Weathered blues go from serene to stormy

From the Resene decorating blog

Blue. It’s a colour almost everybody loves in one shade or another from glacially pale to inky dark, or veering into green-edged tones of teal and turquoise.

Weathered blues and whitewashed plywood create a soothing space to relax and read as we seek to escape the hectic, ultra-public and digital world beyond the front door. The built-in bench seat brings an architectural dimension to the room, made of plywood and finished in Resene Colorwood Whitewash on the wall and benchseat top. The cupboards in front are finished in Resene Colorwood Greywash stain and Resene Raindance paint. Pull up a chair and add a coffee table painted in Resene Poured Milk (top) and Resene Quarter Baltic Sea (legs). The walls are painted in Resene Sea Fog as a cool-based white backdrop. These complex white changes with the light, looking shadowy or light depending on the direction of the sun.

With its associations of sea and sky, blue is a colour that immediately evokes calmness and serenity, summoning memories of sun-drenched summer holidays.

No shade of blue better inspires that feeling than the on-trend range of weathered blues. It’s a trend that has its roots in the Scandi look of recent years, but also the growing desire for more organic, lived-in interiors full natural materials, easy-on-the-eye colours and a certain eco sensibility.

Weathered blues are shades that have a greyed, washed look to them and a slightly worn-in, matt effect that allows for a relaxed but stylish finish to any room. They work particularly well in sun-drenched spaces as well as bathrooms and kitchens. They are comfortable and easy; much like a favourite pair of faded jeans.

It’s a colour that speaks to our collective national leanings toward casualness and friendliness. And one which suits a country where the coast in never too far away.

Look to the latest Resene The Range fashion colours fandeck for inspiration: Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Slipstream or Resene Remember Me, as well as the classics like Resene Duck Egg Blue and its variants.

The look also slips easily and gently into misty and mid-toned greys such as Resene Grey Seal and Resene Silver Chalice.

The Hamptons, roughed up

The simplest expression of the weathered blues trend is as a more ‘lived in’ version of the classic Hamptons style or nautical look of navy and white, softened with pale wood and natural fibres.

Weathered blues make for a more interesting tonal look than classic pale neutrals, and are being seen in either all soft, ethereal schemes of lighter blues, or can be punctuated with darker tones for interest. Where once navy would have been used to provide this visual depth, the trend is for smoky and stormy blues such as Resene Coast, Resene Artemis and Resene Safehaven. These anchor a room and prevent the look from becoming too floaty and ethereal.

Weathered blue accessories

Add a collection of ornaments painted in Resene Poured Milk (candlesticks), Resene Lazy River (honeycomb vase), Resene Raindance (textured vase) and Resene Influential (diamond-patterned pot). Styling by Claudia Kozub; image by Melanie Jenkins.

A weathered blue moodboard

Moodboard background in Resene Colorwood Whitewash, Resene Colorwood Greywash and Resene Raindance, narrow vase in Resene Raindance, wide vase in Resene Lazy River, A4 drawdown paint swatches in Resene Poured Milk, Resene Quarter Baltic Sea and Resene Sea Fog.

Blues such as these work well with crisp, cool whites such Resene Black White or Resene Alabaster.

For accent colours, we’re seeing bold interpretations of sand, flax and pale timbers in colours such as Resene Influential, Resene Just Dance and Resene Peace, along with soft furnishings in natural fibres like flax or linen, and items in rattan or cane.

A rustic coastal lounge

A wall in popular Resene Half Duck Egg Blue forms a tonal partnership with a floor in Resene Half Dusted Blue. Add chunky painted furniture, in Resene Ecru White, for a rustic coastal vibe. The large plant pot is in Resene Quarter Sorrell Brown and the small pot on the table at left is Resene Sandspit Brown. Styling by Leigh Stockton; image by Bryce Carlton.

For a more classic, simple look, the accent colours being used are paler versions of these such as Resene Bubble N Squeak, Resene Despacito and Resene Secrets.

The overall effect of layers of weathered blues like this, and unpolished fibres and materials, is of a space that is low maintenance, well-loved and comfortable, rather than being a meticulous show home. It’s a perfect look for the bach, but also a great way to bring a beachy vibe into the family home wherever it may be – the suburbs, city or rural.

A bedroom with a blue swirly wave mural

Swirly waves of colour inspired by the lapping sea create a calm and peaceful environment for sleeping in this soothing bedroom. The easy-to-create pattern is a stunning headboard feature wall. Simply use a wide speedbrush, available from Resene ColorShops, and paint wavy lines across the wall. The wall itself is painted in Resene Grey Seal with painted swirls in Resene Mystery and Resene Remember Me.

A blue swirly wave mural

Add washed linen bedding in palest blue, a golden sand coloured throw and a seafoam floor in Resene White Island for a beachy, summery feel. To give the room a little punch and stop it become all to dreamy, a bold blue benchseat is placed at the end of the bed, painted in Resene Bewitched. The chest of drawers is in Resene Remember Me, the gridded vase is in Resene Unwind, the jug is Resene Grey Area and the slim vase is Resene Slipstream. Styling by Gem Adams; image by Wendy Fenwick.

A dusty blue moodboard

Mood board background in Resene White Island, jug in Resene Grey Area, candlesticks in Resene Dapper, bowl in Resene Crowdpleaser and A4 drawdown paint swatches in (from top) Resene Mystery, Resene Bewitched, Resene Grey Seal and Resene Grey Area.

Stain and texture

Weathered blues have a translucency that can also be found in colours from the Resene Colorwood and Resene Woodsman stains ranges. The hugely popular Resene Colorwood Whitewash and Resene Colorwood Greywash are a perfect match to a collection of weathered blues – the first has a more classic finish while the second exudes a smokier, sophisticated feel and comes in two strength variations: mid and light.

Project Description

A bit like a desert sunset, this bedroom has a muted blue grey wall in Resene Raindance teamed with graduated layers of terracotta shades in the Resene Just Dance footstool topped with the small vase in pale peach Resene Sorbet, the mid-sized vase in Resene Shilo through to the bold Resene Sunbaked of the taller vase and the lightshade. The floor anchors everything with a subtle shade of Resene Colorwood Greywash. Styling by Lisa Morton; image by Bryce Carlton.

For a deeper blue-grey finish, Resene Colorwood Greywash can also be applied over darker stains such as Resene Colorwood Pitch Black. The advantage of stain is that the wood grain of the original surface shows through, adding interest and texture for the eye. It’s a great way to create a ‘shabby chic’ look for any room – emphasis on the chic, especially when paired with more saturated colours of the same tone.

Many natural textures and fibres work well with stained finishes, emphasising the pared-back approach: natural, canvas, hemp, rattan, bamboo and cork as well as lush green plants for serene, spa-like living spaces.

Other ways to use weathered blues

Layer a room in the full set of one shade, for example Resene Duck Egg Blue alongside its half and triple intensities. A classic approach is to use the palest version on the walls and/or ceiling and then layer furniture and accessories in darker versions of the colour. Add pops of bolder more saturated shades in both complementary and contrasting colours for depth and interest.
A pastel palette using soft grey-blues with subtle peach pinks such as Resene Ethereal or pale apple greens such as Resene Kandinsky.
A more surprising colour combo is to add splashes of gentle terracotta in Resene Sunbaked or you could even try pops of a buttery yellow such as Resene Chorus Line. When you’re matching shades from this part of the spectrum look for those that have a subtle bluish undertone themselves.
For an older school nautical vibe, use with spicy rich reds such as Resene Pohutukawa and buttoned-up navy such as Resene King Tide.

A blue lounge with tonal drama

Faded blues used as an accent colour rather than on the walls, makes for tonal drama set against walls in Resene Indian Ink. The is finished in Resene Colorwood Whitewash on plywood, the peg stool is in Resene Wedgewood and the magazine rack is in Resene Half Sea Fog. Styling by Kate Alexander; image by Bryce Carlton.