My (Kara) Mum, Karen, is a beauty who has to be one of the most caring people I know – yes, I’m biased – but I’m sure if you asked anyone who knows her they’d say the exact same thing. And although it’s an amazing character trait, it can sometimes mean she puts anyone and everyone’s needs or wants before her own – including making her house a home. Mum’s been here about 3 years now and apart from the kitchen that we renovated a year ago (you can read more and watch the kitchen makeover video here) the house remains exactly as it was when she bought it. It has GREAT bones …but …. she doesn’t walk in and feel like it’s completely ‘her’ and I’d have to agree.
BEFORE: The ceiling shape and height offer a great starting point
The ceilings are in desperate need of a clean and repaint, and the room is screaming for some life and warmth! I love the tones of the original slate floors, but the contrast between them and the stark white walls is just too much. We’re going to add some personality to this room by adding some colour to the walls and to choose the colour, we’re using the Coloursmith app.
BEFORE: The highlight windows provide some great north-eastern natural light.
BEFORE: The dining area feels ‘lost’ and needs grounding with an oversized rug of pendant lights
BEFORE: The view from the kitchen
If you haven’t heard of this app, it basically allows you to create your own personal paint colour from absolutely anything that inspires you! You can read more about how to use the app here.
We’re using this small vintage boat as our colour inspiration
The Coloursmith Reader provides pinpoint accuracy, but you can also take a photo direct from your smart phone via the Coloursmith app or use the Coloursmith Window to capture your colour. I bought this small vintage boat for mum a couple of years ago from an op shop and she just loves it. Mum’s dad was a sailor and it’s just a little piece of nostalgia that puts a smile on her face. From a colour perspective, I love the warmth of the sail and the timber ad I feel the sandy colour will work well with the tones of the existing slate floors.
We’re using the Coloursmith Reader within the app for pinpoint accuracy
One thing I love about the app is the ability to adjust the colour once captured. You can adjust the intensity of the colour and the app will also generate similar colours and combinations for you to browse. We’ve created three options, got our QR codes for them from the app and are picking up samples direct from our local hardware/paint store, but you can also order samples direct from the app itself and have them delivered, which is great if you can’t physically get in-store.
We’ve named this colour ‘Sandy Sails’
With our samples painted on the wall we’ve locked in our third option, which is lighter in intensity and has a slightly green base that works well with the slate floors.
Colour is locked in!
The boys have undercoated the walls with Taubmans 3-in-1 prep and then painted our custom colour ‘Sandy Sails’ in Taubmans Endure and what a difference the colour has made to the room!
We’ve used Taubmans 3-in-1 prep and Taubmans Endure interior wall paint
We’ve had our electrician install three pendant lights over the dining table and added some ‘new’ pieces including these AMAZING vintage chairs that I found on the side of the road – quite possibly the best roadside pickup I’ve ever found! A larger dining table for family gatherings and a lower entertainment unit were included as the existing one was too high and it dominated the sitting area.
AFTER: Warm, sandy brown and terracotta tones give the living room it’s own unique feel.
Overall we couldn’t be happier with the makeover! But more importantly, Mum loves it! It’s amazing how the warm, sandy colour has changed the whole vibe of this area. When you walk in now it feels like a big hug, which suits Mum to a tee! The room has a soothing coastal feel without being a cliched coastal colour palette.
We’ve added pendant lights over the dining area and sourced a larger table.
We refreshed the kitchen about a year ago, and you can read more about that if you search ‘Kitchen Benchtop Reno’ on our website.
We’ve wrapped the colour the whole way around the room.
Our custom colour works well with the kitchen colour : Taubmans ‘Mountain Stream’