Learn how to use colour in your home with The Block

Leah and Ash’s downstairs bathroom showcases a green palette; from the walls to the tiles, it definitely packs a punch. The team deliberately used this amount of colour in a space that doesn’t have a high amount of foot traffic.

“If you want to go big on colour but are a bit nervous, put it in rooms that you might not use as often, such as a downstairs bathroom or study nook,” says Leah. “Then you can have white walls in connecting spaces such as the living room or kitchen to calm things down."

The couple also used full colour in their walk-in wardrobe to the same effect. “It’s a unique space so we painted that in plum,” says Leah. “Because the walls in the main bedroom are white, the plum doesn’t overwhelm the space.”

Conscious of the dangers of overwhelming space with colour, Leah and Ash were careful through the rest of the house. For the most part, the major elements in each of their rooms are neutral, dressed up with clever touches of colour. This stayed true with their window covering choices.

“Window furnishings are important and when people are looking to buy a house they might not want big splashes of colour on these big-ticket items,” says Leah. “We opted for neutral blinds and curtains in most of our rooms for this reason.”

The pair used a mixture of Blockout Roller Blinds, Blockout Curtains and Sheer Curtains throughout the house, all in neutral colours.

In their master bedroom, they opted for Burano Sheer Curtains in Vanilla paired with Kew Roller Blinds in Natural. These neutral tones allow the plum-coloured bed and doona cover to really pop.

“It’s a clever way of not overpowering a room, and also allows people to easily change the colour scheme if they want to,” says Leah, who admits that the team went back to colour when the space had standout features that deserved extra attention.

In one of the children’s bedrooms Leah and Ash installed rock-climbing handles in primary colours and a bright pink velvet curtain in the other to make the features more noticeable.

They chose the Warlock curtain in Lipstick from DIY Blinds to complement the bright pink wallpaper and create a mini stage in the bedroom.

“The curtains had to tie in with the bright wallpaper to really make it a standout feature,” says Leah. “The texture adds an extra punch. It’s loud, but it works because it’s deliberate. With colour you have to go for it."

The team also discovered a clever use of colour not only in highlighting certain elements, but also when they wanted to add a sense of playfulness.

People might expect to see colour in cushions or on walls but adding it to surprise elements can really bring some zing to a room.

“The pink marble on the dining room stairs acts as a great focal point,” says Leah. “They tie in with the pink tiles in the kitchen and around the fireplace. All these things traditionally wouldn’t have colour on them, so they act as a quirky surprise to bring a smile to your face. That’s the joy of colour–it can be there when you least expect it.”

The Block 2023

Television’s most challenging renovation show is back with five pairs of contestants working tirelessly to transform five characterful houses into stylish family homes. DIY Blinds joins forces with the teams to provide interior design expertise and our range of custom-made blinds, shutters and curtains to ensure the finished homes are of the highest quality.

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