Memory lane

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

For those with a penchant for entertaining – and if you’re lucky enough to have a home with a formal dining room to accommodate – it’s common to want to create a space that carries with it a sense of luxury and sophistication, one where cocktails and canapes will look right at home.

Art Deco, being one of the most iconic and elegant design movements of the past century – and one that’s experienced a huge resurgence in popularity recently – is an ideal style to look to for inspiration. The epitome of glamour, the era is punctuated by deep colours, geometric patterns, glossy surfaces and luxe materials.

This dining room, infused with an atmosphere of high society, incorporates plenty of details pulled from the pages of Deco-inspired design coloured with some of Resene’s most desirable paint colours.

The muted violet Resene RSVP on the left and dusty mauve Resene Memory Lane on the right of the back wall bring a sense of exclusivity to the space, creating a posh backdrop for parties to take place. The left wall in classic Resene Noir generates even more moodiness while the floor, which was first painted in fizzy warm white Resene Elderflower, keeps the room from feeling too dark or heavy. For added interest, it has been dressed up with a sophisticated geometric pattern painted in Resene Black.

The repetition of colours and shapes is a major component of why this space is so successful. The roundness of the chair, vases and the freeform lines in the artwork breaks up the angular formality of the rest of the room. By using burgundy as an accent colour for the chair, vase and tray, it forces your eye to move around the space and catch some of its finer details. Try shades like Resene Dynamite, Resene Pohutukawa or Resene Courage to bring in a similar colour by painting one on a few small accessories or a statement chair. A soft yellow or teal slate would look just as sensational – try Resene Moonlight or Resene Safehaven to get a different look.

The dining table has been painted in high-gloss Resene Enamacryl tinted to Resene Blackjack. As a softer black, it brings a subtle point of difference to the other shades of black in the space while still maintaining its connection to the palette. Other shiny surfaces, such as the mirrored stool and the vases, work alongside the glossy finish of the table to reflect light around the room – an element that is especially important for a space with darker wall colours.

While the flicker of candlelight would definitely be desirable for setting the mood at a dinner party, moving to deeper wall colours often requires an adjustment in lighting. You may need to swap out your fixtures for ones that shine more or less light into the space – depending on the mood that you’re after.

In a space where you’ll be entertaining, it’s also important to look for ways to add comfort so that it invites your guests to linger. While this dining chair certainly carries a look of contemporary elegance, and despite being constructed of hard materials, its curved open shape is actually very enjoyable to sit on for longer periods of time than a seat with a more rigid form. Since different types of seating can be more or less comfortable to different people, it’s a great idea to incorporate a number of different chairs into your room plan so that everyone has a desirable place to sit.

Styling by Kate Alexander. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2019