Find your way

From emerge magazine - issue 01, pick your palette

Finding your way in design means embracing the unexpected.

Pair warm yellows like Resene Marzipan with cool mauves like Resene High Tea or bold reds like Resene La Bamba. You can also try layering structured patterns with soft, organic textures. These unique combinations challenge traditional rules, resulting in a space that feels fresh and deeply personal.

By blending colours and patterns that might seem unlikely at first, you create a space that tells a story – one that reflects your instincts, inspirations and the joy of discovery.

A playful space painted in mauve, yellow and red

This playful space is painted, from top, in Resene High Tea, dado in Resene La Bamba, base in Resene Marzipan and 'grout lines' in Resene Meteor. Floor, fruit bowl and chairs in Resene Hampton and pendant and small vase in Resene Bastille.

Decorating with unexpected colour combinations

Colour collides in this bedroom with a headboard painted in Resene Hampton, headboard border and walls in Resene High Tea, bedside table in Resene La Bamba, light in Resene Marzipan and floor in Resene Colorwood Bark. Vase from Thea Ceramics.

A mood board using warm and cool colours

Resene A4 drawdown paint swatches and Resene testpots in (from top) Resene High Tea, Resene La Bamba, Resene Meteor, Resene Marzipan and Resene Hampton.

top tip When you're using a Resene testpot to confirm colour choices, paint on two coats onto A2 card leaving an unpainted border around the edge. Once dry, move the painted sample around the space during the day and night to see how the colours are affected by the change in lighting.

Contrasts and connections define the journey of design – deep blues like Resene Calypso meet vibrant yellows like Resene Hampton, forming striking intersections of light and shadow, order and spontaneity. These bold pairings guide the eye, much like pathways in a city or brushstrokes on a canvas, shaping a space that feels dynamic and intentional. By weaving together structure and fluidity, colour and negative space, you can create a room that not only reflects a personal style but also invites movement, energy and exploration.

A constrasting blue and yellow striped wall

Find the perfect colour contrast like blue and yellow. This wall, floor and desk are painted in Resene Calypso, stripes in Resene Hampton, vase in Resene High Tea, artwork in Resene Hampton, Resene Navigate, Resene Calypso and Resene High Tea and stool in Resene Bastille.

Decorating with blue, yellow and mauve together

Wall painted in Resene Calypso, stripes in Resene Hampton, floor in Resene High Tea and vases from left in Resene Calypso and Resene High Tea.

A blue and mauve mood board

Resene A4 drawdown paint swatches and Resene testpots in (from top) Resene High Tea, Resene Navigate and Resene Calypso.

Colours and products mentioned in this article

Testpot colours and products marked as "buy in-store" may not yet be available in our online ColorShop, however, they can be purchased at your local Resene ColorShop or reseller.

Resene Hampton