Dulux colour consultant shares her own home makeover plans

Jane Kennefick-Witter is starting 2024 by embarking on an interiors revamp. She talks to Home Editor Eve Kelliher

Fri, 29 Dec, 2023 - 18:25

Eve Kelliher

So many homeowners are getting a bit twitchy right now.

They want to pick up their paintbrushes and welcome in the next 12 months by washing a fresh coat of something fabulous all over their living space.

Jane Kennefick-Witter can relate. She has long been the go-to guru for others keen to embark on a transformative interior design journey. As the colour consultant with Dulux, she adores visiting other people’s homes to guide and advise.

And as she rings in 2024, Jane is looking forward to working the same magic within her own four walls, in Drogheda.

“We moved in last July and had an idea of what we wanted to achieve,” she says. “We had thought we might get to the renovations before Christmas but life took hold.”

STARTING POINT

Jane, who previously worked for Ralph Lauren, says creating a home interior look is similar to “putting an outfit together”. “Sometimes it’s simply about recognising your starting point,” she says.

“If you have an Instagram profile, look at the images you have saved there. Is there a trend? Greens, moody tones, neutrals? Because believe me, there will be a trend. Or do you have a certain type of sofa? you can start with that and build around it.”

Jane’s background in fashion, styling and merchandising led her to her current role with Dulux Paints eight years ago. “My passion for colour and interiors landed me my dream job of helping people create beautiful spaces both interior and exterior while harnessing the power of colour in design,” she says.

December saw Jane and the family relax and enjoy their space. “We’ve had a busy 2023, selling our previous family home and purchasing our new one, which was once my husband’s childhood home. We moved in midsummer and we’re all settling in,” she says.

“The house is really charming and we are eager to put our stamp on it but we want to take our time and get it right.”

KEY AREAS

This means prioritising “key areas such as the hallway, kitchen, and the garden”, she adds.

“The kitchen will probably be the most challenging area to get right for function and design but it’s a challenge I’m ready for. There’s a lot of wood we want painted and walls to clean up.”

The family’s taste is a “blend of old and new”, she adds. “Because I used to work for Ralph Lauren, which has that rugged refined style, I’d also love that aesthetic in my own home,” says Jane.

The house was originally built in the 1950s and renovated and extended in 2000. “At present there’s a mix of old and new and I love blending these two styles but for 2024, this blend will adhere to a more refined and cleaner balance or version of the old and new.”

Jane in her hallway, which she will revamp in 2024.

LIVED IN

Similar to most home buyers, the family have been making do with what was already there while waiting to complete the project.

“We had started to pull back the wallpaper in the hallway and saw a primrose colour — it’s absolutely reflective of the Noughties,” says Jane.

“I always advise families if they are moving into a new home, to live in their home first and get a sense of that balance of function, how they are going to live in their home.

“I know the core area of our kitchen is going to remain the same but we might end up moving certain cabinets around to get a sense of the actual light in the space and how that room looks and feels throughout the day.

“I’m a big believer in how a room makes you feel when you walk into it.”

CHOICES

Naturally, paint will play a major role in Jane’s home revamp.“I love colour and connecting colour with design — I believe colour is transformational,” says Jane.

“Given the move, we’ve a lot we want to change up. I consult with families on the importance of creating a colour palette that works hard for you throughout the house and I share with them the importance of a five-colour palette for this.

“While we still have some decision-making to do, I know we will be working with a couple of neutrals like Raw Cashmere, flaxseed, and an off-white such as Grecian white for versatility and longevity.

“I naturally gravitate towards greens in interiors, mostly greyed-off greens, and I adore Stone Green for its adaptability.

A reading corner painted in Ravens Flight.

“In our hallway, we have these really beautiful floor tiles with black and cream and I know I want to pick up the black too which we will use as an anchor in the palette with something like Ravens Flight.

“These colours are all from the Dulux Heritage collection which I adore for their premium pigments and finishes.”

The “main house” is where Jane, her husband David and their two boys Oliver, five, and Cooper, four, live.

“Attached to the property, we’ve renovated an apartment where my mom Orlagh lives. I love that the boys get to grow up so close to their granny, they have such a special bond with her. We’ve recently used Dulux Heritage Velvet Matt in my mom’s and she just loves the colour and paint finish,” adds Jane.

Dulux Colour of the Year 2024 Sweet Embrace.

Jane cannot wait to give her own walls their new look. “I am accustomed to working in other people’s homes and am so excited to give my home a makeover this year,” adds Jane.

“I’m always talking to families I work with about a five-colour palette.

“A five-colour palette works behind paint — it takes in furniture and accessories, things you can chop and change, so it’s a really good tool to keep in mind.”

Jane also plans to feature Dulux Colour of the Year 2024 Sweet Embrace in her interiors.

Q&A

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions?

This sounds so cliché, but to be more present with my kids. I was told how quickly the time would fly when we had children and it does. I want to enjoy our time together and given that we already have so many plans for 2024 it’s really important for me that the boys are a part of this journey and that we have fun with it.

What you’ll be doing on New Year’s Eve/Day?

We will probably be chilling out — most likely at home. On New Year’s Day, we like to get out and head off into the outdoors and get a bite to eat somewhere together as a family.

Favourite activity?

We love to travel, even if it’s to the next town, but especially going abroad travelling is such a great tool to become inspired, whether it is design, food, or exploring cultures.

Favourite household task?

We’ve just done a big deep clean on the playroom ahead of Christmas and organising all of the toys, and sorting Lego from monster trucks and beyond makes me very happy. I also really love cooking and hosting family and friends.

Least favourite household task?

Putting washing away and emptying the dishwasher.

Does anything keep you awake at night?

The fear of forgetting to switch something off or plug something out. Also, our five-year-old occasionally sleepwalks, meaning a tiny visitor arriving to wake us up!