Easy makeovers with paint that anyone can do – from smartening up chairs to statement walls

A fresh lick of paint is a fantastic way to transform your interiors. But you don’t need to paint an entire room to make a big difference – small changes can often have the biggest impact.

In fact, you don’t even need to buy a whole new pot of paint to create a stylish home refresh; sample pots or leftover paint is often enough to make maximum effect with minimal cash.

Looking for inspiration for your next at-home paint project? Dulux is bursting with creative ideas for simple makeovers – weekend projects that pack a statement style punch.

From wow-factor feature walls (hello, glamorous dalmation-print) and ultra-stylish Art Deco bar carts (calling all vintage fans) to tired-chair transformations and floating shelf chic, we’ve rounded up six must-see makeovers you can do yourself at home with a little splash of Dulux paint.

1. Wow with a Dalmatian print wall

Move over leopard-print, dalmation-print is its new, cooler cousin. Add seriously glamorous Cruella de Vil vibes to your bedroom or dressing room with this simple painting trick. How to do it? Easy. Firstly, paint your wall with Dulux Easycare White and let it dry.

Measure and mark out a square area for adding the spots. Rub chalk along a length of string. Stretch the string across the wall and secure it with masking tape at each end. Check the string is straight, then ping it to leave a chalk line across the wall. Remove the string and mask tape along your perfectly straight lines. Then, fold your pieces of paper and tear out holes of various sizes to create a spotty stencil.

Hold the stencils in place with masking tape then fill with Dulux Easycare Black. Fill the space with increasingly smaller spots. Et voila! An ultra-glamorous boudoir statement wall with a difference.

2. Make over a tired bar cart

Impress your guests with a retro-cool bar cart that's got Art Deco glamour written all over it. All you need? A quick coat of a vibrant, vintage-style colour like Proud Peacock (and if there's a cooler paint name, we're yet to hear it).

To create the look, clean the bar cart with a damp cloth, then sand. Mask off areas not being painted. Stir Dulux Primer & Undercoat for Multi Surfaces before applying, then leave to dry.

Cut out Art Deco-style wallpaper to fit the tiered trays. Apply border adhesive and allow to soak for a minute, then apply to the surface and brush down any air bubbles. Allow to dry. Stir the paint and apply the first coat to the frame; leave to dry.

Lightly sand the surface, then apply a second coat and allow to dry. Then add 1-2 coats of clear varnish to the wallpaper, and set aside until it's dry. Remove the masking tape and suddenly, you're party-ready and the most stylish host in town. Make ours a Mojito...

3. Jazz up walls with box shelves

You can create a big impact with minimum effort with a few sample pots of paint. These super-stylish box shelves are the perfect way to spruce up your walls with ease.

Simply paint geometric stripes in Mineral Mist and Urban Obsession to create an eye-catching contrast – and a wonderful spot to make your pretty ceramics, pots and vases pop.

4. Paint a rainbow

Never before has the rainbow meant so much to so many. A symbol of positivity, hope and togetherness on our windows throughout lockdown, it's also an ultra-pretty mural to pep-up a child's bedroom. A small project that will make every day brighter and a little bit more magical.

Paint the wall in White Mist. Measuring from the corner of the wall, a short way above the skirting, decide how far across the arc will go; add 5cm and cut string to this length.

Next, tie a piece of coloured chalk to one end of the string and secure a drawing pin at the other end. Press the pin into the corner of the wall, pull the string tight and use this to guide the first arc, moving the chalk from the corner edge down to the top of the skirting.

Shorten the length of the string by small increments to draw five more arcs. then using a small brush, paint each arc of the rainbow in a different pastel colour, painting along the chalk lines first, then filling in.

Draw a cloud shape at the bottom of the arc and paint with Polished Pebble. Sponge on White Mist to create the cloud effect.

5. Zone a workspace with a fun feature wall

Working from home has become the new normal, but not everybody has the space for a separate study. Fear not, it's easy to create a work zone simply by applying paint in a creative way. Using on-trend geometric shapes, you can easily create a stylish desk area within another room.

Take so-now colours like Mint Macaroon and Urban Obsession to mark out your cool new at-home work space.

See a step-by-step guide here. You'll actually be excited about 'going to work' and creating a statement feature wall all at once.

6. Transform a tired chair

Instead of ditching those worn-out dining chairs for shiny new ones, save money and transform your sad-looking seats in a few easy swipes of a paint brush.

Achieving this trendy two-tone look with just one colour couldn't be simpler. Just apply masking tape to the wood you'd like to preserve, and paint the rest. Opt for achingly cool Rich Black for a modern industrial aesthetic that's softened with the appeal of textured natural wood.

For more interiors inspiration and to shop high-quality affordable paint, visit Dulux.co.uk.