choose your era

From habitat highlights - issue 41, wallpapers

Turn wallpaper into a design time machine.

Victorian style wallpaper

Pastoral greens and yellows in Resene Wallpaper Collection 2311-167-02 create a classic Victorian ornate finish that is then layered with other colours, textures and patterns for an opulent finish.

Try this wallpaper design with Resene Half Forest Green, Resene Funk, Resene Soul Searcher, and neutral Resene Half Spanish White. For a slightly deeper version try the same macaw design in blue-green Resene Wallpaper Collection 2311-167-04.

Decorating your interiors based on a theme can be a fun, simple way to create a cohesive look. One of the most straightforward, yet versatile, ways to do that can be choosing a specific design era. And one of the simplest ways to do that is with wallpaper.

Resene wallpapers come in a wide variety of designs, from bold and intricate, to simple and textured, giving you a library of choices when it comes to creating the time period or design era you’re after.

Resene Colour Expert Meryl Southey’s best advice for recreating a classic interior design style in your home, without it slipping into pastiche, is to mix modern with classic. “Try a clean-lined sofa in a fashionable colour against a vintage-style wallpaper in an oversized pattern such as Resene Wallpaper Collection 2311-168-04.

“Bolder patterns look modern regardless of era, but keep the proportions of the room in mind when using a pattern, and keep to a simple colour palette to create a cohesive look.”

When it comes to choosing a pattern to suit your space, Meryl says random patterns like florals or botanicals can work well in smaller spaces like powder rooms and transitional areas to make a statement. Large murals work best on larger scale walls so you can step back and see the image clearly, she says.

Design eras to try

Victorian

For a sense of opulence that recalls a grand Victorian drawing room, opt for ornate or intricate patterned wallpapers like Resene Wallpaper Collection 2311-169-01. Pair with layers of texture using timber furniture and flooring, luxurious draped textiles and metallic touches.

Victorian design is synonymous with dramatic use of colour. Keep the look fresh and modern with slightly sharper versions of traditional jewel tones like Resene Very Berry or Resene Good To Go, balanced with chalky off-whites like Resene Blanc and glamorous highlights of Resene FX Metallic Gold.

Resene Wallpaper Collection 2311-167-04

Resene Wallpaper Collection A54902

Resene Wallpaper Collection M42119

Art Deco

Crisp lines, balanced by elegant curves, with repeat patterns and sharp metallics define classic Art Deco style. Using a wallpaper that features at least one of these motifs, interpreted in a modern colourway, will help you create an Art Deco backdrop, against which you can build a modern version of the style.

Dark colours contrasted with touches of chrome (try Resene FX Metallic Blast Grey 3) and gold are a common motif of the Art Deco style, as are unexpected colour combinations as can be seen in the subtle accents of Resene Wallpaper Collection A54902. Reflect the wallpaper design by painting accessories and furniture in Resene Boost and Resene Brown Bramble and adding them to your room. Mirrors are another common Art Deco feature and are effective at reflecting light to brighten deeper colours and add the sophistication Art Deco is famed for.

Art Deco inspired wallpaper

Art Deco: A simple shaped couch in a luxury fabric creates a modern Art Deco finish against the classic arches of Resene Wallpaper Collection M42102. Stain flooring in classic golden Resene Colorwood Oregon. Anchor the look with trims and decor in a soft charcoal like Resene Half Baltic Sea. Put a darker twist on the same pattern with Resene Wallpaper Collection M42119 or modernise another common Art Deco motif, with fans in teal, using Resene Wallpaper Collection A54902.

Mid-century modern inspired wallpaper

Mid-century modern: Bold geometrics in earthy tones are a classic mid-century design feature, easily achieved with Resene Wallpaper Collection ILA303. Pair it with both light and dark wood stains in Resene Colorwood Natural and Resene Colorwood Dark Oak and small accents of dark Resene Bokara Grey. For a more neutral backdrop try the same pattern in a different palette with Resene Wallpaper Collection ILA302.

Mid-century modern

Mid-century modern design is all about sleek function and simplicity. There is still room to play with pattern and design but those designs just tend to be more geometric and repetitive than floral and free-form.

Anchor a contemporary mid-century colour palette with earthy shades such as olive greens like Resene Cabbage Pont, burnt oranges like Resene Clockwork Orange and red-hued wood tones like Resene Colorwood Meranti. Punctuate a neutral backdrop with citrusy shades like Resene Tequila Sunrise and subtle greens like Resene Saltpan.

Neutrals for every era

An interior with neutral wallpaper

If you don’t want to commit to an era-themed wallpaper, keep it simple by opting for a plainer or more neutral design like the subtle texture of Resene Wallpaper Collection M69208 for a millennial blush versatile enough to translate to other design eras.

top tip If you have a design period in mind like Art Deco, art nouveau or mid-century modern, but aren’t sure where to start, talk to the colour experts at your local Resene ColorShop for advice on the colours and motifs specific to your chosen period.

’90s minimalism

After the pop art brights of the 1980s, the ’90s ushered in a calm, sophisticated minimalism that leaned heavily on black and white, with touches of pinky neutrals like Resene Eighth Biscotti. It’s a design style that feels very familiar today, though contemporary minimalism allows for layering more earthy neutrals like Resene Quarter Drought and biophilic greens like Resene Wabi Sabi.

Start with a warm neutral, but textured, backdrop on a classic ’90s feature wall, in Resene Wallpaper Collection E307338. Paint surrounding walls, trim and the ceiling in white Resene Alabaster, with dark highlights in Resene Jaguar and wood flooring stained in Resene Colorwood Natural. Finish with plenty of greenery and natural textures for softness.

A warmer spin on classic white-walled ’90s minimalism

Opt for a warmer spin on classic white-walled ’90s minimalism with parchment-toned Resene Wallpaper Collection 423204 as a feature wall. Layer with crisper whites like Resene Quarter Rice Cake on trims and soften flooring by painting it in Resene Double Rice Cake. Add accessories in a botanical green like Resene Paddock and a dark contrast in Resene Licorice.

Resene Wallpaper Collection 2311-168-04

Resene Wallpaper Collection ILA302

Resene Wallpaper Collection E307338

Colours mentioned in this article