Dulux Living Spaces

Take On Your Interiors

With winter almost on our doorstep, many of us will be looking to retreat from the outside world – heading indoors for a little reprieve from the cold. Therefore, it's time to start thinking about re-designing your home's living spaces to provide a comforting cocoon this chilly season.

Whether you're looking to brighten up your space to offset the dreary and drab weather, or just want a cosy and comfortable place for you and your family to enjoy, taking on a room refresh can revitalise your home's look and feel.

Dulux Colour Expert, Andrea Lucena-Orr says that when it comes to interior styling, colour and product choice go hand-in-hand for creating a finished look that's both chic and practical.

"If your style is monochromatic, tonal layering of putty greys is subtle and beautiful, easy to achieve and is an effective look for any living space. To create visual interest, experiment with texture, which can be perfect as an accent wall – a concrete finish, such as Dulux Concrete Effects in Pale Elements, is popular and works well in a modern or contemporary home. This effect complements a colour such as Dulux Wash&Wear Milton Moon, on the broad walls."

Hallways set the tone for the rest of the home's mood and style, so it's important to create a space that's charming and inviting. "To add a level of vibrancy, yet still retain a classic look, use whites such Dulux Lexicon® on your walls and ceilings and introduce plenty of colour to your stairwell, front door or accent walls – peach tones, forest greens and deep blues are colours that can be seamlessly intertwined to enhance the space and add your own personality," says Andrea.

When re-designing your dining area, cool steely blues complement most colour schemes and give you the freedom to furnish the space in your signature style to suit both entertaining and relaxed dinners with the family.

"If you live in an open plan home, Dulux's Wash&Wear in Antarctica Lake works well to zone the space and is fresh and perfect for rooms with loads of available natural light."

Living rooms, dining rooms and hallways are high foot-traffic areas that require a little extra attention – especially if you have a busy household with kids and their schoolbags, dirty shoes, grubby hands or pets.

"With the superior washable qualities of Dulux Wash&Wear, home dwellers can rest assured that spills, stains, scuffs and everyday wear and tear can be wiped away - keeping your home looking fresh and vibrant for years to come."

Revitalising your home is as simple as refreshing one room at a time, which can be easily accomplished in a weekend. Here are some projects to get you on your way.

WALLS
Follow the preparation steps on the back of the Dulux Wash&Wear can and gather your painting supplies. Dulux 1Step Prep can be used for a prep coat.
Start by cutting in around the edges of the wall with a brush.
Load your roller in the tray with a reasonable amount of paint.
Start rolling the wall in an 'M' pattern. Start closest to the natural light source. Continue over the same section until the wall is evenly covered.
Using an unloaded roller (begin in the top left corner of your wall) gently roll down the roller to the baseboard in a straight line with no pressure. A lightness of touch will prevent new roller marks from forming. Repeat this action, only this time slightly overlap your last movement, so your roller rubs away the line created by the previous stroke. Continue this across the area you have painted. This is called laying off.
Reload your roller and repeat until the wall is complete.
Allow first coat to dry and repeat the total process again with a second coat.

FEATURE WALL
Follow the preparation steps on the back of the Dulux Design Concrete Effect can and gather your painting supplies.
Start by cutting in around the edges of the wall with a brush.
Working in small sections, use a long nap roller to apply the effect to the wall.
Smooth the surface with a steel trowel using broad sweeping strokes holding the trowel at a 60 - 80-degree angle.
Apply two more coats following the same process.
Use a 600-grit sandpaper to lightly polish the surface in a circular motion. Use the edge of the trowel to further polish the surface.

CEILING
Clean your ceiling. Remove cobwebs with a clean broom and wash any stains with Selleys Sugar Soap.
Tape around cornices, edges and any down lights and gather your painting supplies, including your can(s) of Dulux Ceiling White.
Just like a vertical wall, begin by cutting-in where the roller won't reach. Using a paint brush, paint around down lights and edges to create a border.
Once you've loaded your roller evenly, begin in one corner and move fluidly in a parallel motion. For best result, work in one metre sections painting across then down. Roll as far into the previously brushed sections as possible.
While paint is still damp, begin laying off the paint. This is a crucial step in achieving a smooth and consistent finish. Using an unloaded roller, begin in the top left corner of your ceiling and gently pull towards you in a straight line with no pressure. A lightness of touch will prevent new roller marks from forming. Repeat this action and slightly overlap your last movement so your roller rubs away the line created by the previous stroke.
If your ceiling requires two coats, wait two hours for it to dry and then repeat steps 4-6.

DOOR
Follow the preparation steps on the back of the can of Dulux Aquanamel and gather your painting supplies.
If your door has already been painted with enamel, give it a light sand until the shine has become dull. Wipe off the dust.
Use Dulux 1Step Prep to prime the door before applying a topcoat.
Using a synthetic brush, start painting the front panels of the door. Then, fill in the vertical sections between the panels; followed by the horizontal sections at the top, middle and bottom; and finally, the outside panels.
Once you've completed an area, while paint is still wet, lightly smooth over the painted section with long brush strokes. Do not reload the brush when you do this, a few brush strokes should be enough to smooth the surface.
Allow 2 hours to dry, then give the surface a light sand with 400 grit sandpaper.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for a second coat.
Dulux Wash&Wear
Dulux's Wash&Wear formula ensures your walls stay looking freshly painted for longer. Dulux has performed rigorous testing to optimise stain resistance, hiding power and toughness to create a product that you can rely on every day.

Dulux Aquanamel®
A water-based interior and exterior acrylic enamel, Dulux Aquanamel® doesn't yellow over time, is fast-drying, low odour and achieves an ultra-smooth and tough finish that resists chipping.

Dulux Ceiling White
Ceiling White provides a flat finish with excellent hiding power, ideal for use on ceilings. The flat finish minimises reflection and therefore reduces the appearance of surface imperfections.

Dulux Design Concrete Effect
Enjoy the refined modern industrial textural effect of polished concrete. Make a statement in your home on interior walls in the living room, bedroom, or study. Design Concrete Effect is available in two colours; Pale Elements, a lighter more traditional concrete colour, and Onyx Edge, a darker, moody grey.