5 clever colour ideas that will transform a blank canvas

Making your new house feel like yours doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming. We’ve got some quick and easy paint tips that will do the trick for when you’ve just moved in.

Moving can be an expensive and hectic experience. So when you’re on a budget and are in need of some quick fixes, get creative with our five practical colour ideas for transforming your new home.

Idea #1: Room dividing

It’s more than likely that when you first saw your new home, you could imagine what some spaces might be used for, from snug corners to workstations. There’s no reason why large rooms can’t have more than one purpose and by using different colour schemes and furniture styles, you can divide your space according to your needs.

Rugs are also a great way to show where one area ends and the other starts, as is the layout of your furniture.

Which colours?

Caribean Sea – Dulux 33BG 43/240

Intense Caribbean – Dulux 16BG 13/282

A living room with a feature wall
Feature wall

Idea #2: Feature walls

If you’re short on time and would quickly like to inject some of your personality into your new home, try focusing on one wall. Make a feature of it with bold stripes and then at a later date you can find accessories to compliment your room’s colour scheme.

If you don’t fancy covering a whole wall, have a read of our guide to playful motifs. 

Which colours?

Intense Depths – Dulux 31BG 10/240

Blue Bow – Dulux 30BG 72/069

Serengeti Plain – Dulux 90YY 48/255

Colour schemes for open plan living
Open plan living

Idea #3: Open plan living

Paint is a helpful tool to enhance open-plan living. Pick a harmonious palette of three or four colours to mark out the different function areas in your space. Use furniture and accessories to suggest the purpose of the space and don’t be afraid to change areas as your needs change. Whether it’s working, entertaining or relaxing, you’ll soon be settled into your new room.

Practical open-plan living needs plenty of storage, so use vertical units, built in shelves and tall cupboards to make your space work for you.

Which colours?

Team Grey – Dulux 91YY 31/059 

Cotton Field – Dulux 90YR 83/070

A stimulating work zone with paint
Work zone

Idea #4: Create a work zone

Laptops, tablets and mobiles make working spaces in the home increasingly easy to define. Our flexibility means that a well-lit corner, a bit of wall space and even the end of a dining table can all work perfectly. Use colours that help you focus. Try a deep red to paint a shape or section on the wall to outline your space and get to work!  

Which colours?

Smoke Grey - Dulux 90BG 30/073

Downing Street – Dulux 30YR 14/365

For more ideas, take a look at our tips to create the perfect bedroom workspace

Kitchen brought to life with less paint
Decorating on a budget

Idea #5: Refreshing on a budget

A great way to make a little paint go a long way is to paint sections of your kitchen, such as cupboards and drawers. Using bold tones that contrast with softer shades in your space will breathe new life into the room. If you’ve got a bit of extra time, why not try painting the legs of your dining table or chairs to match.

Which colours?

Storytime – Dulux 95GG 78/054

Clay Vase  – Dulux 40YR 53/149

To help add your personality to your new home as efficiently as possible, take a look at our painting ideas .

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