Build a contemporary coastal look that’s extra chic

Start with the surf

While ‘beach style’ can mean different things to different people, no matter what your take on it, the inspiration usually stems from a similar palette built on weathered blues.

Weathered blues are shades that have a grey-washed look to them with a slightly worn-in, matte effect – like your favourite pair of faded jeans – that sets the tone for a relaxed look. They’re helpful for creating a space you want to feel comfortable and at ease in. Look to Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Excalibur, Resene Moby, Resene Raindance, Resene Duck Egg Blue or Resene Slipstream as a solid base to start building your palette from.

Seek out colours found in the choppier surf for trim and doors. Tones like Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Elderflower or Resene Rice Cake go well with warmer blues while cloudier shades like Resene Sea Fog, Resene Half Tea, Resene Merino, or Resene Half White Pointer look great with cooler colours. Super bright whites like Resene Black White or Resene Double Alabaster suit just about any colour if you want to keep your look especially crisp and clean.

Dive a little deeper

The key to keeping those watery denim shades from looking too shallow is to mix in a healthy dose of contrast. Add in one or two darker shades of blue or grey to anchor your look.

For the highest level of contrast, look to Resene Indian Ink, Resene King Tide, Resene Bewitched or Resene Twilight Zone. All of these deeply submerged shades are ideal for bringing a whole new depth to your palette. Lighter versions like Resene Coast, Resene Safehaven and Resene Quarter Baltic Sea are perfect if you want to bump up the contrast without worrying about drowning in something too dark.

Soften it up with some sand

Resene Despacito, Resene Crowdpleaser, Resene Dapper, and Resene Shabby Chic are truly sandy shades that can help to break things up a bit by using them on key pieces of furniture, but you could also go for a blusher look with on-trend sunset pinks such as Resene Shilo, Resene Sorbet or Resene Ethereal. If you want to play it safe, stick to pale greys or blues like Resene White Island, Resene Remember Me, Resene Silver Chalice or Resene Grey Seal.

Natural fibres and bare timbers also work well with beach looks, so throw in some accessories in woven fibres like cane, rattan, sisal, rope and hessian. To keep things light and casual, incorporate a plywood feature wall and stain it – along with your other wood surfaces – in Resene Colorwood Whitewash.

Bring in the brights

Add a little sunshine to finish off your look by sprinkling in a few brightly coloured accessories.

Bring in pops of saturated aqua like Resene She’ll Be Right, Resene Yowza, Resene Yes Please or Resene Moana. Or, splash in some bold golds like Resene Influential, Resene Cleopatra, or Resene Hive; terracotta like Resene Raging Bull and Resene Sunbaked; a buttery yellow like Resene Chorus Line; or a rich and spicy red like Resene Salsa or Resene Pohutukawa. You could even work a mix of brights together from a similar place in the spectrum and build up a look through tonal layers.

Some colour combinations you can try are:

• Resene King Tide + Resene Half Dusted Blue + Resene Moccasin + Resene Despacito
• Resene Twilight Zone + Resene Fast Forward + Resene Artemis + Resene Triple Duck Egg Blue
• Resene Coast + Resene Remember Me + Resene White Island + Resene Yowza
• Resene Slipstream + Resene Indian Ink + Resene Napa + Resene Dynamite
• Resene Mystery + Resene Lazy River + Resene Rocky Mountain + Resene Sixth Sense

Other beach-inspired looks you can build:

• Mix pastels by layering soft grey-blues such as Resene Sea Fog with subtle peach pinks such as Resene Soulful or even pale apple greens like Resene Kandinsky.

• For a casual beachy vibe that showcases your colour palette and looks great in an indoor/outdoor living space, try colour washing your wooden surfaces. Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Greywash are great neutrals that show off timber grain with a relaxed finish, but you can experiment with other colours as well. Try Resene Colorwood Satin Orange as an extra layer with other shades from sunbaked red and orange colour palettes, or even Resene Colorwood Deep Purple as a fun note in tropical colour schemes. It also works particularly well with Resene Colorwood Emerald Green.

• To make the quintessential Cape Cod beach look more modern and relevant, try a deep blue-charcoal such as Resene Indian Ink with complements of Resene Parchment and pair it with a creamier white such as Resene Poured Milk. For sunny pops of colour, add in splashes of vibrant yellow such as Resene Wild Thing or a burnt sienna like Resene Clockwork Orange.

• Swap out deep navy blues for dark greens such as Resene Family Tree or Resene Mother Nature. Add a uniquely Kiwi twist with a touch or two of Resene Pohutukawa.

• Build a lush oasis with a layer of leafy green plants and tropical flowers then work in paint colours in similar shades, such as Resene Mother Nature or Resene Permanent Green with hints of Resene Shilo or Resene Sorbet. Top tips:

• Finish woods in a way that really showcase the timber, such as Resene Colorwood Natural or Resene Colorwood Cedar. If you’re creating a beach look in your backyard, use Resene Woodsman Natural or Resene Woodsman Driftwood, which are perfect for outdoor spaces.

• If you’re ever feeling less than confident about your colour choices, you can always refer to the back of each colour in the Resene the Range fashion colours fandeck for some helpful suggestions or get in touch with a Resene Colour Consultant through your local Resene ColorShop.

• Try out a few Resene testpots before you commit to your colours so you can be sure you’ll love the end result.

February 01, 2019

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