When I decide to re-decorate a room I end up spending a small fortune on tester pots before finding the right colour, resulting in a wall of patchwork. Even though I try to use at least a 30cm square for each colour, there is always a fair bit left in the pot and it seems such a shame to waste it.
After trying, and failing, to find the perfect blue when re-painting my bedroom (if only Farrow & Ball had invented Stiffkey Blue two years ago!) I now have a mini paint store in my shed. So I decided to put the leftovers to use...
These wine crates, which I have in my living room, are painted in three different shades. Clockwise from left: Larder Blue (Fired Earth), Lulworth Blue and Cook's Blue (both Farrow & Ball). All are £3.95 for a sample pot.
The paint-dipped look is bang on trend this year and a simple yet elegant way to bring it in to your home is to create these pretty bud vases using old bottles or jars:
The left over paint is simply poured in to the vessel and swirled gently around.
Adding ribbon around the neck is a nice finishing touch and also can disguise any drips.
They make lovely decorative accessories or could even be an inexpensive gift.