sultry and sophisticated

These rooms are places where you feel chic; where you can be well-dressed and feel that you belong. But more than that, a sophisticated interior has the ability to make a grand statement. It’s not about having ultra-expensive furniture and rare art; it’s about being well-tailored and well-balanced.

While you’ll want your space to exude beauty, it also has to be liveable and welcoming. You need to be able to feel comfortable in it, and it should still be reflective of your personality. One easy way to bump up the chic factor without the need to completely reinvent your room is to mix a strong dose of a high contrast hue like black into a lighter colour scheme – especially in a high-gloss finish.

Black is unquestionably classic, glamorous and timeless and can be made to work with literally any colour. And more often than not, a little is all you need to chic up your space.

While you may think of black as straight black, there are many variations to choose from with undertones of blue, red, green and yellow or variants lightly softened with white. Always test your black with the rest of your palette in natural lighting and at night to ensure all your undertones harmonise well with each other.

Want to get your own free copy of future issues of habitat magazine?

Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.

• Specifiers: Sign up for habitat here. You can earn CPD points reading habitat.
• Sign up for a DIY card and save! Australian residents | New Zealand residents.

If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit habitat plus, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.

habitat plus are not mailed directly. They are available free from Resene ColorShops and resellers while stocks last and available for viewing online.