Make waves with water-inspired design

From the Resene decorating blog

From cool and airy to beachy and chill to moody and sophisticated there is a water-inspired look to suit your interiors.

Earthy shades have long been popular in our interiors. Muted warm shades of brown, cream and greige are a simple way to connect our homes to nature and play in a more varied nethutral colour palette. But there’s another elemental source of inspiration that can drench your spaces in nature – and that is water.

Lounge with a beautiful rag-finished mural inspired by the ocean

This beautiful rag-finished mural evokes the beauty and movement of the sea.

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Wall painted in Resene White Pointer with topcoats in Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Seachange, Resene San Juan and Resene Soothe mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. Floor stain colour washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, pendant light in Resene San Juan, table in Resene Half Breathless, planter in Resene Breathless, cup and saucer in Resene Black White and vase in Resene Bone. Resene Living Rug from Mitre 10, chair from Danske Møbler. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.

Elegant beachy bedroom featuring coastal sea blues on the walls and furniture

Coastal cool sea blues lend elegance to a beachy bedroom.

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Wall painted in Resene Breeze, floor stain colour washed in Resene Colorwood Bleached Riverstone, bedside tables and headboard in Resene White Thunder and Resene Santas Grey, bench in Resene Explorer, boxes and small planter in Resene Loblolly, vase in Resene Santas Grey, lighthouse and starfish in Resene Poured Milk, small vase in Resene White Thunder, large planter in Resene Thor, artwork base coated in Resene EzyFill Quick and Resene Explorer, Resene Midnight Moss, Resene Loblolly and Resene Thor. Throw from Nood, bedding from Briscoes. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.

From cool and airy to beachy and chill to moody and sophisticated there is a water-inspired look to suit your interiors. While water does immediately turn our attention to a classic nautical blue like Resene Half Resolution Blue, greys, teals, powder blues and deep greens can also work beautifully to create water inspired spaces.

Water features

While considering colour is a great place to start taking inspiration from water, Resene Colour Consultant Hannah Lynch says other aspects of water such as light, pattern and movement are just as important and really widen your options of where to take inspiration from.

“My mind goes to intricate patterns of water and its colours dancing in different lights. I would play with using different linear patterns and abstract shapes, looking at fabrics, washes and wallpapers,” Hannah says. She suggests wallpaper designs like Resene Wallpaper Collection FJ020216 or Resene Wallpaper Collection 39659-1, or Resene Context curtain fabric in Hydra, as simple ways to start bringing touches of a water theme into a room.

Visual texture can be another way to capture the constant movement of water or its blurring or shimmering effects on other materials. For example, you could create a watercolour-style feature wall using Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with a palette of soft pastel and neutral shades such as Resene Castaway, Resene Gunsmoke, Resene Martini, Resene Silver Chalice and Resene Double Alabaster. There’s no need to keep to the colours of water as your water inspiration comes from the soft, watered edges of your different paint colours to give a relaxed, soothing finish.

Dining room inspired by nature with ocean blue and creamy yellow tones on walls and furniture

Water-inspired ocean blues and fresh creamy yellows bring nature indoors to this dining room. Left wall painted in Resene Astra with trim in Resene Half Gin Fizz, right wall in Resene Revolver, with skirting in Resene Mulled Wine, floor stain colour washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, tabletop in Resene Putty, legs in Resene Teak, side table, small bowl stained in Resene Colorwood Deep Purple, ribbed vase and milk bottle in Resene Mulled Wine, console table and flat vase in Resene Astra, mug in Resene Revolver, books in Resene Cumin and Resene Revolver, handled vase and small vase on console in Resene Cumin, small dish in Resene Half Astra, handled vase in Resene Putty, bottle in Resene Truffle, pendant light in Resene Cumin, painting frame in Resene Colorwood Deep Purple, overpainted artwork in Resene Half Gin Fizz, Resene Putty, Resene Mulled Wine, Resene Astra and Resene Cumin. Chair from Danske Møbler. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

How to:

To create your watercolour feature wall first paint your basecoat in a mid-toned shade such as Resene Castaway. Mix your other colours individually in separate containers with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. You could also add Resene Hot Weather Additive to slow the drying time allowing you more time to work. Start from the bottom and brush rough, different width stripes of each colour, one at a time, for a soft, organic look. After each colour is applied, dip a wide clean brush in water and blend the edges of each stripe so the colours blur together.

You can use a similar technique to create a wall mural inspired by a blustery sea, by painting your wall in a basecoat of Resene White Pointer. We started by painting our wall with a basecoat of Resene White Pointer. Then we applied layers of blues and neutrals like Resene Half Breathless, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Seachange, Resene San Juan and Resene Soothe mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. Start with the darkest shades first and apply layers of colour using a roller to create swirls and waves. Use a rag to smudge and merge edges.

Colour combinations to try

“When it comes to choosing colours for a water-themed design, start by exploring monochromatic tones of blue, black and grey with accent tones of yellow and green for a balanced nature-inspired space,” Hannah says.

She suggests trying the fresh crystalline blue of Resene Halcyon with pastel Resene Gull Grey and charcoal Resene Baltic Sea. Add accents in soft biophilic green Resene Orinoco and rich cream Resene Triple Pearl Lusta.

Dining room in rich teal, inspired by the deep still waters of a lake

Water-inspired needn’t be restricted to classic blues. Rich teal brings to mind the deep still waters of a lake. Walls painted in Resene Stromboli, floorboards stain colour washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, bench eat in Resene Deep Teal, basket in Resene Bastille, table legs in Resene Teak with top in Resene Putty, fruit plate in Resene Casal, bowl in Resene Popcorn, angular plate in Resene Tuscany, milk bottle in Resene Deep Teal, tray in Resene Bastille and planter in Resene Casal. Chair and cushions from Danske Møbler. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

These soft shades will lend a room the soothing calm often associated with being by water in nature. The muted nature of these colours also means they work well if you’re looking for an almost-neutral palette that adds just a few touches of gentle colour, rather than dramatic sweeps of bright shades.

That said, there is plenty of room to experiment with bolder palettes when working with water as your creative spark.

For the feel of a moody, stormy ocean try deep rich blues like Resene Coast or Resene Indian Ink, warm teals like Resene Casal or Resene Balderdash or even dark greens like Resene Swamp and Resene Aquamarine for a sense of deep, still water. Add freshness to these bold shades with foamy whites and neutrals like Resene Half Chill Out and Resene White.

It might seem a surprising choice but adding in notes of delicate lavender or pastel purples like Resene Lola and Resene I Do add a dreamy feel to your colour scheme, reminiscent of the sun setting over water. Try them with muted grey-blues like Resene Powder Blue and Resene Milk White from the Karen Walker Paints collection.

To create a more sun-drenched, beachy vibe, look to lighter, brighter blues reminiscent of tropical seas like Resene Sail or Resene Anakiwa and pair with delicate, sunny yellows like Resene Pale Prim or, for alpine lake freshness try them with icy blue Resene Tranquil or off-white Resene White Pointer.

Warm it up

One thing to keep in mind when working with water-inspired colours, particularly paler blues and greens, is that they often have cooler undertones. This can be just the right feel in sun-soaked spaces or any room you want to feel crisp and fresh. Think cornflower blue Resene Relax with Resene Panorama in a bright, warm bathroom, for example.

Hannah says it can be particularly tempting to go for brighter blues in small, dark rooms thinking they will make the space feel bigger, but they can leave the space feeling chilly, particularly if the room is south-facing with little natural light.

“Instead, introduce a strong, complex blue like Resene Shadowy Blue or Resene Conch because it will naturally warm a space even if it is a cooler colour.”

“If you’re unsure about going a darker colour and want to make the space feel light, you can always opt for a light neutral on the walls, perhaps with warm and sandy undertones like Resene Half Sandspit Brown, then introduce colourful hues as accents.”

Being beside or near water has inspired some enduring classics in interior design style such as the navy, white and bare wood finishes of the Hamptons style and the weathered blues and creams of a relaxed beachy look, but if you think beyond the obvious combinations a water inspired design can lead to something uniquely you.

Colours mentioned in this article

Colours marked as "buy in-store" may not yet be available in our online ColorShop, however, the testpots can be purchased at your local Resene ColorShop or reseller.

Make waves with water-inspired design

Water features

How to:

Colour combinations to try

Warm it up

Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.co.nz