Winter weekend projects

Winter can be a surprisingly productive time when it comes to home renovations and redecorating. Winter weekends are particularly useful for knocking off small projects that can be turned around in one or two weekends, offering high-impact results for relatively little effort.

Expert tips

There are some considerations when thinking about decorating in winter. The most obvious being the weather. It means indoor projects might be more viable, or making good use of a garage space or sheltered porch is probably a good idea if you have one.

When it comes to painting outside in cooler months, Resene colour expert Jill Marsh’s best advice is to check your laundry. “The rule of thumb is if it is too cold for the washing to dry, the paint won’t dry either.”

Inside, it’s also a good idea to try and paint in areas that can have windows open to allow air movement that will help paint dry. You can use air pumps to help warm up indoor rooms to help your paint dry.

Top tip: Paint that dries slowly in colder weather can also be at risk of cracking or drying with a powdery finish. If you are painting in cooler temperatures, try Resene Wintergrade Additive which you can add to a range of selected waterborne Resene paints so they will cure at temperatures as low as 3°C. This is usually recommended for outdoor projects where you can’t heat the space.

Resene colour expert Amy Watkins’ best tip for winter redecorating projects is: “Remember in winter you have a shorter window to paint as it takes longer for the day to warm up and it gets colder earlier.”

Adding pops of colour via contrasting shelves is a great way to showcase your collectibles, and can be achieved quickly and easily. Walls painted in Resene Double Villa White, floor painted in Resene Villa White and shelves in Resene Aviator, Resene Dream Big and Resene Kashmir Blue. Top shelves: arch and small bottle vase in Resene Villa White, pedestal bowl in Resene Aviator and vase with plant and tall bottle vase in Resene Kashmir Blue. Middle shelves: vase with plant in Resene Aviator, books in Resene Villa White and Resene Aviator, ball object in Resene Villa White and tall ribbed vase in Resene Dream Big. Lower shelf: small vase in Resene Dream Big, pot in Resene Kashmir Blue, pedestal bowl and books in Resene Villa White and Resene Kashmir Blue and decorative object in Resene Villa White.

Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Projects to try

Jill suggests upcycling furniture as a great winter project, that in most cases can be finished in a weekend.

“As an example, an old timber bedside table would look stunning painted a colour that complements your bedding or refreshed with an off-white such as Resene Parchment or Resene Thorndon Cream.”

For the best finish Jill suggests checking with Resene ColorShop staff to make sure you use the right sealer coat and topcoat when upcycling. The best product for your project will depend on its age, condition, surface material and what you are using the upcycle piece for.

Top tip: High gloss finishes like Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel are durable, and easy to wipe down, but may show imperfections in the surface, which can be a consideration when upcycling older pieces. Lower sheen finishes such as Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen have a hint of sheen and are more forgiving on imperfect surfaces.

Touching up a tired feature, wall or adding a new one, can be a simple interior project for winter, Jill says.

A simple block of colour on one wall can really change the feel of any interior space. If, for example, you have a mostly neutral colour scheme think about something high impact and daring like desert orange Resene Tuscany or deep teal Resene Epic.

But a feature wall doesn’t have to be bold and dominant. Adding one wall in a deeper neutral shade to your existing palette can also add visual depth and dimension to your space. If you’ve opted for a popular neutral like Resene Half Spanish White in most of your room, try a single wall in Resene Triple Spanish White, with perhaps an accent note or two elsewhere in the room to connect everything together.

Amy says wallpaper is another excellent way to add a quick, simple but effective feature wall or even a faux bed headboard. Try simply adding a note of texture and colour with Resene Wallpaper Collection A137-24 in teal blue, try a faux tiled effect with a geometric pattern like Resene Wallpaper Collection 38723-2 or try a mural-style, high-impact design like the tropical birds of Resene Wallpaper Collection 543520.

Another weekend (or wet school holiday) idea, perfect as a fun project with the kids, Jill says, is painting large stones that can be hidden in the garden as a treasure hunt - or left in the garden as fun talking points.

“Resene testpots are perfect for this kind of activity. The paint lasts well outside, and they come in so many fun bright colours.”

When you’re upcycling furniture and even flooring you can be as creative as you like, creating whole new looks for already well-loved pieces. Wall painted inResene Eighth Bison Hide, floor feature in Resene Top Notch, chairs in Resene Vantage Point, table in Resene Half Bison Hide, pendant light in Resene See The Light, bowl in Resene Scoria, sideboard in Resene Vantage Point with corked tiled fronts in Resene Quarter Bison Hide and Resene Top Notch, floor planter in Resene Thunderbird, sideboard planter in Resene Fluffy Duck, vase in Resene Scoria and candleholder in Resene Top Notch. Cork tiles from Mitre 10.

Project by Annick Larkin, styling by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

Declutter and colour

Resene colour expert Jackie Nicholls says winter is a great time for decluttering jobs such as clearing out cupboards and other storage, presenting an opportunity to revive spaces with painted colour, wood stain and wallpaper.

“While you have everything out, have a look at the storage space and perhaps give it a refresh before you put things back,” she says.

“Shelves can look amazing with an interesting colour set in at the back or even with a wallpaper. The sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing colours, but, if you have light trim around your storage spaces consider adding a bold contrast like near-black Resene Times Square or a natural tone like the muted green of Resene Tic Tac Toe.”

Winter can also be a good time to add splashes of colour to liven up a child’s bedroom, Jackie says. “Instead of repainting the whole space, add a selection of colours dotted around the room, inside drawers and cupboards and other unexpected places. It’s lots of fun without overpowering the space.”

It can be a good way to add personality to bedrooms in rented homes, or as a way to age-up your child’s bedroom without undertaking a full redecoration.

If winter is making you crave cosy corners in your home, Jackie suggests adding faux wood panelling or textured wood panels to a living or retreat space.

“They can add a sophisticated touch to a cosy corner or even work as a bedhead.”

For a more classic look stain your wood panels in Resene Colorwood interior wood stain. Try a deep, classic look with Resene Colorwood Walnut or invoke warmer months with a lighter, more beachy feel using Resene Colorwood Rock Salt.

Top tip: To get textured or weathered effects on any surface experiment with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. Paint your surface with a base colour then mix a topcoat with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium and paint over the base colour. Experiment on spare pieces of your chosen surface to get the look you want before working on your project or space.

Colour blocking or adding bold colour highlights, works similarly to a feature wall to add interest and texture to a neutral space, and can change the feel of a room quickly. You can even paint a piece of furniture as a weekend project, like this ottoman painted in Resene Tasman. Back wall painted in Resene Half Black White, with left wall in Resene Triple Concrete. Floor washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy. Left colour blocks in Resene Tasman, large block in Resene Green Meets Blue, and central block and shelf in Resene Gothic with shadow in Resene Cod Grey. Stools in Resene Double Cod Grey and Resene Triple Concrete. Tall vase in Resene Spitfire, circular vase in Resene Vintage, short vase in Resene Half Aubergine, candleholder in Resene Green Meets Blue and artwork and frame in Resene Double Cod Grey, Resene Spitfire, Resene Triple Concrete, Resene Gothic, Resene Vintage, Resene Half Black White and Resene Green Meets Blue. Flowers from Interflora.

Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

Three quick ideas:

1. Paint your front door and letterbox a matching bold colour, one that complements your exterior house colour. For a classic neutral exterior in Resene Half Tea try adding toasty orange Resene Moroccan Spice with crisp trims in Resene Alabaster. Go for a high-gloss finish with Resene Enamacryl or Resene Super Gloss for durability and maximum impact.

2. Refresh your outdoors in readiness for spring by painting or staining outdoor furniture. Clean wood furniture with Resene Timber and Deck Wash, sand back and rough areas, then refresh with Resene Timber and Furniture Gel. Alternatively paint your furniture in your chosen shade of Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen or, for a semi-gloss try Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel.

3. Paint the loo! A small standalone toilet room ensuite or powder room can often be painted or wallpapered quickly, and they can be great rooms to test out bolder design and colour choices because they’re separate from the rest of the house, as well as easy and inexpensive to do over. How about a safari sunset with Resene Wallpaper Collection 363647 or a night sky with walls painted in Resene Indian Ink covered in stars painted in Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint.

If you need help choosing colours or products for your winter projects, visit your local Resene ColorShop or use the free Ask a Resene Colour Expert online, www.resene.com/colourexpert.

Touching up outdoor furniture in readiness for spring is a practical and fun end of winter project. This trellis and side wall are painted in Resene Aspiring, with deck stained in Resene Woodsman Uluru. Table in Resene Bud, bench seat and tealight holder in Resene Yuma, planter and bowl in Resene Coconut Cream, vase in Resene Thistle, pedestal bowl in Resene Frontier and rattan chair and candleholder in Resene Flax. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.