Dining rooms Separate dining rooms tend to be reserved for special occasions so they are a good opportunity to experiment with colour that you might not be brave enough to use elsewhere. Red stimulates the appetite and is a good choice for dining rooms. Combined with gold cutlery, a dramatic air of formality will result. Midnight blue or aubergine and gold are also dramatic colour schemes for night-time dining. Remember, in any dining room the table will be the focal point. Below: Rear wall in Resene Tana, front wall in Resene Half Perfect Taupe, floor in Resene Soulmate, skirting in Resene Quarter Merino, coat stand in Resene Hot Toddy and chair in Resene Tussock. Family rooms Family rooms call for a tough durable finish that can take the inevitable wear and tear. Families tend to spend a lot of time in this part of the home, so a bright uplifting colour scheme is recommended. Use one or two dominant colours and add accents for interest. Choose mid tone colours that will minimise the appearance of finger marks, animal fur and general light scuffing. Avoid using very dark or very light colours. Use patterned curtains and furnishing fabric in place of plain fabrics. Below: Left wall in Resene Marathon (try Resene Wavelength for another option), right wall in Resene Awash and stairwell in Resene Alabaster. 24 |