What to do around your home in May

Refreshing your entrance way is the perfect indoor DIY project to tackle in May. Walls painted in Resene Alabaster, with paint effect in Resene Double Sea Fog mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium and Resene Sea Fog mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium.

May is the final month of autumn, and most places in our part of the world continue to enjoy some of the year’s most settled weather. Days can remain on the warm side, while the evenings definitely start to get chillier. Don’t fret though, there’s still time to prepare your home and garden ahead of winter.

Updating the entrance to your home is a great way to make an impactful change and is sure to impress guests, as is painting a unique feature wall. If you’re feeling organised, give the garage a clean out and do an audit of your paint. With Mother’s Day on 12 May, take time to create a special present – refurbishing a vintage chair will be the gift that keeps on giving!

Here are five things to do in May to get your home sorted for the months ahead.

1

Make an entrance

The foyer of your home makes an instant first impression and sets the scene for the rooms that follow. You can create impact very simply by adding coat hooks, a rug or artwork, or take it up a notch by repurposing an old seat with a fresh and fun pop of Resene colour.

You could also go bold and paint your front door and hall walls. Paint your front door a fresh new colour – you can go bright and bold for a cheerful hello or stick with a neutral hue. Use a gloss finish such as Resene Enamacryl or Resene Super Gloss to help the colour pop and make it easier to keep your front door clean.

For more entrance way inspiration, click here.

Wall painted in Resene Moonlight, floor in Resene Grey Olive, door in Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta with edge in Resene Influential, bench in Resene Chorus Line and Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta and picture frame in Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta. Project by Kate Alexander. Photo by Bryce Carleton.

2

Feature wall with a twist

Turn your feature wall into a major talking point by using Resene FX Paint Effects Medium for an on-trend colourwashed look. This popular paint effect uses a subtle wash of colour to add depth and personality to a room. It’s a two-step process where a base colour is washed over with a stronger colour that has been mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. You can create a light wash over a dark coloured wall or you can create a dark wash over a light base. It’s super versatile as there are different application techniques that give different finishes such as dragging, when you drag a large brush down the wall, crowsfoot, when you apply in a criss-cross motion, and ragging, which is when you apply using a rag.

Find out more about how to colourwash here.

Wall painted in Resene Quarter Stack (basecoat), with colourwash in Resene Concrete mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium.

3

Transform a vintage chair

Repairing and updating second-hand furniture is a fun way to decorate your home with personality and flair without needing to spend a lot of money. If you don’t know where to start, be inspired by this fantastic furniture flip. We transformed a tired vintage chair into a throne that’s fit for a princess. Sand back the timber and if it is varnished, apply Resene Waterborne Sureseal . Then paint it in your favourite Resene colours or choose some that will complement the fabric you choose to reupholster the padded seat.

Check out the step-by-step for this project here.

Chair painted in Resene Saltpan, Resene Spitfire and Resene Gelato.

4

Dispose of your old paint

May is as good a time as any to have a garage clear-out. If you have leftover or expired paint, take your cans and pails to a Resene PaintWise Collection Centre. These are located at most Resene ColorShops (NZ) with the aim of reducing the amount of paint sent to landfill. Good quality unused waterborne paint is gifted to community groups, and solventborne paints are sent away for solvent recovery for reuse by other companies. Metal paint tins and other packaging is recycled. In Australia, use the Paintback service to take back old paint and paint packaging.

Check out this article to find out more about getting rid of old paint safely.

5

May in the garden

“In the fruit garden, the harvest period is coming to a close for all your lovely pip and stone fruit and is just the beginning for feijoas,” Tui Garden Products’ website says. “It’s also the last chance to get your spring bulbs in the flower garden before winter, and a great time to plant new winter veges.”

Feijoas are one of our most iconic and much-loved fruit, so if you have a tree in your garden, check out Tui’s top five tips for getting your best crop ever.

Autumn and spring are the ideal time to plant feijoas in most areas. Plant at least two different varieties. Even self-fertile varieties will produce a better crop if pollinated by other varieties.
Prepare your soil with organic matter like compost and sheep pellets.
Add a layer of citrus and fruit mix to plant into.
Feed feijoas regularly from spring to harvest.
Water deeply and regularly from mid to late summer when the fruit is developing and ripening.

Go one step further and embrace feijoa season indoors with a splash of Resene Feijoa!