From Habitat magazine - issue 29
Check out the exciting new range of fashion colours from Resene
There are experts who track and predict colour trends for fashion, products and interiors. Then there are colours that are borne out of the collective consciousness. Millennial pink was one such colour and as we become more visually sophisticated, post our lives to our Instagram accounts and seek change at a faster pace, more such colours will emerge.
It’s exciting and galvanising to be part of the trends, and not merely the receiver of them. It makes the job of Resene colour experts dynamic too, constantly planning paint colour and wallpaper collections and formulating new colours.
Resene is at the forefront of such colour innovation, regularly launching fashion colour fandecks that serve as a guide not only to current colour trends but tracking what’s to come next.
The new Resene The Range fashion colours 20 is an inspiring and carefully curated collection of 175 colours, many of which have never been seen before.
The fandeck is set against Resene’s core range of colour, the Resene Multi-finish range, which consists of 896 colours, and a total colour collection of thousands of colours.
As communities galvanise over social and political movements you can see design trends going bolder, with true reds, or stormy blues and dark brooding tones. Check out Resene Havoc, Resene Coast and Resene Dark Web.
Warmer colours are generally on the rise, from mustard and earthy neutrals, to creamy whites and rich browns. Such colours carry the promise of global exploration and porous borders. So often seen in indigenous art and cultures, they are rich in history, grounding, and reassuring. Try Resene Influential, Resene Eighth Stonewashed and Resene Tablelands.
The visual antithesis of this rich palette is one awash with mild greys and weathered blues. Soothing and cleansing, these soulful tones comfort us as we retreat from a hyper-digitally coloured and busy world. Try Resene Silver Chalice, Resene Slipstream and Resene Half Dusted Blue.
Millennial pink was a colour borne out of the global movement toward gender fluidity. It has now become more nuanced and widespread, evolving into more interesting dusky shades of blush and peach. It’s an example of how a design trend evolves and becomes more sophisticated alongside the generation which embraced it. The new fashion fandeck is rich in dusky pink peach options, from Resene Just Dance to Resene Shabby Chic and Resene Despacito.
Green has been emerging in homes during the past few years as our eco-consciousness grows and our yearning to connect with nature via biophilic design.
Green started strong, as clean verdant greens with loads of personality, then it turned a bit khaki and swampy. Now, it’s softened even more to take a place as a versatile dusky colour that can even be used as a neutral in its softer, murkier forms.
By contrast, fresh leafy greens are a sweet, simple look coming with the promise of new growth and energy. See the difference between Resene Helix and Resene Aura, below.
Where do we draw the boundaries between private and public in this time of multiple social platforms? Are we creating spaces for our own enjoyment or to share with the world? We revel in self-expression then want the product of that self-expression to look good through a camera lens and postable to Instagram.
The resulting influence on our design trends can be seen in the rise of fun, exciting and highly personalised choices that are pure self-expression, whether it’s in pops of bright colour or unexpected combinations of colour and texture.
The popularity of wallpaper and its many expressions is no surprise. We want lively spaces that tell a story, or walls with dimension and character.
We like to understand the story behind the objects and materials we use and in our revolt against single-use items and a disposable society, we are reinventing and upcycling furniture, accessories and second-hand finds with a lick of paint or stain.
The small-living movement initially led to interiors being safely neutral and visually uncluttered. But we’ve come to learn that peaceful surroundings don’t have to be monastic. We can use tonal nuances in colour and objects to create layered yet calming surroundings. The palette may be pared back but a shift away from stark whites to creamier tones like Resene Double Blanc or Resene Double Villa White keeps it soft and welcoming.
Evolution is key in design trends. Most of us don’t suddenly flip from stark white minimalism to painting our living rooms in the new bold brick reds overnight. It’s an incremental process.
In the end, though trends shift with the times and global mood, the point is still personalisation. You will find the trend that speaks most to you when you see a colour or a design – a bold geometric on the wall or a freeform painterly pattern perhaps. It seems so obvious you wonder why you didn’t think of it before. From there you take it and make it your own
Our love of pink continues but sweeter rose pinks are morphing into more peachy and nude tones. The new Resene The Range fashion colours has a rich range of such colours, from those that are almost terracotta, to others that are the slightest whisper of pink. Together, they create a dreamy palette that has the warm vibrancy of a desert sunset, or the faded beauty of ancient buildings.
In this room, using two muted peachy pinks together means that the room doesn’t become overpowering. The lighter colour, Resene Sorbet on the side wall, is used as a neutral, leaving the darker colour Resene Just Dance, as a feature wall to frame the white linen sofa. Adding to the soft weathered look is a distressed floor where Resene Poured Milk is used over a basecoat of Resene Rebel, then sanded back in random areas. The round side table is in Resene Sunbaked, while the base of the jute ottoman is stained in Resene Colorwood Pitch Black. The pendant light is in Resene Despacito, the tall vase is Resene Irresistible and the small vase is in Resene FX Metallic Rose Gold.
Accessories: Vittoria Square Slip 2-seater in Milk, from Soren Liv. Borneo Basket in Flax/Black, and Amigos de Hoy Peach/Pink Spot Echoes Rug, from Republic Home. Mulberi Lyford Throw, from Allium Interiors. Slouch Thick-Weave Basket and Beldi Tall Glass, from Indie Home Collective. Cactus print by Amber Armitage. Maison Levy Cushion, from Madder & Rouge.
Above (right): Resene FX Metallic Rose Gold, used to paint this small vase, is one of Resene’s newest metallic hues. The trend for metallics this season stays warm and burnished rather than silvery and glitzy. Think brass, dulled copper and antique gold. Other metallic paint colours to try are Resene Copper Fire, Resene Spark and Resene Extraterrestrial. See the Resene Metallics & special effects colour collection for more metallic options.
Weathered blues and whitewashed plywood create a soothing space to relax and read as we seek to escape the hectic, ultra-public and digital world beyond the front door. It’s a soft beachy eco vibe that would work with any interior. The built-in benchseat brings an architectural dimension to the room, made of plywood and finished in Resene Colorwood Whitewash on the wall and benchseat top. The cupboards in front are finished in Resene Colorwood Greywash stain and Resene Raindance paint. Keeping with the natural theme, the floorboards are in Resene Colorwood Natural wood stain with Resene Qristal ClearFloor.
Pull up a chair and add a coffee table painted in Resene Poured Milk (top) and Resene Quarter Baltic Sea (legs). The walls are painted in Resene Sea Fog as a coolbased white backdrop. This complex, mutable white changes with the light, looking shadowy or light depending on the direction of the sun or lighting used.
Add a collection of ornaments painted in Resene Poured Milk (candlesticks), Resene Lazy River (honeycomb vase), Resene Raindance (textured vase) and Resene Influential (diamond-patterned pot), then sit back and relax.
Accessories: Andes Feather Rug, POA, Austin Cushion in Ivory, Peso Cushion in Lapis, and Zoe Cushion in Flint, from Weave Home. Mulberi Rhapsody Throw in Duck Egg Blue, Cable Knit Blanket in Graphite, Designers Guild Alchemilla Cushion in Varese, and Izipizi Let Me See Glasses, from Allium Interiors. White Textured Cone Vase, from Republic Home. Reef outdoor/indoor chair, and Crystal Glass Tumbler, from Indie Home Collective.
Above (right): Soft stains enhance the look. The background is in Resene Colorwood Whitewash, Resene Colorwood Greywash and Resene Raindance, the narrow vase is Resene Raindance, the wide vase is Resene Lazy River, and the A4 drawdown paint swatches are in Resene Poured Milk, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea and Resene Sea Fog. For other stains to try, see the Resene Colorwood range for interiors and the Resene Woodsman range for exteriors.
Dark exteriors have always held appeal, and now that the trend has moved away from pure blacks and charcoals to more character dark colours, deep slate blue tones have come into their own. The cladding on this house is Resene Safehaven, a blue that has interesting stormy depths but which looks good with a variety of accent colours. Here, vibrantly coloured pots bring a Moroccan or Pacifica vibe to the courtyard, painted in Resene Daredevil (deep orange), Resene Party Zone (bright orange), Resene Pink Ribbon, Resene Lazy River (blue) and Resene Poppy (red).
Accessories: Assos Turkish Towel, from Republic Home. Shell and Jute Tassel, Not Heidi Shell Necklace, and Sunny Woven Bag, from Indie Home Collective. Hanging Baskets, small and medium, from Epicure Trading. Kilim Cushion and Rose Fluro Cushion, from Madder & Rouge. Hat, stylist’s own.
A series of hook racks offer handy storage, and are painted in Resene Lazy River. The bench seat is finished in Resene Furniture and Decking Oil, which is specially formulated for exterior use so that timber stays looking good. The concrete has been finished in Resene Non-Skid Deck & Path paint tinted to Resene Traffic. This gives a gritty texture for non-slip safety.
Accessories: Assos Turkish Towel, from Republic Home. Shell and Jute Tassel, Not Heidi Shell Necklace, and Sunny Woven Bag, from Indie Home Collective. Hanging Baskets, small and medium, from Epicure Trading. Kilim Cushion and Rose Fluro Cushion, from Madder & Rouge. Hat, stylist’s own.
See the habitat plus – decorating and colour trends booklet for more inspiration, available free from Resene ColorShops and resellers or view online...
Styling: Claudia Kozub. Images: Wendy Fenwick
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Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.
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