Dulux Expert Tips

Marianne Shillingford, Dulux Creative Director,

shares with Rooomy her expert advice and easy

‘How To’ guide for two striking, fun, rooms for kids

Sport Room

There is a joyful energy to the colour orange, which is perfectly captured in this sporty theme. We chose Tangerine Twist because it has more zest than sweetness, which appeals to both boys and girls, and looks fabulous with a bit of contrasting blue in the accessories.

The running track painted wall effect is simple, clean, graphic and really easy to achieve. The trick to getting the look sharp and keeping the orange glowing is to paint the wall white before you start and mask off the white tracks with wide low tack masking tape. The big stencils are easy to find online and the white is applied through the stencil with a foam radiator roller.

All in all, this is a decorating event that’s easy to enter without any training – and you’re guaranteed to take first place on the podium!

Paint credit – Jasmine White & Tangerine Twist

Expert tips

Before you start, here’s a few things to look out for:

1. Use good quality low tack 2” decorators masking tape.
2. Use a spirit level to check horizontal line for positioning numbers.
3. Make sure that the foam roller or sponge for stencilling doesn’t have too much paint on it when you apply paint through the stencil. Load it with paint and then roll or dab off the excess onto some old paper before you start.

You will need:

Jasmine White Easycare matt – enough to paint the whole room

2.5 litre Tangerine Twist Easycare matt paint

5 x rolls of 2” low tack decorators masking tape (Frog tape)

1 x roll of 1” normal masking tape

2 x Dulux 2” brushes

Coloured chalk (we recommend children’s coloured chalks, as they stain less)

Ball of white string

Drawing pins

Number stencils

1 x small Dulux roller kit

2 x large Dulux roller kits

Dust sheets

Small stepladder

How to:

Step 1: Paint the walls Jasmine White.

Step 2: Measure and mark the position of the track lines at the top of the wall using coloured chalk

Step 3: Run some coloured chalk over the string of a plumb line and then line up with the measurements and fix with masking tape.

Step 4: Allow the weight to stop moving then pull the string tight against the wall and ‘pluck’ it off the surface to create a chalked line.

Step 5: Follow the chalked lines with masking tape and rub the edges down well.

Step 6: Apply a coat of white background colour over the masking tape to seal the edges and allow to dry.

Step 7: Apply two coats of Tangerine Twist Easycare matt to your wall, allowing the first coat to fully dry before applying the second.

Step 8: When the second coat is touch-dry, remove the masking tape carefully.

Step 9: Snap a horizontal chalk line to help position the number stencils. Make sure they are evenly spaced and then hold in place with masking tape.

Step 10: Use a small foam radiator roller to apply white over them – they will need two coats, so leave stencil in place between coats.

You will need:

White Cotton – enough to paint the room plus a 2.5 litre tin for the ceiling.

2 x 2.5 litre Pepper Red paint tins

6 x rolls of low tack decorator’s tape

2 x Dulux roller kits

2 x Dulux 2” brushes

Tape measure

Coloured chalk (we recommend children’s coloured chalks, as they stain less)

Ball of white string

Drawing pins

Dust sheets

4-5 Step ladder (preferably with a grab handle)

For your skirting we recommend Banana Split as the perfect accent for this room

How to:

Step 1: Create a blank canvas by painting the ceiling and walls in White Cotton.

Step 2: Now find the centre point of your ceiling and mark it with coloured chalk.

Step 3: Once you’ve done that, measure the length of all the walls and divide them into an even number that will give you approximately 50-60cm wide stripes (although this will depend on the size of your room).

Step 4: Measure and mark your 50-60cm wide stripes along the top of the wall using coloured chalk.

Step 5: Next, cut a piece of string that will easily stretch from your marked centre point in the ceiling to the edges and run it over a stick of coloured chalk a couple of times.

Step 6: Tie a knot at one end of the string and use a drawing pin to hold the end in place at the marked centre of the ceiling.

Step 7: Line it up with a mark on the edge, pull tight and then ‘snap’ a chalk line onto the ceiling. Do this for every measured mark (you will need to apply more chalk as you go).

Step 8: Tape along the outside of the red stripes and rub your finger over the tape to make sure it’s stuck down really well to avoid any paint leaking over its line.

Step 9: Apply a quick coat of White Cotton over the edge of the tape you are going to paint red and allow to dry.

Step 10: Fill in with red using a small roller and brush. Leave to dry, then give it a second coat.

Step 11: Remove tape and touch up any little mistakes with a small artists brush. Ta-dah!

There you have it, two great colourful ways to bring a jolt of energy and fun into your kid’s space and even better, expert advice on how to make it a reality rather than a Pinterest Pipedream.  If you have any decorating dilemmas you can email us, the Rooomy team are always here to help, you can reach us at hello@rooomy.co.uk

Happy decorating, have fun 🙂

Bold, Colourful, Beautiful…