Indoor-outdoor living has always been a defining feature of New Zealand and Australian design. From sun-drenched decks to leafy courtyards and breezy restaurant patios, our outdoor environments are an integral part of our lifestyles. Yet, while our interior spaces receive careful colour consideration, the same level of curation hasn’t always been extended to outdoor areas.

As the appetite has grown for customised colour schemes that reflect our clients’ personalities or business branding, more architects and designers are recognising that colour can also be a powerful tool for elevating the experience of outdoor living and dining areas. For some, the lack of diversity in off-the-shelf outdoor furniture has been perceived as a barrier to creating the exact look you and your client are after. But with Resene’s growing range of products tailored to colouring, protecting and maintaining outdoor furniture and décor, it’s never been easier to get a bespoke look that perfectly coordinates with your project’s colour palette.

Natural appeal

Timber continues to be among the most desirable materials for patio furniture and décor. Stained timber furniture, planter boxes, lattices or privacy features add visual texture and depth that enhances the natural vibrancy of both plants and hard landscaping. However, it’s important to remember that, even when you’re looking for a natural, unfinished look, you shouldn’t use clear finishes on exterior timber as they don’t offer sufficient UV protection. Instead, stain the wood in a colour that’s similar to the wood’s natural tone.

For the most natural looking timber finish on furniture and vertical exterior surfaces, such as weatherboards or landscaping elements, choose Resene Woodsman Natural Wood Oil. For the most natural stain that is suitable for horizontal trafficable surfaces like decking, choose Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain in a colour that most closely represents your wood’s inherent hue. Keep in mind that the wood’s natural colour will affect the way the Resene stains and clears you apply will ultimately look. The same stain or clear finish can look very different depending on the timber you apply it to. Weathered timbers and multiple coats of stain will give a darker colour result.

Another top option for colouring and maintaining timber furniture is Resene Timber and Furniture Gel. This newly reformulated waterborne gel-like stain is easy to apply and available in a limited range of colours. Designed for use on new and weathered timber furniture, Resene Timber and Furniture Gel is also suitable for interior hardwood and pine furniture. To ensure your outdoor furniture remains in top shape, check it each spring and reapply Resene Timber and Furniture Gel to weathered areas as needed. Outdoor tabletops may require an annual maintenance coat while the sides may last multiple years between recoats.

Mediterranean-inspired looks

While rattan furniture or décor painted in a fresh white like Resene Alabaster fits well with this type of look, Resene Woodsman stains can also be applied to change the look of unfinished rattan. For varnished rattan that has a sound finish, you can change the colour and look by topcoating it in a Resene clear that has been mixed with Resene Colour Enhance. Available in six different colours, Resene Colour Enhance is designed to add more depth to clear finishes and timber stain colours. Indoors, it is often used to rejuvenate bleached Rimu interior panelling and cabinetry.

Decorative amphora style vases – quintessential items for evoking destinations like Greece and Italy – can be given an authentic aged or limewashed effect that looks like it was plucked right out of Rome. After applying the appropriate primer for your surface, apply two coats of Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen in Resene Alamo. Once dry, use a paintbrush to apply thin coats of Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Half Sour Dough in a crisscross motion. Then, use a clean, dry rag to soften and blend your strokes. Additional coats of your Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixture or can be applied to further deepen the effect.

Soft minimalism

Subdued and Scandinavian-inspired weathered whites and warm taupes are popular options for setting a muted backdrop for native greenery and coastal light. These palettes resonate particularly well with our local landscapes, from tropical flora and coastal views to craggy mountains mottled with silvery grasses.

To recreate or maintain a soft minimalist look, consider refinishing timber furniture in Resene Furniture and Timber Gel Whitewash, which lends timber a gently sun-faded aesthetic without concealing the grain. For an opaque low sheen or semi-gloss finish on painted furniture and décor, try Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel tinted to timeless off-whites like Resene Double Sea Fog or Resene Half Truffle, which have just enough warmth to avoid feeling clinical and are more complex than a basic white.

Reinvented classics

To further breakup a black and white scheme that feels too high contrast, staining timber in a warm honey hue like Resene Woodsman Heartwood offers a soft midtone that will bring out the natural beauty of the woodgrain without pushing too much colour. If a deeper, cooler hue is needed, Resene Woodsman Crowshead is a rich, inky stain perfect for adding drama to timber furniture, dividers, fences or decking.

On non-contact surfaces such as outdoor light fixtures, brackets, garden walls and plant pots, Resene FX Faux Rust Effect is another popular option for lending a warm, industrial edge to an otherwise achromatic scheme. This two-pack product can be applied to a range of substrates to get an authentic-looking rust effect in a matter of hours. Once applied, it provides you with the aesthetic effect of rusting that, like normal rust, will continue to develop as the coating ages.

Confident colour contrasting

Whether applied to chairs, planter boxes or an outdoor design feature such as a concrete breezeblock divider, confident paint colour choices are an easy way to express a sense of identity in an outdoor space. Many clients feel less overwhelmed by bolder colour choices outdoors, since they look striking in natural sunlight, bring an energetic lift on grey days and often visually complement flowering plants and greenery.

This embrace of saturation is not merely aesthetic, it’s emotional. Vibrant yellows like Resene Galliano bring joyful optimism, a bold turquoise like Resene Aqua feels breezy and beachy and a vivid red like Resene Roadster brings confident energy. These colours are especially effective when used sparingly on table legs or a feature wall framed by more neutral architectural elements.

For residential and commercial patio settings where a uniform powder coating is desired, popular confident colours like Resene Pioneer Red, Resene Permanent Green and Resene Resolution Blue are available as premade options in the Resene Powder Coating range. When a truly customised look is needed, Resene also offers a bespoke service where Resene Powder Coating can be made for you in your chosen Resene colour (minimum quantity of 20kg applies to made to order).

Remember that if you don’t like the colour of a piece of furniture or décor, most surfaces and substrates can be painted to better coordinate with your colour scheme. Since colours will look different depending on lighting conditions – especially bold hues, whites and blacks – be sure to always test your exterior Resene colour palette in situ. Order A4 drawdowns of your shortlisted Resene colours and check them alongside your other project materials in full sun and in shade to ensure you and your client are happy before making your final selections. And if you’re unsure of what to specify for a specific surface or purpose, your Resene Representative can help find the right products for the job.

Top tips

• When specifying dark paint or wood stain colour outdoors, be sure to always ask for it to be tinted into a Resene CoolColour formula. Though they look the same, a Resene CoolColour offers better protection for your substrate than a normal Resene colour by reflecting back more of the sun’s harmful IR radiation.

• Existing stains will show through new stained finishes. Prep existing timber with Resene Timber and Deck Wash first before applying the new stain. This powerful cleaner removes old, degraded stains and greyed timber, helping ensure a sound 'ready-to-stain' surface is achieved.

› For more exterior colour trends, pick up a copy of Emerge magazine at your local Resene ColorShop or view it online.

Colours mentioned in this article

Products mentioned in this article

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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.

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