Seeing as Leicester is now the persecuted minority by being plunged back into lockdown Amelia has given up all hope of the decorator coming and is looking at ways to decorate her spare bedroom quickly and cheaply herself.  I remember well the craze for stencilling and rag rolling in the 90’s, and enjoyed coming up with ideas for different ways to decorate my walls.  These unusual painted wall ideas are a continuation of that creative drive to beautify our homes.

Tonal Feature Wall

Photography by Cody Guilfoyle | Home of comedy author and writer Laura Lane

This has to be my favourite – I just love the contrast of the linear shelving with the circular paint effect, and the fabulous gradation of colour.  Helps its pink, of course!  This paint effect could be used in place of artwork as it creates such an impact.

Painted Ombre Stairs

Image credit and home of: @arseniclace

I love wooden stairs far more than carpeted and this is such a good way of making a feature with colour.  Providing your stairs are in good nick.

Painted Faux Headboard

Image credit and home of: @lara.bezzina

A fabulous way to make a feature of your bed in your own individual style, and when you fancy a change just repaint.  You could paint a headboard to match your bedlinen so the bed takes centre stage in the room in a dramatic way.

Half Painted Wall

Image credit and home of: @naptimestyle

A great way to add colour and interest without adding pattern, and it also gives a contemporary feel to a room.  Kate from Mad About The House talks about the effect it has on the proportions of a room, and good info on the technique of painting using masking tape.

Colour Pop Door Frame

Image credit and home of: @2lgstudio

Simple, seductive and fabulous.  Just one small pop of colour adds so much vibrancy to a very simple scheme.  It’s the perfect way to add colour without overwhelming a room, and because it’s only a small area you can be really brave and experiment with your colour choice.  The bonus is you can repaint easily and cheaply when you fancy a change.

DIY Scalloped Wall

Image credit and home of: Bre Purposed

Simple, pretty and very feminine.  If you are intrigued how to do this scallop finish have a look on Bre’s blog to see how she achieved it. She used an embroidery hoop can you believe?

Geometric Colour Block

Image credit: Fired Earth

An ingenious way to create pattern and colour without overwhelming a room.  There are so many options here for you to play about with such as diagonal lines with circles and contrasting colours with tonal colours.  Half the fun is the playing about with shape and colour to create your own design, and easily painted over if you don’t like it or when you want a change.

Ombre Painted Wall

Image credit and home of: @kasie_barton

I’m not sure how you do this but if you have the skills it looks amazing.  There are lots of DIY instructions online for painting ombre walls, but it’s best to use two colours that blend well together.  The Spruce gives some helpful advice re colour choice.

Contrasting Colour Block Shelving

Image credit and home of: @oxfordone

How to make simple shelving look dynamic and vibrant.  It’s also a great way to create visual impact on a wall you want to make a feature of, like a chimney breast if you haven’t got a fireplace.  A cheap way to make a very striking focal point.

Contrasting Angles and Curves

Image credit and home of: @charminglifebyjess

If you tried to describe this bathroom with half a wall painted yellow and a quarter of a circle in yellow on another wall it would sound exceedingly odd, but it works.

All these unusual painted wall ideas have one thing in common – individuality.  That’s the beauty of paint effects, you make it your own, and have so much fun in the process coming up with ways to add character to your space.  And a great way to use up all those half tins of paint we’ve all got knocking about.  This trend is a hit with me and I’m planning what to do in my sewing room to give it a revamp.  Will have to wait for lockdown to end though as my days of painting walls are definitely over.

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Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball

The science of colour is not something I’m going to go into here as that’s a whole book’s worth that I do not have the credentials for, but I know what I like! And I very much like the new ‘Inchyra Blue’ from Farrow & Ball for its subtlety and moodiness. If you like the current trend for grey walls but want something with that added touch of excitement and a bit different then this is the colour for you.

Basalt by Little Greene

Mirrored Drinks Stand/ Dining Accessories

‘Basalt’ by Little Greene is a stunner of a colour and changes from black to deepest blue depending on the light, and if you’ve a mind to go over the blue side (so to speak) then read Kate Watson Smyth’s blog post on the blue shade card from Little Greene.

Dark Lovage by Paint by Conran

And while we are on the subject of the dark side then consider green, another hot trend that’s gaining popularity, with good reason for its ability to make everything around it glow. My two favourite greens (at the moment!) are ‘Dark Lovage’ by Paint by Conran and ‘Studio Green’ by Farrow & Ball and we have used both as back drops for photography. ‘Dark Lovage’ is an intense, jewel like colour that positively hums with excitement whereas ‘Studio Green’ is a sedate and calming influence. ‘Yeabridge Green’ by Farrow & Ball is a colour I am desperate to have on the walls and ceiling of my garden room to create the feeling of a tropical conservatory – but that is for another blog post!

Studio Green by Farrow & Ball

Esmeralda Chair/ Artificial Areca Palm/ Crochet Table Mat

Little Greene and Farrow & Ball’s websites are full of inspiration and advice on colour schemes that helps to minimize the mistakes – and inspire – of course, and the Paint by Conran shade card, which is inspired by the colour of the British landscape, is curated into complementary colour collections that makes it easier to partner colours.

When choosing colours for the photography it has to be one that enhances furniture and accessories, but doesn’t shout (which is what most of you are also looking for in a paint for your home) , and all the paint colours I’ve mentioned here have that quality. Next time I will go over to the light side and tell you about some of my favourite pale (but definitely not boring) colours.

I’d love to know your favourite moody hues and brands, do let me know in the comments below.

Jacqui x

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Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui & Amelia Brooks

These little gold desk dishes are fab and tie in so well with our blog on covering lever arch files in marble effect sticky back plastic. Why have a boring, uninteresting desk when, for very little effort and money, you can have a glamorous and inspiring desk that actually gives pleasure, plus it’s so satisfying to have done it yourself. I love to transform something that is essentially a utilitarian object into a thing of beauty to be admired instead of hidden away.

Do take a look at Amy’s blog and be inspired to have a go yourself. Amy makes it sound easy, and it actually is, as long as you follow her instructions. Before you know it your desk will be feeling the gold and marble love!

Jacqui x

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Images from Homey Oh My!

Quite by chance I discovered the work of artist Penny German. They are mainly small still life paintings in oils using current season’s produce and have a delightful old world charm about them. You may wonder why I have two so similar, well that is due to the vagaries of the Post Office! The first cherry painting went awol so Penny painted a similar one for me and then several months later the original turned up and I couldn’t bear to part with it so two I now have – similar but different cherry paintings.

They get moved around the house depending on my whims and this one is usually propped up in a vignette with my grandmother’s old blue china in the kitchen, with the addition of a few cherries, of course, and good old ivy (so hard to kill)!

This cherry painting looks so lovely with the ivy urn and a beautiful jade bowl full of cherries. I prefer them unframed so that the paintings take centre stage and fit easily into different scenes. They both look lovely framed by greenery -but then doesn’t everything?

Jacqui x

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Photography: Amelia Brooks/ Styling: Jacqui and Amelia Brooks

‘Urban Jungle Bloggers- Plants & Art’ written by Jacqui Brooks