All posts filed under: Painting

How to add personality to a new build

Published by Karen Knox

Hello everyone, it’s been photoshoot central of late so i’m back with my second post of the month. It’s another final reveal post, plus I’m sharing some tips on how to add personality to a new build property. The homeowners, a young couple were keen to put their stamp on their new four bedroom home so contacted me to help them with the ground floor. We worked together remotely during lockdown Mk1, me finally visiting for the first time in summer 2020 once the project was underway. Before I’ve written before about how new builds are some of the hardest properties to re-design as there can be very little to be inspired by. There are no fireplaces, chimney breasts, no alcoves or nooks and crannies to build shelving into, no high ceilings or period features such as cornice, dado and picture rails. The rooms in a new build are often purely functional, rectangular rooms which have been kitted out in low-mid range fixtures and fittings. One of the reasons people opt for new builds is …

The Georgian Apartment – Guest Bedroom and Hallway

Published by Karen Knox

Hello all, another look at how the Georgian Apartment is coming on this week, with the focus being on the hallway and guest bedroom today. But before we start looking at the other spaces, a quick update on the open plan kitchen/dining/ living space: Here’s a pic from a visit a couple of weeks ago of the Quick Step Old Oak Grey flooring going down. This has now been fitted throughout the whole room leading in from the hallway. Having no thresholds or breaks in floor coverings is a great way of achieving a sense of continuity and flows between spaces. On my last visit the kitchen was very nearly fitted and the new radiators were in! I had just over a day to design the entire open plan living space so didn’t really have the luxury of time for kitchen research. The timescales of the project are very tight due to the homeowners’ urgency to get moved in (which I think he is doing this BH weekend). For the kitchen I was given the …

The Georgian Apartment – Progress Update

Published by Karen Knox

Hello hello! I’ve been away for a wee while after struggling to find the time to wash my own hair, never mind time to sit down and studiously write a blog post. I think three weeks has been the longest hiatus I’ve had since starting this blog back in 2015. And I suspect my posts from now on will become a little more sporadic than usual (especially over the school holidays – 7 weeks!!). Anyhooo, I’m back today with an update on one of my projects after a site visit on Friday morn. Remember the Georgian Apartment I was working on…? This be the one – read part 1 here if you like With the f’ugly blue kitchen My previous visit Well progress has been going swimmingly since my last visit, so much so that I wanted to show you some photos, because now one room in particular has been painted, it is looking rather special. And now The walls and woodwork are all in Paint and Paper Library’s Masque, the palest of greys. In …

Benjamin Moore #paintlikenoother

Published by Karen Knox

Sorry for not posting last week. I’m sure you were all refreshing your inboxes every 30 minutes wondering where my weekly post was? Call off the search party everyone, i’m fine, if a little stiff around the ole joints. I’ve done the equivalent of 39 step classes this weekend, working hard on the decorating of our bedroom makeover. Remember our proposed new bedroom colour that divided opinion? Nude Bedroom – Moodboard Now let me make it clear from the off so the ASA don’t come and arrest me, I was gifted the paint for this project. BUT I chose the paint and colour, Benjamin Moore‘s ‘Fox Hedge Tan’, before i’d secured a collaboration. I’ve been wanting to try Benjamin Moore’s paints for ages and always prefer to try new products in my own home before recommending them to others to try in theirs. After i’d bought a tester and settled on the colour, I emailed Benjamin Moore to see if they’d let me review their paints on the blog in exchange for a few litres of …

Would you go nude? – The interior trend that’s barely there – Nude Walls

Published by Karen Knox

So yeah, a bit of a click-baity title I admit. No bums, boobs or body parts to see here people. It’s all about the nude walls today. Monument, New Black, and Temple Maybe it’s all this gorgeous weather we’re having that’s got me focussing on just how pale my pins are (like, really!) but since writing the Paint and Paper Library post where this picture above featured, i’ve been busy researching the best fleshy toned, nude paint colours out there. Because if you don’t already know, pink or “blush” aint going anywhere for a while… it is however, getting a little darker than those candy sweet pinks we’ve seen over the past four years or so. Think flesh tones, American tan tights, foundation samples, a touch more terracotta, peach… or dare I say it, “beige”. Yes, neutrals are on their way baby, but not in a boring way. Oh bloody hell no siree. Check out some of the best nude shades i’ve found and note how these barely there, neutrals can really pack a punch. …

Colour Consult – Inspiration for your walls with Paint & Paper Library

Published by Karen Knox

I did a colour consult yesterday for someone that’s recently bought their own home. They’d always rented previously, so painting walls wasn’t an option and therefore not a concern. Now he’s got a four bedroom, three storey house to decorate and furnish, it’s not surprising he’s overwhelmed. We’ve already worked on his living room and it’s been completely transformed by choosing the right paint colour. I’m not exaggerating either. Will share some photos with you guys when the rest of the work is done. The Brits’ fear of colour Most people’s homes are off white, cream, ivory, dare I say, magnolia… there might be a feature wall somewhere or a splash of jazzy wallpaper in the downstairs loo, but generally us Brits are pretty scared of living with colour. I don’t just mean dark colours, but richer colours and pigments. Dulux nailed the Brit’s fear of colour with their infamous, still going strong, Natural Hints collection. Apple White, Apricot White, Jade White… see where i’m going with this…? We like colour, but only a little bit, …

Let’s talk about white UPVC (and how to paint it)

Published by Karen Knox

I know a lot of you guys hate your own white UPVC, because you were all messaging me this week on Instagram when I was sharing my recent DIY project on Insta Stories. I’m not the only hater out there it seems. Once the talk of the town, white UPVC doors and windows revolutionised the whole glazing and door industry back in the 80’s. Maintenance free, double glazed units were fitted in nearly every house and home in the country. However, it seems there’s not a lot people out there that still want their white plastic frames and doors. Not in their current state anyway. Including me. There I am standing in front of my door, fake laughing for a MADE.COM shoot. Praying they won’t use this one as i’m so embarrassed by the front of our house. I’m super proud of what we’ve managed to do inside our little 3 bed semi, but the outside was always last on the list. And this year is the year for that. If you remember, we’d already …

How to Connect your Rooms – Choosing a Colour Palette

Published by Karen Knox

Hello everyone, I’m back this week with a little look at how to connect your rooms at home. What does that mean exactly? One of the keys to a successful home interior is having a sense of cohesion and “flow”. The rooms and spaces between should connect with the surrounding ones. For example, let’s say you’ve got three bedrooms on a floor, like most people and you want them all to have their own identity but also not look like a patchwork quilt from the landing, it’s good to consider how these spaces connect as a whole. Often, people run the flooring throughout to make the overall space feel larger. We all know that the less breaks in a colour or pattern, the better, as the eye continues further along the space. Flooring continues on from our loft bedroom to landing with no threshold to break the line’s eye. Another way to do is is choose a colour palette, and stick to that for a floor, even better, a whole house if you’re being really clever. …

The Copper Bedroom – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Just like buses, you wait for ages, in the rain, getting puddle mud on the back of your skinny jeans, standing with damp denim stuck to your leg… then three of the double-decker blighters come all at once. My third final reveal post in as many weeks. That’s got to be some kind of record. The Monochrome Family Bathroom, then the Aquamarine Guest Bedroom and now the Copper Bedroom. That’s how it goes sometimes. Co-ordinating several projects at the same time can be a bit of a nightmare. But then you get a triple whammy of interior eye candy to gorge on. Before Today’s it’s the Copper Bedroom. The bedroom on the 2nd floor of the Edwardian property i’ve been working in for nearly the last two years now. Blimey! You can catch up with all the befores for this latest project, here and here. Drawing Room | Upper Brook St These are the two rooms that sit directly beneath the Copper Bedroom. On the ground floor it’s the Drawing Room and the floor above …

Bedroom 4 – Pre-reveal (aka The Copper Bedroom)

Published by Karen Knox

Remember this room? The Bedroom 4 Project. Yes, that’s right. This one. Well you may (or may not) remember it’s been going through a long and winding renovation. Mainly because period properties treat you mean to keep you keen. Whatever looks like a simple job of, “just a lick of paint” becomes a whole heap of pain. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) Good pain though, the pain that’s totally worth it when the transformation is as good as this. Once all of the re-wiring, plumbing, new wall was built, old fireplace ripped out, original tiles around the hearth uncovered and a reclaimed cast iron one fitted, the room was put back together and all re-plastered. A blank canvas. This is what we were aiming for: And do you know what, it’s almost flipping there. I drove over last Friday to unload just a few bits. I just about fit in myself! So are you ready for some pre-reveal pics? For those not familiar with how …