Child’s play

Resene – Get Creative, from Homestyle magazine

Creating a space for active play is easy. All you need is paint – of the magnetic, chalk and write-on varieties, that is.

You will need:

• Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, assorted colours
• Resene Blackboard Paint
• Resene Write-On-Wall Paint
• Resene Magnetic Magic

Instructions:

1. Make it magnetic: Magnetic paint can be used as an undercoat – and this can be applied to the whole wall. Prepare and prime your surface, then apply Resene Magnetic Magic in smooth, full coats. A minimum of two coats is required as the smoother the finish and thicker the application, the stronger the magnetic effect will be.

2. Make space: Divide the wall into a grid where different activites can take place – a square for drawing with chalk, another for writing on with washable markers, and then the remaining spaces in colours of your children’s choice.

3. Chalk it up: For the chalk square, apply two coats of Resene Blackboard Paint by brush, roller, or spray.

4. Update furniture: You’re not restricted to the walls when adding colour. Here we’ve painted a stool in Resene Renew and Resene Glorious to match the space.

Left: Wall painted in Resene Glorious; Resene White Thunder; Resene Blackboard Paint. Floor painted in Resene Quarter Foundry. Stool painted in Resene Glorious and Resene Renew.  Right: Wall painted in Resene Blackboard Paint, Resene White Thunder and Resene Renew.

Animal Antics

Now here’s a fun idea. When you’re picking up your paint, get your kids to select a few Resene testpots to create their own colourful zoo at home. Paint the animals all over in one colour, leave to dry, then experiment with dipped feet, stripes or spots in contrasting colours.

You will need:

• Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in assorted colours
• Resene Paint Effects Medium
• Resene Blackboard Paint
• Hessian pinboard, stencil foam roller kit, and plastic animals.

Instructions:

1. Black Board teepee: Prepare and prime your wall and paint the whole thing in the colour of your choice. Mask out the triangle shape and paint with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, which will serve the same purpose as Resene Blackboard Paint. We also painted the floor with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen – but be prepared for some messy playtime if you go down this route!

2. Stencilled pinboard: Hessian pinboard can be purchased from hardware stores. We used 1200mm x 1200mm for the project.

   1. ‘Grey’ the board with Resene Gunsmoke diluted with 30 percent Resene Paint Effects Medium mixed in as a colour wash and applied by brush. (Be careful not to lay the paint on too heavy, go lightly and add another coat if necessary).
   2. Once dry, the board can be stencilled. We used a dart stencil purchased from cuttingedgestencils.com. Tape stencil to the board, and paint with Resene Alabaster Spacecote Low Sheen, applied with a foam roller.

Wall painted in Resene Half Kumutoto; teepee painted in Resene Coast. Floor painted in Resene Coast. Chair painted in Resene Spritzer.

Styling & projects: Alice Lines & Greer Clayton. Photography: Melanie Jenkins.

▸ Download a PDF of this article

Projects from Homestyle magazine
View more project ideas from Homestyle magazine in the Resene weekend DIY projects section.

Homestyle projects | All Weekend DIY projects