Resene Colour Trend Report: Fruit tones go bold

One of the most appealing and delightful design trends this year is the appearance of fresh, vibrant fruity colours.

We often look to nature for colour inspiration for our homes. This season, it’s time to look beyond the greens and earthy browns of the outdoors… and focus instead on the fruit bowl sitting on your kitchen bench. It could be a source of inspiration for more than just a healthy diet.

A rich warm dining space

This rich warm dining space is a sophisticated full-bodied take on a classic citrus scheme.

The orange rear wall is in Resene Twisted Sister while the accessories are in muted citrus shades such as a short round vase in Resene Thumbs Up, a small bowl in Resene Moonlight, a tall angular vase in Resene Yuma and a table bowl in Resene Crowdpleaser. The sideboard is in Resene Swiss Caramel, the chair is in Resene Moccasin and the pendant light is in Resene Spanish White. The side wall is Resene Half Spanish White. Styling by Gem Adams; image by Wendy Fenwick.

A bold berry red lounge

Two bold berry reds create an exotic Pasifika look, by way of Morocco.

Resene Dynamite on the lower wall and Resene Poppy on the upper wall. There’s a further layering of red tones with the floor vase painted in Resene Raging Bull, the shelf vase in Resene Moccasin and the exotic earthy toned rug. Blue cools the room, with a coffee table in Resene Wishing Well while the gorgeous stencilled floor is Resene Time After Time over a basecoat of Resene Wishing Well. Styling by Gem Adams; image by Wendy Fenwick.

One of the most appealing and delightful design trends this year is the appearance of fresh, vibrant fruity colours.

There are greens in shades of apple, avocado, celery and mint as well as berry pinks, tomato reds, shades of mango and rockmelon and new-look bold citrus shades. They come together in unexpected combinations for spaces that are invigorating, fresh and lively.

Grocer’s greens

There are many green trends around at the moment and is the colour that is centrestage when it comes to fruit shades. It’s the colour that grounds the trend, working well with everything from pinks to deep reds and burnt oranges. This makes sense given the leafy surroundings of most fruiting plants.

A fresh green bedroom

The greens of grapes, granny smith apples and honeydew melons are a fresh scheme for a bedroom.

The wall stripes are, from top, Resene Travertine, Resene Miso and Resene Nirvana with a skirting board in Resene Fawn Green. A lattice effect on the headboard brings added interest and texture, painted in Resene Fawn Green and Resene Miso. Styling by Emily Somerville-Ryan; image by Melanie Jenkins.

Shots of sharp citrus cooled with grey

Shots of sharp citrus cooled with grey.

The is in Resene Hypnotic and Resene Quarter Surrender, the bowl and candlestick are Resene Quarter Stack, the small vase is Resene Quarter Surrender, and the tall vase and short candlestick are Resene Sublime. The table is Resene Half Carefree. Styling by Emily Somerville-Ryan; image by Wendy Fenwick.

The Resene The Range fashion colours range has many such greens. There is the bright granny smith apple colour of Resene FOMO, the soft and soothing Resene Aura and the mint freshness of Resene Kandinsky.

Pair these greens with pops of blood orange in Resene Jailbreak and the raspberry of Resene Candy Floss. It’s a bolder, brighter spin on the class rose pink / sage green. Or visualise the shade of a watermelon rind paired with the juicy pink flesh such as Resene Glorious.

Peaches and apricot

The current darling of the colour world, peach and apricot has morphed out of the recent trend for pinks of all shades. For interiors, these colours have taken on a sophisticated husky hue – much easier to use within a room, and surprisingly versatile. Look to the new The Range fashion colours collection for any number of peachy pinks, from Resene Just Dance, Resene Soulful and Resene Despacito.

A lounge with a desert vibe

Sweet pale strawberry shades tie into the trend for peachy and soft pinks and create a desert vibe.

The back wall is Resene Just Dance, with a side wall in Resene Sorbet, a side table in Resene Sunbaked vases in Resene FX Rose Gold and Resene BFF bright pink. Styling by Claudia Kozub; image by Melanie Jenkins.

Dusky grape and blueberry tones

Dusky grape and blueberry tones with a wall in Resene Gun Powder, drawers in Resene Chapta And Verse, wall platter in Resene Couture and vases in (from left) Resene Couture, Resene Steam Roller and Resene Mamba. Styling by Claudia Kozub; image by Melanie Jenkins.

Juicier citrus

Previous trends for citrus shades have favoured soft, pastel tones of lemon, pale lime green, sorbet strawberry and subtle apricot oranges. The new mood for citrus is stronger with deeply saturated shades, lightened with warm neutrals and natural fibres.

Orange is definitely having a moment in this colour scheme. Bold shades such as Resene Twisted Sister and Resene Tangerine on walls pair well with Resene Moccasin, then subtler tones of Resene Moonlight or Resene Yuma for a layered effect.

Other new generation citrus shades to introduce at home are the lime green of Resene Spring Fever, the tangy lemon-yellow of Resene Turbo.

Berry, berry nice

Shades of red will almost always find a way into our home interior design palette, because they’re versatile, inviting colours and the new trend finds them emulating everything from chillies to blackberries.

Tomato-toned reds have been increasing in popularity for a while now, creating energetic, vibrant spaces. Look to Resene Poppy and Resene Jalapeno. These work well for any room that can take a punch of energy, perhaps a bathroom, a kitchen or a child’s bedroom.

Many warm and inviting purple-toned berry and grape shades are also finding favour at the moment – look at Resene Blue Night with its blackberry depths, Resene Wanaka for a hint of blueberry and Resene RSVP for a bruised grape.

Tropical tastes

Bold, heated yellows and golds are everywhere at the moment, with good reason. Yellow is known to impart an energy boost; walking into a yellow-hued space will almost always feel your mood lift.

Much like the colour saturated oranges and citrus shades out now, on-trend yellows are deep and satisfying, reminiscent of tropical mangoes, rockmelon and pineapple – Resene Touche, Resene Hypnotic and Resene I Dare You. They work nicely in tonal layers for a stunning, high-impact space, best suited to large rooms, but can also work in some unusual combinations for maximum colour effect.

Use your neutrals

A fruit-inspired palette can be a daring choice and one which can overwhelm if not handled correctly. The impact can be tempered by paying attention to the neutrals to team them with.

Warm whites can soften the hard edges of bolder colours, while emphasising their base tones. Cool whites, and grey-based neutrals will brighten up a space, with crisp edges.

Consider if the dominant colours are they warm yellows, cool reds or even neutral greens? Selecting the right neutral will make the most of choices without it turning the space into a fruit salad of competing colours.

Finding inspiration

If you’re unsure how to build up a palette inspired by the colours of fruit, take A trip to a local farmer’s market, or simply the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket will provide plenty of inspiration to build a palette. Notice the endless variants of colour and how they all work together. If nature can make a colour scheme work, so can we.