Palette revolution |
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Choosing a colour scheme can be one of the most difficult decisions in the entire decorating process – and with at least 3500 different hues on Resene’s colour charts alone that’s hardly surprising. We’re spoilt for choice.
Colour options can be narrowed down, however, by asking some simple questions. As well as considering your personal colour preferences, think about whether the room concerned is likely to be used mainly during the day or at night, in summer or winter, for formal or relaxed occasions, for large gatherings or intimate tête-à-têtes. All these answers will slowly but surely help guide you towards the right colours. Keep asking questions until you’ve isolated just a few hues – then get testing those test pots.
One of the many joys of colour is that it is inherent in every single element of the home, so look beyond wall paint to express your inner van Gogh. Furniture, fabric, objects, art, flowers and foliage can all be juxtaposed and layered for maximum visual impact. Banish the outdated notion of “matching” from your vocabulary; instead, experiment with contrast or tone-on-tone effects.
You can also forget the old chestnut that blue and green should never be seen together. In fact, a willingness to try a wanton mix of colours that the textbooks warn against separates the adventurous of spirit from the rest. Try pairing teal with red or even pink with yellow. The rule is: there are no rules.
Orange
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It may not always be the first colour that springs to mind when decorating a room, but orange represents flamboyance, playfulness and fun, lending itself most naturally, perhaps, to application in children’s playrooms. It covers the spectrum from crisp, pure orange (as in the fruit) to autumnal shades and the spicy tones of exotic Morocco. Because orange has the ability to stimulate and energise, we recommend exercising restraint when using it in a bedroom or other restful areas. This is one hue that is likely to polarise people; you’ll either love it or hate it. |
Pink
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Only brave decorators go to town with pots of pink paint. The mere fact that it is a colour over which almost every little girl will obsess at some stage means that pink gets more than its fair share of bad press. It tends not to be embraced by the sophisticated set. Yet pink is no more superficial a hue than any other – ranging as it does from shrieking fuchsia through sugary candyfloss to subtle mushroom. But it will never kick its core association with ballerinas, tutus, fairies, frills and unabashed, overt femininity. Favoured for girls’ bedrooms, ‘Party Dress’ is a hot pink that’s been toned down for domestic use. “It’s bold but not so bold you couldn’t live with it,” says Resene marketing manager Karen Warman. |
Yellow
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This is a shade renowned for its Jekyll and Hyde tendencies. Mellow yellows such as classic lemon and pale butter are inoffensive and easy to live with; they’re safe enough to imbue every room in the house with quiet warmth and light. But yellow is a far more extroverted proposition once we move past, say, daffodil and start talking acid brights and fluoros. Get your sunglasses on and prepare to be dazzled. The colour of the iconic smiley face, yellow is cheerful, sunny, happy – and beloved of optimists the world over. |
Green
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Refreshing as well as serene, green is the colour of nature; it’s also variously associated with youth, envy and money. “Eat your greens” looks likely to be the theme for 2009, with leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach being strong colour influences. Lime green continues to make its presence felt too, especially as an accent. And, of course, these days green is as much about the environment and sustainability as straight-out colour. Bio Paints is a Nelson-based company offering a range of 250 natural paints created the old-fashioned way from plant oils, tree resins, china clay and talc. |
Red
Kiwis who may consider other hot colours, such as orange and pink, too risky are often able to express their avant-garde side with red. ‘Pohutukawa’, star of many a feature wall, is Resene’s ever-popular blue-based red; warmer tomato and deep raspberry hues are almost good enough to eat. Red is bold, intense, emotive, sometimes dangerous – and favoured for dining rooms, since it’s said to stimulate the appetite. (The long-term figure-conscious, however, might wish to consider blue, which is believed to have the opposite effect!)
Blue
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It’s the colour of the sky and the ocean and might just be the most popular shade in the rainbow. Key looks this season are either watery, almost translucent blues or inky, midnight colours. So, go pale or go vivid, but steer clear of hues that sit on the fence. Blue has a cooling and calming effect on spaces and those who inhabit them. |
Special thanks to the National Flower Promotion Group, which provided the beautiful New Zealand-grown flowers.
Please see the image gallery for colour styling ideas.
Stockists
City Farmers’ Market at Britomart www.cityfarmersmarket.co.nz
Corso De’ Fiori (09) 307 9166
Cranfields (09) 520 5432
Dulux 0800 800 424
European Antiques & Furnishings (09) 360 9858
Georgi Gregg (09) 368 7777
Gorgi www.gorgi.co.nz
Heritage Tiles (09) 353 6580
Homage (09) 520 5711
Indice (09) 376 9167
Madder & Rouge (09) 522 1062
Mobile Art Gallery (09) 630 6543
Mokum 0800 933 586
Nest 0800 367 637
Poppy Jones Florist and Café (09) 377 0330
PPS Gifts & Homewares (09) 623 2666
Prickly Pair www.pricklypair.co.nz
Resene Paints 0800 737 363
Simon James Design (09) 377 5556
Source Mondial (09) 377 3068
Stirrups Equestrian Supplies (09) 266 6616
Te Ao Marama Ngarimu ngarimu1@ihug.co.nz
Textilia (09) 302 3182
The Junk Shop, Waiheke (09) 372 5865
The Studio of Tableware (09) 638 8082
Urban Loft (09) 377 8199
World Beautystore (09) 377 0647
Story: Shelley Bridgeman
Photographs: Melanie Jenkins from Flash Studios
Stylist: Anna Church and Sarah Jones (floral)
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