Smoking hot

If there’s one way to describe how a lounge should feel in a home, its restful and soothing.

Our respite from a busy schedule, the lounge is where we curl up with a cup of tea and reconnect with loved ones. So, it’s important we set the tone right, evoking this sense of comfort with colour that is easy on the eye and that doesn’t overwhelm or overstimulate. Gentle soothing Resene colours settle our minds and help us to refocus, and the result is we feel rested and relaxed.

Relaxed can still be elegant and refined, however. The subtle sophistication of Resene Gunsmoke’s warm grey lingers between the modern and traditional aesthetic – it’s hard to pin down, which is why we like it. Lend it to any style, be it a contemporary, country cottage or minimal living room, it has an air of tranquillity that is most desirable in a lounge.

But colour that lends itself to a ‘slow space’ doesn’t mean it has to be devoid of visual interest. Textural interest using serene colours lends itself to the senses, injecting an air of tactility that not only catches the eye but brings a sense of comfort to the room.

To capture this perfect pairing of texture with soothing colour, we painted our walls in two sections; starting with Resene Gunsmoke on the top half. Despite its subtlety, this grey continues to exude a sense of authority and is very much a timeless classic. This hue has taken the place of warming neutral – an appealing go-to palette in a lounge – bringing a refined elegance as well as an ease in how we can pair it with other hues and textures. The flexibility of this ‘easy’ grey means you can harmonise it with other colours simply and aren’t restricted by colours that don’t work as partners. The versatility of Resene Gunsmoke’s warm grey allows it to be mixed and matched with other variations of this colour as well as complementary textures.

One way we’ve expressed an element of interest in this lounge is by painting a mottled effect onto the bottom of the wall in a concrete effect. Eye-catching and far from boring, this effect has been achieved by painting a mixture of alternating smudges of Resene Concrete and Resene Half Concrete mixed with Resene Paint FX Medium mixed applied using a sponge. To achieve a layer of contrast, we painted the skirting in Resene Half Concrete, bringing definition to the mottled plane. Our homes speak to our hearts, and creative expression is one way we stamp our unique style on our homes, creating a place that is truly one of a kind. Creating a textured element of your own in your lounge brings a sense of individuality and uniqueness that grounds the space.

We continued the Resene Gunsmoke narrative on the floor, painting a layer then waiting for it to dry. We taped out a square border, the inside of which was coated in a mixture of smudges of both Resene Concrete and Half Concrete with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed in. Just as in the lower part of the wall, texture livens up the floor while keeping in line with the easy, subtle grey palette. It’s the perfect pairing of a minimal, simple palette paired with stimulating texture to create a clutter-free setting that celebrates sensuality.

Flashy colour decor accents work best with Resene Gunsmoke, by which splashes of uplifting warm tones in refined, nuanced browns balance the sophisticated grey, adding texture and depth to the tonal palette. In its mid-toned nut brown, the wood stain finish of Resene Walnut adds a richness to the room, mirroring the same tones of the store-bought wooden round table. Wood stains do not only belong outdoors, inside they add texture and colour. This brings another layer of texture to the mottled wall, floor and patterned chair in the lounge. Resene Walnut secures the room and brings depth and interest against the grey. By painting your décor items, such as this vase, in your chosen stain, you can make it part of the setting without committing to the entire space. But we have moved to the other end of the colour spectrum too, bringing in a pale grey in Resene Half Concrete on the large vase. This brings continuity as it ties in with the floor and wall painted texture.

By adding the charcoal black of Resene Bokara Grey to the lamp base and hall table, a strong element grounds the setting. Gentle pale hues are often tied with relaxation and ease, but these strong colours secure us and bring clarity with their nocturnal protective charm radiating strength.

This reinvention of grey sees it sit comfortably beside playful yet sophisticated texture, providing visual interest manifesting in unexpected combinations, giving this elegant lounge a modern appeal.

How to create your own DIY art:

1. Lay down the background layer by pouring blobs of alternating Resene Gunsmoke, Resene Eighth Black White, Resene Half Concrete, Resene Triple Concrete and Resene Concrete using Resene testpots.

2. Using a brush swirl the colours together to mix them.

3. Randomly tape off any shapes you want to create. In our DIY art the Resene Bokara Grey shapes were then randomly taped off and painted by making obvious lines in the paint like a grid effect.

4. Once touch dry remove the tape.

5. Hand paint any extra shapes. We hand painted the round semi-circle with Resene Eighth Black White so as not to look too perfect. A border within the frame was also taped off to create a white border within the frame once the paint within had dried and the tape came off.

6. Paint the frame in a complementary colour. We used Resene Element.

Colours and products mentioned in this article

Styling by Melle Van Sambeek. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2024