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My home
How to
Choose colour
Using colour to elevate small spaces
My home
How to
Choose colour
Using colour to elevate small spaces
Using colour to elevate small spaces

Using colour to elevate small spaces

Within your home, you may find a number of small nooks that are overlooked when it comes to style and décor. However, adding a touch of colour can be a fast way to elevate these areas into enticing, stylish spaces. Dulux colour featured: Mason Bay Double and Gentle Annie.

Follow 4 easy steps to get you started.

1
Zone in
2
Choose soft tones
3
Experiment with patterns and shapes
4
Utilise monochromatic colours

How To Guides

Choose & Use Colour
How to use the Dulux Colour Visualisation Tool
How to use colour in your home
How to use a colour wheel
Using and testing colour with samples
How to create a colour scheme
How to choose exterior colour schemes
Tips to create a monochromatic space
Colour blocking in your home
How to create a feeling of fun in your home
How to create a feeling of happiness in your home
Using colour to elevate small spaces
How to make your workspace more productive
Choose Paint
How to choose a sheen level
Calculate how much paint you will need
Painting and product advice
Prepare Your Surface
Prepare interior surfaces
Prepare exterior surfaces
Treat and prevent mould
Taping and wall preparation
How to paint over interior effects paint
Painting & Application Techniques
How to paint brick
How to paint walls
How to paint ceilings
How to paint stripes
How to paint doors and trims
How to paint your front door
How to repaint a picket fence
How to paint your house following flood damage
How to use spray paint
How to apply Duramax® spray paints
Painting Tools & Tips
How to use a paint brush
How to use a paint roller
How to use spray paint
Paint safety
Clean Up & Disposal
Paint clean up and disposal
Paint Problem Solver
When droplets appear on acrylic paint
Yellowing
Wrinkling
Sagging
Roller spattering
Poor stain resistance
Poor sheen uniformity
Poor scrub resistance
Poor hiding power
Poor flow and levelling
Roller marks / stipple
Picture framing
Mud cracking
Interior lapping
Foaming or cratering
Cracking, flaking or peeling
Interior burnishing
Interior blocking
Tannin staining
Surfactant leaching
Using Specialty Finish Paints
How to paint using Dulux Design Rust Effect
How to paint using Dulux Design Glitter Effect
Paint using Dulux Design Copper & Copper Patina Effect
Paint using Dulux Design Metallic & Design Pearl Effect
Paint with Dulux Design Concrete Effect
How to paint using Dulux Design Chalk Effect

Choose & Use Colour

Choose & Use Colour
How to use the Dulux Colour Visualisation Tool
How to use colour in your home
How to use a colour wheel
Using and testing colour with samples
How to create a colour scheme
How to choose exterior colour schemes
Tips to create a monochromatic space
Colour blocking in your home
How to create a feeling of fun in your home
How to create a feeling of happiness in your home
Using colour to elevate small spaces
How to make your workspace more productive
Choose Paint
How to choose a sheen level
Calculate how much paint you will need
Painting and product advice
Prepare Your Surface
Prepare interior surfaces
Prepare exterior surfaces
Treat and prevent mould
Taping and wall preparation
How to paint over interior effects paint
Painting & Application Techniques
How to paint brick
How to paint walls
How to paint ceilings
How to paint stripes
How to paint doors and trims
How to paint your front door
How to repaint a picket fence
How to paint your house following flood damage
How to use spray paint
How to apply Duramax® spray paints
Painting Tools & Tips
How to use a paint brush
How to use a paint roller
How to use spray paint
Paint safety
Clean Up & Disposal
Paint clean up and disposal
Paint Problem Solver
When droplets appear on acrylic paint
Yellowing
Wrinkling
Sagging
Roller spattering
Poor stain resistance
Poor sheen uniformity
Poor scrub resistance
Poor hiding power
Poor flow and levelling
Roller marks / stipple
Picture framing
Mud cracking
Interior lapping
Foaming or cratering
Cracking, flaking or peeling
Interior burnishing
Interior blocking
Tannin staining
Surfactant leaching
Using Specialty Finish Paints
How to paint using Dulux Design Rust Effect
How to paint using Dulux Design Glitter Effect
Paint using Dulux Design Copper & Copper Patina Effect
Paint using Dulux Design Metallic & Design Pearl Effect
Paint with Dulux Design Concrete Effect
How to paint using Dulux Design Chalk Effect

Smaller living areas often go unnoticed, but with the right approach, many of these can be easily transformed into spaces you will look forward to spending time in. Rooms like laundries, libraries, nurseries, playrooms, and studies are an invitation for new touches of luxury in your home.

Here are four ways you can use colour to elevate small spaces within your home.

1. Zone in

Simply introducing a colour, like the soft midgreen Cloudy Range to an accent wall can inject personality into the transitional spaces within your home. Pair Cloudy Range with soft neutrals such as Remuera or Mt Aspiring Double.

Entrance with runner rug and white door with green walls
Hallway

Wall

Cloudy Range

Cloudy Range is a muted natural mid-base green perfect for exteriors or accent walls. Pair it with soft neutrals such as Cossack Rock Quarter and Mt Aspiring Double.

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Wall
Cloudy Range
Wall
Remuera
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Cloudy Range is a muted natural mid-base green perfect for exteriors or accent walls. Pair it with soft neutrals such as Cossack Rock Quarter and Mt Aspiring Double.
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2. Choose soft tones

When it comes to small spaces, it often pays to tread softly. Tones like off-white, blues, browns and greens can similarly bring a more spacious feel to any nook.

Painting your ceiling the same color as your walls can draw the eye up, which creates the illusion of a larger room and higher ceilings. This calming and ethereal bedroom from the Dulux Colour Forecast 2023 features Dunedin, a sophisticated dusty pink on the walls and the ceiling.

This study nook space below features two colours from the Dulux Colour Forecast 2023, Pataua Beach which is an elegant warm neutral, and the earthy green Gentle Annie. Selecting two warm earthy colours and running them from floor to ceiling, as illustrated here, wraps the room in warmth.

White airy study nook with orange chair

Walls & Ceiling

Dunedin

Dunedin is a sophisticated dusty pink that can add subtle colour to any room without being overpowering. It works well with soft whites such as Southern Alps and neutrals Haast and Haast Half.

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Walls & Ceiling
Dunedin
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Dunedin is a sophisticated dusty pink that can add subtle colour to any room without being overpowering. It works well with soft whites such as Southern Alps and neutrals Haast and Haast Half.
Download
Study nook with green walls

Wall

Gentle Annie

Gentle Annie is a very soft green with a yellow undertone that can be used as a main wall or an accent colour both inside and out. Pair it with warm white Sandfly Point Quarter or vibrant greens such as Clive.

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Wall
Gentle Annie
Wall
Pataua Beach
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Gentle Annie is a very soft green with a yellow undertone that can be used as a main wall or an accent colour both inside and out. Pair it with warm white Sandfly Point Quarter or vibrant greens such as Clive.
Download

3. Experiment with patterns and shapes

When it comes to painting your interior, don’t feel confined to the outline of your walls. Instead, consider bringing more dimension into your room through geometry.

Vertical lines of Charteris Bay and Makaka Bay, on a white wall, for example, can make things look higher, while horizontal portions of Ruakaka can make a space feel wider. Round patterns on the other hand can create a sense of refreshing softness.

White nursery with blue painted feature wall and charcoal cot and drawers

Wall

Charteris Bay

Charteris Bay is soft duck egg blue that is a perfect shade for bedrooms, bathrooms or laundries. Team it with Haast Half or the inky dark blue of Black Reef.

Blues can create a tranquil and calming atmosphere in your home. Dark blues can add sophistication and moodiness to the space whilst lighter blues can add a sense of calm. Blue is a versatile colour and can be easily schemed with many other colours for the interior or exterior.

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Wall
Charteris Bay
Wall
Makaka Bay
Wall
Ruakaka
Close
Charteris Bay is soft duck egg blue that is a perfect shade for bedrooms, bathrooms or laundries. Team it with Haast Half or the inky dark blue of Black Reef.
Download

4. Utilise monochromatic colours

Monochromatic schemes can be used to make spaces look larger, so it’s little wonder they’ve become so popular in recent years.

Pairing Whāngārā and Mt Albert ties together similar shades of colour to create a more expansive feel. As with all monochromatic schemes, you’ll be pulling your shades from the same slice of the colour wheel, so don’t get too daring with your combinations.

A warm taupe such as Glen Murray can fill your space with warmth and looks beautiful with a soft grey like Lyttleton Quarter. A simple, neutral palette is perfect to help your home feel like a peaceful, secure sanctuary.

Wall

Whāngārā

A soft warm putty coloured neutral that works well for both interior or exterior walls. Whāngārā works well with whites such as Southern Alps as well deeper browns and maroons such as King Country and Herald Island.

Explore colour-->
Wall
Whāngārā
Wall
Mt Albert
Close
A soft warm putty coloured neutral that works well for both interior or exterior walls. Whāngārā works well with whites such as Southern Alps as well deeper browns and maroons such as King Country and Herald Island.
Download
Study space with desk and brown wall with white shelf

Wall

Glen Murray

Neutral mid-based brown Glen Murray is ideal for subtle, contemporary schemes in any room of your home. It is a great shade for walls when paired with the warmth of Haast Half or Ōpononi Quarter.

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Wall
Glen Murray
Close
Neutral mid-based brown Glen Murray is ideal for subtle, contemporary schemes in any room of your home. It is a great shade for walls when paired with the warmth of Haast Half or Ōpononi Quarter.
Download

When it comes to your home, being creative with colour is the key to infusing luxury everywhere you look.

Even the smallest spaces can be brought to life with a new coat of paint, as long as it possesses the durability and quality finish that will do justice to your vision from day one. That’s why it always pays to paint with Dulux Ceiling and Dulux Wash&Wear®.

Shop online for the perfect shade

Visit our online shop to choose from hundreds of colours to find your perfect front door shade. Colour featured: Dulux Morikau.

Shop online by colour
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Colours of New Zealand

Explore more than 1000 colours from the popular Colours of New Zealand range.

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