Capture

From BlackWhite magazine - issue 09, capture

A snapshot of today's popular colour and design trends.

Cream, beige and earthy browns have taken firm hold as the neutrals of choice sculpture, carafe and glassware from Tessuti. for clients chasing a liveable luxury look. Layering a variety of tones is key to creating contrast and depth within these designs, as is including a mix of materials and textures – think stained timber, vegetable-tanned leather, woven textiles, matte, shiny, metallic, smooth and coarse items all combined into a single space but within a limited palette of Resene Thorndon Cream, Resene Colorwood Bark, Resene Anglaise and Resene Leather. For added interest, broaden your colour palette with highlights in a crisp white like Resene Alabaster and a few restrained details painted in Resene Pioneer Red for a dash of one of today’s hottest on-trend accent colours.

Rich, heady reds like Resene Red Oxide and Resene Redwood are intoxicating colour choices for spaces like lounges, restaurants, hotels and theatres. Red has the ability to create a strikingly dramatic ambiance that is made even moodier and more dynamic when particular attention is paid to lighting. Often, a mix of task and diffused accent fixtures is the ideal route to take, as too much intense direct or ambient lighting can over-amplify strong reds.

Softened yellows, peaches, browns and blues have emerged as more liveable alternatives to today’s popular array of bold brights without sacrificing the inherent positivity that more vibrant variations carry. When balanced with a pale neutral like Resene Villa White, these cheerful colours can be interchangeably mixed and matched with one another throughout different areas of a single project, such as a commercial office space, for a cohesive look that’s brimming with fresh and enticing energy.

Vases, bowls and other sculptural accents with wavy, fluted shapes – especially those with amphora-like forms – have become essential objects for interior decorating. Rather than searching high and low for the perfect pieces to coordinate with your colour scheme, clever designers are using Resene testpots to paint pieces acquired from favourite suppliers and op-shops alike. Since most Resene testpots are made with Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen, the paint imparts a desirable low sheen finish. On smooth items, be sure to first apply the appropriate primer to provide the paint with a priming layer to grip on to.

Freshly-baked beiges like Resene Half Sour Dough and Resene Alamo are easy-to-love colours. Not only are these trending tones indispensable options for building a warm and inviting atmosphere, but they have a way of enhancing natural light and creating an expansive effect. Keep furnishings minimal and light in tone in hues like Resene Colorwood Natural, Resene Bianca and Resene Spanish White to strengthen this illusion.

Stripes have resurfaced as a popular decorating trend due to their timeless versatility and ability to add visual interest and structure to a space. Vertical stripes can also create an illusion of height while horizontal stripes may appeal to widen a room. While crisp stripes can evoke a sense of sophistication, looser, hand-painted stripes can bring casual appeal to stuffy spaces.

Painted statement furniture in a contrasting colour continues to be an effective means of bringing personality to an understated backdrop while creating a strong focal point within a room. Even a powder blue like Resene Dream Big packs a pop against a neutral backdrop infused with a hint of blue, violet or grey such as Resene Designer White.

The rise of red has likely played a role in the continued importance of pink paint colours. Dining areas, bathrooms and bedrooms remain top spaces for using delicately greyed-off terracotta pinks like Resene Soiree, which tend to throw a rosy glow. This flattering effect has a way of enhancing the appearance of all skin tones.

Colours mentioned in this article...

Products mentioned in this article...

Projects: Amber Armitage
Images: Wendy Fenwick

BlackWhite magazine

This is a magazine created for the industry, by the industry and with the industry – and a publication like this is only possible because of New Zealand and Australia's remarkably talented and loyal Resene specifiers and users.

If you have a project finished in Resene paints, wood stains or coatings, whether it is strikingly colourful, beautifully tonal, a haven of natural stained and clear finishes, wonderfully unique or anything in between, we'd love to see it and have the opportunity to showcase it. Submit your projects online or email editor@blackwhitemag.com. You're welcome to share as many projects as you would like, whenever it suits. We look forward to seeing what you've been busy creating.

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