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Registered Master Builders House of the Year magazine

From colour psychology to trends, Auckland-based Resene colour experts Amy Watkins and Ruth Whiunui share their wealth of insights.

Amy Watkins
Resene Colour Consultant

What has prompted the earthy colour palette trend?

It’s partly a response to Covid and lockdowns. With so much time spent inside, we’ve been rethinking our relationship with spaces and how to bring the outdoors inside.

What kind of mood does this palette inspire?

A warm and inviting atmosphere, and a relaxing and welcoming vibe. Even with richer, darker tones such as Resene Forest Green or Resene Siam, there’s softness. Nature never gets it wrong.

Wallpaper is enjoying a renaissance. What’s your advice to clients who are keen to use it, but are unsure about where it should go?

If in doubt, start with a feature wall in a smaller room of the house such as a bedroom. The best place is a wall that’s broken up with bedheads and furniture. This is an easy space to play with different styles, push boundaries and go bolder by using paint, wallpaper and linen. The current trend is to go wild and put wallpaper on all the walls of a powder room. It creates wow factor and an immersive experience. Starting off in smaller rooms feels less overpowering and makes an interesting statement.

How do you combine paint and wallpaper to create the right mood?

They play off one another. Choose the wallpaper first as it sets the mood – the coordinating paint colour brings it to life.

Ruth Whiunui
Resene Colour Consultant

How do you advise clients daunted by the blank canvas of a new build?

Find inspiration online, in magazines or even driving around the neighbourhood. It’s also about us asking the right questions to figure out what clients want, even if they don’t have that vision yet. What substrate are they using? What sort of joinery options are available? This helps narrow down the colour field.

When you need to achieve an enduring palette, how do you advise clients who are wedded to a passing trend?

We’ll use the trend’s key elements, but not in overwhelming proportions. A colour wheel is an amazing tool to ensure that whatever the palette, it is cohesive and will stand the test of time.

What are some basic principles of colour psychology?

As a general rule, warmer colours such as Resene Poppy, Resene Clockwork Orange and Resene Wild Thing tend to trigger more intense emotions, such as love, passion and energy, while cooler colours such as Resene Spanish Green, Resene Bismark and Resene Marionette inspire feelings of calm and peace. This plays an important role when determining the environment you are trying to create and how you want people to feel when they enter a space.

What’s the most common question clients ask?

How to select the right shade of white. With so many, it can be overwhelming. Once you understand the different undertones and how they work it’s quite straightforward.

Colours and products mentioned in this article