Inky blue hues for productive moods

Rooms don’t need to be complex to feel chic and appear as if an interior designer has had a hand in its creation – simple design is often the best design.

Ultimately, it all comes down to your colour palette. While pale neutrals and muted tones have dominated interior design trends in recent years, this has been the year of inky blues. Deep, rich hues, like Resene Indian Ink and Resene Watermark, are at the forefront of creating sophisticated spaces.

Layering different blue tones is a fantastic way to embrace the shade’s timelessness and create a luxurious atmosphere at home. In this study nook, the space may be small, but it has great impact with walls that cocoon a desk beautifully in Resene Indian Ink and Resene Watermark. Resene Indian Ink is a blackened-blue tone that's deep and luxurious. Resene Watermark is a stormier grey-blue; the pair make for a sophisticated work from home backdrop. Both colours have notes of green and grey, they are ‘grown-up’ blues and make a perfect match for cream-toned furniture, walnut woods and stone whites. Never be afraid of darker tones – they add dimension and depth to rooms white walls sometimes can’t offer.

We added colour accents with a desk in Resene Double Duck Egg Blue and a coat rack in Resene Duck Egg Blue. This lighter blue creates a sense of contrast and balance in the room, without being too insipid and light. Light blues offer a softer transition away from the darker hues. You can incorporate these lighter blues too through other painted furniture pieces, vases or a stationery shelf and holder. To prevent the space from feeling too dark, it's key to balance your deep blue walls with lighter elements like white or cream furniture. We painted a desk in Resene Quarter Albescent White for an addition of bright and crisp contrast in the room.

Deep blues like Resene Indian Ink really sing when paired with lighter floors and keep the space feeling light-filled and fresh. Create a marbled-look floor using Resene Foundation as your base, then Resene Otter mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. Add a top coat with messier strokes in Resene Foundation. This technique creates a sense of texture and depth, adding further visual interest to the space and that all-important sense of luxury.

When designing your work from home nook, it's essential to consider lighting. Navy and inky blues work best in rooms with ample natural light, as they can make a room appear darker if there's not enough light. Consider incorporating light fixtures that provide ample light, such as a pendant light or a table lamp, to ensure the room remains well-lit and inviting. We added a lightshade in Resene Kia Kaha and a desk lamp in Resene Transition; both shades offer the tiniest hint of contrast against the blues.

The round table-leg mural is a fun way to connect the desk to the floor – without a ‘physical’ leg getting in the way.

Remember to incorporate personal touches that make the space feel like your own – it may be an office space, but you want this space to feel just as calming as a living space. Adding artwork or photographs can add a personal touch to the room, while plants can bring life and vitality to the space. Unleash your inner artist and paint an abstract piece for the office nook using dreamy tones like Resene Contented, Resene Tenor and Resene Transition. Even small, simple painted shapes, like the rectangles we have painted and framed, are incredibly effective when the colours reference the colour palette of the room. Consider incorporating natural textures too, like our desk chair, using wood or woven materials, to create a warm atmosphere.

Colours and products mentioned in this article

Styling by Kate Alexander. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2023