Paint colour cues for 2004

From the What's New archive - August 2004...

With hectic schedules, endless demands and seemingly no time to relax, humans have rapidly turned their lives into organised chaos. Yet there is hope for us all as we start to untangle ourselves and reach for colours that reflect our personalities and give us much needed breathing space.

Building on the success of previous Range collections, Resene have just released The Range 2004 - a collection of 160 classic and contemporary colours, metallics and earthy mineral effects finishes designed for the year 2004. The Range 2004 is based on international colour predictions that are tailored to suit our lifestyle and environment.

Colour is more powerful than most of us comprehend. We are surrounded by it and influenced by it every day, in everything that we do. With the world seeming a more dangerous place, home has become the centre of our universe and the heart of all that we hold dear. Memories of less complicated lives have us yearning to create secure environments for ourselves and our families. Keen to simplify our increasingly complicated lives and schedules we are selecting relaxing, soulful tones for the painted wall backdrops of our lives, setting the scene for serenity and The Range 2004.

Muted smoky tones, such as Resene Sonique and Resene Serendipity, reflect the past - dusty, as if viewed through a smokescreen.

When we reflect, we remember the reassuring pomp and ceremony in bruised hues of plums, purples, browns and blues combined with traditional reds. Precious metal metallics, such as Resene Copper Fire and Resene Karen's Pewter majestically reinforce the treasured grandeur, imparting comforting stability.

Green is the new neutral - grounding, optimistic, regenerative, vital - an asexual colour that moves through soft neutrals to dark olives and citrus tones to provide balance in the form of new hues such as Resene Chill Out and Resene Hypnotic.

Technology is rapidly expanding the colour selection horizon, offering multi-dimensional metallics, pearlescents and texture combinations and reintroducing old colours as refreshed versions of their traditional selves. Finish and colour have become inseparable, with the colour often perceived as meaningless without the accompanying effect. The fashion/technology connection has encouraged the return to luxurious materials to create an air of elegant sophistication. Combinations of sleek technologically driven finishes, such as Resene Time Warp, with fashionable soft muted hues create environments balanced in visual impact and comfort. Once used together as pure multi-dimensional schemes, technological colour is increasingly appearing as an element in a solid colour scheme - no longer the only star of the scheme, it is just one of the pieces of the puzzle that carefully combined creates the final finish.

Light influences our perception of colour. Pearlescent translucence and transparency allows colour to radiate from within and is being used to lift solid colour schemes.

Ever popular blues are a key colour device as we reach for tranquillity expanding in all directions in nature to encompass the fluidity of pure water as it moves through a lifecycle of ice, water and atmosphere. Fluid blues, such as Resene Oxygen, are teamed with strong blues, such as Resene Bunting, for their dependability and propensity to anchor the environment.

Surrounding ourselves in tranquillity, we are carefully reserving spaces to add a touch of drama through shrewd combinations of colour, textile and multi-dimensional metallic and pearlescent finishes. While there is a slight shift towards softer more muted hues, brights and acidics, such as Resene Pohutukawa, Resene Fireball and Resene Lima remain popular for those seeking an atmosphere of energy. With complicated work schedules, leisure time is focused on maximum fun, maximum refreshment. A splash of fun, playful brights, such as Resene Harlequin or Resene Hot Wired in between restful neutrals can provide light relief for the senses.

The edges of harsh technologically driven finishes are softening into soulful soft greys, pink tinged beiges teamed with timber and natural elements to help us get back in touch with nature and our roots. Easy on the senses, these soft schemes offer calm and an opportunity to recuperate from the organised chaos that surrounds us.

Monotones of dark colours have made way for complex blends so that black is never merely black. Resene Nero, inky blue-black, is firmly establishing itself as the modern substitute for black.

2004 sees the Olympics return home to Athens, a cause for celebration and remembrance of the original intent behind these games, reflected in soft neutrals, browns and greys re-emphasising the history of the Olympics. Metallics remind us of the importance of metals to both the ancient and modern world as a symbol of pride and achievement.

A melting pot of the rainbow, the soul-satiating blend of colour and finish in The Range 2004 is a source of inspiration for your own ideas and plans. Blend the collection to suit your lifestyle and re-blend as your tastes develop. Whether an enduring transformation or a short-term luxury, painted surfaces are but versatile living canvases awaiting your courage to experiment, indulge and cultivate your colour fantasies.

If you prefer to ignore the trends and pick colours with attitude, create power packed schemes by selecting your colours by name. With colours such as from Resene Wham! (lime green), Resene Havoc (bright red), Resene Roadster (sports car red) and Resene Hullabaloo (bright turquoise) to choose from, name-selected colour schemes are destined to brighten your space and become a permanent talking point. Or surround yourself in serenity with a name-selected colour scheme of colours such as Resene Time Out and Resene Chill Out. At the very least, with colour names like these, you and your walls are bound to have fun!

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› View swatches of The Range 2004 colours in the Resene online colour library

› View the colour chart archive for past and present colour cues and trends