Bench in Chappell Green No.83 and Green Smoke No.47 & pots in various colours | You can create fabulous schemes outside your home and in the garden with Farrow & Ball colours. When it comes to choosing colour, there are no rights or wrongs, but do think about some of these factors: • The aspect of your property and surrounding area. • Consider the period of your property and the style and colour of neighbouring buildings; in particular, whether you wish to create a complementary or contrasting scheme. • Look for dominant features like brickwork, natural wood and expanses of other colours such as paved or gravelled areas, lawns, fencing, shrubs and even flowers – all of which can affect colour choice. Door in Drawing Room Blue No.253 | House in Off-Black No.57 and door in Blue Ground No.210 | • When decorating outside, you can usually go a shade or two darker than you would inside because you mostly see exterior colours in daylight. If you are considering using Slipper Satin try Off-White, or Pigeon instead of French Gray.

• To create a flow between the interior of your home and the exterior, use the same colour outside on a garden wall or a piece of furniture to help connect the two spaces together. • To make a feature of your entrance, paint your front door and frame in one colour to help make it look bigger and more imposing. • Layer colours outside just as you would inside to create added interest. Try using a mixture of colours on garden furniture such as Mizzle on chairs, with a table top painted in Old White and table legs in Mouse’s Back. Door and window in Railings No.31 | Window frames in Stone Blue No.86, chairs, from left: Churlish Green No.251, Parma Gray No.27 and Calluna No.270, birdcage: Charlotte’s Locks No.268 | Window boxes painted in colours like Card Room Green or Oval Room Blue will enhance any exterior, but be careful not to use more than three colours on the front of your house or it can begin to look confused. Paint your front door and window boxes the same colour, but try using two finishes for added interest – Full Gloss on the door and Exterior Eggshell on the boxes.

Classic colours such as black and red are very smart for front doors - try Pitch Black and Incarnadine for a classic, stylish look. Other popular front door colours include Plummett, Studio Green, Black Blue and Hague Blue, which in Full Gloss could not be more elegant. On the other hand Blue Gray or Lichen in Exterior Eggshell will give a more relaxed and contemporary feel. Door in Pitch Black No.256 | Exterior wall in All White No.2005, pots (clockwise from top left): St Giles Blue No.280, Drawing Room Blue No.253, Green Blue No.84, Lulworth Blue No.89, Cook’s Blue No.237 & Stone Blue No. 86 all Exterior Eggshell. Exterior Masonry and Exterior Eggshell In keeping with its name, why not try Oxford Stone in Exterior Masonry Paint for exterior walls. For the urban exterior, try Manor House Gray on window frames with Railings on the front door, all in Exterior Eggshell. Exterior in Light Gray No.17 | Exterior Masonry, Door in London Clay No.244 | Exterior Eggshell, Exterior trim in Lime White No.1 |

Don’t be afraid to use a mixture of colours – try Mizzle on chairs with a table top painted in Old White and table legs in Mouse's Back, all in Exterior Eggshell, to create a very relaxed atmosphere Benches, planters and pots are a great place to embrace strong colour, and ensure your garden is bright and cheerful all year long. Try colours like St Giles Blue, Charlotte’s Locks or Yellowcake for a really bold look. bedroom decoration for 1st nightOr choose heathery tones like Brassica, Calluna and Mizzle for a more natural feel.home decor trends winter 2014 Bench seat in Brassica No.271 | online home decor market size

Bench in Charlotte's Locks No.268 | Summer houses and garden sheds look charming in Blue Gray or the slightly greener French Gray, both in Exterior Eggshell. Add character by using Castle Gray on window frames and doors. Sheperd's Hut in Mizzle No.266 with hinges in Pitch Black No.256 | Exterior Eggshell and Full Gloss Summer house in Wimborne White No.239 | For more great ideas on your next decoration project, why not head over to our Inspiration Site which has over 1000 images to browse?decorating ideas for christmas cookies It is important to stain your wood exterior doors regularly, not only to protect them from the damage weather can cause but also to keep your doors looking the best they can by making the wood darker and richer. diy bedroom decorations pinterest

Being visible to the outside world, staining your wood exterior doors should be carried out annually so that the doors remain striking and rich. Staining wood is a fairly simple procedure but may be quite time consuming as you have to wait for each coat to dry before applying an additional coat. Step One - Position Door Horizontally and Strip Do not be tempted to paint on the stain with the door staying on its hinges in a vertical position. decorating a christmas tree with large ornamentsThis will result in the stain running. Carefully take the wood exterior door off its hinges with a screwdriver and lay it flat on a clean and dry surface. You can now apply the commercial wood stripper. Give the stripper time to eat away at old stain, referring to the instructions provided to know exactly how much time to leave the wood stripper in place for. Wipe off the old stain with a cloth or plastic scrapper. 

Wash the door and leave for several hours to dry. Step Two - Sanding Down Possibly one of the most arduous tasks in a DIY project is sanding down. Once your wood exterior door has been stripped of stain and been cleaned, sand it down using sandpaper no rougher than P240 grit. Using sandpaper that is too rough may cause wood to be excessively roughened which will result in a poor finish. Sand it down until you have a smooth surface. Wipe of any wood dust with a damp cloth or soft brush. Step Three - Apply the Stain Place masking tape around any door accessories you do not want exposed to stain such as handles or hinges. Wipe the stain onto a dry, clean cloth and gently rub it onto the door, concentrating on one small area at a time. Use another dry cloth to remove any excess stain. Make sure that you cover the whole door with the stain in one go. Applying it to part of the door and coming back to it later will result in segregation of the stain. To ensure you have a smooth, rich looking wood exterior door, complete this step in one application.