For the easiest home makeover ever, all you need is a pot of paint. Interiors editor Nicole Gray shows you how clever use of colour can be transformational 






The statement staircase: For immediate impact, use a lighter tone on the walls to bounce light around, and paint the banisters and surrounding wall in colours that sit near each other on the spectrum to create a unified scheme. If you feel a colour is too bright, you can tone it down by mixing it with the darker shade it sits opposite on the colour wheel - for example, adding a hint of blue to bold orange softens and warms the orange. For a similar shade of green try Buckingham by dulux.co.uk - Styling: Bree Leech







The sunny kitchen: Experimenting with colour needn't be confined to walls: painting cabinets or counter tops in a bold shade will change the look and feel of a space in an instant. Think about painting the inside of cabinets, too - unexpected bursts of colour will give you a joyous lift every time you open them. The same applies for behind open-wall shelving and inside kitchen drawers. Here, the neutral backdrop allows the bright paint tones to sing. For a similar yellow try Funkytown by grahambrown.com







The smart home office furniture hauling away: Here a band of dark blue paint along the bottom of the walls anchors the space and draws attention to the furniture, as well as leading the eye upwards. This helps to delineate a working or reading area within a room and is also a great way to use up leftover paint. Bottom half, Braze Blue; top half, Pompadour, both craigandrose.com







The bathroom revamp: Bathtubs are great projects for a change of scene as they are made to withstand moisture. Here a wall section, cupboard doors and bathtub - a reclaimed design bought from lassco.co.uk - are picked out in Stiffkey Blue estate emulsion by farrow-ball.com. The contrasting white walls and central location of the tub and walk-in shower give a sense of spaciousness. When painting a bathtub always use a suitable primer undercoat, followed by enamel-based paint for porcelain tubs, eggshell for plastic ones. Wait three days after painting before filling the tub with water 


 
















Coffee table, £895, Pome! by ceraudo.com. Cushion, £35, habitat.co.uk. Tray, £46.50, connox.co.uk. Wardrobe, £795, oliverbonas.com. Coat stand, £562, conranshop.co.uk. Side table, £149, made.com


 

For a speedy refresh

Get creative with these weekend paint projects 






Think outside the lines and reinvent a doorframe with fun squiggles







Use leftover paint or tester pots to transform plain bedroom walls and skirting into focal points







Enliven a neutral space with a simple accent of bold colour to achieve a striking result without much effort, or paint









Anchor a hallway with floorboards painted in a deeper tone than the walls







Mark the transition between spaces by incorporating unexpected jolts of colour







Play with textures. Here a gloss finish picks out the wall detail and contrasts with matt emulsion on the woodwork







Create an accent wall by using two different shades of paint







Modernise classical details by painting doorframes a contrasting hue to your walls







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