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Artistic inclinations

From habitat plus - decorating and colour trends 2024

In rebuttal to our increasingly digital worlds, a resurgence in artistic styles have been making a major impact on home decorating.

From painterly looks inspired by impressionist masters to unique custom murals, Resene products are being used in fun, creative ways to add texture and interest to spaces large and small. Whether you want to put a brush to canvas to create a distinct DIY artwork to decorate your space or take your creativity to your walls, there are no limits to how you can put your artistic talents to work and turn your home into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Not only are many of these inspirational ideas far easier to create than they may look, they’re also a whole lot of fun.

An impressionist paint effect features in this lounge

Use a high-quality soft bristled paintbrush, clean dry rags and Resene FX Paint Effects Medium to easily layer and blend different colours to create an impressionist or watercolour paint effect.

Wall painted in Resene White Pointer with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Half Breathless, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Seachange, Resene San Juan and Resene Soothe, floor in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, skirting board in Resene White Pointer, mantel in Resene Half Black White, table in Resene Half Breathless and vases in Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Half Gull Grey, Resene Hammerhead and Resene Inspire. Resene Living rug from Mitre 10, sofa from Danske Møbler, cushions from Freedom.

Create a painterly effect on timber walls

The semi-transparent nature of Resene's range of wood stains makes them ideal for creating a painterly effect on timber walls, floors, ceilings and more as, just like watercolours, their colour is 'buildable' by adding subsequent layers.

Timber wall finished in Resene Colorwood Riverstone, Resene Colorwood Silvered Grey, Resene Colorwood Skywater and Resene Colorwood Whitewash, floor and bowl painted in Resene Eighth Stonehenge, cabinet frame and ball tealight holder in Resene New Denim Blue, coffee table and tall vase in Resene Quarter New Denim Blue and vase in Resene Neutral Bay. Sofa from Nood, rattan tealight holder from Freedom, cushions from Farmers, Freedom and H&M Home.

2024 Trend Spotter Trend: timber walls – see grounded in nature

Make an impression

Have you ever wished you could walk right inside a favourite artwork? Impressionist and watercolour-inspired walls awash in dreamy hues are surprisingly easy to achieve. With Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with an array of soft hues like Resene Half Breathless, Resene Half Dusted Blue and Resene Soothe, you can gently blend your brushstrokes with a clean rag to turn walls, floors, furniture or décor into a Monet-like masterpiece. On timber surfaces, a similar look can also be created with a brush by layering semi-transparent Resene Colorwood wood stains and washes.

Painterly effect - wallpaper
Resene Wallpaper Collection A60002

Resene Wallpaper Collection A60003
Resene Wallpaper Collection A60003

Resene Wallpaper Collection A60001
Resene Wallpaper Collection A60001

If you're drawn to the look of a painterly effect but worry that creating it yourself could be beyond your abilities, go for a wallpaper instead like one of these designs from the Resene Wallpaper Collection.

Freeform flair

It’s easy to bring your own unique individuality and artistic flair to your space with a one-of-a-kind interior mural created with Resene products. Home murals don’t need to take up an expansive wall or span the full surface from edge to edge – though those can be great ideas in the right space. Even a door, corner or piece of furniture can become your mural’s canvas. No matter what scale you decide to paint your masterpiece at, be sure to sketch out your idea on paper first before pencilling it on your surface. And if you’re having a tricky time deciding which colours to use, pick up some Resene testpots and test out your palette together on an art canvas, storage boxes or plant pots that you can use to decorate the rest of your space.

Painted wall mural and painted furniture

Carry the colours from your mural off the wall and into your room by painting them on chairs, lamps, storage containers, vases, plant pots, lamp bases and more. When painting curvaceous shapes, it’s common for decorators to gravitate towards using a small brush – but this can actually hamper your efforts. Instead, use a wide angled paintbrush with lots of soft bristles, like the high-quality ones available at your local Resene ColorShop, which will keep your hand steadier and help you achieve smooth, clean edges.

Wall painted in Resene Aoraki with shapes in Resene Baring Head, Resene Wayfarer, Resene Comfortably Numb and Resene Carpe Noctem, floor in Resene Half Tea, pendant lamp in Resene Carpe Noctem, coat rack in Resene Comfortably Numb and plant pots and vases in Resene Wayfarer, Resene Carpe Noctem and Resene Comfortably Numb.

Painting energetic designs on the walls

Take a page out of the tech start-up handbook and infuse your home office space with boundless creativity by painting energetic designs in engaging Resene colours.

Wall painted in Resene Black White with Matisse-inspired mural in Resene Coconut Ice, Resene Skylight, Resene Rulebreaker, Resene Tequila Sunrise, Resene Indian Ink, Resene Roadster and Resene Funk, desk in Resene Indian Ink, chair in Resene Funk, coat rack in Resene Baring Head, pendant lamp in Resene Illuminate, file organiser in Resene Skylight, pen cup in Resene Tequila Sunrise and vase in Resene Roadster.

did you know?  You can turn a portion of your mural into a magnetic message board by undercoating it in Resene FX Magnetic Magic. If using a medium or dark colour for your topcoat, ask for it to be tinted into Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and the same surface can double as a chalkboard – simply wipe it clean with a damp cloth when you need a blank slate.

top tip  Is your home mural inspired by a piece of artwork or photograph? Bring it to your local Resene ColorShop and the staff can help you find the right colours to match. Or upload a picture to one of Resene’s free online colour matching tools, like Resene ColourMatch Online or the Resene Colour Palette Generator to find similar hues to use in your design.

A colourful landscape mural

Make an impression with a paint-by-number style landscape mural in a variety of on-trend hues using Resene testpots from the Resene The Range fashion colours collection.

Wall painted in Resene White Noise with mural in Resene Illuminate, Resene Salted Caramel, Resene Times Square, Resene Comfortably Numb, Resene Scoria, Resene Tenor, Resene Vantage Point, Resene Ted, Resene Wayfarer, Resene Tarzan, Resene Green Days, Resene Pohutukawa, Resene Soul Searcher and Resene Tua Tua. Chair from Danske Møbler, rug, cushion and throw from Città.

Paint a mural above your bed

Painting a mural design above a bed can eliminate the need for a headboard.

Wall painted in Resene Eighth Rice Cake with mural in Resene Edward, Resene Rainee, Resene Kandinsky, Resene Cashmere, Resene Zorba, Resene Tom Tom and Resene Willow Brook, floor finished in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, side table in Resene Cashmere and vase in Resene Eighth Rice Cake. Resene Living Roman Alabaster duvet cover from Briscoes, pillowcases from Adairs, cushion and throw from Città.

2024 Trend Spotter Trend: natural colour schemes – see grounded in nature

did you know?  You can use plant-based paint to paint your interior walls, like this bedroom finished in Eco Choice approved Resene Room Velvet.

A room with a view

If your room doesn't have any windows, or if the windows you do have look out on to a less than stellar locale, use the geographic features of a favourite vacation destination to inspire a unique hand-painted mural and you'll always have an unparalleled picturesque view. When creating a landscape mural that features many different colours, use Resene testpots to reduce waste. If you want your landscape to have a simplified, illustrative style, stick to three colour families – for example, use Resene blues for the sky, purples for the mountains and greens for grassy hills. Or, use lots of colours to create a paint-by-number effect. To add depth to your landscape, first separate the colours you will be using into light, medium and dark tones. Paint with your medium tones first then add highlights with your lighter colours and shadows with your darker colours.

Creepers and critters

Choose your Resene colours based on the type of space you will be painting your mural in. If you are painting a mural in a home art studio or office space, you might choose vibrant and creative colour choices that energise you. But if you are creating a mural in a space that's meant for relaxation, sticking to gentle pastel tones that all have a dusted quality to them can keep your mural feel softer and more serene. Instead of saturated verdant greens, this cute headboard mural design uses subtle colours pulled from the bedding to bring life to its creeping vines and adorable insects for a soothing sleeping space.


Resene Aoraki

Resene Ted

Resene Inspire

Resene White Noise

Resene Soul Searcher

Resene Breathe Easy

Resene Tua Tua

Resene Comfortably Numb

Resene Baring Head

Resene Green Days

Resene Illuminate

Resene Wayfarer

Resene Coconut Ice

Resene Tenor

Resene Vantage Point

Resene Skylight

Resene Rulebreaker

Resene Salted Caramel

Resene Tequila Sunrise

Resene Tarzan

Resene Times Square

Resene Carpe Noctem
 

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