Winter weekend projects

Winter tends to be the season we spend more time at home, tucked up out of the weather. That means it’s often the time you start to notice areas in need of improvement in your home or come up with creative new ways to use your spaces.

Here are some tips and ideas for winter DIY home improvement projects that should take you no more than a weekend.

First things first

There are some things to consider when you’re planning home renovation, painting or other makeover projects in winter.

The first thing Resene Senior Architectural Representative Rebecca Long suggests paying attention to is the air temperature, whether you’re painting inside or out.

“If you’re looking to paint outside, make sure it’s warm enough to paint. If the washing on your line isn’t drying, your paint won’t dry either,” Rebecca says.

“A light breeze is ideal for drying your paint. If it’s too windy, your paint will dry too fast so start working on a more sheltered side of the building.”

To maximise the amount of time you have to paint in warmer, drier conditions outside, follow the sun around the house.

You also need to consider temperature when you’re painting inside in winter.

“When painting inside, a warm home is key. The lower the temperature, the longer the paint will take to dry. Make sure it’s at least 10 degrees in your home before you start painting,” Rebecca says. “All of your rooms can be painted during the cooler months, just make sure the room is warm enough before you start and during the whole dry time.”

Another tip for indoor painting in winter is to turn on the dehumidifier or heat pump if you have them to boost the temperature but also to manage condensation around windows, which can cause fresh paint to bubble and peel.

A dehumidifier can also help with airflow when paint is drying or keep a window open. It’s all about balancing temperature and airflow.

Planning and prep

At any time of year, but particularly when you have shorter time windows to allow paint to try, preparation is key to being able to complete your DIY projects in a weekend.

The actual work might be completed in a weekend, but you should spend some time before thinking about what surface prep will need to be done, what products, and how much of them you'll need and what you want your end result to be. It’s worth checking with one of the experts at your Resene ColorShop to make sure your calculations are on target, particularly if you are working to a tight timetable.

If you are on a tight schedule and want something finished in two days, don’t be tempted to skimp on preparing surfaces for painting. Make sure the surface is clean (including being treated for moss and mould), dry, sanded and primed before painting. How much prep work will depend on the state of the surface you’re painting, but it’s better to plan ahead and take a couple of weekends to finish your project, prepping the first weekend and then painting the next, than skimp on the prep for the sake of a quicker finish.

Feature walls

Rebecca’s suggestions for paint projects that can be completed in a weekend include touching up trim areas like skirting boards or timber joinery, upcycling a second-hand or older piece of furniture or refreshing shelving and cabinetry of high-use areas like a pantry or wardrobe.

All of these tend to be relatively small-scale projects, that with some planning and forethought should be easy enough to go from start to finish in a couple of days, while still giving you time to get other things done.

Another small-scale interior project with high impact for your home is to add or update a feature wall, Rebecca suggests.

Feature walls make great weekend projects, particularly if you choose a plain stretch of wall with few features that need painting around. These are often the types of wall that can benefit most from a bold stretch of colour, a creative design or a dramatic patterned wallpaper.

Some ideas for creative feature walls include masking up a simple geometric design to allow for blocks, stripes or even curves in two or three different colours. Choosing a bold shade like deep blue Resene Ocean Waves paired with a neutral like Resene Sea Fog, then a grey like Resene Eighth Masala or a brick red like Resene Scoria will lend your room elegant drama without overpowering the space. A mix of block colours like this on a feature wall can be an effective way of creating a different vibe in one part of a large open room, that is otherwise painted in neutrals.

Test your design out on a large piece of card or paper first, playing with the scale and shapes of your design, and trying different colour combinations until you’re happy. This should help you complete the actual feature wall in a weekend with a finish that suits your space.

Wallpapers are another quick way to give a feature wall a quick makeover that can transform a whole room cost-effectively. For a bold wall that will anchor your whole room try a dramatic 3D geometric pattern like Resene Wallpaper Collection 38827-1, try a softer pretty floral with a modern edge in Resene Wallpaper Collection 38722-2 or try for a painterly mural wall in Resene Wallpaper Collection 296487. An anaglypta textured wallpaper like Resene Wallpaper Collection RD341 is an excellent way to add texture to your wall, that you can paint over in your favourite Resene colour. This is handy if you’d like the texture of a wallpaper but just can’t find a wallpaper colour to suit.

Other ways to add interest to a feature wall if you don’t want to go for one bold block of colour are to test your skills at a freehand design. Once you’ve practised first, draft your design in pencil on the wall before painting so any changes can be easily erased. You can also play with texture using products like Resene FX Paint Effects Medium which is a tintable acrylic that allows you to get a variety of ‘broken’ or weathered looking paint finishes such as ragging, sponge-effect or a limewash effect. Once again, it’s a good idea to experiment on a spare piece of plasterboard or wood before committing to your wall.

Other winter weekend projects to try:

• Upcycle a second-hand freestanding wardrobe or cupboard as a mudroom for your porchway or laundry. It’s a useful idea if your entryways are often cluttered with gumboots, coats and school bags.

• Declutter storage areas like linen cupboards and wardrobes, or kids’ play areas with painted or wallpapered, wooden crates. Add Resene FX Chalkboard Paint strips for easy labelling.

• Paint Resene FX Chalkboard Paint or Resene FX Blackboard Paint over the inside of a pantry or cupboard door for a tidy memo board or shopping list solution.

• If you have a traditional old fireplace or hearth that is no longer in use, consider giving it a paint to turn it into a feature. The key first step is knowing what material your fireplace is made from so you can choose the right paint and prep products with help from the experts at your local Resene Colorshop. If the fireplace is blocked off, try wallpapering the surface.

• Create a gallery wall. Spend some time collecting second-hand frames that you think will work well together, then take a weekend to sand and repaint them all in one Resene colour. Add your favourite art pieces – or even images you love from magazines – and create a collage of frames on the wall. Try placing each piece on the floor first so you can arrange things to your liking before you drill holes in the wall!

• Tackle the loo. A stand-alone toilet can be a fun project for a weekend. Try all four walls in an exotic jungle print like Resene Wallpaper Collection 38724-1 with a large mirror framed in Resene Gold metallic paint and a small chandelier for fun touches of glamour.

• Add street appeal. Front doors, garage doors, mailboxes, fences, pavers and even garden sculptures can all be simple, quick projects that, when painted in striking colours add immediate visual interest to your home exterior. Try a front door painted in Resene Enamacryl tinted to Resene Grenadier against exterior walls and trim in Resene Half Spanish White, or a more muted look with a front door in Resene Aroha red against Resene Tua Tua.

June 30, 2023

There are plenty of ways you can make the most of more time spent indoors over winter and knock some of those decorating jobs off your to do list. Visit your local Resene ColorShop for the products and advice you need, or use the free Ask a Paint Expert service online for answers to all those tricky questions.

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