Night time’s the right time

Using dark colours in bedrooms gives a cue to the eyes, mind and body to wind down and relax.

While much effort in home decor goes towards creating light, bright, colourful spaces to live comfortably by day, when it comes to winding down of a night-time, adults and children alike will benefit from darker shades reminiscent of the night sky.

In this Matariki-themed nursery, the back wall is painted in Resene Warrior with stars in Resene Black White. Matariki and southern cross constellations are topcoated in Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint to bring them in relief against the backdrop of stars in the night sky.

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To soften the look for a baby’s room, the left wall is painted in Resene Mystic. Floor in Resene Mystic, toy box, shelves and wall hook in Resene Reservoir, vases in Resene Half Jumbo, Resene Reservoir, Resene Warrior and Resene Hermitage. Star ornament in Resene Proton and DIY kite mobile in Resene Proton (hoop), Resene Reservoir (blue kites), Resene Half Jumbo (grey kites) and Resene Black White (white kites). Wooden bead accents in Resene Reservoir. Blanket, fitted sheets, woven rug, star cushion, wooden sensory pack and wooden beads from Kmart, cot from Mocka. aqua cushion and storybooks from The Warehouse. Peter Rabbit toy from Toyco. Project by Laura Lynn Johnston, image by Bryce Carleton.

Fun spaced themed wallpaper for kids

Inspire budding astronauts with a space-themed Resene Wallpaper Collection 30806.

Pair with walls painted in bright space themed colours such as Resene Space Cadet and Resene Moonbeam.

Using dark colours in bedrooms gives a cue to the eyes, mind and body to wind down and relax. But black or dark colours are certainly not boring, and there are many ways to be creative with these colours using Resene paints. There’s plenty you can do with tonal changes, imagery, DIY creative themes and interesting accessories to create a comforting and indulgent vibe. In a child’s room, you can let your imagination – and theirs – go wild by creating a full nightscape with moon, stars and other fun elements. In a media room, a dark backdrop ensures that the screen is the main event and the eyes are not distracted. It also adds to the relaxing feel of settling down of an evening to watch a film.

Creating a night sky in child’s bedroom

The easiest way to create a night sky would be to paint the ceiling a very dark blue, like Resene Dark Knight, and use Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark to paint on the stars. This will give the effect of sleeping under the vast expanse of the night sky with its magical twinkling stars. You can keep it simple and just paint an array of stars in a random fashion. Or, if your child is a bit older, you can use the opportunity to teach them a little about commonly known constellations by mapping them out on the ceiling or wall. The secondary benefit of the glow-in-the-dark paint is that it acts as a nightlight so is particularly useful for children who are scared of the dark or need to get up in the night.

Stylist and interior designer Tracey Strange suggests using Resene FX Blackboard Paint for the opportunity to get really creative and involved children in drawing planets and stars with white or yellow chalks.

“Painting a night sky in a child’s room is kind of magical, an amazing way to inspire the imagination and fuel dreams. Painting the ceiling in a rich deep blue such as Resene Indian Ink or Resene Wishing Well and then adding painted dots for stars using Resene White and Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint is a great option. But I also love the idea of painting a feature wall or two in Resene FX Chalkboard Paint tinted to dark blue or charcoal and then chalking on the stars, constellations – even a supersized planet or two. It’s not difficult to find inspiration on Pinterest and one of the great things about chalk and chalkboard paint is that it’s easy to transfer designs to the wall – and just as easy to wipe them off if you need to start again.”

There’s no need to stop at the ceiling. You could turn the whole room into a night sky so that your child is enveloped by the theme. Creating a seamless transition between the walls and ceilings will add to that feeling of infinite space. You can also add use Resene FX Metallic paint to give certain areas an extra twinkle.

Paint glow in the dark moons for your kids bedroom

Paint glow in the dark moons for your kids bedroom - 2

To set the scene in a child’s bedroom, three moons are painted in Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint designed to keep shining after the lights have gone out. Two to three coats over a white painted circular base will give off the best effect and leave your brushstrokes visible for a lunar-like landscape. Colourful details added in a topcoat of Resene Sunshade, Resene Juniper and Resene Blue Lagoon. Back wall painted in Resene Dark Side. Project by Leigh Stockton, image by Bryce Carleton.

Using magnetic paint

To make the chalk idea even better, use Resene FX Magnetic Magic paint formulated with iron oxides to provide a magnetic effect as your basecoat. Once dry, test your magnets on the Resene FX Magnetic Magic coating to ensure they adhere well before applying topcoats. If a stronger magnetic effect is needed apply an additional coat. Magnetic paint is designed to be used with two topcoats – use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to your desired shade. Once dry, you can write on it with chalk, which can be wiped off with a wet cloth or hang strong magnets on it. To avoid visible coating thickness differences between magnetic and non-magnetic areas, coat the entire wall with the magnetic paint or frame the magnetic area to clearly delineate it.

Tips

You also don’t have to be restricted to the moon and stars. Spark your child’s imagination with rocket ships, astronauts, UFOs and aliens.
Add a moon lamp. You can buy a moon-shaped lamp or you can make your own.
Give the room some extra oomph by stringing fairy lights.
Think creatively when it comes to accessorising the room. Look for moon and star shaped knick knacks and consider paintings and posters or a framed version of an appropriate poem such as Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Stars. In a toddler’s room you could add a three-dimensional element of a moon-and-stars mobile. This could even be a crafting project with a small child.

Using a nocturnal theme in the master bedroom

A dark tone-on-tone theme in a bedroom can make for a dramatic space that feels both cocooning and welcoming, but also luxurious and opulent. By using furniture that almost blends into the wall colour you can create a minimalist, architectural feel and add more accessories and fabrics for a more layered look. Textures like wool and velvet add to the comforting and cosy feel.

A comforting and luxurious media room

This media room feels comforting and luxurious.

The walls are painted in Resene Twilight Zone. Floor in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash applied over Resene Colorwood Crowshead. Coffee table and sideboard tops in Resene Indian Ink, vase, tealight holder and bowl in Resene King Tide, tray, pot, star ornament and mirror frame in Resene Excalibur and coaster in Resene Time After Time. Cushions from Nood, H&M Home and The Warehouse, sofa from Contempa, chair from Nood, lamp and vessels from Freedom, artwork from Pop Motif, metal pots and vases from Shut The Front Door. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Melanie Jenkins.

A nocturnal themed bedroom

In this nocturnal themed bedroom, the wall, skirting, shelf and brackets are painted in Resene Nocturnal. Floor in Resene Viktor, side timber table in Resene Organic and pots, vases and tealight in Resene Paddock, Resene Seaweed, Resene Passport and Resene Ciderhouse.

Duvet set and bedlinen from Wallace Cotton, chair and mirror from Kmart, throw and olive cushion from Cotton On Home, knot cushion Accent plant from Farmers. velvet cushion from Shut the Front Door, linen cushion from Freedom, plant pots from Bed Bath & Beyond. plants from The Warehouse. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Sticking to a very tonal colour palette means the room is restrained and elegant and you can easily lift things with a few accessories in a contrasting colour such as red or gold. Gold works particularly well with deep navy blues like Resene Indian Ink. If deep blue is not for you try bold tonal layers of charcoal like Resene Nocturnal with burnt orange or deep greens like Resene Palm Green with highlights of red.

Decorating a media room

The other room that particularly suits a black or ultra-dark theme is a home theatre or media room. A starry night sky brings the wow factor and is reminiscent of the ceiling at The Civic Theatre in Auckland. A great addition is Resene SmartTouch paint. If you’ve got comfortable watching something and have forgotten to hit the lights, simply tap the wall to turn the lights out. Resene SmartTouch is a touch-activated paint that works like a light switch and can be connected into your electrical circuit by a professional electrician. The Resene SmartTouch is applied under your topcoats, so once the wall is finished it looks just like a normal wall. Double tap the wall to turn the lights on and off again.