A Moody Blue Makeover

Yesterday's colour post took inspiration from an autumn palette, but in the second part of my collaboration with Dulux, today's post turns towards a darker palette with a moody Nordic feel that feels just right for the approaching winter nights.

With autumn transformation and getting the home ready for winter in mind, last weekend we decided to tackle a little bedroom makeover project. As someone who's just a tiny bit obsessive about interiors and getting things right, I have to confess I really struggle to decide on paint colours, and often put projects off indefinitely as a result. Choosing a colour palette can involve weeks of indecision and several u-turns while I mull over various different paint charts. This is typically followed by several trips to the nearest DIY store to pick up tester pots, often one at a time, as first one then another colour is ruled out. This is not a process I enjoy. On one occasion Mr P painted an entire room twice in one weekend because I couldnít bear the colour we'd chosen - not a great recipe for domestic harmony, and not something I'd recommend!

So it was with this in mind that I was happy to try out the Dulux Visualizer app. Designed to make choosing the right paint colour quicker and easier, it allows you to virtually paint your walls in hundreds of shades and see the result instantly.

Here's Mr P testing it out in our bedroom.

Although I've come across online paint colour tools in the past, they've never struck me as being particularly user-friendly or even very useful, but this handy little app is different, and I was impressed with it for two reasons.

Firstly, it enables you to see the colour you've chosen projected onto the walls of your own home, in the exact space where you are thinking of using it. This is much more useful than other tools where stock images of interiors are used to offer a more generalized indication of what the colour might look like.

Secondly, you can view the image directly on your smartphone. There's no need to take a photograph and then upload it. You literally just point your phone at the wall you want to paint, click on your chosen colour and the augmented reality technology allows you to see the colour live in your own home. So you can visualize how the room will look in different colours quickly and easily. It takes just seconds and really is incredibly easy to use.

As well as allowing you to visualize a range of different shades on your wall, the app also allows you to pick a colour from anywhere and match it to the nearest Dulux colour available. So for example, you could point it at a fabric swatch or a cushion you've seen in store and it will match it to the nearest paint colour available, and even suggest complementary shades to help you build up your colour palette. You can then share the look you've created with friends and family, so everyone is able to see what it will look like before you've even so much as picked up a brush.

The colour we opted for was Azure Fusion 1 - a dark inky blue with just a slight hint of green. You can see some before pictures of the space here. Although we loved the clean all white look we felt that painting part of the room in a darker shade would help add more impact.

It's worth noting that this room is south facing so it is quite a bright, well-lit space. I wouldn't necessarily choose a colour as dark as this in a room with less natural light, but for the space we've chosen it works really well.

Using the app helped us to visualize how it would look and gave us the confidence to take the plunge and go for a much darker shade than we might otherwise have chosen. We didn't even feel the need to try out different tester pots! There were no rows or disagreements over the colour and we both love the result.

What this little piece of technology does essentially is make life a little bit easier by taking some of the risk out of tackling a colour project. Something that's particularly useful if you're considering a bold transformation with strong colours.

And speaking from personal experience, I recommend it for the avoidance of DIY related arguments with your partner too!

* * *

The Dulux Visualizer app can be downloaded for free from the Apple app store or Google Play.

Styling and photography by Design Hunter and posted in collaboration with Dulux.