thanks!
    And it’s so true about linking floors and walls to make a space feel bigger. We’ve recently renovated out small kitchen and for a few weeks the floor was bare, grey concrete with remnants of glue from the previous tiles. (It didn’t look as bad as you might think, as the new cabinets are white, the benchtop is black, and the rest of the house is carpeted with grey – a few people didn’t even notice!) But now the floor is tiled white, right up to the white kickboards and cabinets, the room looks SO much bigger.

  6. AvatarKindred Spirits says

    June 3, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    Thanks Jen and Shaynna-so are you saying pastels are back in 2013?

    • Avatarinteriorsaddict says

      June 3, 2012 at 9:55 pm

      I think pastels with neon are definitely in!

  7. AvatarJane Grenfell says

    June 6, 2012 at 6:55 am

    Hi, I’ve recently painted our whole 2 bedroom flat in a dove grey colour with white trims, I’m a bit scared it will look too bland and hopefully I’ll be able to lift it with colourful accessories , but I’m stuck with the window coverings. I was thinking of using blinds with some privacy light curtains in the bedrooms, any other ideas? This total reno has been an absolute money-pit with plumbing etc so I have to keep costs down. Also I want to have carpet in the bedrooms but can only think of some sort of ‘wood’ vinyl for the rest, do you have any thought there too? Thanks heaps. Jane

  8. AvatarSarah says

    February 25, 2013 at 2:49 pm

    Hi i have a stepped divider wall between my lounge and dinning room.
    On the longe room side i had painted it a deep red colour and now wish to change the colour but after 4 attempts im at a loss.
    The lounge is a navy blue leather with beach colour coffee/side tables, white porcaline tiles and a beige rug and im also having a prolem with cushion colours, Please Help

  9. Avatarmaruwaan says

    May 29, 2013 at 9:33 pm

    Can you please help I have a grey lounge suite wt silver and black pillo can u tell me what colour will
    Be d besst to compliment my lounge

  10. AvatarLynda says

    September 15, 2013 at 10:29 pm

    I am building with McDonald Jones (Sierra) and we can only choose Taubmans paint…. We are after a cool white to match our kitchen cabinets which will be in Polar White. Can you help me choose a white?

  11. AvatarDeidre Smith says

    January 12, 2014 at 2:53 pm

    Hi….I am after a very pale paint for my loungeroom. Everything so far has looked blue or purple….I just want GREY…with no brown, blue, purple tones….aargghhhh!! I am using Taubmans Endure…

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