A shared bedroom where fantastical creatures bring the space to life.
When creating a shared bedroom, deciding on a gender-neutral colour can often result in white walls. But this does not have to be the be-all and end-all solution. In fact, a room painted with soft dusty greens and a warm rusty beige is the perfect balancing act. Neither feminine nor masculine, this bedroom is a space that can be enjoyed by everyone (parents included).
In this room two fantasy worlds – dinosaurs and butterflies – not so much collide but combine for a playful yet sophisticated look. The two main wall colours, Resene Pewter, a neutralised soft green, and Resene Otter, a sleek beige, seamlessly intertwine throughout the room.
The darker sage green of Resene Gecko transitions from the dinosaur on the wall onto the bedside table, which intersects the two block wall colours, then finishes on the pillow in a darker forest hue like Resene Goblin. Softer variations of this colour can be found on the adjacent wall with a butterfly painted in Resene Half Washed Green and in the bedding with a hue like Resene Spanish Green.
When painting your wall in two colours, opt for quality masking tape and make sure your masking tape is stuck securely on your surface, without any bubbles. Allow for your coats of paint to dry completely before removing the pieces of tape when you’ve finished once side.
The same is true of the warm beige of Resene Otter on the right hand side of the room, which is echoed in the slightly darker hue of Resene Magma on the large butterfly on the right hand side of the room, and then again in the coral-toned pillow in a colour like Resene Sebedee. An artwork placed in the centre of the two larger blocks of colour eases the transition too, with colours similar to Resene Wafer and Resene Sea Fog referencing the gentle but bold colour palette.
This creative room takes two well-loved creatures and presents a fantastical take on their size. Where normally dinosaurs would be large and butterflies small, here the opposite has been portrayed, with the triceratops appearing small and the butterflies large. And, instead of just painting these creatures onto the wall, two of the butterflies are in fact made from paper and appear on the wall as art pieces, lending some 3D realness to the room. Create these butterflies by drawing a butterfly-shaped stencil on paintable wallpaper, which can be ordered in custom lengths. Cut your butterfly shapes out of the wallpaper, then simply adhere them to your walls. You could also paint them in striking butterfly-like colours or in complementary colours to the room’s overall palette.
Smaller, 3D dinosaurs also appear throughout the room – on the bedside table and on the floor – painted in Resene Permanent Green and Resene Double Sea Fog. For whatever themes you chose, playing with scale can offer a fun point of difference.
As this bedroom is so full of beautiful saturated colour, leaving the floor in a soft white, Resene Double Sea Fog, allows it to breathe and helps it to appear more spacious than it really is. By having similar light accents in the room, brought in through ornaments and the soft butterfly stencils, the brightness of the floor also continues upwards and makes for a space that feels well illuminated and not too heavy.
If you want to break up some of the white, bring in a playful rug – it’ll create a comfortable place for kids to play, add a comfortable element to a harder surface and reduce the amount of scuffing on your freshly painted floor.
Playful and fun, this look doesn’t just have to be confined to the bedroom, it can also make a great set-up for a shared playroom. Simply replace the bed with a table and chairs painted in similar hues that have been used in the room already. We painted ours in Resene Magma (table), Resene Middle Earth and Resene Paris White (stools).
Project by Greer Clayton. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2021
Colour inspiration - latest looks gallery
Get inspired with colour and the latest decorating and colour trends! Select just the right look and mood for your space.
Filter: kids & teens | greens | blues | yellows | neutrals | oranges/browns | pinks/reds | greys/blacks | violets | pops-of-colour/multi-colour
Dive into the deep blue
Blue is one of the most compelling colour choices
Striped delight
Stripes are a fun, dynamic way to incorporate paint