Down to earth

From habitat plus - decorating and colour trends 2022

The decade long obsession with motifs, colours, materials and silhouettes popular in the 80s has waned and made way for 1970s influences.

This new trend is playing out through both colours but also with textures through earthy, handmade artisanal elements like pottery, macrame and dried floral arrangements.

When it comes to colours, look to browns from suede to espresso like Resene Dusty Road and Resene Felix, rich adobe terracotta like Resene Sante Fe and Resene Tuscany, avocado greens like Resene Avocado and Resene Lichen and biscuit beiges like Resene Double Biscotti and Resene Half Akaroa to bring today’s tones to your walls, flooring and furniture.

Toasty terracotta

The word terracotta is borrowed from Italian and translates to ‘baked earth’, so it doesn’t get much toastier or earthier than these clay-coloured hues. It’s the oxidisation of the iron rich soils used to create the porous pottery which shares the moniker that you can thank for the colour, which is undeniably warming when used in quantities both large and small.

Tap into a Tuscan vibe with walls and ceilings in popular varieties like Resene Wild West, Resene Crail, Resene Korma or Resene Sante Fe paired with warm off-white flooring in Resene Blank Canvas. Or invert the palette with walls in Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta and painted ‘terracotta tile’ flooring in Resene Tuscany with painted ‘grout’ in Resene Raven.

Brown comes back around

Not since the 1990s – and, before that, the 1970s – has brown been as big a deal as it is right now. Hues like Resene Leather, Resene Dusty Road, Resene Brown Sugar and Resene Brown Pod are skyrocketing in popularity, likely for their ability to simultaneously ground and warm the spaces that they’re used in – both highly desirable qualities to bring into a busy, contemporary home. But unlike the one-dimensional browns of the 90s, these variations are richer and more complex with spirited undertones that love to be layered with one another or blended with greys, beiges and taupe, such as Resene Mondo, Resene Half Akaroa and Resene Half Nomad.

Two ways with rugs

If you’re having a big party – especially one where there might be a number of little ones running around the house – there is the potential for your rug to become a tripping hazard. If pulling it out before the party will leave your space a little lacking on the style front, try painting a ‘rug’ underneath to carry on your colour scheme while removing the risk. This strategy can also be helpful if your rug is too chunky or cosy for warmer weather but is a necessity for keeping toes toasty during the colder months.

Timber touches

Given the natural beauty inherent to wood grain, it’s no wonder that timber walls, ceilings, flooring and joinery are all trending. But even if you want to embrace a natural look, timber needs to be properly protected and maintained to keep it looking great for years to come. It’s important to protect your timber from harmful UV rays, inside and out, so it’s recommended to use Resene Woodsman stain outside and Resene Colorwood stain inside to help block out some of the sun’s harsh radiation.

For the most natural look, choose a Resene wood stain colour that’s most similar to your wood’s natural colour. Or for a more dramatic look, opt for a popular darker colour like Resene Colorwood Bark, Resene Pickled Bean, Resene Colorwood Iroko or Resene Pitch Black.

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