From Habitat plus - decorating and colour trends 2021
Annick Larkin • Vanessa Nouwens • Gem Adams • Kate Alexander • Megan Harrison-Turner • Greer Clayton • Amber Armitage • Emily Somerville-Ryan • Melle van Sambeek
I often turn to nature for colour inspiration with moody greens and earthy hues dominating my palette choices this season. From sage to moss to the more saturated hues of lush foliage, green is a colour I always associate with tranquillity and rest. I love to use Resene Gecko, Resene Juniper and Resene Balderdash to create spaces that feel natural, organic and restful. Forest-harvested hues and textures work well together or when paired with my all-time favourite colour, Resene Zulu. Nothing turns up the temperature of a room better than its warm, elegant hue and its richness and depth makes it a beautiful alternative to the fashionable taupe greys of yesteryear.
Mood board: Background in Resene Balderdash with painted accessories in (clockwise from left) Resene Juniper, Resene Saltpan, Resene Green Meets Blue, Resene Ottoman and Resene Gecko.
I love this palette as a stylish and classy twist on a monochromatic scheme. If you tend towards a minimalist style and single hue palettes but are looking for something a little different and warmer and with a slight dose of colour then Resene Rhino, Resene Quarter New Denim Blue, Resene Grey Chateau and Resene Iron make for a lovely colour combo, particularly in a living room or bedroom. Softer than navy, Resene Rhino is a beautiful inky blue which looks stunning when teamed with a soft grey like Resene Grey Chateau or Resene Iron. To keep the space tonal yet interesting, try adding Resene Quarter New Denim Blue as an accent. Team it with a stunning moody piece of art and some greenery and you will have a beautiful, relaxing space to wind down in.
Mood board: Background in Resene Quarter New Denim Blue with painted accessories in (from top centre) Resene Cut Glass, Resene Iron, Resene Grey Chateau, Resene Rhino and Resene Casper.
With more time spent at home, along with the rest of the country I got itching to do a little change up around the house. We recently welcomed a new member to our whãnau, but I hadn't got around to decorating a space that was just for our new son, Sunny. I chose Resene Eagle for the walls as a subtle base while Resene Hemlock on the floor grounds it. I am planning on creating some custom art using Resene testpots, including the aptly named Resene Blank Canvas, as well as Resene Possessed. Of course, we can't go past a little sunshine for our Sunny boy, adding in some Resene Hot Toddy too.
Mood board: Background in Resene Eagle with painted objects in (clockwise from top right): Resene Blank Canvas, Resene Hemlock, Resene Moon Mist, Resene Possessed and Resene Hot Toddy.
My favourite colour schemes right now are ones that bring together both warm and cool. I love mixing hues of putty like Resene Calico or Resene Smooth Operator with crisp chalky whites like Resene Quarter Iron or Resene Black Haze. Resene Blackjack is still my go-to shade when I need a hit of black without it being too sharp. For feminine rooms, I like to add in the biscuity hues of Resene Wafer or Resene Lola. And my top green right now is the aptly-named Resene Green Pea; it’s full of punch, but not so out there that it can’t be used ‘en masse’.
Mood board: Background in Resene Black Haze with painted pots in (clockwise from top) Resene Green Pea, Resene Wafer, Resene Calico, Resene Lola, Resene Quarter Iron, Resene Smooth Operator and Resene Blackjack.
It’s great to see more people moving away from neutrals to put colour back onto their walls! Cool, gentle colours with a historic reference such as Resene Breeze, Resene Half Opal and Resene Half Duck Egg Blue have been popular in renovations and new builds I've helped out with recently. These are easy colours to coordinate with neutral finishes but add more ambience. A lot of dark colours are being used, too; namely blues like Resene Warrior, Resene Bunting and Resene Indian Ink. I’m personally very excited about the lavender and deep rich purple trends that are coming through – Resene Lucky Point, Resene Plum and Resene Enigma on the dark side and Resene Heartbreaker and Resene Poet on the lighter side. The darker ones are great evening colours for rooms to cocoon in like a bedroom, snug, TV room or glamorous bathroom.
Mood board: Background in Resene Breeze with painted objects in (from top left) Resene Bunting, Resene Enigma, Resene Warrior, Resene Heartbreaker, Resene Plum and Resene Half Opal.
Spending time in the sub Antarctic islands recently I have drawn my colour inspiration from the heritage of this beautiful south sea paradise! Always a nod to nature the soft tones of Resene Emerge combined with stronger Resene West Coast sit happily with Resene Lynch and Resene Kelp alongside Resene Triple Black White to enhance the natural environment and bring a sense of our great outdoors indoors. More now than ever our homes are our castles, our sanctuaries and safe places, where we love to hunker down and enjoy our bold surroundings with new colour combinations.
Mood board: Background in Resene Breeze with painted objects in (clockwise from top) Resene West Coast, Resene Triple Black White, Resene Kelp and Resene Lynch.
This collection of paint colours is the perfect palette with something for everybody. For the bold, they can choose the deep dark tones of Resene Dark Knight or Resene Olive Green as the main colour and accentuate with the lighter tones. Lovers of softer tones can build on a base of Resene Umber White or Resene First Light. And for those who like to stay on trend, Resene Pewter and Resene Cashmere are the ideal paint colours. Whichever way you use this palette, each of the paint colours complement one another and you can even leave out any colours you don’t love and it still looks amazing.
Mood board: Background in Resene Umber White with tray in Resene Pewter and vases in (clockwise from left) Resene Dark Knight, Resene Cashmere, Resene Olive Green and Resene First Light.
The colours I am absolutely loving at the moment are the gorgeous range of greyish-blues available in the Resene colour range. Hues like Resene Half Dusted Blue and Resene Half Gull Grey are peaceful and gentle. It is said that blue has the power to reduce stress – and a soothing colour that helps calm the mind and reduce anxiety is just the tonic we need in our lives right now! These tones are brilliant in larger areas as they bring a bright freshness to a room but still hold a lot more personality than a typical off-white. When it comes to smaller, intimate spaces or feature walls, however, you can be a lot braver and use bolder blues like the wonderful Resene Excalibur or Resene Time After Time. Furnish your space with similar tones and set the look off with splashes of contrasting brilliance using colours like Resene I Dare You and Resene Havoc through small statement pieces like chairs or cushions. These are happy hues and will add some playfulness and joy onto your lovely calm blue backdrop.
Mood board: Background in Resene Dusted Blue with large bowl in Resene Half Gull Grey and vases and pots in (clockwise from top) Resene Waikawa Grey, Resene Havoc, Resene Hammerhead and Resene Solitude.
All my recent Resene colour favourites are similar to those I wear on repeat in my wardrobe – showing just how much that fashion and interiors always have a place together. Resene Chelsea Gem is a warm rust tone that is on trend in wardrobes as well as interiors. It looks great paired with cream, soft caramel and beige and used with black as an accent colour. Khaki green Resene Cabbage Pont is always a fail-safe classic to have in your wardrobe. It takes a brave spirit to paint khaki on your walls, however, when used as an accent to support a lighter shade like Resene Green Spring or Resene Mangrove, it helps make for a beautiful, moody space – especially in a bedroom. Resene Rakaia is a beautiful soft grey that goes with anything and everything. A little more exciting than a plain white, it makes a great backdrop for art and furniture. If you dare, take it up onto the ceiling as well, especially if you have decorative elements like crown mouldings, as it will make them stand out even more.
Mood board: Background in Resene Rakaia with placemat in Resene Chelsea Gem, large vase in Resene Cabbage Pont, small vase in Resene Pumice, coaster in Resene Paddock and coat peg in Resene Quarter Concrete.
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