Blue is best

Dive into hues like Resene New Denim Blue and Resene Neutral Bay – this is the year of decadent blue hues.

With its calming and confident charm, blue has long been a staple in interior design. Mineral and deep dusty blues are set to make their mark, particularly in dining and gathering spaces. If you’ve been looking for a sophisticated way to update a room, moody blues are your go-to hero hues.

Blue has long been a symbol of luxury and elegance. Throughout history the shade has been associated with the elite: from opulent robes of royalty to exquisite pigments used by Renaissance painters. Early uses of blue in interiors often came in the form of indigo-dyed textiles. Deep, dusty blues much like Resene Half New Denim Blue were chosen for their ability to convey a sense of serenity. Picture the lush, velvety blues of old-world European interiors, or the sumptuous indigos in historic Japanese design. These shades were a mark of refinement, often paired with gold or silver.

While our homes may not feature opulent textiles or solid gold plates now, blue very much still carries that same sense of sophistication. The colour has remained a staple in design, but its use and popularity has ebbed and flowed. We’ve seen a rise in pastel, muted blues in recent years – ideal for creating restful environments – but a shift towards incorporating richer, darker blues in our homes is emerging. Combining deeper denim tones with classic cooler Hamptons-inspired blues is right on trend. Think Resene New Denim Blue paired alongside a shade like Resene Duck Egg Blue. There’s something incredibly nostalgic and comforting about vintage denim. In interiors, denim-inspired blues (like soft indigos or worn-in mid-blues) give spaces a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. Think of it as the interior equivalent of a favourite pair of jeans – familiar and flattering.

This renewed passion for blue makes it a great time to ditch the predictability of white in kitchens and dining areas. These rooms are where we spend a lot of time with loved ones, so why not infuse those spaces with personality and warmth? Deep blues like Resene Half New Denim Blue and dusty blue Resene Neutral Bay bring a sense of cosiness to a dining space. These hues add warmth without sacrificing the lightness of your room. Blue is the perfect complement too for a range of materials in kitchens/dining spaces, be it wood, stone, brass or ceramic.

In this cosy dining space, we chose Resene Neutral Bay for our walls and V-groove panelling, as well as the skirting and trim. This shade is a soft, sophisticated greyish blue that offers a subtle yet striking backdrop for this dining space. We added contrast and depth to the room with Resene Half New Denim on our dining table and chairs in Resene Quarter New Denim Blue – a lighter, cooler blue that keeps the space airy yet grounded.

Accents on the table elevate the warmth and friendliness of the room. Dining spaces can be character-packed and certainly don’t need to feel sterile. Don’t be afraid to accessorise in a place where you eat, it’ll make your room feel all the more welcoming. We added greens and deep reds to add more vibrancy to the room – a small dish in Resene Green Spring adds a soft pop of colour, while a jug in rich raisin Resene Toorak offers subtle contrast. Tumbler glasses in orange-red Resene Hot August bring a splash of energy. For lighting, our Resene Half Mischka pendant light above the table injects an element of sophisticated glamour. This delicate grey hue is just different enough to separate itself from our Resene Neutral Bay painted walls, but similar enough so it doesn’t feel overpowering.

We added a chrome bar trolley to arrange a collection of plants and pots. We started with a pot painted in Resene Rakia, a shale grey, then mixed and matched this with a pot painted in Resene Neutral Bay and another in Resene Half New Denim Blue for visual depth. A tall flat vase in Resene Rob Roy, lidded pot in Resene Enigma and a pair of urns in Resene Hot August add fantastic colour richness. A ribbed plinth in Resene Green Spring offers more texture and colour contrast.

For the flooring, we landed on Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy from the Resene We Speak Beach collection to give the room a natural, light-toned contrast that helps balance the rich blues in the room. To tie everything together, why not create your own piece of art that echoes the room’s colour scheme? We painted a still life, taking inspiration from our collection of vases and jugs.

Here’s how to get the look:

• Take a thrifted canvas and paint it with shapes inspired by the objects around you. Use testpots of Resene colours like Resene Neutral Bay, Resene Enigma, Resene Rakia, Resene Rob Roy, Resene Hot August, Resene Toorak, Resene Rhino, Resene Half New Denim Blue and Resene Green Spring to create a playful yet harmonious composition.

• Frame your finished piece in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, matching your floorboards, to seamlessly integrate the artwork into your dining space.

Deep blues, mineral hues and pale blues are now considered versatile enough to be used as base colours in a room. These tones don’t overpower a space, but rather create a solid foundation on which you can layer other hues and textures. By embracing rich blues and complementary colours, you can create a dining space that’s so cosy and personalised you might just find you’ll spend more time there than your living room.

Colours and products mentioned in this article

Styling by Moneuan Ryan. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2024