Nature’s finest

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

Bask in the best nature has to offer with a conservatory that feels like springtime all year round.

If you’re a nature lover, having a space that’s dedicated to plants and heroes a connection to the outdoors is something you’ll be craving in your home. Conservatories, or sunrooms, are often filled with light and greenery and they’re great spaces to make you tech-free and help you relax, unwind and take a step back from a busy day.

This conservatory brings the outdoors in with a subtle toe toe wall mural. The wall is painted in Resene Quarter Alabaster at the top with Resene Half Joanna on the bottom half, and the toe toe painted in Resene Quarter Alabaster. Coming out from behind the cabinet, which is painted in Resene Half Truffle, the toe toe brings movement and life to the walls, as if their silhouettes are being brushed back in the wind. Their white colour means they won’t overpower your room, offering, instead, a wonderful detail against the soft two halves. You can re-create this look on your own walls. Practice with paper and paint first and when you’re happy with your brushstrokes for the toe toe feathers, take it to the wall. Using a Resene testpot, work slowly with a small brush when painting the more intricate details of the feathers. The blades of the toe toe can be created through broad, sweeping strokes. If you’re unhappy with any part of your mural, simply paint over it, leave some time for it to dry, then start again.

This tone-on-tone backdrop means you can add in pops of colour depending on your mood and the season. Pops of acidic, citrus based greens like Resene Planter on the lampshade, Resene Highball on the coffee table and Resene Iko Iko on the vase contribute to the feel of bringing the outdoors in. And, with the help of indoor plants and greenery, add links to the subtle nod to nature of the toe toe on the walls.

However, if pops of citrus green and a hint of yellow are not your style, a tonal conservatory look can be just as effective – and even more calming. The second room look demonstrates how the overall feeling and mood of a room can change with a few simple switches in colour, replacing greens with whites and neutrals, and styling, such as bringing in a pot plant and a floor cushion. Bring in natural textures like a woven matt or basket, a linen throw, wicker furniture and raw-finished ceramics to further accentuate the earthy motif.

The chic lampshade, which was previously painted in Resene Planter, is now in Resene Half Pravda, as is the foot stool, while the vase on the sideboard is in Resene Pravda. Indoor plants with darker leaves work better in this colour palette as does a cushion with blue-grey shades similar to Resene Loblolly as these shades will add greater depth. Decorating accents in this style of room also differ with more of a slant towards coastal styling seen in the coral and a shell vase painted in Resene Alabaster.

As these spaces are technically outdoor rooms, wooden flooring in Resene Uluru wood stain is an appropriate fit and, in fact, injects some warmth into the space. When covered in a warm woven rug, in a colour similar to Resene Half Joanna, that feeling of blending the indoors with the outdoors is achieved again. Don’t forget to decorate with some of your favourite books, a comfortable chair or sofa and plenty of cushions so you can relax, unwind and enjoy being surrounded by nature from the comfort of the indoors.

Project by Kate Alexander. Images by Bryce Carleton. 2021