Creating a nature-inspired interior

From the Resene decorating blog

Next time you’re out for a walk in nature, pay attention to the colours around you, the colour combinations and the variety of tones. Chances are, if it works outdoors, it will work well to bring a sense of nature inside.

Stained plywood walls - nature inspired interior

Plywood wall stained in Resene Colorwood Sheer Black with battens painted in Resene Lustacryl tinted to Resene All Black. Floor in Resene Colorwood Natural, sideboard in Resene Snow Drift, coffee table in Resene Snow Drift, pillar in Resene Black White, pendant lamp in Resene Black White, plant pots in Resene Snow Drift, vase in Resene Half Black White, tall woven candle lantern in Resene Half Black White, small fluted bud vase (on coffee table) in Resene Quarter Drought and artwork in Resene Okey Dokey (background) with strokes in Resene Half Blanc. Sofa and cushions Nood, rug from Freedom, throw and jute cushion cover from Citta, artwork by Cloud 9 Creative (Lee Sinclair) from endemicworld. Project by Laura Lynn Johnston, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Expansive windows are good to give a feeling of bringing the outside indoors to your living environment but if your home is not blessed with big windows or you don’t live in an area with a green outlook, you can create nature-inspired decor with careful choice of Resene paints and wallpapers.

Colour me natural

Many of Resene’s colours draw from our beautiful natural environment.

Think of the blues popular in coastal baches – from deep ocean blues of Resene True Blue to soft hues of Resene Lazy River. Think of the wide range of greens that reflect our verdant bush areas from forest green of Resene Wheel Of Fortune to soft Resene Grass Hopper or the moss like hues of Resene Green Spring and Resene Envy and botanical Resene Good Life. Don’t forget the aquas and green tinged blues like Resene Freelance. To echo the sandscapes of our beach escapes try beiges like Resene Celeste and Resene Castaway, tans like Resene Desert Sand and soft yellows like Resene Moonlight and Resene Popcorn. If you’re wondering what colours go together, take a cue from nature and look at the colours in your favourite parts of the world. You can even use the Resene Colour match tool to find the exact shade of blue to match your favourite coastal view. Simply upload a photo and click on any part of the photo to get the closest Resene colour.

Paper it pretty

Designs from the Resene Wallpaper Collection include a wide range of botanical prints that take inspiration from grand English gardens, ornithological patterns, Japanese style botanicals and tropical palm tree prints. Visit your local Resene ColorShop to have a browse through the collection books to find a print that adds the drama or floral feel you are looking for.

Just like using Resene testpots to try out your paint colours, you can ask for sample pieces of wallpapers to hang in place and compare patterns. Oversized designs and murals are very in vogue and well suited to larger rooms or rooms with high ceilings. You can even transform a photo of your favourite place into a mural using the Resene WallPrint service at so you can drift off to sleep in a bedroom wall showing your favourite beach or soak in the bath beneath your favourite mountain.

A succulents wall mural painted in this lounge

In this living area, the stage is set with a wall painted in Resene Rice Cake. A line-drawing mural of succulents in Resene Midnight Express ups the ante. Tongue-and-groove panelling painted in Resene Smoke Tree makes the room pop. Floor in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash, shelf in Resene Bunting, coffee table in Resene Felix, side table in Resene Bunting, frame in Resene Midnight Express, DIY artwork in Resene Mariner and Resene Alabaster, large plant pot and rounded vase in Resene Felix, tall woven vase in Resene Grey Olive, short plant pot in Resene Grey Olive, coasters in Resene Bunting, bud vase in Resene Grey Olive and tiny bud vase in Resene Bunting. Sofa from Nood, rug, basket and plants from Freedom, cushion covers, throw, brass candleholders, brass keepsake dish and brass bookend from H&M Home. Project by Laura Lynn Johnston, image by Bryce Carleton.

A seating area with bamboo-themed wallpaper

This bamboo-themed paper teams well with a Japanese style urn and tiger print cushion.

The wallpaper is Resene Wallpaper Collection 409772 from the Resene Kimono Wallpaper Collection. Use this design with walls in Resene Seaweed or Resene Jurassic and flooring in Resene Colorwood Matai protected with Resene Qristal ClearFloor for a dramatic look.

Wood is good

Wooden floorboards and wooden furniture goes well with a nature-inspired interior. Native timbers are fantastic but any wood can be painted and finished to create the look you require. Resene wood stains enhance the natural beauty of timber and let the grain of timber show through. They also protect the timber when paired with Resene Qristal ClearFloor for flooring and Resene Aquaclear on walls and furniture. Resene Colorwood stains can be easily applied onto plywood – an easy and cheap DIY weekend project to transform a room.

Battens are also super easy to do at home – just glue or screw them in place. As wood stains are semi-transparent, the colour of the wood beneath the stain will affect the colour of the stain. You can also create a darker colour by applying more stain to the timber. Team woods with greens, blues and pops of colour that would be at home in a cottage garden.

Create texture

Love the look limestone and mudbrick? Create natural earthen-looking textured walls by using Resene FX Paint Effects Medium. Simply paint a base colour of your favourite colour and then mix a second colour with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium to create a natural mottled look. Try a basecoat of Resene Aspiring with a topcoat of Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Moon Mist for a classic stone look.

A tropical palm-inspired dining area

A palm inspired print brings a tropical feel to this dining area. This is Resene Wallpaper Collection 37530-3 from the Resene Geo Nordic Wallpaper Collection. Pair with crisp white walls in Resene Black White and flooring in Resene Colorwood Whitewash.

Top tips for adding the natural touch

Add plants. Think of bold broad leafed architectural plants for big open-plan spaces and soft, finger-leaved ferns for bathrooms and flowering plants like orchids for bedrooms and dining areas.
Add texture with twisted branches, a vase of pussy willow on bulrushes and some ornamental pieces of driftwood.
Go tone-on-tone and layer multiple shades of the same and complementary colours to reflect the nuances of our natural world.
Consider finish and the way light interacts with the colour and finish used. Glossy paints like Resene Enamacryl will reflect more light, while flatter paints, like Resene SpaceCote Flat will give you a softer diffused finish.
To take colour combination inspiration from the landscapes, take a photo and bring it home to study in more detail. Nature is a great painter.
To infuse an interior with a sense of calm leave plenty of negative space. Areas of wall painted in one fairly neutral colour will provide a serene background on which to stage your interior scene. Think of your room as a landscape in itself and remember the expanse of sky that provides a backdrop in nature.
Remember that nature can be messy with fallen leaves and scattered rocks. Don’t let your interior look cluttered but try not to over curate your space and instead embrace imperfection.

Like nature itself, nature inspired spaces can continue to grow and evolve over time so consider bringing in season elements of nature too – this might be the cheerful colour or spring flowers, pinecones or found objects like driftwood or shells.