If there is one question I get asked more than any other, it’s what paint colours I’ve used in certain rooms. There is something undeniably magical and empowering about picking out a tin of paint – call me dramatic but in that single tin, you hold more transformative powers than nearly any single thing you can bring in a room.  Not only that, in the grand scheme of things, it’s a relatively inexpensive option as well, considering it can give you a completely different look even when nothing else has changed.

So when Homebase contacted me recently asking if I would like to discuss Dulux paint colours with you, I just had to agree. Why? Because hand-on-heart, I buy all my paint at my local Homebase and nearly always use Dulux. I mean, that’s a pretty good reason to talk about it, no?

I created this little simple chart so you can see the scheme of the whole house.  A couple of these are no longer in the rooms (replaced with other Dulux colours shown) but they are all colours that I’ve used and loved myself.

Now, for ages, the image below was my most popular pin on Pinterest.  I know, right? With it’s crazy swirly artex on the ceiling and rather plain fixtures, it was most definitely the paint colour that caught people’s eye.

In fact, I still get a lot of Google traffic to this one post which is kind of funny because since then, we’ve been working on a bathroom remodel!  But Dulux Hawaiian Blue 3 completely transformed what was a very boring white bathroom into something that I was pretty happy to live with for a couple of years until we could start the bathroom remodel.  That’s what you might call the power of paint.  It is what I would consider a peacock blue or a very dark teal.  In some light, it looked more blue (as it does in the picture above), in another light, it would appear more green, but it was always a stunning hue. I admit, I was a little sorry to see it go!

My bedroom was probably one of the biggest changes in terms of transformations.  It was a pinky beige colour (ghastly, honestly) when we’d moved in and I decided that it needed to be rectified IMMEDIATELY if I was going to get any sleep in there.  So initially we painted it the same colour as the living room (Dulux Dusted Moss 2 seen further down in this post), but eventually, I got brave and painted the whole room in the darkest chalkiest slate grey I could find – Dulux Night Jewels 1.

It’s the best thing I could have done for this room – I love how absolutely everything pops against it.  And because it’s not a true black, it doesn’t look harsh – the flat paint has a softness to it that’s enveloping and cosy at night – perfect for a bedroom!

I remember going to Homebase with a sample of the wallpaper I planning to use in my dressing room.  The helpful gent at the Dulux counter zapped it with their magic eye thingie at the mixing counter that allows them to choose paint colours from objects and told me Japanese Maze 3 was the closest match to the palest green in the wallpaper.  Painting above the picture rail in a similar colour to the wallpaper helped to raise the ceilings that much higher in the room and finding me a great match was easy-peasy for the Homebase guys too.

The dining room was originally painted in Dulux Nightjewels 3 – it was a lovely sludge-y grey with warm purple-y undertones.  If you are considering going dark with your paint colours but feel nervous about taking the plunge, it’s a great shade to start with as it works with so many other colours and neutrals.  I had a lot of love for this paint colour – I think it has a similar effect to the Abigail Ahern favourite Farrow & Ball Downpipe but at a lower price point.  No compromising on quality though, the finish is just as gorgeous as a higher-end brand.

I loved it for the 2+ years we had it.  However, late last summer, I got an itch to make a change.  A large tin of Dulux Wild Water 1 paint from the Dulux paint-mixing guy at my local Homebase plus a weekend of painting (single-handedly I may add as Wayne was away!) and I got my deep blue dining room. The resulting change was dramatic.  I adore this colour and I have to hold myself back from painting my whole house in it!

My living room is probably the one room I get this question asked the most.  Dulux Dusted Moss 2 is probably what I would consider my “perfect” light grey – and this is because it’s a ‘true grey’ (without a lot of blue or red undertones) and somehow, it manages to lift a room that doesn’t a lot of natural sunlight.  It’s easy on the eye and works wonderfully with the original features in the space.  You might recall I also used it for the Purple Door Project in a similarly situated living room.

Finally, in my kitchen is the basic of all basics.  Dulux Pure Brilliant White.  It does exactly what it says on the tin.  Pretty much anywhere we’ve used white (ceilings, baseboards, trim), it’s been in Pure Brilliant White.  It goes on slightly opaque (which could seem scary at first, thinking you’ll need loads of coats) but it dries completely opaque with great coverage.  It’s neither a blue nor a creamy white so it works in nearly every application.

So it’s pretty safe to say that I would HIGHLY recommend Dulux as a paint choice in your own home.  As you can see, I’ve used it throughout my home and throughout my home’s journey.  I normally use the flat or matt paint colours because I live in a house that’s over 100 years old and the walls are far from perfectly smooth so small imperfections disappear with a flatter paint.

Yes, you can get pricier paints out there and you can definitely get cheaper paints out there.  But for a mid-range paint, the consistency and coverage is remarkable (I’ve never needed to do more than 2 coats, even in the darkest colours) and the sheer volume of colours available are mind-boggling – and they will custom mix for you even if you can’t find the exact shade you’re looking for.

So go on and visit your local Homebase and have them mix you up something special at the Dulux counter. You don’t even need to sweat too much about your decision – with Dulux “Let’s Colour” Guarantee, if you don’t like the paint, they will send you a voucher for a free tin (participating stores only, please read the T&Cs here).  So get mixing and have some fun, eh?

Have you used Dulux paints in your own home?  What colours are your favourites?

 

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This post is in association with Homebase but as always, all images, opinions, general rambling and sorry excuses for humour are all my very own.  Thank you for supporting the businesses that support Swoon Worthy!

 


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