bold choices

As with any decorating journey, a successful outcome is grounded in knowing what you are trying to achieve – do you want something subtle like Resene Wallpaper Collection 537628 that’s bought alive with texture and paired with natural finishes, or something that wows you when you walk into the room like the Versace style opulence of Resene Wallpaper Collection 387065? Or something in between like the elegant arches of Resene Wallpaper Collection M421-02?

Resene wallpaper can be used to lend quiet elegance to a room with subtle texture and colour. Plain wallpapers or grass cloth effects are an option but there are also neutral wallpapers with subtle tone-on-tone designs.

Says Resene Colour Expert Brenda Ngatai: “Neutral wallpapers are always a winner. They give another dimension to the design of a space, they soften the walls, give low-impact texture and give a calmness to the space.”

Some wallpapers also carry different sheen levels or textures, which add depth to even neutral colourways. Anaglypta wallpapers like Resene Wallpaper Collection RD920 offer a pattern or texture that can then be painted with your chosen Resene paint colour.

While neutrals are a popular go-to choice, wallpaper colours that are rising in popularity are “very much bronze, golds and brown tones, with dark earthy blues or greens, pinks and/or greys as the contrast,” says Brenda.

These can be used as a feature wall, married with either a Resene paint colour that’s inspired by the wallpaper, or with a plain wallpaper from the same collection.

Feature walls have never really fallen out of fashion and with the increase in bold highly-patterned papers and mural-style offerings like the dreamy botanicals of Resene Wallpaper Collection 538229, using one of these as an accent makes sense.

Certainly, bolder wallpapers are having more than a moment and there are plenty to choose from. For those fully embracing the look, these wallpapers are being applied to all four walls of a room.

“A bold pattern is a statement and is often great in large spaces, as it fills in voids in open spaces,” Brenda says. “Be mindful of keeping a balance to the space, make sure the colourway ties in with what’s already there such as the flooring and furniture.”

It's also worth remembering wallpaper is not just for walls and doesn't need to be used in full drops. It can be used in small squares, circles or any other shapes – geometric or freestyle. It can also be used on lampshades and books and to create framed artworks. It can be wrapped around drum-style side tables and stools, used to line the interior of a wardrobe or the backs of shelves or to create a classic panelled wall. For a real showstopper it can even be used on your ceiling.

Using bold wallpaper patterns in small amounts on decor pieces or as contrast accents to your Resene paint colour is a smart way to experiment with pushing your colour and pattern boundaries without going overboard.

Papering a small toilet or bathroom in a distinctive pattern is another safe way to dip your toe in the wallpaper water. It’s a small project, in a tucked-away space that can feel safer for experimenting with bold designs. Plus, it will look superb, creating a fun visual surprise for anybody who enters.

images: Aspiring Wallpapers, Bryce Carleton
projects: Megan Harrison-Turner

Want to get your own free copy of future issues of habitat magazine?

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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