Take your pick

With 12 years’ experience with Resene, architectural and specifier services representative Brooke Calvert has worked across a myriad of residential, retail, commercial and hospitality projects. Her technical knowledge and flair for colour makes her the perfect person to share how to find the colour for your next renovation.

The upcoming trends for interiors, according to Brooke, lean towards warm, earthy tones such as browns and soft caramel. There’s also a shift towards warmer neutrals, nature-inspired greens and blues as well as clay pinks and dusty terracotta hues. These colours create a calm, comforting feel to a space.

The key step, she says, is finding ideas and inspiration that resonates with you, before diving into creating your colour scheme. “It can significantly narrow down the colour range, making it a lot easier and quicker to see the direction you are heading.

“I often find if a customer is comfortable wearing a touch of colour or keeping things neutral, they will most often than not feel comfortable to introduce similar colours into their interiors.”

After you have gathered your inspiration, Brooke recommends creating a mood board, and you will see a pattern form soon enough.

Brooke’s colour guide

1. Clay pinks and dusty terracotta provide a soft glow of warmth to any space. Try Resene Tuscany, Resene Dawn Glow, Resene Summer Rose and Resene Soul Searcher.

2. Earthy tones such as the warm, ginger-gold of Resene Salted Caramel or the more subdued Resene Amaranth, provide rich and inviting tones. Popular for home accessories such as cushions and throws, it’s no wonder we are now seeing it on walls. This trend works well as a bold feature wall or colour drenched on all walls for a dramatic cosy look.

3. Warmer whites and neutrals are taking over from the popular grey-based trend, offering a timeless approach. They work well paired with pops of colour offering a fresh backdrop. Try: Resene Rice Cake, Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Albescent White, Resene Foundation and Resene Tua Tua.

4. Deep and dark colours are also having a moment in interiors, particularly in living and media rooms where a cocoon effect is desired or in separate dining rooms where they achieve a more intimate feel. Colours such as Resene Exactly, Resene Seaweed and Resene Kia Kaha work well for this look.

5. Cool, calming tones are also to the fore with nature-inspired soft greens and blues catering to the need for nourishing and grounded spaces. For this look, try Resene Field Day, Resene Contour, Resene Wayfarer and Resene Double Duck Egg Blue.

Colours and products mentioned in this article