From Habitat plus - decorating and colour trends 2021
For elemental, nature-inspired colours with a truly contemporary feel, dusty desert and terracotta hues simply can’t be beat.
Seemingly baked with heat, these rosy earth hues are inherently cosy and lend themselves well to lounges and other rooms you like to linger in. Browner shades are becoming the variation of choice over the earlier pinker versions meaning deeper clays like Resene Desperado, Resene Redwood or Resene Hairy Heath are the ones to watch. Whether you use them in small doses or splash them around liberally, they’re extremely effective at grounding a space. Try them with soft olives like Resene Double Tana, a rich blue-green like Resene Deep Teal or a violet grey like Resene Bastille.
Layer desert-like shades together to create a tonal sunset effect. Try combining Resene Crail, Resene Sante Fe, Resene Cashmere and Resene Burnt Sienna for a toasty look fit for a casual living room. For something completely different, team your favourite terracotta with a celery white like Resene Arrowroot and add a pop of a vibrant cerulean blue such as Resene Resolution Blue as a point of contrast.
Top tip: Look for pinks with duskier undertones as they are easier wall colours to live with than brighter versions.
Among the latest fashionable hues, dusty peaches have begun emerging with versions like Resene Whiskey Sour, Resene Beethoven and Resene Florentine Pink being the ones to look to. As with most trending colours that are in their early days, bringing in small touches of these colours is a good place to start. Pick up a few testpots in Resene Corvette or Resene Tacao and paint them on smaller items such as plant pots or a jewellery box to introduce the colour slowly. If you really warm up to it, go bolder by painting it over a statement piece of furniture like a sideboard or dining table for a room-defining look.
Can’t find the right artwork to match the colour you want to use in your space? Why not pick up a few Resene testpots in colours that coordinate and create some yourself! These pieces were made using Resene Corvette and Resene Rakaia painted on stiff white cardboard.
Visit habitat by resene for plenty of ideas and instructions on how to make different kinds of creative artwork for your home.
Bedroom: Greige, which is – as its name suggests – a mix of grey and beige, is a gorgeous hue for grounding a bedroom. Perk it up with a few pops of apricot to add character and interest, such as Resene Corvette on this pendant lamp, mirror and tote bag bottom. Back wall in Resene Eighth Stonehenge, right wall in Resene Half Gin Fizz, floor in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash, slatted headboard in Resene Double Stonehenge, skirting board and shelf in Resene Ebony Clay, vases on chair in Resene Double Stonehenge (tall), Resene Half Barely There (medium) and Resene Cinnamon (small). Duvet cover, pillowcases, quilt, tote and mirror from H&M Home, throw, cushions and slippers from Collect Living, chair from Kmart, art from endemicworld.
One of the most defining colours of the decade, pink continues to be popular. A far cry from when the first pops of millennial pink began to appear, today’s pinks have transitioned into much dustier territory, becoming more refined and mature in the process. Pinks have also slowly been desaturating, meaning blush tones with a slight tint of pink are the current trending option. In a way, these hues represent a new take on off-white.
Surround cooler blush pinks like Resene Dust Storm, Resene Soothe, Resene Wafer, Resene Ebb with contrasting greyed greens, steel blues or iron reds such as Resene Rainee, Resene Bluff or Resene Moccaccino to make these soft shades recede into a beautiful neutral backdrop. Or, layer them together for a feminine space but with a more neutral – and liveable – edge.
Bedroom: Wall in Resene Wafer with hand-painted polka dots in Resene Double Alabaster, floor in Resene Pearl Bush, bedside table in Resene Big Bang, toy box in Resene Urbane with triangle design in Resene Big Bang, cacti pot in Resene Dust Storm and mason jars in Resene Umber White and Resene Spring Wood.
Lavender and lilac hues have also been making a more pronounced appearance as a home décor accent colour. Calming and romantic, these colours are often best used in a bedroom as a beautiful contrast to toasted caramel and coffee tones. Look to greyed variations like Resene Sonique, Resene I Do, Resene Alluring or Resene Vintage as a counterpoint to Resene Hot Toddy, Resene Dark Buff and Resene Caffeine. Or, try them at the bach with silvery sage greens like Resene Spanish Green, Resene Tasman and Resene Pumice and a deep midnight blue like Resene Avalanche for a modern take on an English country vibe.
Mood board: Background in Resene Innuendo, leaf plate in Resene Green Smoke and painted vessels in (from left to right) Resene Slate Brown, Resene Double Wheatfield, Resene Avalanche, Resene Marionette and Resene Deluge.
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