Art starter

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

Once you’ve found some that you really love, why not use it to inspire a colour palette for the room in which you’ll be hanging it?

While there will always be artistic styles that experience waxing and waning popularity, the artwork you choose for your space should feel very personal. Whether you opt for an investment piece or simply want to display something that holds sentimental value, the key is picking something that really speaks to you – or something you at least enjoy looking at.

Once you’ve found some that you really love, why not use it to inspire a colour palette for the room in which you’ll be hanging it?

This hallway, which also houses a small home office space, features an original artwork by Alice Berry, one of many artists who paints her works using exclusively Resene products. This piece in particular was created with Resene Aviator, Resene Blue Night, Resene Cornflower, Resene Wax Flower and Resene Half Alabaster. Knowing this, it makes it exceptionally simple to pick a palette to match. However, if you are unsure what colours are used in the artwork you own, you can always upload a photo or scan of your piece to the Resene Colour Palette Generator. The Resene Colour Palette Generator creates a Resene colour palette based on the most common colours that occur in the image and tell you what proportion of the palette they are to help give you an idea of the colour balance you’ll need to translate it into a space. From there, you can download swatches to start fleshing out your design scheme.

In this space, not only does the repetition of the same colours across a number of different surfaces create a sense of rhythm, so do the many horizontal lines, including the ‘horizon line’ that divides the wall, the rectilinear shape of the desk – which is painted Resene Sail and the picture frame. These angular forms have been balanced with rounder shapes, such as the tray in Resene Cornflower, the curve of the Resene New York Pink chair and the concentric circles of the woven rug, which are also painted Resene New York Pink. These details, too, play off the dots and shapes within the painting itself.

By painting the lower portion of the wall in the same mid-value colour from the artwork – in this case, Resene Aviator – it grounds the artwork more than had it been displayed just on a wall painted from top to bottom in Resene Triple Alabaster, which was used for the top section of the wall. On the floor is lighter Resene Romantic, which visually reads as a lighter version of Resene New York Pink. Though it isn’t a colour directly used in the artwork, it feels enough the same that it still works with the palette while also acting as a point of difference from the rest of the scheme. Smaller accessories and accents in Resene Aviator, Resene Cornflower, Resene Torea Bay and Resene Sail finish off the look.

If you’ve got a space that you can’t step back to far from it such as in a hallway – it might just be the perfect place to hang an original painting since you won’t have to deal with the glare off of glass and will be able to get up close and personal with all of the details.

It’s also common for homeowners to want to hang their artwork quite high on the wall, possibly to keep it up out of harm’s way and the risk of it being bumped. However, you shouldn’t be afraid to hang artwork – especially larger pieces – lower on the wall, which will allow you to view the details comfortably at eye level. After all, artwork that can’t be seen properly can’t be enjoyed properly!

Paint: Upper wall in Resene Triple Alabaster, Lower wall in Resene Aviator, Floor in Resene Romantic, Desk in Resene Sail, Chair in Resene New York Pink with legs in Resene Triple Alabaster, Painted rugs in Resene New York Pink and Resene Triple Alabaster, Plant pots in Resene Aviator, Resene Bunting and Resene New York Pink, Tray in Resene Cornflower, Small cardboard boxes in Resene Torea Bay, Resene Cornflower and Resene Aviator, Lidded baskets in Resene New York Pink, Large basket (with plant) in Resene Japonica (bottom) and Resene Wax Flower (top), Pencil cup and metal arch (on desk) in Resene Torea Bay.

Accessories: Calm of the Sea / Laolao by Alice Berry original painting (borrowed from endemicworld); Modern Farmhouse Squiggles Rug, Mandala Rug from Spotlight; Armadillo & Co Marigold Rug from The Ivy House; Perforated tray, pencil cup and cardboard boxes from Kmart; Chair from Mocka; Elephant from The Hub General Store; All other props are stylist’s own.

Styling by Kate Alexander. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2020