Cool and calm
When it comes to restful and relaxing colours for living spaces, Resene shows us how peaceful, calm and gentle blue has tremendous soothing power.
In this serene lounge, the walls feature Resene Frozen, a cool winter grey blue, introspective, modest and delicate. While it’s a great paint colour in its own right, even more softness can be gained by layering it with a second hue applied as a feathery paint effect. That’s where Resene Nepal, a muted grey blue pastel, comes in – which is a great option over purer blues that may seem too harsh.
The mottled, almost tile-like effect was created by first painting the walls in two coats of Resene Frozen. Once dried, a tape measure was used to mark out with pencil an 80 mm x 50 mm grid. Next, high quality 24 mm-wide painter’s masking tape was carefully applied, ensuring all of the lines were square. A testpot of Resene Nepal was mixed into a 1 litre tin of Resene Paint FX Medium and applied with a paintbrush in a criss-cross motion, gently wiping over the strokes with a clean, dry rag. Once the paint effect was dry to the touch, the carefully removed masking tape revealed the ‘grout’ between the ‘tiles’.
The floors were then painted in Resene Walk-on and tinted to Resene Blanc, a subtle and restrained Parisian white with a warm undertone, to bring extra cosiness to the space.
By choosing a neutral off-white sofa with simple lines and instead taking the colour to the walls, you’ll be spoilt for choice in how you can accessorise your space – which means it’ll be simple to swap out accents as the seasons change. Plus, it’ll be much quicker and more affordable to repaint your walls than it will be to replace your sofa.
Try using each of your accent hues in at least three places within the room so that your colour scheme feels cohesive. Look to cushions, throws, side tables, plant pots, vases, candleholders, artwork, rugs and painted furniture to carry your colour palette across the space. In cooler months, try bringing in a combination of ruddy terracotta, inky blue and whisky gold such as Resene Tuscany, Resene Madison and Resene Noosa offset by clean-lined soft black furniture in Resene Half Bokara Grey.
Other colours that look right at home with muted grey blue pastels like Resene Nepal and Resene Frozen are pale honey yellows, classic creams and muted and greyed green blues such as Resene Oasis, Resene Pearl Lusta or Resene Casal.
Background in Resene Blanc with A4 drawdown paint swatches in (from right to left) Resene Frozen, Resene Nepal, Resene Wax Flower, Resene Half Bokara Grey and Resene Tuscany and candle stick in Resene Half Bokara Grey.
