Other trends

From Habitat plus - decorating and colour trends 2020

Flora and fauna

Botanical and animal looks are making a strong resurgence, but without the tackiness of the over-the-top schemes that were put out to pasture in the mid-90s.

Since today’s looks are all about layering on natural textures and graphic patterns, it’s easy to incorporate some ‘wild’ style into almost any room without things looking too untamed when you start with warm Resene colours.

Circle of life

In the spirit of reducing and reusing, upcycling has continued to be a popular trend. Finding new ways to work pre-loved furnishings and materials into your home is a great way to create a unique space full of personality. Now, upcycling is moving past just one-off efforts to circular thinking to give objects not a just second life, but third, fourth and many more. And, often all it takes is a fresh coat of paint to make something old new again.

Block out

Colour blocking on walls has taken a turn towards more randomly placed blocks of colour, often larger and used as a feature in place of artwork. Whether it is a large square of colour on a wall, a wide vertical stripe or a circular shape, the size and focus are what draws in your attention, creating a focal point within the room. Pair it with a neutral backdrop so that it’s the block of colour that shines. For those yearning for more colour, multiple colour blocks can also be used, but the key is to give each enough room to breathe rather than filling up the whole space with shapes.

Anti-trend

As odd as it may sound, choosing classic ‘anti-trend’ colours is a trend in and of itself. For timeless hues that look good in any space, look to the Resene Classics Collection – a curated range of perennial favourite colours. But just because you’re decorating with classic colours doesn’t mean you can’t use them in a modern way.

Classic colours are combined with flexible décor in these entryways. Painted hooks and playful pegboards allow you to decorate to suit wherever the mood and season takes you. In winter, pile up the coats, scarves and umbrellas and, in summer, change to beach towels, sun hats and beach bags.

Architectural accents

Wish that you lived in a magnificent manor or a high-end hotel? Add extravagant-looking detail to your walls with a flash wallpaper and by masking off a bit of decorative linework. Here, the walls are in Resene Moby with ‘architectural’ painted details in Resene Alabaster and ‘panelling’ in Resene Wallpaper Collection 433234. Then, create a tiled floor effect using masking tape, Resene Sambuca and Resene Alabaster. Bring a lampshade into your palette by painting it a contrasting colour, such as Resene Memory Lane.

Tone-on-tone

Monochromatic schemes continue to be popular, especially the technique of using more than one variation of a colour in what is called a ‘tonal’ or a ‘tone-on-tone’ colour scheme. The look started with layering different strengths of the same colour into a single space – such as full strength Resene Duck Egg Blue for the walls, quarter strength for the ceiling and double strength for the floor – and has also evolved into deeper, darker territory with the strongest shade being used on the walls with lighter trims and an even lighter floor. To top it off, add in a few contrasting pops of colour through accessories, either in the same hue or a completely different one.

Fab floors

If your concrete is looking a bit cold or if you have timber beyond saving, painted floors are a trendy way to bring them back to life and allows you the freedom to incorporate colours and designs that simply can’t be accomplished any other way.  

In the groove

Part of the move to add extra dimension to walls, tongue-and-groove wall panelling has made a huge comeback, especially in bathrooms, bedrooms and living areas. Combine floor to ceiling tongue-and-groove with dreamy weathered blues and soft greys for a restful space, or adopt a half-and-half look with a dramatic colour on tongue-and-groove on the bottom half of the wall and a lighter neutral or lighter tonal hue painted direct onto the upper wall.

Curated collections

Shadow boxes and colour block painted wall features can provide spaces to display curated collections of items that are special to you. Use colour to bring your treasures the attention they deserve.

Ready for anything

A transition trend has arisen within open-plan spaces to create multi-purpose areas that can change and adapt to have more than one function, providing fluid transformation from one purpose to another. A dining nook, for instance, could become a handy office space during the day by adding a screen that can be moved to hide your work area when guests come over – or, it could be used to provide some privacy from other family members relaxing in an adjacent area when your work takes you into the evening.

Horizon line

A visual horizon or ‘tide line’ creates a dip-painted effect by running it across joinery, trims, doors and even furniture. It’s an easy way to add interest to a space or to help connect different parts of a space together. Use low tack masking tape to mark out your horizon line for a crisp paint finish.

More plum to come

One of the hottest emerging trends we have on our radar is plum, with shades ranging from grape versions like Resene RSVP to greyed purples like Resene Sixth Sense and Resene Rocky Mountain. While trending lilacs are an off-shoot of millennial pink, these popular purples have transitioned out of chocolate browns and deep taupes.

Different gloss levels affect how your paint colour looks. Dark colours like Resene Twilight Zone look great in a matte finish, which will absorb light and make the colour look darker, creating a velvety finish. Use Resene SpaceCote Flat to get the look.

Dark tone-on-tone rooms are all at once cocooning, welcoming and strikingly rich. The approach of using furnishings that almost blend into the wall colour is also surprisingly versatile – you can use just a couple of designer furniture pieces for a minimalist, architectural feel, or add more accessories and tactile fabrics for a more traditional, plush approach. These dramatic batten walls are painted Resene Twilight Zone, the table top is in Resene Indian Ink, the bowl is in Resene King Tide and the floor is finished in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash over Resene Colorwood Crowshead for a richly layered look.

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