Close Give Feedback
Resene Paints - home page
Facebook Pinterest Instagram YouTube

A superior exterior in beachy blues

Even if you’re not within cooee of the seaside, you can easily create a beachy vibe at home with sea-inspired colours and some simple accessories.

Dig out the beach towels, sling on some sandals, mix up a large pitcher of chilled iced tea or lemon-infused water – then decide whether it’s a trip to the beach you want or simply to sit on the deck reading a book or relaxing with a friend. It’s summertime.

A beachy blue exterior

A beachy blue moodboard

A beachy blue moodboard

A beachy blue home exterior

Mood board: Background in Resene Carefree, croquet set in Resene Big Chill, Resene Calypso, Resene Tarawera and A4 drawdowns paint swatches in Resene Calypso, Resene Alabaster and Resene Blue Chill

Even if you’re not within cooee of the seaside, you can easily create a beachy vibe at home with sea-inspired colours and some simple accessories.

Many of our house exteriors are painted in fairly neutral tones – an array of beiges, whites and greys. Which makes them look smart and not be too loud and proud on the streetscape. But you don’t have to stick to entirely neutral tones to be elegant and unoffensive. Resene has a range of beautiful muted blues and greens that look amazing on house exteriors. Just make sure you choose a colour that has quite a bit of grey in it so that it creates a gentle haze of colour rather than an in-your-eye brightness.

With our strong Southern Hemisphere sun, it’s best to steer clear of pure whites as they can be quite blinding to look at. You and your neighbours may end up having to wear sunglasses, even when the sun isn’t shining.

Use the light reflectance value (LRV) that is handily noted on the back of Resene paint chips to guide you. Any colour with an LRV of higher than 85% may be too bright for exterior use unless your house sits in a shady wooded dell.

A beachy blue outdoor area

A beachy blue outdoor area - 2

Paint: Wall – Resene Carefree, Lamp – Resene Alabaster, Decking – Resene Woodsman Uluru, Cane Chairs – Resene Calypso, Sisal Rug – Resene Coast, Peg coat rack – Resene Calypso, Table – Resene Blue Chill, Planters – Resene Alabaster, Resene Big Chill, Resene Tarawera, Resene Shakespeare, Cane chest – Resene Woodsman Greywash (2 coats) and waxed.  Accessories: Mugs from Le Creuset, bowl from Stevens.

That same bright sunlight also makes paint colours look much lighter on the exterior of a house than they do inside, so go a couple of strengths darker than you think you need or you’ll be disappointed with the result. There’s pale and interesting, and then there’s pale and not very interesting. If in doubt, get advice from the staff at your local Resene ColorShop.

You’re going to buy a lot of paint for an exterior, so it’s even more important to test your colour choice first. Buy Resene testpots in your favourite colours and paint a large piece of card leaving a white border around the edge. Pin it up on both the shady and the sunny side of the house. Always paint two coats and allow it to fully dry to get a true colour rendition The blue used on the weatherboards of this house is Resene Carefree (what a great name for a summery colour), an opalescent tint of light-hearted watery green. For a more greyed version of this green, check out Resene Pumice or any of the other greens on palette R35 of the Resene Multifinish collection. For a green with a hint of yellow, try Resene Green Mist or Resene Stone Age from palette R32, both are classic colours with a traditional edge which would be perfect for a more ornate villa or bungalow.

If a blue-green is your preference, head to palette R43 for something like Resene Duck Egg Blue.

Once you have your main exterior colour sorted, you can afford to be more playful with the colours you choose for the details. In this exterior, breezy mid blue Resene Calypso is used to brighten the cane chairs and an intense teal, Resene Blue Chill, transforms the table, with a rug in stormy Resene Coast. A peg coatrack painted in Resene Calypso is the perfect place to sling a sandy towel.

Speaking of sand, the wood stain used on this deck is a spot-on representation of the colour of the golden sand found at so many of our beaches – Resene Woodsman Uluru. Using stain on a deck rather than leaving it to weather is a good choice as it protects the timber and gives consistency of colour – unlike the lottery you might face by leaving the decking timbers exposed to the elements.

Project by Megan Harrison Turner. Photography by Bryce Carleton. July 2022


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.

Latest Looks Gallery

Filter:  kids & teens | greens | blues | yellows | neutrals | oranges/browns | pinks/reds | greys/blacks | violets | pops-of-colour/multi-colour

 

Previous
previous « 

Of mythical gods and epic heroes
The Hellenistic Revival

Next
 » next

It’s tonal but not as we know it
A contemporary and elegant space

 

Order online now:
Testpots | Paints | Primers and Sealers | Stains | Clears | Accessories

Get inspired Get inspired ! Subscribe      Get saving Get saving ! Apply for a DIY card

Resene Paints Ltd

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask us!

Resene Paints (Australia) Limited   – www.resene.com

Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Pinterest Follow us on Instagram Follow us on YouTube
Videos on how to paint and stain your house
 

Welcome to our World of Colour!™
Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.   See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.

What's new | Specifiers | Painters | DIYers | Artists | Kids | Sitemap | Home | TOP ⇧