Sun-day style

When the sun is shining and the air is warm, a place to relax outside, read a book and enjoy a tipple should be on everyone’s to-do list.

Whether your outdoor area is big or small, having one dedicated space where you can sit with a book – or drink – in hand makes all the difference on a hot summer’s day or a balmy summer’s night. What’s more, creating an outdoor patio that’s stylish, welcoming and cosy, will not only make this area an extra living space, but a destination.

Bring life and intrigue to the walls with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium, a tintable acrylic. This gives you an opportunity to create a unique alternative to traditional wall coverings and is especially appropriate for outdoor areas where such options are more difficult to work in effectively. The walls on this outdoor patio have been painted in Resene Aspiring with paint effect Resene FX Paint Effects Medium coloured in Resene Moon Mist.

Top tip

Before using Resene FX Paint Effects Medium, remember to prepare your exterior wall or walls by making sure that the surface or surfaces are in good condition, free of dirt, dust and any other loose material. Always apply your Resene FX Paint Effects Medium to a small surface area first to determine your desired effect. This can also serve as a useful example of what you would like your final look to be if you’re hiring a painting professional for this. Different effects can be created using a brush, natural sponge or clean rag.

This, combined with the textured and visually interesting element of the stacked breeze blocks on the left, painted in Resene Moon Mist, bring life and pattern to the outdoor space. The breeze blocks, as well as being a visual element, also provide privacy without totally blocking all light from the space – a particularly important feature in an outdoor room that doesn’t necessarily receive the sun’s direct rays all day long.

That’s where colour comes in too. In this outdoor patio, light is bounced around through bright popping hues and soft highlights. The decking stained in Resene Woodsman Uluru, a blonded brown wood stain, bring in warmth from below, where it is matched with pops of sunny-inspired hues such as the table and large plant pot in the rustic and casual mustard of Resene Teak and the rattan chair in the green and yellow toned beige of Resene Yuma.

Top tip

If you want a similar solid paint colour to Resene Woodsman Uluru, try Resene Double Pavlova, a green-tinted cream or Resene Teak, a rustic brown.

These earthy yellow hues are paired beautifully with similarly earthy greens such as Resene Flax on the tray and Resene Siam on the small plant pot, which provide a soft contrast to the gentle, textured walls.

Remember to accessorise with textured cushions in similar colours to Resene Wafer, Resene Castle Rock and Resene Travis, with a sizeable rattan rug and leafy, tropical plants for a nature-inspired look. This combination of accessories in pinks, greys, creams and verdant greens will complete your look and have your outdoor area feeling inviting, lively and fit for quiet relaxation outside or al fresco evenings.

For an alternative colour palette, take inspiration from the purple-toned palm print cushion. Keep the base elements the same – walls in Resene Aspiring with paint effect in Resene FX Paint Effects Medium coloured with Resene Moon Mist, bench seat in Resene Aspiring and decking in Resene Woodsman Uluru. Introduce dusty purples and blues through the accessories such as Resene Flotsam and Resene Raven with brighter pops of Resene Abbey Road and Resene Alluring. The result will have a brilliant sense of depth from the darker hues and will appear cooler thanks to the naturally cool undertones of those blues.

Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Images by Wendy Fenwick. 2021