We were super exited to collaborate with Sushma from @house_on_the_way as she embarked on a project to upgrade her son's bedroom. To mark reaching the oh-so exciting milestone that is the move from cot-bed to big-boy-bed, Sushma decided it would be a good time to refresh the decor in the room too, introducing a colour palette that had longevity for years to come - with lashings of fun sprinkled on top. Here we follow the partnership from initial colour selection, through to selecting the best Tikkurila paint for this space.

Colour Selection & Testing

When deciding on your application method with sample pots, you have two options. You can either paint directly onto the walls, or paint onto a sheet of lining paper which you can then tape to the wall. Sushma chose to paint onto lining paper because the pre-existing colour on the walls was a deep and bold hue. Colours "talk" to one another, so the impression of the new test colours could have been impacted by this base tone. It also allows the flexibility of moving the painted swatches around and testing different combinations next to one another.

The favourite colours were then whittled down to a selection of blue and green tones, eliminating the gold and yellow shades at this stage - deciding instead to introduce these hues to the space through the use of textiles and prints.

The Painting Process

With colours chosen, the next step was to decide on the best Tikkurila paints for this space.

Tikkurila has an extensive range of interior paint products, each designed with a different end-use in mind. Take a look at our interior paint product guide here to get started - or get in touch! We’re here to help you make the right choices to get you the highest quality, long-lasting results, with our technical experts available Monday - Saturday. Contact us here.

Walls

When it comes to decorating a child's bedroom, you want to choose a paint that does not release harmful compounds even when used for an extended period. Because of this, Sushma selected our Joker paint for the walls of Avery's room. This is a high-performance matt emulsion with zero latex and ultra-low VOCs. It’s odourless, water-based and highly scrubbable (which might come in handy!) It also bears the Allergy Label, awarded by the Allergy and Asthma Federation of Finland and the M1 certification - making this the most eco-friendly wall paint in our range.

SHADE: TRADE WIND H441

Woodwork (Skirting & Door)

The woodwork in Avery's room had been previously painted with an oil (solvent) based solution. As a result, our water-based highly adhesive primer, Otex Akva, was applied as the priming base coat. This solution is specifically designed to stick to tricky surfaces (including shiny elements or melamine), ensuring an even base for the subsequent topcoat. This was then followed with our Helmi paint; a topcoat designed for interior furniture, skirting and doors. Sushma selected Helmi 30, which is our semi-matt finish - offering a luxurious and soft sheen to the painted surface.

SHADE: ABYSS N439

(Top tip - the numbers typically noted at the end of our product names dictate a product's sheen level, with 0% being the most matt (or flat) finish, and 100% being the highest gloss (or full gloss) finish. Find out more here).

Ceiling

For an ombre effect in the space, a lighter blue hue (WAVE H440) was chosen for the ceiling colour, which led to the choice of our Siro Matt paint. This is a full matt, zero flash emulsion which smooths out minor defects - and is available in hundreds of shades. Alternatively, if you're looking for a crisp, white ceiling paint - our suggestion would be Anti Reflex 2.

SHADE: WAVE H440

The results!

The mustard and yellow accents were brought into the space through the use of textiles and prints, bringing in elements to truly reflect Avery's personality and add a touch of fun to the room. We love Sushma's choice of tones and the vibrant colour clashes that make this space so unique.

Feeling inspired? Click on the shades used below to shop available products in those paint colours.