Seasonal switch-outs

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

Seasonal transitions often inspire an adjustment to everyday life.

Much like you change up your wardrobe when the weather gets warmer or cooler, a change of seasons is the perfect time to spruce up the design scheme of your home, inside and out. Rotating your decor allows you to take advantage of all of the wonderful colours, patterns and textures out there and avoid the boredom that can lead to impulsive purchases that clutter up your home.

Plywood walls have been all the rage lately. If you like the look of woodgrain but are looking to bring some deeper colour in your space, try staining them with Resene Colorwood Woody Bay – a midnight blue timber stain. The look is striking, and it can be a surprisingly versatile base to build out a scheme that’s simple to change as the weather turns from warm to cool – especially when teamed with floors in a classic greyed white like Resene Sea Fog.

While you will likely not have plans to buy big ticket items like new furniture or drapes for each season – or space to store them – making a few changes can do wonders for perking up your home. But just because you’re looking for versatility in your furniture doesn’t mean that it has to be boring. We used Resene Casper for the sideboard in this space, a softly greyed blue that works just as well as a neutral. When it came to the coffee table, we painted it in a base layer of deep dark Resene Indian Ink. After it had dried completely, we then used a clean, dry cloth to wipe on a thin layer of Resene Sea Fog to give it a weathered ‘whitewashed’ look that fits in perfectly with the beachy feel of the rest of the space. The same approach was used on the decorative screen, which was first painted in Resene Felix before it was wiped with Resene Sea Fog.

While it’s fairly straightforward to think about textural changes in terms of textiles as the seasons switch – namely, to lighten up in the summer and go cosy in the winter – it’s worth noting that texture is not only picked up by our sense of touch but with our eyes, too. Our eyes can tell our brain whether something is rough, fuzzy, smooth, shiny or chunky simply by looking at it – and both colour and pattern play a part in that.

When the weather’s warm, light and breezy linens and palm printed fabrics keep things light. But for winter, think warm and soft fabrics. Choose upholstery that makes you want to touch it: suede and velvet are great choices because of their comfort factor. Richer, darker colours and heavier patterns can also work well in the colder months. Cushions in super soft flannels and chunky knit throws help make this space extra cosy after the mercury drops.

In the warmer months, lighter coloured details like the tray and textured vase in Resene Escape, vase (with the palm frond), tea light holder in Resene Lazy River and rattan votive holder in Resene Sea Fog help create a sense of levity within the space while the bud vase in Resene Sea Fog, basket and textured pot (on sideboard) in Resene Felix, tall vase in Resene Indian Ink, coasters in Resene Casper, votive holder (on sideboard) and a bowl (on coffee table) in Resene Thunder Road flesh out the winter colour scheme when the temperature outside is colder.

Area rugs really have a way of pulling an entire room together. What’s best about these floor coverings is that they’re portable and versatile, so take advantage of how they can easily transition your space from one season to the next. In this space, a woven seagrass mat is brought out in the summer while a softer woollen one works better for winter.

Instead of purchasing a warm weather area rug, which are often rough to the touch, why not paint one onto your floor that coordinates with your summer scheme? In the colder months, you can cover it up with a soft, chunky rug that goes with your cool weather palette so that you’ll always have visual texture on your floor that’s gentle on the toes.

Styling by Vanessa Nouwens. Photography by Melanie Jenkins. 2019