Simple DIY projects with paint

Colour brings soul to a home. It’s a way in which we can bring a little of ourselves into our interiors, showing off our individuality and character. Consider what colours really make you shine, because they’ll have the same effect on your home.

Colour will add a layer of elegance or cosiness to your interior or exterior, bringing your home to life. This is a chance to think about what hues have a positive emotional effect on you. So forget about what trends are taking centre stage, and keep in mind what colours move you – be they bold, refined, pretty or edgy.

With simple DIY jobs that can be done in a day or a weekend, you bring colour to all sorts of places in your home. Small-scale projects done in imaginative ways can bring creativity to your dwelling with decorative and practical effects. It’s the ideal way to apply your unique style.

You may have a long list of projects you’ve been meaning to tackle. Small things that you can gradually tick off over a weekend.

Are your bookshelves becoming dumping grounds of unused books and odd pieces of paper? It’s time to clear away the clutter and wipe your shelves down. Then, while its empty, apply a bold colour or soft hue, one that works well in your interior. Choose a gorgeous palette for your backdrop, try a different colour for the backdrop or each shelf level. One option is a palette of blush hues in varying depths.

The bathroom can feel like a tricky space to add colour to. If you have a free-standing bath, make it a centrepiece of your bathroom by painting it in a dramatic shade. Rich colours on the walls around it will complement it, while neutral walls will enable the colour to pop.

Hallways and stairwells are ideal places for adding personality, yet are often overlooked. Wooden staircases are the perfect place to apply a bit of personality. Chose a colour for the entire staircase or even a range of different hues for a bit of fun.

Wall in Resene Double Alabaster, table in Resene Frozen, chairs in Resene Bubble White with details in Resene Maestro and Resene Rapture, green chair in Resene Anise, pendant lamps in Resene Nero, jug vase in Resene Blue Chalk and small plant pot in Resene Rapture. Project by Annick Larkin and photography by Bryce Carleton.

In your kitchen, affordable updates, such as painting your cabinets, help maintain your interior long-term. Keep it straight-forward – go monochrome by keeping the colour scheme the same as the walls and woodwork. Or try going tonal by choosing three colours that work together.

Paint the inside of cabinetry for pops of colour in small measures. Try a turquoise, blush pink or seafoam green. Ensure it brings plenty of contrast with your outdoor cupboard colour for the best impact.

If you have a work space or study nook, paint it in an invigorating hue that will aid stimulation and work. Change things around for a freshen up and add a colourful, painted peg board as a place to house reminders and inspirational pictures.

Perhaps you want to bring in colour to your bedroom but aren’t committed to painting the whole room or even a whole wall? Any easy, quick solution is adding rectangular blocks of colour across a corner of a room. Use masking tape to zone where you want to paint, and apply your colour, keeping the rest of your walls neutral. If you’d prefer to keep things symmetrical, block a headboard area instead.

Main wall in Resene Eighth Stonehenge, return wall (at right) in Resene Stinger, floor in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash, slatted headboard in Resene Double Stonehenge, lampshade in Resene Nero and hook rack in Resene Half Barely There. Project by Kate Alexander and image by Bryce Carleton.

You may always have had a desire for a stand-out skirting board or for coating your fireplace in a favourite hue. These are easy tasks to undertake within a day or a weekend, with maximum results.

If a nautical theme in your home really makes your heart sing, then find an unused, second-hand wooden oar and transform it into a decorative object. Simply sand it back and coat it in a colour that blends with your surrounding palette. For an authentic weathered look, apply a coat of white and sand it back, letting the timber peek through. You can continue this beach theme by repurposing a piece of driftwood and coating in in paint for use as a gate handle – perfect for the bach.

Glam up your front porch, after all, this is usually the entrance spot where guests like to stay and chat in, so why not make it beautiful? Paint your veranda balustrade in a fresh coat – maybe it’s time to try something new like a gentle turquoise of Resene Juniper or the Mediterranean spearmint of Resene Riptide? A new coat on the veranda floor will work wonders too, covering up those areas or blistered or chipped paint that have worn away. Ensure you have plenty of seating, plants and comfortable cushions out here too, making the most of the covered space. If the sunset can be seen from here, it’s a perfect spot to make it an extension of your indoor living area! Add a large, strung-up hammock if you can, as a place in which to lie back and enjoy the sun.

Wall in Resene Triple Merino, floor in Resene Merino, headboard in Resene Tide (left) and Resene Tussock, vases in Resene Blank Canvas (small round flat), Resene Tussock and Resene Nepal (large arch), bedside tables in Resene Nepal (large) and Resene Tide (small) and ball ornament in Resene Americano. Project by Vanessa Nouwens and photography by Melanie Jenkins.

Many of us have a tool or garden shed on our property which often gets overlooked and is lucky if it gets a tidy once a year. Once you have given it a clean, why not buy a new pegboard, paint it in an eye-catching hue and rearrange your tools or gardening kit? It’ll make the shed feel like it’s a more pleasant place to be, not somewhere you avoid due to the mess. And with everything in its place, chores will feel a lot easy to accomplish when you can find the right tools to do the job.

Make a decorative feature out of your door frames throughout your home by coating them in a new shade of paint. You can even add a surrounding border in a complimentary hue to make more of a statement. With walls in Resene Regent Grey, try an extended architrave in Resene Sea Nymph, around door frames in Resene Quarter Rice Cake.

Modernise vintage candlesticks with a coat of paint. Bring them up to date with fresh hues in varying tones from the same colour family. If you have a freestanding wooden coat rack that needs a little love, freshen it up with a new hue. Choose one that blends in beautifully with your front door and entranceway. These are all ways of using paint to help create a welcoming and inviting setting for you and your loved ones to return home to each day.

For advice on your projects, visit your Resene ColorShop, resene.co.nz/colorshops or for more project ideas check out hundreds of free project ideas online, resene.co.nz/projects.

This content has been created in partnership with Resene.