Renovate in style with Dulux's Autumn 2012 colours
When renovating your home, the paint you and your builder choose to use will make a big difference to the feel of your house. Add a touch of colour and style to your home this Autumn by drawing on one of the stunning Dulux Colours of New Zealand colours handpicked by Denise L’Estrange-Corbet, or combine a selection of shades for an eye-catching vibrant look.
New Zealand fashion designer and queen of colour, Denise L’Estrange-Corbet of fashion house WORLD, joined forces with Dulux to release a series of limited edition seasonal palettes that are perfect for adding a fashionable injection of style and colour into New Zealand homes.
Bound by a love of colour, Denise’s first palette for Dulux, Denise’s Picks for Autumn, features six bold and contrasting shades handpicked by Denise, that remain true to the flamboyant fashion designer’s trademark style.
“Denise is internationally renowned for her inspired use of intense and at times, clashing colours. No one does colour quite like Denise, which is why we’re delighted that she’s teamed up with us to create the Denise’s Picks collection, designed to showcase how people can add a fashionable touch of colour in their home,” says Shontelle Crosswell, Marketing Manager at Dulux.
“I really want to show Kiwis how to work with colour,” says Denise of her partnership with Dulux - a brand she’s been using since she was a child.
“Colour means so much to me. I could not imagine my life without it. It’s something that has been a big part of my personal and work life, and I encourage people to use it more. We are enveloped by colour every waking moment, from walking down the street, to being at work, to relaxing at home. Without colour, our world would be a very dull place to live in.”
Denise adds that Kiwis tend to have an undying love affair with white – and she’s on a one woman mission to ease them off it and onto brights.
“People are obsessed with using white. White is clean and very nice, but it is a shade, and colour adds so much more depth to a home and a workplace. It really does have the power to transform a space.”
Practising what she preaches, Denise says she loves experimenting with colours in the home.
Denise L’Estrange-Corbet
“When we bought our first home, which was a tired Grey Lynn villa 20 years ago, it really needed colour. When I told friends how I was going to paint the lounge, they were horrified. I had a white ceiling and daffodil yellow walls. The wall above the brick fireplace I painted navy blue, and I painted all the brick dark green, and it was stunning. Everyone who entered it found it so uplifting.”
Denise says that while such a combination of colours may not be to everyone’s liking, colour can be incorporated in more subtle ways.
“You don’t have to be so extreme, and if you do prefer neutrals, you can accentuate with one feature wall in a bold colour, or paint a piece of furniture to brighten a room.”
When selecting the six shades for her first collection for Dulux, Denise’s Picks for Autumn, Denise says she opted for colours that not only stood out on their own, but worked as a combination.
“I chose colours that really inspired me, that could be used alone or paired together and that would complement each other. It’s important that the colours you pick work as a team. I used shades right across the spectrum, from the very light to the dark and interjected them with bright hues. I like the fact that the colours I chose ranged from light, dark and bright – just what is needed in Autumn.”
From a soft, serene blue and a bold, sunny yellow to a deep, brooding navy, the Denise’s Picks for Autumn 2012 palette features the following Dulux Colours of New Zealand colours:
Dulux Kenepuru – A dark, sophisticated navy shade that would look as stunning in a formal dining room as it would in a bedroom. Pair with white to create a classically elegant feel or with a bolder shade, like Dulux Karaka Bay, for real impact.
Dulux Karaka Bay – A bright, sunny marigold yellow.
Dulux Courtenay Place – a vibrant, punchy orange that would look gorgeous when used on a feature wall, adding warmth and retro drama to a space.
Dulux Leigh – A soft and calming sky blue hue.
Dulux Cuba Street – A zesty lime green. Pair with white to create a fresh, enlivening vibe or jump on the colour blocking bandwagon, and team with contrasting shades such as Dulux Karaka Bay and Dulux Leigh.
Dulux Grave Couloir Quarter – A steep, deep and anchoring frozen white that’s the perfect complement to some high voltage colour.
The Dulux Colours of New Zealand Selected in Denise's Picks as well as the wider range of 900 colours are available at all good hardware retailers.
Denise's tips for using colour
- Step out of your comfort zone and incorporate colours you wouldn't normally use to liven up tired objects around the home, such as chairs, tables or an old wooden chest.
- If you are decorating furniture - for instance a set of kitchen chairs - use one base colour for all the chairs, but vary by contrasting the colours of each one on maybe the legs, to add vibrancy.
- Mix pastels and primary colours - experiment with colour!
- If you are painting a room, be bold. Colour is an extension of your personality! If you don't want to do the whole room, do a feature wall. It can make the whole room look so different.
- If you find you always seem to pick a particular shade, try using a similar colour but a few shades either darker or lighter. It's amazing what a difference it can make.
- If you have an old villa with wood surrounds around the windows, paint them in a deep colour instead of white. A navy, teal blue or dark green can look fantastic.
Find out more about colour and paint at www.dulux.co.nz.
This article was provided by Sarah Collier. Photography by Dulux.
Read more about colour and home renovations in the Autumn 2012 issue of New Zealand Renovate magazine, out on 15th March 2012.
