Before & after: Stylist shares how she made over rental home

We’re massive proponents of colour around here, and today’s before and after is a great reminder of just how transformative it can be. It’s the work of Dulux trend forecaster and stylist Bree Leech who, bored with her rental pad, decided to overhaul it with a few clever tricks and plenty of joyful colour.

“Our dining room had a feature that didn’t work for us, and I’d wanted to fix for some time! It was a neutral space that had a cut-out in the wall so you could look through to the adjoining room. The cut-out feature was serving no real purpose and the dining area itself just felt a bit flat,” says Bree.

Seeking a happier more inviting space, Bree got her hands on some fluted panels to cover the cut-out feature before painting them in Dulux ‘Harmonious’ which she selected from the brand’s Wonder palette, part of its latest trend forecast. “I chose colours from the Wonder palette for this space as they best represent my personal style. The palette is fun and joyful – everything I wanted for this room.”

The stylist then selected some new timber chairs and painted them with Dulux Aquanamel paint in ‘Plunder’ before adding a rug and lots of colourful objects and vessels filled with flowers. “It’s really helped bring the space to life and is now somewhere the whole family enjoys spending time,” says Bree.

Bree’s top styling tips

When it comes to scheming, going bold with colour can really pay off but equally, small changes can make a big difference. If you want to introduce smaller pops of colour, choose furniture items or highlight small areas of a wall, door or even your ceiling.
Remember, colour is not just for walls! Painting dining chairs or a table is also a great way to achieve this look whilst renting. Add artwork that references your colour scheme to bring it all together.
When selecting colours, always have an overall mood or style in mind and select colours that help bring this idea to life. It’s helpful to have a visual you can refer to like a mood board, materials board or a Pinterest board. This helps keep your colour scheme cohesive and gives you a reference point to work out your proportions as this can dramatically change the mood of the space.
Working with existing fittings and fixtures can often mean a clash in colourways. While you may not be able to pull up the carpet or replace the kitchen benchtop, you can always add rugs for a tonal effect to get you closer to your desired palette.

Photographer: Mike Baker | Stylist: Bree Leech | Colours: Dulux Harmonious (wall panel) and Dulux Plunder (chairs) | Suppliers: Wall panel – Surround by Laminex and rug – Halcyon Lake

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