Shaynna Blaze’s tips for transforming your outdoor living room

As summer approaches, outdoor living is back on the agenda. So who better to speak to than Block judge, Taubmans brand ambassador and all round design guru Shaynna Blaze?! The right use of paint and colour, paired with the perfect furniture and accessories can create an entirely new outdoor space, effectively adding an extra room to your house. But how to pick the right colour? Below Shaynna unpacks four different colour palettes to suit a multitude of tastes, decorating themes and architectural styles.

White Heat

Taubmans Snowbank and January Dawn sit perfectly together in this beautiful white palette, creating a modern classic look with soft timber and natural accents. The contrast between the trims and walls is very subtle, giving the exterior a simple, textural feel that focuses on the setting rather than the architectural features. However, this is a palette in danger of becoming clinical if not styled right, so make use of your surrounds with large trees for a canopy, potted plants and natural timbers.

Flaming Hot

Taubmans Stormy Shadow on the decking with Akimbo on the walls, set up a base that heroes the ‘cube’ feature in Black Flame, Taubmans 2018 Colour of the Year. The palette has strong contrasts that highlight the features of the architecture. The white showcases the doors and balcony with almost a traditional touch, allowing the Black Flame to add a contemporary focal point. When you have such strong contrasts just be careful to keep your features minimal so as not to overpower the overall look. This style is right on trend — modern minimalist is the new Hamptons!

Fade to Grey

There are layers of grey but still so much romance in this colour scheme. This house has multiple lines and angles so having a grey tonal palette softens the impact, as long as you stick to greys that are close together tonally. For instance, don’t mix a blue grey with a green grey as this will highlight features rather than soften them. A perfect palette of greys would be Taubmans Grey Castle, Cable Ash and Grey Haze, with trims in Alpine Snow.

Fifty Shades Darker

Kyal and Kara have here created a dramatic, inviting space that you want to explore. This house is all about the windows and the combination of charcoal and white highlight this feature. To pull off the look, pick one hero feature and stick with it, but don’t overdo it! Their wall is in Taubmans Mojo, but also try Viking Grey or Black Fox with trims in Snow Drop.

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