Taking shape

Are you tired of playing it safe? Well, you’re not alone. The days of living with walls lacking in personality and striking patterns are a distant memory as we adopt new ways with which to stamp our style.

Say hello to brave choices, with geometric shapes and creative patterns bringing homes to life.

And while we’re at it, we’re more than happy to play around with colour, because the number of hues that work together beautifully is always impressive. So let your imagination run and embrace your freedom to choose.

More of us are stepping out to let the stories between colours come to the fore. Geometric shapes are taking pride of place through new ways of bringing placed blocks of colour into our homes.

Think of a thick vertical line of an elegant hue in a hallway or a fluid arch in a beautiful shade in a bedroom. These high-contrast designs and unique effects add instant interest, transforming rooms from the ordinary to the impressive.

This living room channels art nouveau glamour with an arrangement of hexagonal shapes.

Glamorous tones and graphic shapes add a contemporary edge to a neutral wall. This one looks fabulous against the soulful neutral of Resene Tea, with accent colours displayed across the room.

Take in its anchor colour, the muted turquoise of Resene Ming. Gentle and composed, it makes an elegant statement. Green-blues such as this guarantee the refuge and stimulation that we seek in our living room, and these colours are steadily growing in popularity. Having an eye-catching pattern as a visual feature anchors your living room, encouraging you to sit, relax and take a breath at the end of a busy day.

From here, the colours build. A traditional green tone emerges in Resene Bush with its deep, jewel-like presence. The coastal blue of Resene Ming continues to resonate further with the warm rusty tan of Resene Brown Sugar. It brings the liveliness of Resene Ming and the richness of Resene Bush down to earth. The deep, dark blue of Resene Blue Night calmly centres the colour scheme. Finally, Resene Summer Green balances the composition with its cooling, light blue. Although these colours differ dramatically, they work together harmoniously, balancing drama and softness.

Achieving your artisanal accents is easier than you think. The perfect DIY project if you have a weekend free, it requires a pencil, ruler, masking tape and your chosen paints. If you love playing with shapes, bring in hexagons in other forms, such as with a mirror. It’ll bounce natural light around the room, enhancing the sense of space.

Bringing in your chosen colours in furniture and objects will have a significant impact on the feel of the living room. It’s vital to harmonising the room, which in turn will create a more comfortable experience. The cabinet in Resene Ming is both practical and visually appealing, and the leather couch in the same tan as Resene Brown Sugar invites you to sit back and sink into its cushions. A coffee table in Resene Summer Green adds further balance. Vases and bowls lend another dimension, breaking up the surfaces visually. These are all points of difference that, in the bigger picture, unite the overall colour scheme.

If you’re considering this scheme in a bedroom, tie in one of the hexagon colours onto your side wall, bedroom bench and bedside table. Layers of soft, inviting textiles and plenty of comfortable pillows will soften the setting.

Need your study nook updated but don’t have much space? The beauty of the hexagon design is that it will make a stylish statement without taking up floor space. Add a desk in a timber hue that will blend in with Resene Brown Sugar , and add in more colours from your scheme by way of a desk chair and pot plant.

This hexagon feature can define zones in your home too. A reading corner may feel a little bare, so tie in the design with your favourite chair, a soft rug and a book cabinet. Voilà! You’ve created a relaxing reading destination!

By upping the ante on geometrics by using rich and light colours, this hexagon feature illustrates how to create impact with tones in an elegant way. It’s a stylish, unexpected alternative to a simple living room wall, celebrating the freewheeling spirit of rich colours amid graphic designs. The bold contrast between the feature and the neutral wall identifies your space as a destination in which to relax, recharge and reset.

Top tip: How to create your own hexagon paint design

Using the image as a guide, use the pencil to draw your hexagons. Ours were 50cm in diameter. Tape the design with painters masking tape. Apply two coats of paint to each hexagon. Our design was centred across the wall with the base of the design starting 1.2 metres off the ground.

Accessories: Sofa, armchair, cups, faux plant and navy cushion from Freedom, rug from Citta, duvet, pillowcase, candle, throw, corduroy and linen cushions from Adairs, rectangle and hexagon cushions from Wallace Cotton.

Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Images by Bryce Carleton. 2021