Five projects for a wet weekend

From the Resene decorating blog

Don’t let wet or wintry weather put a roadblock on your reno plans. Here are some great, small projects that, with some planning, you can wrap up in a wet weekend.

A blue interior with a simple contrasting shape on the wall for flair

Add some flair to an otherwise plain wall by adding a simple contrasting shape. Walls painted in Resene Seachange while the arch and shelves are in Resene Awash, floor in Resene Breathless and pot in Resene Rhino with triangles in Resene Awash and top lip in Resene Breathless. Chairs from Freedom, bar cart from Wooden Horse, rug from Grounded Homeware, brass scoop from Good Thing, artwork from Rachel Mataira, brass tray (on table) and brass plant pot (on shelf) from H&M Home, plant from Mood Store. Project by Melle van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.

Revamp one wall

Why not try a feature wall if the preparation and planning for an entire room seems too much for one weekend?

A feature wall can be an easy method to give any space a new look or to highlight a certain piece of furniture or art. Additionally, they're a fantastic opportunity to experiment with strong hues and patterns without overpowering a space.

Pick a wall that will catch your attention as soon as you enter the room, such as the wall behind the bed or couch or the wall that surrounds a prominent window.

You might also want to think about the shape of your room and how adding a contrasting or complementary colour, or adding a bold pattern might change the feel of the room.

Darker side walls with a lighter colour on the end will make your space feel longer, where a darker end wall with paler side walls can make your room feel wider.

If your walls are already painted and in good condition, they will normally just need a good clean with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, then repair any dents or small holes. Mask around the skirting, ceiling and windows then, when dry, apply two coats of your chosen Resene colour.

Wallpaper is another simple and fast way to add an eye-catching feature wall. Try the trend for bold botanicals with leafy Resene Wallpaper Collection 91112, the Japanese print of Resene Wallpaper Collection 409345 or the tropical jungle of Resene Wallpaper Collection 91250. Full wallpaper murals have a particularly dramatic impact and can make your room feel larger by working almost like a floor-to-ceiling window. For a fun finish to a child’s bedroom, how about a full-length dinosaur mural in Resene Walltastic Dinosaur Land or the space-scape of Resene Walltastic Space Adventure.

Revamp part of a wall

There are lots of different ways to add fresh interest to a stretch of plain wall that can be done over a couple of days.

Try adding shelves painted in the same shade as your Resene wall colour, or go bold and paint a contrasting shape on the wall, then add shelves in that same colour. Against a neutral wall colour in Resene Half Tea, you could paint arched shapes or circles in warm Resene Moroccan Spice with shelves the same shade or go darker still with Resene Tuscany or Resene Desperado for added interest.

You could also paint out a shape to frame a desk as a designated work area in a bedroom or living space or frame up a faux bedhead in a plain block of colour – maybe Resene Blue Night or Resene Nocturnal to keep it to a night theme – or try playing with a geometric design to bring some additional colour to your bedroom palette. Against a deep night sky backdrop of Resene Coast, add stripes or geometric shapes in softer pink tones of Resene Wafer and Resene Dust Storm. Or go bold and impactful with shapes in orange Resene West Side.

A gallery wall is another simple, quick project that adds a real touch of personality to a bare wall. To get your proportions right, plan out the images or artworks you want to use on the floor first. For the best result go for an odd number of items and mix up your shapes to include vertical and horizontal images, as well as some square round or oval shapes. Add in one or two more three-dimensional items, such as a box frame or a wall sculpture for extra interest.

Top tip: For a truly unique gallery wall, grab some inexpensive canvases in different sizes and have a go at your own abstract art using Resene testpots.

Browse second-hand shops for frames to upcycle or interesting pieces of art to include, even old magazines can be a source of great images. Think about painting your frames to make them pop against your wall. Try a gradient effect by choosing different intensities of one shade such as warm neutral Resene Napa, and use it in eighth, quarter, half, double and triple strengths.

Alternatively, go for similarly toned variations of one colour on your picture frames. Against a warm cream wall in Resene Anglaise, for example, add frames in earthy tones of Resene Cinnamon, Resene Chelsea Gem and Resene Tuscany.

A sleek orange hall table in a light blue hallway

A sleek but bold upcycled hall table painted in Resene Jailbreak and practical hooks painted in Resene Wishing Well, Resene Noir and Resene Japonica turn an unused stretch of hallway into a useful entranceway that gives a bold first impression. Walls painted in Resene Bluetooth, floor in Resene Alabaster, vase and low dish in Resene Wishing Well, tealight holder in Resene Bluetooth and lidded jar in Resene Noir. Artwork by Dada22 from Pop Motif. Project by Vanessa Nouwen, image by Melanie Jenkins.

A bright yellow front door

Resene Turbo gives this front door just the boost it needs to be an eye-catching entrance. Exterior weatherboards painted in Resene Triple Concrete, door trim in Resene Black White, bench in Resene Tuna, pots in, from left, Resene Silver Chalice and Resene Nocturnal, house number in Resene Silver Chalice and doormat painted with a pattern in Resene Tuna. Door from Corinthian Doors, light from Lighting Direct. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.

Freshen up the kitchen

There are some quick and simple design touches that can freshen up almost any kitchen in just a day or two, without the need for a major facelift.

The first one is to repaint your kitchen cupboards, even those coated in melamine. As cupboard doors are one of the main features of most kitchens, fresh paintwork on these can give the whole room a lift. Plus it’s much cheaper and more sustainable than a full kitchen re-fit.

Take off the doors and drawer fronts you’re repainting, and remove any hardware like hinges or handles. Clean well before applying Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer then paint.

You might also want to repaint the kitchen unit frames and baseboards in a fresh contrasting trim colour as well, to show off the new cupboards.

The other place to add some paint for a fast, cost-effective kitchen makeover is the floor. Most hard floor surfaces such as wood, concrete and tiles can be painted over to freshen-up tired floors. For a painted finish use Resene Walk-on or for a stained finish use Resene Colorwood. Talk to the experts at your local Resene ColorShop who will be able to advise on the best products for your type of flooring.

Top tip: Don’t be hemmed in when it comes to your floor. Instead of a block colour, try painting geometric designs to emulate tiling or enhance natural wood grain with Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Natural.

Adding shapes and colour to your home office

The simple addition of shapes and colour make this an appealing place to study or create that can be made over in a weekend. Walls and floor painted in Resene Rice Cake, with a full circle in Resene Twine and a floating shelf with half circle in Resene Dust Storm. Desk in Resene Bitter, chair in Resene Smokescreen, large planter on the floor in Resene Tuscany, arch backdrop in Resene Twine with box shelves in Resene Bitter, Resene Dust Storm, Resene Tuscany and Resene Rice Cake, plant pot on the arch shelf in Resene Dust Storm, on the main shelf plant pot in Resene Smokescreen, as is the clipboard on the wall. On the desk, the vase is Resene Lusty. The three-drawer box on the shelf is in Resene Smokescreen, Resene Bitter, Resene Twine and Resene Dust Storm. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Top tip: If you’re painting in wet weather, try to keep windows open to help the paint dry faster, taking care to avoid water coming inside.

Revamp the foyer

Entranceways and foyers can be good places to tackle on a wet weekend. They are usually areas where a small amount of organisation and design flair can have a real impact on how you use the space – not to mention the first impression guests get of your home.

If you have the space, upcycle an old shelf, shoe racks or cupboard as storage for the shoes, coats, umbrellas, dog leads and school bags that tend to accumulate around your main entry and exit point.

If your front door lies at the end of a long hallway, consider painting out a section around the front door and a short way along the side walls. This will shorten the hallway and create the sense of an entry zone.

This is also a good idea if your entry opens directly into a living area. By carving out a particular space around the door, you add a sense of containment to all the comings and goings.

Add colour outdoors

If you’re new to exterior decorating, you might be most comfortable starting with small projects first. There are two projects you can do to gain confidence that will also help you add maximum street appeal and impact to your exteriors. The first is to paint your front door, the second is to paint your mailbox.

Pick the same bold colour for both to really grab attention, particularly if your home is a paler neutral. For popular exterior colours like Resene White Pointer try a bold blast of red on the door and/or the mailbox in Resene Pohutukawa or go for dramatic red-toned black in Resene Diesel.

Most door repaints just need a good clean then recoating with two Resene topcoats. A high gloss finish is recommended to make your door colour stand out.

If you’re repainting a metal mailbox, remove it from its stand if possible and go over the surface with a brush to remove any dirt, surface rust and loose paint. Paint with one coat of Resene ArmourX GP Metal Primer and allow it to dry before applying your chosen colour.

Of course, there’s no rule to say your door and mailbox must be the same colour! If you can see both from the street, just think about how they work together with your overall exterior colour palette so the finished result is eye-catching and cohesive.

Wet weekends can also be a great time to plan and prepare for bigger projects that need sunnier weather or dry conditions. Use the time to browse through Resene paint colours or wallpapers, and try out Resene testpots on sample pieces of wood or plasterboard so you are ready to get decorating on the next fine day.