From habitat highlights - issue 40, inspired interiors
Need help finding your interior design style? Or to narrow down your choices? Either way, it can be inspiring seeing what others have done in their homes.
A standout feature of this heritage home is the full-height cabinetry painted in Resene Artemis. This connects with built-in furniture in the sunroom, providing visual appeal and essential storage.
The walls are painted in Resene Merino and the ceiling is Resene Half Merino. Design by Marylou Sobel Interior Design, image by Anson Smart.
We’ve collected looks we love from the Resene Total Colour Awards entrants that are functional and modern, yet timeless.
Innovative storage solutions are becoming an increasingly important part of any home makeover – or new design. The way we use our homes has evolved a lot in recent years and the search is always on to find clever storage ideas.
Can you turn a living or study area wall into floor-to-ceiling storage? In a large room, consider painting the wall in a contrasting colour to make it a centrepiece. In smaller spaces, paint the storage and shelving the same shade as the walls so it recedes more from the eye and creates a seamless finish.
Resene Colour Expert Jackie Nicholls says paint is the simplest way to transform storage solutions. “If you need shelves on a wall, consider painting a strip or shape of colour on the wall behind them,” she suggests. This will ‘embed’ the shelves more into the overall design of the room and draw the eye to items on the shelves. Try a bold shade like Resene Tuscany against neutral walls, or go for a subtler change like softer Resene Awaken against walls in Resene Meringue.
Careful and intentional use of colour can be a helpful way of connecting different spaces in your home.
Jackie suggests repeating colours in different areas, in varying strengths, to emphasise connections between spaces.
“You may have chosen a beautiful moody colour like Resene Epic for the walls of a media room or library, which could look amazing repeated on a pantry wall with shelves or a small powder room ceiling.
“It looks cohesive when you see a small selection of feature colours echoed throughout a home. Accent colours can also draw you into a space by following around a corner from one room to another.”
Try to follow the ‘rule of three’ and use your accent colour in at least three places in your space to help it feel like it belongs.
Think about how surfaces visually layer over each other when looking at connecting spaces. Layering a bold feature colour like burnt orange Resene Thunderbird among those layers – particularly if they’re in a neutral like Resene Eighth Sisal – is a fun way to link from, say, a hallway to the rear wall of a connected bedroom.
Layering neutrals can also connect spaces, particularly in long hallways or landings where you want to create a sense of light and airiness. For added brightness try contrasting neutrals like pale cream Resene Orchid White against soft camel Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay.
The trend for bursts of bright colour or patterned wallpaper has evolved beyond feature walls. Try this anywhere from closed-off media rooms or bathrooms to shelf linings, wardrobe and cupboard interiors or ceilings, floors and doors.
If you’re unsure about just what colour or pattern to use – and where – Resene stylist Monuean Ryan suggests working with the colour experts at your local Resene ColorShop, who can arm you with an array of colour options, as well as tips and advice.
A bolt of riotous Resene Red Red Red on the wall of this stairwell pops against the Resene Merino wall in front, adding a sense of depth and making this compact flat feel more spacious.
Design by Spacecraft Architects Ltd, image by David Straight.
Layered character neutrals of Resene Albescent White on walls, Resene Thorndon Cream on doors and Resene trims in Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream lend this hallway the elegant grandeur it deserves.
The wooden floor and gold accents are the perfect finishing touches. Rejuvenate wooden flooring with Resene Colorwood and Resene Qristal ClearFloor. Design by I Am Developer Ltd, Epic image by Taylor Wilson.
“Take along all your inspiration and ideas, as well as your measurements and photos of your space for the best advice for your project.”
Resene Colour Expert Meryl Southey says it’s worth remembering that a pop of unexpected colour doesn't have to be a vivid bright. “A colour surprise can also be subtle, like a pastel-pink Resene Half Pale Rose ceiling in a room with moody Resene Gravel walls.”
Adding a hand-drawn or traced mural to a section of wall is an impactful way to personalise a space.
Jackie’s tips for creating a mural are to ensure you get your proportions right by drawing a scaled-down version of your artwork on paper first.
“Then draw a grid over your design and scale that onto the wall to make it easy to position your artwork. Draw it on first with chalk or a soft pencil before you commit to paint,” she says.
“If you’re not so comfortable freehand painting, there are many effects you can do with masking tape and mini rollers.”
Jasmine, the artist owner of this home, decided to transform the entranceway with a mural.
After pencilling the shapes on the wall, she began layering paler shades like Resene Wafer and Resene Urbane over the wall in Resene Black White. She then painted deeper coloured shapes in Resene Beethoven, Resene Leather and Resene Florentine Pink before finishing with a final layer of shapes in Resene Alamo and Resene Sante Fe. Design by Pinch and Punch, image by Jasmine Kroeze.
Texture in the form of board and batten and the colour – Resene Nocturnal – turn this Riverhead media room into a perfect cosy sanctuary and retreat.
Design by Abbey Lang Home, image by Tessa Chrisp.
Alternative solutions
› View two different looks for this room
top tip Use matte Resene SpaceCote Flat to bring out the moodiness in dark colours.
Breathing new life into much-loved or unused spaces is an easy way to make the most of what you have by reusing and upcycling surfaces and possessions.
Painted-over textured surfaces like brick, concrete, or linoleum can lend your home new life. Melamine kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, ceiling tiles or wooden floorboards are all surfaces that can benefit from a fresh coat of paint and achieve maximum impact for minimal effort.
Meryl says that opting for a dramatically different colour can often provide the most significant change when upcycling or redecorating.
“If you have a deeper, darker shade in your room, try changing it to a light neutral like Resene Half Tea. It can make your space feel immediately brighter and bigger. On the other hand, if you have a paler, neutral family room, try going bolder with a shade like Resene Time Traveller, for a cosier wintry feel.”
“Don’t let your renovating or upcycling vision be derailed because you think you can’t paint over a particular surface. The trick is often just getting the right advice and finding the right product,” she says.
This freestanding kitchen storage unit in pale blue Resene Nebula almost glows against the rest of this dining room. To emphasise the freshness of the blue, team it with warm beige neutrals like Resene Half Pavlova or Resene Triple Wheatfield and greyed off-white trim in Resene Half Merino.
Design by Marylou Sobel Interior Design, image by Anson Smart.
A brick stairwell has been turned into a light-filled feature space by painting over existing brickwork in Resene Black White in this Queensland home.
Design by Carlene Duffy, image by Mindi Cooke.
Ultimately, finding your colour and design style is all about research and experimentation to find the combinations that speak to you personally.
“Colours that relate to each other will also help create a harmonious environment. If you love green-toned accents, for instance, check that the neutrals you’ve used have a hint of green as well so that they relate to each other rather than clashing,” Jackie says. “Resene colour experts can help you put them all together.”
Top tips:
You can easily refresh old laminate and melamine surfaces by painting over them. Make old out-of-date colours and styles look new again with Resene Laminate and Melamine Primer and your chosen Resene topcoat.
Keep ceilings cleaner with Resene SpaceCote Flat Fly Deterrent paint – the less flies sit, the fewer the fly spots.
Colours mentioned in this article
Products mentioned in this article
words: Kerri Jackson
Gabrielle Courtenay
Artist and designer, Sydney
website www.gabriellecourtenay.com
Gabrielle Courtenay
My use of dusky violets is inspired by my neighbour’s flowering myrtle trees and adds colour to the room for both night and day use. Adding green to the palette adds warmth and complements the violet tones, while the lighter artwork adds lightness and contrast.
Meryl Southey
I wanted to visually soften the room with a Hamptons-esque look. I added a sense of height by replacing the board and batten with plywood lengths, strong enough to support the weight of the television, while adding visual texture. From this perspective, I have imagined the main sofa moved to the unseen wall opposite the television and added floor cushions to accommodate extra lounging. I like multifunctional spaces and furniture so I’ve added built-in MDF custom cabinetry to match the wall. Keeping it off the ground adds a sense of space. I also like that the Samsung Frame TV works as art when not in use. The sliding barn door makes the room really user-friendly, as it can be easily closed off for an intimate, quieter viewing experience.
Look by Gabrielle Courtenay
Panelled wall in Resene Effortless, right wall in Resene Rum, ceiling and bowl in Resene Poet, floorboards stained in Resene Colorwood Natural and vases in Resene Half Spanish White. Rose artwork by Gabrielle Courtenay, sofa, chairs and rug from Nick Scali, lamp from Shut The Front Door.
Look by Meryl Southey
Ply wall cabinet and barn door in Resene Milk White, right wall in Resene Powder Blue, ceiling in Resene Half Milk White and floorboards finished in Resene Colorwood Light Greywash topcoated with Resene Qristal ClearFloor. Chair from Danske Møbler, Frame TV from Samsung, floor cushion, throws, vases, pots and tray of candles from Freedom, check cushion from Adairs, side table and coffee table from A&C Homestore, lamp from Early Settler, rug from Bremworth, four-wick candle from The Warehouse.
Search habitat magazine stories
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.
Specifiers:
If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit habitat, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.
Sign up for a DIY card and Save! Australia | New Zealand
Get inspired ! Subscribe Get saving ! Apply for a DIY card
Can't find what you're looking for? Ask us!
Company profile | Terms | Privacy policy | Quality and environmental policy | Health and safety policy
Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online. See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.
What's new | Specifiers | Painters | DIYers | Artists | Kids | Sitemap | Home | TOP ⇧
