This Rainbow Loving, Pattern Clashing Designer’s Home Is an Explosion of Fun Color

This Rainbow Loving, Pattern Clashing Designer’s Home Is an Explosion of Fun Color

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Home Type
Bedrooms
Square feet

1560

Sq ft

1560

Name: Lizzy, husband Ivan, children Olive and Van, and Peggy, our cat
Location: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Size: 1560 square feet
Years lived in: 2.5 years, owned

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It has been said that I was born with rainbows in my blood and I express this in every inch of my home. Since owning my own home, this has enabled me to paint color on my walls, add beautiful artworks, quirky decor items, and pattern clash everything I own!

Credit: Lizzy Higham

When looking for our home, we knew what suburb we wanted to live in, it was just finding the perfect home for the right price. On inspection day, it was just me and the kids. I walked in and I had a really good feeling about it, but it wasn’t until I saw the kids playing in the backyard that I knew it was the one. My heart was full watching the joy on their little faces as they played. It was the perfect family home! I made the decision to buy it and my husband’s first time viewing the house was on “moving in” day. 

Credit: Lizzy Higham

I loved that our home was 50 shades of beige when we moved in. This allowed my creative juices to flow and create colorful rooms I thought would only ever happen in my dreams. I am very lucky to have a supportive husband who equally loves color and hasn’t said no to any of my vibrant color choices/combinations… YET! When I am not in “mum mode” you will find me with a paint brush in my hand painting something, whether it be walls or furniture. My husband says that I am happiest when I have a paintbrush in my hand!

Credit: Lizzy Higham

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Eclectically colorful, unique, and stylish. I love to mix new with old, whether it be furniture or decor items. Mismatch is my JAM!

Inspiration: Anything and everything colorful inspires me—I am obsessed with color!  Color brings so much joy into our home and that is all I need to create a happy place for me and my family.

Credit: Lizzy Higham

Favorite Home Element: My favorite element in our home would be the kitchen layout. I love that the kitchen is the heart of our home and when I am in there (which is a lot) I can interact with my family and friends from all aspects, whether they be in the dining room, living room, or outside. The kitchen has a large window over the kitchen sink that overlooks into the backyard and patio, which means I never feel like I am missing out when we entertain.

Biggest Challenge: My biggest challenge in my home is natural lighting—I love natural light and I wish I had more of it flowing through. My kitchen and dining room have the least natural light as they are the central rooms in the house. I would love VELUX Skylights in these spaces but they just aren’t in our budget right now. However I have noticed since painting my dining room walls in vibrant colors this has helped brighten the space immensely. Changing my light bulbs to LED cool lighting also makes a huge difference.

Credit: Lizzy Higham

Proudest DIY: I don’t just have one… I am proud of all my DIY projects, especially all my interior walls and the different shapes and lines I have painted. Just recently, however, I painted a fun rainbow mural in my garage and this does top all my other DIY projects for sure. Why have an ugly garage, I say?

Biggest Indulgence: My biggest indulgence would have to be taking my artwork to a professional framer. They can be very expensive, so I only use them for special art pieces.

Credit: Lizzy Higham

What’s your best home secret or advice? If ever in doubt about using color in your home, just remember it doesn’t matter whether it be colorful, warm, or neutral hues. If you love something, it will always work! Stop putting rules on how to decorate your home—make it your home, and live in it however you please. Don’t believe in the saying: “blue and green should never be seen unless there is something in between.” Blue and green look F A B U L O U S together! 

PAINTING TIP: My one tip when it comes to DIY painting—is always do your prep work, don’t take short cuts, and don’t rush it. When painting in-between coats, wrap your brushes and rollers in Glad wrap (plastic wrap), this means you don’t have to wash them between coats.

Credit: Lizzy Higham

What do people most get wrong about using color in their home? It’s not that people get it wrong when it comes to using color, but the lack there of. People often say to me that they are too scared to use bold colors in their home or they don’t know where to start. I say to those people, that it is just paint… if you don’t like it, paint over it.

What are the biggest tricks/secrets to using color in decor? The trick is to pluck colors from your existing artwork you have and add those colors into your cushions and floor rugs. If you are brave, paint an old piece of furniture in a contrasting color to make a statement piece in a room.

Favorite wall paint color of all time: My favorite wall color of all time would have be the orange half wall in my dining room: Taubman’s “Tangy Orange” I LOVE IT!

Resources

Credit: Lizzy Higham

PAINT & COLORS

  • Front door — Taubmans “Roseberry Rose”
  • Console table in the entryway — Taubmans “Bright Jade”
  • Entryway ceiling — DULUX “Wing Commander”
  • Dining room— TOP Taubmans “Golden Frog” BOTTOM Taubmans “Tangy Orange”
  • Kitchen — DULUX “Wing Commander”
  • Purple buffet — Bought this off Facebook marketplace and it was BROWN. I loved the style but not the color. This color I had custom made by color matching a picture I took into our local hardware store (Bunnings Warehouse)
  • Arch headboard in bedroom — Taubmans “Port Au Prince.” I was limited to bedhead choices because of the window above, so painting one on the wall was the perfect solution.
  • Ensuite — TOP Taubmans “Pink Ladies”  BOTTOM Taubmans “Black Cavier”
  • Kids’ room — The kids share a room and I have personalised each side to suit there personalities.
  • Van’s side — DULUX “Buzz” DULUX  “Blackboard Paint”
  • Olive’s side — DULUX “Glamour Pink”
  • Pink duchess — This color I also had custom made. The color was matched from a ceramic teapot I own. The closest pink I have found is Taubmans “Hot Lips.”
Credit: Lizzy Higham

ENTRY

  • Console table I have owned for 10 years. It was previously red and I painted it green and updated the drawer knobs.
  • Hallway runner — Miss Amara
  • Polka dot decals — Kenna Sato Designs
  • Round Mirror —  Freedom
  • Macrame Wall Hanging —  Kip and Co, sold out
  • Front Door Mat (Outside) — Langdon LTD
Credit: Lizzy Higham

LIVING ROOM

  • Floor Rug — Rug Emporium
  • For Like Ever Print — Super-Rural
  • Pink Neon Heart print — Banquet Workshop
  • Kookaburra Print — Madeleine Stamer
  • Side Table — Is a hand-me-down from my late grandmother; I painted it yellow (Taubmans “Yellow Sunshine”)
  • Table Lamp — This lamp base I bought off the Facebook Marketplace and spray painted the base and recovered an old lamp shade I had laying around.
  • Green Velvet and Pink heart cushion —  Sage and Clare
  • Tassel throw — Kip and Co
  • Sofa — Harvey Norman
Credit: Lizzy Higham

DINING ROOM

Credit: Lizzy Higham

KITCHEN

Credit: Lizzy Higham

BEDROOM

  • Floor Rug — Miss Amara
  • Bedside Tables — Bought these off Facebook Marketplace. They were covered in kid’s drawings and stickers. A good sand and two coats of orange oil to give this natural raw finish.
  • Doona Cover — Gorman Shop
  • Tassel throw — Kip and Co
  • Green Velvet Euros — Sage and Clare
  • Wall Art (Removable Decal) — Gussy Dup

KIDS’ ROOM

Credit: Lizzy Higham

Van’s Side

Credit: Lizzy Higham

Olive’s Side

  • Donna Cover — Spotlight Stores
  • Tassel Throw — Kip and Co
  • Wall Decals — Vellaquin
  • Lamp — I purchased the lamp shade separately when Olive was just a baby from an online boutique (sorry I can’t remember the name). Lamp base I bought from Target and spray painted it.
  • Stool is from IKEA and I spray painted it  
Credit: Lizzy Higham

ENSUITE BATHROOM

Thanks Lizzy!

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