And it was all yellow

Project ideas and inspiration from Good magazine

Banish boring white and instead use a strong yellow tone to channel shades of glamour and elegance from a bygone era.

Regency style belongs to the early 19th century period in Britain when George IV was Prince Regent.

It was a time when women wore Empire line frocks and fashionable men were dandys. Jane Austen’s popular novel Pride and Prejudice had just been published. Iron balconies, vertically striped wallpaper and bow windows were in vouge. White painted stucco facades and shiny black front doors framed by columns were other hallmarks of Regency style.

Green, rose, blue and pale purples were popular colours of the era, often named after flowers of a similar shade. Yellow was a particular favourite, including the intense shades of canary, jonquilas and the rich and deep evening primrose flower, or Cenothera biennis.

It’s easy to conjure the Regency look using colour; choose a strong graphic yellow such as Resene Spotlight, and complement with shiny blacks and crisp whites.

You will need

• Feature walls: Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel in Resene Spotlight
• Neutral walls: Resene Zylone Sheen waterborne low sheen in Resene Rice Cake
• Woodwork: Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Black White
• Door: Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Black
• Plus: Ladder, gloves, dust sheets and various paint brushes and rollers

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1  Prepare your walls for painting, filling any holes or imperfections with bog, lightly sanding once it is dry. Check all surfaces are smooth and free of dust – including woodwork.

Step 2  Stir the paint, pouring some into a roller tray and more into a paint pot or other small container that’s easy to hold while cutting in or climbing up and down the ladder.

Step 3  Cut in around the edges of the wall, using an angled cutting-in brush and small amounts of paint. Give the body of the wall a first coat.

Step 4  Once dry, sand any dribbles and give it a second, and if necessary, a third coat.

2014

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