Room with a view

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

Wish you had a room with a view? It’s simple to create a landscape–inspired mural in your lounge or bedroom using your favourite Resene paint colours.

It’s a great way to make an eye–catching statement on wardrobe doors, a large flat-profile dresser or on an accent wall. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can keep your lines as literal or abstract as you like. Even simple, wavy lines are enough to get the effect. But be sure to use a high-quality paint brush – picking one with plenty of soft bristles makes for smoother lines. Or, if you’re a master with a small smooth surface roller, you could work from light to dark and softly feather each colour into the next. A low to no sheen formula such as Resene SpaceCote Flat will give your mural velvety look, but be sure to properly prepare your surface and repair any imperfections before getting started with your topcoats.

From top to bottom, this landscape is in Resene Zulu, Resene Antidote, Resene Sorrell Brown and Resene Lone Ranger. These richly caffeinated colours are hugely on trend and blend beautifully with a whole host of other hues. While this masculine – looking lounge – with its floor finished in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash timber stain – features a mainly tone-on-tone colour palette, subtle pops of Resene Merlot and Resene Korma have been brought in through small accessories within the Resene Zulu bookcase to add interest and play off the colours of the inside of the lamp shade and the wool hat hanging on the wall. The side wall is in Resene Half Wood Bark to echo the colour of the chair cushions and add a point of difference while the plant pots in Resene Lone Ranger and Resene Antidote connect directly back to colours used in the landscape mural. It’s the placement of each of these elements within the space that’s most important though, as it helps to keep the eye moving and your brain makes the connection between each of the colours in the palette.

The use of texture is another important element that builds interest in this space. The woven chair, sheepskin mat and wool hats and slippers bring in some softness that both balances and contrasts with the rest of the flat, smooth surfaces that are prevalent throughout.

For a richer look in your lounge or bedroom, swap Resene Merlot for an even deeper red like Resene Arthouse or an Edwardian purple like Resene Fandango, which will highlight the violet undertones that are in Resene Zulu and Resene Half Woodbark. If red, orange and purple don’t strike a chord with you, other hues that work well with coffee browns and brown-greys are yellow-greens like Resene Yuma, herbal greens like Resene Caper or lighter hues like Resene First Light.

The coffee browns used for the mural could also be easily swapped with coastal blues such as Resene Breathless, Resene Lynch, Resene San Juan and Resene Coast for a completely different – yet equally sophisticated –look. Finish it off by accenting with brighter green-blues such as Resene Norwester and Resene Retreat and layer in deeper Resene Cinder to create contrast.

Accessories: Sheepskin from Lapco; Hats from H&M; Circle Chair, Play Forever Buck Orange (Car), Twemco Quartz Movement Clock – BQ58 and Houston Space Man from Homage; All other props are stylist’s own.

Styling by Kate Alexander. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2020