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Get clever with clashing colours

From the Resene decorating blog

Often working successfully with so-called clashing colours comes down to a few basic tips that can lead to eye-catching and bold looks unique to you.

A sitting room with modern lilac and cherry blossom pink

Modern lilac, cherry blossom pink and orange pair with teal in a sitting area that is both uplifting and inviting.

Wall and floor painted in Resene Soothe, cabinet and vase in Resene Green Meets Blue, side table, lamp base, book and bowl in Resene Mexican Red, lampshade in Resene Wallpaper Collection SUM002 and cups in Resene Vintage. Sofa from Danske Møbler. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.

“Never put navy with black.” “Brown and orange just don’t work.” “Yellow and green should never be seen.”

Sound familiar? One of the reasons so many of us are afraid to be bolder with colour in our decorating is because we’re scared of colours that clash; we’ve been constantly told that some colours will never work together or we’ll get tired of them quickly.

The truth is when it comes to working with colour there aren’t really any strict rules you must follow. The real art to it is finding shades of different colours that complement each other in a way you find appealing. And one of the useful things about experimenting with colour through paint is that you can try things out, starting in small areas, without it being too time consuming or expensive to re-do if you don’t like the finished combination.

Often working successfully with so-called clashing colours comes down to a few basic tips that can lead to eye-catching and bold looks unique to you.

Getting started

Resene Colour Expert Meryl Southey says the best advice for finding successful colour clashes is to work with colours that make you happy rather than opting for what someone else thinks “looks good”.

Beyond that a good place to start is to match the temperature of colours, she says. “That means starting with a colour palette that combines either all cool or all warm colours.

“If you do want to mix cool and warm colours, choose deeper moody shades or muted pastels for the cool colours,” Meryl says. “They usually appear warmer and softer because they do not have a large amount of white in them.”

The colour experts at your Resene ColorShop can help you find warm or cool variants of shades you love but some basic tips are:

One of the best tips around warm and cool colours is don’t get lost in the weeds of undertones and colour proportions. You’ll get caught in paint paralysis and never be able to make a decision. The key is to start experimenting using Resene testpots and once you have colour ranges you want to play with, seek advice on the shades that might work best for the result you want to achieve.

Meryl’s other tip for those starting out with clashing colours is to use brighter, bolder contrast shades as highlights in small, key areas of a space. “For example you can try a calming warm neutral for the walls and highlight with a pop of brighter colour on the trim areas.

“Proportion is key. Think about the placement of each colour and how they compare and relate to each other. I like to use Resene A4 pre-painted drawdown paint swatches and move the colours into different proportionate combinations, by layering the samples to get an idea of how much to use of each colour.” You can view these swatches in the colour library at your local Resene ColorShop and try out different colour combinations in the instore colour area.

Using the classic 60:30:10 combination is a good place to start getting proportions right. That means using one colour over 60 percent of the room, a secondary shade over 30 percent and a third over ten percent. Tradition might dictate that the main colour would be a lighter, more muted or neutral shade but that’s not set in stone. You might want to go bolder as your main colour then use touches of clashing contrast to dial it further up, or down.

A multi-coloured bedroom - blues, yellow and deep wine shades

Repeated use of different blues, yellow and deep wine shades keep this multi-coloured bedroom cohesive, energetic and unique.

Left wall painted in Resene Kashmir Blue and Resene Chocolate Lounge with skirting, trim and console table in Resene Caffeine. Right upper wall and table planter in Resene Funk with batten headboard in, top to bottom, Resene Urbane, Resene Martini, Resene Tom Tom and Resene Almond Frost. Floor stain washed in Resene Colorwood Shade. Basket in Resene Martini, side table in Resene Streetwise, blue planter and mug in Resene Spindle, small vase in Resene Ravishing, bottle vase in Resene Midnight Express, bedside vase in Resene Kashmir Blue and artwork in Resene Kashmir Blue, Resene Funk, Resene Streetwise, Resene Midnight Express, Resene Spindle Resene Caffeine and Resene Chocolate Lounge. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

A lush green room with floral notes

Floral notes set against a lush, rich green evoke the colour clashes found in nature.

Walls, window frame and small container painted in Resene Tom Thumb, floor and lamp base painted in Resene Kandinsky and shelves, bowls and planter in Resene Marionette. Chair from Mocka, light from Lighting Plus. Project by Amber Armitage, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Clever clashes to try

A good place to start your clashing colour journey is simply start with your favourite colour and work out from there. If you love blue, try a cool shade like Resene Mariner, and add a vibrant blast of green in Resene Deep Sea, purple Resene Kingfisher Daisy or sunny Resene Carpe Diem.

If your favourite colour is red try a warm earthy shade like Resene Avant Garde and add unexpected contrast in vivid peach Resene Big Bang with its subtle red undertone or cornflower blue Resene Jordy Blue.

Nature is always a good first stop when it comes to choosing colours and though that might conjure up thoughts of very tonal colour schemes of earthy neutrals and muted greens, rather than clashes, think about the riot of colour and joy in a flower garden.

Reinterpret that kind of colour clash in your room with a main shade in a versatile green like Resene Pale Leaf, and add accents of floral colour in Resene Coconut Ice, Resene Tropical and Resene Bright Red.

Another nature-inspired bold palette might be a mixture of espresso browns, against yellow and mid blues, Meryl says.

“Team it with undyed textiles like linen and bring in textures in the form of felt baskets and woven lampshades to create an invigorating space, kept balanced with soothing and calm textures and juxtapositions of colour.

It’s a combination that can be great for multi-use spaces such as a bedroom that doubles as an office.” Try Resene Coffee Bean and Resene Funk with Resene St Tropaz.

A bedroom with an imaginative and fun colour scheme

Simple painted geometric shapes and designs add additional ‘clashing’ notes to this imaginative and fun colour scheme. Wall painted in Resene Oxygen with vertical strip in Resene Smokescreen, circle in Resene Hampton and stripes in Resene Inspire, sideboard in Resene Big Bang with handles in Resene Inspire, side tabletop in Resene Wild West, bedhead in Resene Snow Drift, bed base in Resene Consuela and Resene Wild West, light pendant in Resene Blackjack and Resene Snow Drift, tall vase in Resene Inspire, square planter in Resene Snow Drift, Resene Smokescreen and Resene Inspire. Chair from Danske Møbler, lamp from The Brim Label, artwork by Jodi Clarke from endemicworld. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton.

Calm it down

When we talk about palettes of so-called clashing colours it can be easy to assume it’s all about going bold and maximalist for dramatic effect. But you can also go for clashing shades in a muted or pastel palette.

Meryl says a good themed colour combination to try is soft blues with earthy tones and dusky pinks. “Though they may not seem a traditional combination these are the colours of nature; sky, soil and faded sunsets. They create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that’s great for bedrooms.”

Try Resene Half Spindle, Resene Echo Blue and Resene Copper Rust with Resene Wafer or – add an unexpected pop of soft yellow such as Resene Butter, she says.

For subtle pastel clashes try an on-trend subtle peach like Resene Wax Flower layered with muted blue Resene Panorama and a touch of lilac Resene Poet.

Opting for a cleverly clashing colour combo doesn’t mean you need to ignore neutrals. Often, Meryl says, the right neutral will make it easier to combine other colours, particularly if you opt for a mid-toned neutral or even a very subtle pastel, rather than a crisp, bright white – which brings its own kind of contrast.

Earthy tones like Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay, or even palest dusky rose pinks like Resene Half Pot Pourri give you a sophisticated base from which to build your clashing look, she says.

“You can also colour drench with different tones of one dominant colour and maximise the Layering. It all depends on the mood you want to convey. If your scheme is feeling a bit flat despite a clever use of contrast then it may just need a classic neutral to make it pop.”

Play with pattern

Colour is one way to create a clashing yet cohesive look in your space, pattern is another.

Simple patterns in geometric shapes, checks or stripes layered in different sizes and designs around a room help create a very dynamic, vibrant space. If you’re working with different, clashing patterns, keep your colour palette to one or two colours. This will emphasise the patterns yet prevent them from competing with each other too much.

An interesting wallpaper pattern like Resene Wallpaper Collection DGILA101 using an abstract design in bold colours is very effective as a feature wall in a space. You can then pull out the deep reds, lilacs, tans and charcoal notes from the design into your soft furnishings and paint colours elsewhere in the room.

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November 05, 2024

If you need help getting starting or deciding on the colours that best suit your home, come in and visit your local Resene ColorShop, Ask a Resene Colour Expert free online or book a Resene Colour Consultation free instore or virtually or a paid home visit in selected areas.

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