High-end look, low-cost paint: here’s how to make your home look luxe for less
When it comes to decorating your home, choosing the right paint shade can bring your design together for a harmonious finish – or add a pop of colour just where it’s needed. And when you get it just right, the perfect paint can make your home look more luxurious.
While there are plenty of high-end paint brands out there, it’s still possible to achieve impressive results with more affordable ranges. Albany Professional Paints are designed to deliver high-quality performance at a reasonable price, so you can create luxury looks for less.
We’re going to show you how to choose the best paint for your space, whether you want to brighten a dark corner or show off your creativity. Learn how to set the right mood from dark and dramatic to calm and cosy. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ll help you to find the perfect shade to match.
For best results, pick up Brewers’ range of painting sundries, including paint rollers and professional brushes to achieve expert results every time.
6 smart ways to use colour in your home
Say goodbye to harsh whites
White walls can bring light into smaller rooms, making them feel brighter and more spacious, but brilliant whites can leave your home feeling cold and clinical. Choosing a softer, off-white paint will help your rooms to feel lighter and more inviting.
When you’re selecting your colours, think about how they work with the rest of your palette. Whites come in cooler tones (think blues and greens) or warmer tones with hints of red, orange or pink. If you’re looking for a cool paint for your room, our top pick is Medway Mist from Albany. This delicate shade is a subtle way to make any room feel more refined and put-together.
Buy Albany Medway Mist paint, starting from £31.49 for 5L
Colour clash the right way
Adding clashing colours to a room brings real energy and life into your home. It’s a bold way to inject colour into your decor, and it’s perfect for lovers of Maximalism. Why not take your colour clashing to the next level by introducing a jumble of clashing patterned fabrics too?
Once you’ve tried colour clashing, you’ll be addicted to this fun technique. Not sure where to begin? We’d recommend starting with a mixed palette of greens such as Croscombe, Winslade, Jevington or Icelandic Surf.
Begin by picking a paint colour that will be the foundation of your whole colour scheme: our favourite is Friston Forest from Albany. This is a deep, rich green with a heritage feel, which wouldn’t look out of place in a country manor. Pair it with two or three other greens to complete your palette.
Painted arches are a simple way to introduce clashing colours, and you don’t need to be a professional painter to try this ingenious hack. Find out how to create painted wall arches.
Shop Albany Friston Forest paint, starting from £31.98 for 2.5L
Can’t find your dream paint?There’s nothing more annoying than finding a colour you love when you can’t find a paint shade to match – or finding that it looks completely different when it dries. Brewers Decorator Centres offers a huge selection of paint brands, including Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Dulux Heritage, which are all available online. Still struggling to find the right paint shade? Pop into your nearest Brewers store to pick your sample pots or free colour cards. Their friendly staff will help you to find the perfect match. |
Discover your artistic side
Why stop at just one colour? Create a statement wall in your home by painting your own unique mural. Paint sample pots are ideal for mural-making, as you can mix-and-match your favourite colours to make a complementary palette. This is a great project to try if you have lots of leftover tester pots lying around after a big reno.
Decorate your wall with whatever designs you choose: flowing leaves, sweeping flowers or random geometric shapes – just follow your creative instincts and see what you can produce!
If you’re unsure about your composition, it can be helpful to create a practice sketch on paper before you start painting your walls. Drawing a grid on the paper can help you to get a sense of scale and how big each part of your design needs to be. You can also lightly mark your design on the wall in pencil.
Buy Albany colour sample pots, £3.49 for 250ml
Go dark and moody
Dark doesn’t need to mean gloomy. Dark and moody paints can be surprisingly cosy and bring instant luxury into any room. Look for smoky charcoal greys, deep greens or dark reds to bring warmth and sophistication.
Don’t be afraid of colour drenching with dark shades either – this trending painting technique involves painting both the ceiling and the walls in the same colour. Surprisingly, colour drenching can often make smaller rooms feel larger, because it softens the divide between the walls and the ceiling.
When you combine colour drenching with carefully chosen lighting, you can create a space that’s truly intimate and welcoming. It creates a cosy, cocoon-like effect in any room.
Drench your walls in colours inspired by the natural world, such as Kingsmead. This rich, earthy red shade will give your room a warm glow – just what you need on grey winter days.
Shop for Albany Kingsmead paint, from £31.98 for 2.5L
Bring natural calm into your bedroom
Your bedroom decor helps to prepare you for a restful night, and opting for natural shades will keep this space feeling calm.
We love this subtle smoky grey shade called Mistley from the Albany range. Mistley is a brilliant shade to choose if you’re looking for a paint colour that’s both soothing and effortlessly stylish.
This soft grey shade feels really inviting and sophisticated, bringing a hotel luxe atmosphere into your bedroom. Why go away for the weekend when you can make your room feel like a high-end retreat every night?
Albany’s Pitapat is another beautiful colour to go for if you’re looking for a gentle, spring-like shade to brighten up your living spaces.
Buy Albany Mistley paints, from £31.98 for 2.5L
Set the mood with chic wallpaper
Wallpaper can be a fantastic starting point for the design of an entire room. If you choose one with colours you love, you can echo the same shades in other parts of your design – or choose contrasting colours to clash with it.
Covering every wall in a room with wallpaper can sometimes be overwhelming, but you can also use it to create a fun accent wall or to make a separate zone within your room. For example, if you have an open-plan kitchen-diner, you could use wallpaper to create a sense of separation between the two and give each zone its own personality. Brewers has a fantastic selection of patterns to choose from, so you’re bound to find one to suit your decor style.
Create a cosy feel in any room with this charming Ivy Plaid wallpaper. Plaid is an incredibly versatile wallpaper pattern, working just as hard in a child’s bedroom as in a living room. There’s something very nostalgic about sage green, especially when it’s teamed up with this attractive plaid pattern. Pair it with matching painted panelling to complete the look.
Buy Albany Ivy Plaid wallpaper in Sage, £14.99 per roll
Your painting checklist
Before you begin, check that you have these painting essentials:
- Paint brushes and rollers – you can use paint brushes for the edges of a wall or for painting furniture, while rollers are a must-have for larger areas
- Dust sheets – cover your flooring and furnishings before you start painting to avoid splashes
- Masking tape – painter’s masking tape will help you to achieve crisp edges and a professional finish
- Sandpaper – you can paint onto most surfaces without sanding, but sandpaper will remove any unevenness before you begin. If you’re painting over a glossy paint, you will need to sand it before painting to give the fresh paint something to grip onto
- Cleaning products – it’s a good idea to have cleaning sponges or a damp cloth on hand to clean up any paint splatters quickly
- Step ladders – handy for those hard-to-reach places!
Make your home look more expensive with Brewers
Choosing the right paint colour is the foundation of successful interior design. From colour-drenching to picking the ideal shade of white, using colour thoughtfully can make any home feel grander – and more luxurious!
Whether you’re looking for bold and dramatic shades or classic colours that won’t date, Albany, available at Brewers Decorator Centres has everything you need for your next reno or DIY refresh this spring.
