Many homeowners who had previously chosen to decorate with stark minimalist schemes found these spaces difficult and cold to live in once forced to spend extended periods of time stuck inside.
Now, they’ve turned to down-to-earth looks focused on Resene hues pulled from their natural surroundings.
If your home is tucked with bushy woodlands, look to colours like Resene Welcome, Resene Saratoga or Resene Forest Green.
Above: Brown, beige and taupe have replaced greys as the top trending neutrals. Where some greys can feel too cold or flat, rich and earthy Resene browns are full of warmth and complexities. Back wall painted in Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream, left wall in Resene Triple Thorndon Cream and floor in Resene Dark Chocolate. Table, stool and chair from Good Form, sideboard from Ligne Roset, pitcher, glasses, bowls, lantern, candle and books from Father Rabbit, flowers from Urban Flowers.
If your space sits amongst the mountains, consider mossy greens or stone greys like Resene Bitter and Resene Cement. And if you look upon tussock-covered hills, try Resene Tussock, Resene Apache and Resene Hot Toddy.
Smart tip: If you want your interior to fit in perfectly with your natural surroundings, upload a photograph of the view outside your space’s window to the free online Resene Colour Palette Generator. This handy colour tool will provide you with a palette of Resene colours inspired by your photo that can be used to decorate your space.
Natural Healing
Our inherent need to experience and love nature is known as biophilia, and it’s the root word that inspired the recently coined term, ‘biophilic design’.
The concept applies to the architecture, interior design and building industries and describes designs that are intended to increase connectivity to the natural environment within a built space through the use of direct and indirect natural elements. Biophilic design is believed to have a host of health and environmental benefits for building occupants and urban environments – particularly in workspaces and schools, where we often feel the most separated from nature.
Above: If you have a green thumb, fresh plants are an easy way to bring nature indoors. But instead of searching high and low for plant pots to match your colour scheme, simply look for some in shapes and sizes that you like and paint them with Resene testpots in hues that match or coordinate with your space. Left wall painted in Resene Sandtex Mediterranean effect in Resene Concrete, right wall, desk, shelf and plant pot (on shelf, left) in Resene Ravine, large plant pot (on floor) in Resene Half Tasman, small plant pot (on stool) in Resene Sandtex Mediterranean effect in Resene Concrete and stool in Resene Concrete. Pendant lamp and beige plant pot (on floor) from Città.
However, incorporating biophilic design principles at home has benefits, too. Indoor plants have proven positive impacts on mental health and air quality, but even faux plants can fool our brains into believing we’re out in nature.
Using nature-inspired Resene paint colours like Resene Ravine or Resene Half Tasman for the base of your design can also be beneficial as an indirect reminder of the outdoors, as does timber flooring and furniture finished in subtle Resene Colorwood washed and wood stains like Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy and Resene Colorwood Natural.
Above: Surrounding yourself with natural elements and colours while you work has been shown to improve mental wellbeing, which is known as biophilic design. Walls painted in Resene Saratoga, floor finished in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, shelves in Resene Night Magic and desk edge and legs in Resene Cashmere. Chair from Danske Møbler, chalice and white pot from Republic, dog ornament from Smith & Caughey’s, books, artwork and shoes from Father Rabbit, clock from The Warehouse.
Visit your local Resene ColorShop for all the expert advice and products you need.
