Easy paint transformations – affordable ways to create fabulous features

Giving your home a makeover can often be an expensive process. But, with clever techniques and an innovative use of paint, an interiors update doesn’t need to break the bank. There’s a host of design-led hacks you can use to create eye-catching features in your home. And, thankfully, the experts at Dulux are on-hand to guide you through an array of inspired processes that will breathe new life into your home.

Looking to carve out an office area in a multi-use room? Use an on-point geometric design to create the frame for the new space. Dress up a dressing room by using paint to create a stylish dotty Dalmatian backdrop, get creative and rescue a kid’s room by transforming it into a superhero’s lair, or use emulsion instead of tiles for a cheap-but-chic kitchen overhaul.

Try out our new Dulux Colour Picker Tool

Selecting colours to complement your home and your style has never been easier. The Dulux Colour Picker Tool is easy to use and makes choosing the right colours a breeze. For instance, visit any of Ideal Home's inspirational room galleries, and, if there's a look you love, you'll be able to find and order paint in a shade to match.

Step 1 Select 'View Colours' to activate the tool.

Step 2 Click or tap on the item or surface in the image that you want to colour match.

Step 3 Hit 'View colour' to see you nearest Dulux colour match and order the tester. You'll also discover the tonal, neutral and designer palettes that work with your given shade.

And remember, whichever room you’re decorating, Dulux's carefully curated finishes will make finding the right paint for the job easy. From its Easycare Washable & Tough Matt – great for high traffic areas such as hallways and living rooms – to Dulux Quick Dry trim paints for adding a colourful wow factor to wooden doors and skirting boards.

Grab your brushes and keep reading for six top ideas from Dulux on how to use paint for easy and affordable home décor updates with wow-factor. 

Easy ways to transform rooms with paint

1. Zone a space with an asymmetric design

This season’s on-trend geometric shapes are a great way to create strong focal points and dedicated spaces in multi-functional rooms. Here’s how to get this stylish office space in a flash:

1. Take a 2-inch brush and use Mint Macaroon to paint around the light fittings on the ceiling, then fill in with a roller.
2. Brush Pure Brilliant White along the wall where it meets the ceiling, fill in the rest of the wall with a roller and leave to dry.
3. Measure and mask off the area that will frame your office zone, then use coloured chalk to mark your shapes
4. Run the chalk along a piece of string, tape the string at each end of a shape and ping it against the wall to create a straight line
5. Mask off the shapes one at a time before filling them in with your chosen paints with a small roller or brush; clean and lightly sand the skirting boards, mask off the wall, then apply two coats of Urban Obsession.

Et voila, step back and admire your hard work.

2. Try your hand at a horizontal line

Expect to see this on-trend technique more and more in the coming year. The horizontal line is a modern take on a traditional dado rail and allows you to keep a slither of your existing wall colour, while updating it with complementary shades above and below. Here, you can see Dulux's Colour of the Year Tranquil Dawn on the top half of the wall, and Spiced Honey below.

To create the effect, you'll need to use chalk-covered string to create guide lines, which you then mask off with tape along the inside edges.

1. Use a tape measure and pencil to mark out the width of your stripe at intervals along the wall.
2. Coat two lengths of string with chalk, and tape them along your pencil marks. You can use a spirit level to make sure they are straight. Ping the strings against the wall to create your guide lines.
3. Remove the string and apply masking tape to the inside edges of the chalk lines. The area under the tape is where your existing colour will remain.
4. Using a roller, apply the new colours above and below the tape. When the paint is dry, remove the tape to reveal your horizontal line.

3. Get creative in a box room

With a lick of paint and a little imagination, a box room can be so much more than just a storage space or an afterthought.

If one of the kids is in a small room, for example, you can use a fun palette, geometric shapes or stencil prints to totally transform it from dull to dazzling. Create a cosy snug or nifty nook with a clever use of colour, and don’t forget to use a paint that’s easy to wipe off those sticky finger prints, like the Dulux Easycare Washable & Tough Matt range. Perfectly practical.

4. Go dotty with a Dalmatian wall

Create maximum impact with minimal effort in your dressing room by turning the wall behind your vanity desk into a so-stylish yet dramatic Dalmation print (perfect when paired with metallic accessories).

Here’s how to get the look:

1. Paint your wall in Dulux Easycare White Cotton and leave to dry
2. Measure and mark out a square area for adding the spots. Rub chalk along a length of string and stretch it across the wall, securing 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
3. Fold pieces of paper and tear out holes of various sizes to create a spotty stencil
4. Hold the stencils in place with masking tape then fill with Dulux Easycare Rich Black
5. Fill the space with increasingly smaller dots. Once you feel like you’ve got it spot-on, you’re finished! 

5. Use paint as an alternative to tiles in a kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home and so it follows that you should love spending time in there. However, doing up the kitchen can be a very expensive process. Fortunately, you can use paint in surprising and creative ways to produce unique and chic - yet affordable - looks.

Instead of splashing out on tiles, why not use paint to create a stylish splashback? Opt for a darker colour than the wall to zone out the space, and ensure it’s a durable, stain-resistant finish. Dulux Easycare Kitchen Matt, with its grease-proof, washable finish, is ideal.

6. Paint a cityscape in a kid’s room

Create a cool superhero’s lair for your little one with a simple yet statement cityscape mural wall. Start by painting the walls in Striking Cyan before measuring and marking the position of the skyline using coloured chalk. Use empty cardboard boxes as the templates for the building shapes.

Apply masking tap to the chalk lines, then – using a small roller – apply black paint to fill in your skyline, working from top to bottom. The yellow windows were created by cutting out a square in a potato and using it as a stamp.

To create the signal light (and, to be Batman, you need a signal light) draw around a paint tin lid or saucer to create the end of the light beam. Then apply masking tape from the top and bottom of the circle back to one of the buildings. Fill in the beam with Banana Split and paint the circle with White Cotton, before painting in the initial of your little hero with Rich Black paint.

So what are you waiting for? Reach for the rollers and ready, set… paint! Visit Dulux for more information.

Now it's time for you to make your mark and transform a room into a space you'll truly love.