Deep, colour-saturated reds give rooms immediate luxury and sophistication while being surprisingly versatile in their ability to pair with other shades. The right shade of red can be the perfect way to add depth of colour to a room without making it feel darker, like this wall painted in Resene Incarnadine. Break up the colour block with a DIY artwork in a mix of matching and contrasting colours with Resene Heliotrope, Resene Incarnadine, Resene Funk, Resene Solitaire, Resene Dawn Glow, Resene Arriba, Resene Pandemonium, Resene Solitaire and Resene Athena. Finish with subtly shimmering metallic and glass accessories for light-reflecting glamour and textured furnishings for added luxury. A paler, creamy floor colour like Resene Athena complements and draws the eye to the bold red walls and adds lightness to the space. To give your bold wall colour an extra touch of luxury use a low sheen finish like Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, which will also help to disguise any imperfections in the wall.
Top tip: Use the colours from an artwork as inspiration. Upload a photo of your artwork to resene.com/palettegenerator to create a colour palette for your room.
Other contrasts to try with deep red are pastel peaches, deep sea blues and sandy beiges.
A stretch of painted wall will always look beautiful, but if you’re after a little added softness and visual interest without opting for a full pattern, a textured finish may be the answer. Paint effects can give you a hand-crafted, weathered or even elegantly aged finish to any room. A wall painted in Resene Half Sisal, topcoated with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Half Blanc will leave you with a Mediterranean-style feature that is both relaxed and stylish. For a more complex, nuanced effect, a second or third colour can be mixed into Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. Warm lighting, natural finishes like the floor in Resene Colorwood Bask and bold accents like the large planter in Resene Charcoal complete the luxury spa feel. A planter and tray painted with Resene FX Faux Rust effect add another texture note to the tastefully weathered look. To finish, think about a mix of overhead and lamp lighting in warm tones to adjust the brightness and let parts of the room subtly glow.
Top tip: To get the shimmering qualities of a quartz look finish, apply Resene FX Metallic paint mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects.
Other colours to try with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium are silver greys, warm beiges and spiced browns.
Warm, muted neutrals and weathered blues pair beautifully to create a down-to-earth retreat or ‘Cottage-core’ space that is inviting and comforting Make your favourite and most comfortable chair the centrepiece and surround it with harmonious paint and stain colours. A shelved feature wall in Resene Infused is given extra impact by the pale neutral, washed floor in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy. A coffee table in Resene Quarter Napa and side table in Resene Soul Searcher add both functionality and contrast, without competing with the chair or the wall. Pops of both vivid and muted colour from stacks of books and décor pieces on the shelves in Resene Awaken, Resene Tequila Sunrise, Resene Tropical and Resene Quarter Linen tie back to the armchair for a cohesive, curated finished room that is the opposite of minimalist, yet feels filled with personality and warmth, rather than clutter. To make a room like this feel more curated and intentional, mirror shades from artwork, accessories and books in your chosen paint colours.
Top tip: Paint furniture in Resene Lustacryl for a durable semi-gloss finish or Resene Enamacryl for a gloss finish.
Other muted accent wall shades to try are olive greens, mustard golds and bold khakis.
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