Live forever

The enduring appeal of a neutral scheme has a lot to do with the flexibility it offers to evolve through the ages with simple updates of your furniture, homeware and art. Hushed, timeless tones create a lovely relaxed mood, and there’s plenty of scope to add character.

Visual and tactile texture appeals to multiple senses. Here, we painted the walls in Resene Eighth Stonewashed, then applied a topcoat of Resene Tablelands mixed with Resene Paint Effects Medium for a colourwashed look (the more Paint Effects Medium you add, the subtler the effect), using criss-cross brushstrokes to ensure an organic result.

Tongue-and-groove panelling in a complementary neutral shade has a heritage sensibility that works a charm when teamed with quality homeware that’s built to last. It also gets along well with structured contemporary furniture – opt for unfussy pieces with clean lines.

Left: Walltop half in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Eighth Stonewashed, and Resene Paint Effects Medium with Resene Tablelands; bottom half in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Rice Cake; floor in Resene Colorwood Whitewash with Resene Colorant F.  Right: Wall in Resene Colorwood Whitewash with Resene Colorant F; rod in Resene FX Metallic Extraterrestrial; bench in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Grey Seal.

Accessories - left: (from left) Fifties chairs by Calligaris, dawsonandco.nz. Circular Global table, stclements.co.nz. Mugs by Fiona Mackay Ceramics, aaaselect.co. Vase by Margie Nuttall, doran-and-doran.com. Dried flowers, POA, markantonia.com. Walker pendant light, indiehomecollective.com. Leaning On, 2017 framed artwork by Lucy Gill, sanderson.co.nz.  Accessories - right: (from left) Mini reusable bags, S hooks, theaxe.co.nz. Gotoku trivets by Oyoy, boltofcloth.com. Cylinder jars by Weck, crêpe pan, fatherrabbit.com. Turk’s Head Knot trivet, paperplanestore.com. Apex board, cittadesign.com. Hand soap by Austin Austin, fatherrabbit.com. Enamel spoon, paperplanestore.com. Kitchen shears by Pallarès Solsona, dish brush, fatherrabbit.com. Penco storage boxes, theaxe.co.nz.

— Get the look —

Sage advice

The monochrome schemes that have dominated interiors in recent years are shifting to include more natural colours, and green is being touted as the new grey. If you’re on the hunt for a hue you can live with for years to come, greens that sway towards the sage part of the spectrum have real stickability. Think dusky, not pastel.

Midtone hues like the Resene Thor used here pair beautifully with black, but for balance, we’ve used furniture and homeware in both lighter and darker shades than the wall. If your palette seems a bit too muted, shots of other earthy hues like ochre, rust and burnt umber will provide the tonal variation you need.

When updating an existing scheme, let your furnishings guide your paint selection. Create a mood board featuring four or five colours; in time, you can add smaller décor items that fit with this overall look.

As in nature, green and wood is a harmonious combo.
We stained our screen with Resene Colorwood in Resene Bark

Backdrop wall in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Thor (from the Resene Multi-Finish collection); screen in Resene Colorwood in Resene Bark; floor in Resene Walk-On in Resene Grey Seal.

Accessories: (from left) Paragon Primrose rug by Armadillo & Co, theivyhouse.co.nz. Large Square linen squabs, klay.co.nz. Zaza sofa, kingliving.co.nz. Zoe cushion, indiehomecollective.com. Pivot coffee table, timwebberdesign.com. Large plate by Elena Renker, aaaselect.co. Dried flowers, POA, markantonia.com. Wool/alpaca cushion cover, boltofcloth.com. Zoe cushion, indiehomecollective.com. Lull, 2017 artwork, and Over and Over, 2017 artwork, by Kristy Gorman, melanierogergallery.com. Linear Grid sofa table, cittadesign.com. Mayfair lamp by Vibia, ecc.co.nz. Sen vase by Takuya Nishimoto, aaaselect.co. Flower vase by Marimekko, boltofcloth.com. Isabella chair by Resident, simonjamesdesign.com. Books stylist’s own.

— Get the look —

Mellow drama

Choosing deeper colours may seem like a bold move when you’re thinking long-term, but embrace inky blues and you’ll be rewarded for your confidence with a calm and cocooning bedroom that offers a real change of pace. A matte paint such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen provides a chic velvety finish that never goes out of style.

Forget all notions of a dark space seeming gloomy. Atmospheric lighting from lamps and pendants with shades softens the impact by creating subtle shifts in colour.

Play up the drama by painting your baseboards and any decorative wall moulding the same colour as your wall – when light hits the raised surfaces, the sculptural shadows created will add to the sophistication. We used half-round pine moulding for a simple look with a big impact. A boxy painted plinth provides another opportunity to add colour while maintaining a minimalist aesthetic. Ours doubles as a bedside table.

Low-set furniture will make even more of a feature of your walls. Ensure the scene remains cosy and comfortable by including luxurious textured materials such as velvet, linen and wool. Accents in red hues with blue undertones create a striking combination.

Left: Backdrop wall in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Indian Ink; plinth in Resene Rocky Mountain; floor in Resene Walk-On in Resene Sixth Sense.  Right: Backdrop wall in in Resene Colorwood in Resene Pitch Black; plinth in Resene Courage.

Accessories - left: (from left) Ace lounge chair by Normann Copenhagen, backhousenz.com. Sheepskin, thelittlesheepskincompany.co.nz. Bucket Croc bag, georgiajay.com. Matisse is My Homeboy screen print by Anton Mogridge, atpartnersnz.com. Handblown glass parfum bottle, curionoir.com. Bicoca lamp by Marset, ecc.co.nz. Airo fitted sheet, linen pillowcases, and duvet cover, jardan.com.au. Fleck throw by Tom Dixon, simonjamesdesign.com. Books stylist’s own. Accessories - right: (from left) Ambient Lighting makeup palette by Hourglass, Luxury face oil by Rodin Olio Lusso, meccabeauty.co.nz. Tortellini bag, georgiajay.com. Glass jewellery bowls by Monmouth Glass Studio, Etched Five Leaves stud earrings, Trio necklace, Baroque drop earring, meadowlark.co.nz. Pablo extract de parfum, curionoir.com. Magazine stylist’s own.

— Get the look —

Resene’s The Range Fashion Colours 2020 fandeck will be available at Resene ColorShops from late September.

Words and styling: Alice Lines. Photography: Wendy Fenwick. 2019

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