From the Resene decorating blog
Aqua is at the front edge of trending interior colours at the moment for walls, painted furniture, accents and accessories.
From lighter versions like Resene Freelance to saturated shades like Resene Deep Teal, you can almost never go wrong when opting to decorate with beautiful blue greens like these.
In what could have otherwise been a very basic bathroom, this space has been given a massive mood lift with a few coats of Resene Yes Please on its tongue-and-groove panelling to complement the creamy yellow undertones of the Resene Elderflower walls. Staining the floors with Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash gives the room a bit of a casual, beachy feel which inspired the incorporation of deep dark ocean blues like Resene Wishing Well on the pendant lamp, Resene Submerge on the cacti pots and Resene King Tide on the rattan table. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.
With walls in Resene Freelance and tongue-and-groove paneling in Resene Yes Please, this bedroom is about as aqua as they come! The room-defining painted rug feature, which was inspired by agate, adds plenty of interest to the Resene Wishing Well floors. With its natural, asymmetric forms, it’s easy to replicate the idea in your own home. We created this one using Resene Deep Teal, Resene Maestro, Resene Hullabaloo, Resene Blue Chill, Resene Yes Please and Resene Freelance. To give this fully saturated look some balance, pair it with crisp cotton bedding and creamy white furniture, like this rattan desk, bedside table and chair in Resene Poured Milk. Top it off with paler blue-green accessories in shades like Resene Meditation and Resene Kandinsky, like these vases. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.
“Aqua is a universal colour that I find almost everyone likes,” says Vanessa Webb of Dress My Nest. “Resene Raindance is a great example. It’s a stunning greyed off-aqua that works perfectly with whites and neutrals as well as timber – which is especially handy, as we are using a lot of timber in interiors right now. Think American oak floors, plywood ceilings, pale oak furniture and Resene Raindance is the perfect partner to create a calming environment at home. It’s a shade that can be used as a wall colour in almost any room, as it gives that soothing feeling that many people are searching for in their homes.”
Since aquas are often associated with peaceful and calming things – the ocean, clear skies, and mother nature in general – it makes sense that people would want to surround themselves with the colour that makes them feel at peace and reduce the stress of the breakneck pace of our everyday lives.
“On the opposite end of the spectrum, figuratively speaking, Resene She’ll Be Right is a bright optimistic colour that can bring you that ‘wow’ factor and make a real statement. Jewel-toned colours are also featuring a lot in interiors at the moment, and Resene She’ll Be Right fits in perfectly with those rich hues – a mustard yellow like Resene Cleopatra, a rust like Resene Raging Bull, or a deep burgundy like Resene Salsa or Resene Courage, mixed with a lovely deep teal in a luxurious fabric such as velvet can create a stunning formal living room.”
“Resene Yes Please, another bright and happy aqua, is absolutely perfect for a caravan renovation! I have used it on the exterior of a caravan and it always makes heads turn. Paired with a bright white such as Resene Alabaster, it’s such a fun and fresh combination.”
The watery tones in this dreamy blue kitchen are certainly calming, from the dark slate architraves, light and hooks in Resene Safehaven, to the pale icy blue of Resene Slipstream on the door, Resene Mystery on the upper wall, Resene Raindance on the lower wall and shelf and Resene Artemis on the cabinet top and legs. To break things up and keep the look from becoming too matchy-matchy, a couple of smaller accessories with a green twist have been thrown into the mix, including soft apple Resene Aura on the jug and bowl and Resene Unwind on the fluted vases. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.
In this lounge, the dark walls in Resene Atlas with architraves in Resene Indian Ink create a cocooning effect within the space, making it the perfect place to relax after a long day, but the Resene Colorwood Mid-Greywash floors provide balance to keep the intensity of the colour from swallowing the space. The tray pops in Resene Yowza while this show-stopping rug mixes in a healthy dose of visual interest with its topographic texture. The petrol blue velvet ottoman adds to the luxury of the look while the vases (from left to right) in Resene Meditation, Resene Kandinsky and Resene Poured Milk add a degree of softness. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.
“Resene Freelance is a similar shade and it looks fantastic in a kids room. I love pairing it with corals such as Resene Rapture and pale pinks like Resene Sakura to create a gorgeous and fun girls room.”
Interior stylist Kate Alexander considers aqua to be among of her favourite colours. “The last time turquoise and aqua were trending was when contrast was queen and we all had feature walls. Today we seek environments that provide interest but don’t overpower. Try for a tone-on-tone look instead.”
Resene has a whole range of awe-inspiring aquas and terrific teals that are perfect for building an on-trend tonal palette. Look to shades like Resene Yes Please, Resene Freelance, Resene Hullabaloo, Resene Deep Teal, Resene Yowza and Resene Maestro.
“Turquoise and aqua have an unfortunate reputation for being flippant colours, and too bold for those who don’t ‘love’ colour. However, if you combine them with muddier versions of their opposites it takes some of the punch away – for example, Resene She’ll Be Right with Resene Moccasin or Resene Sunbaked in a terracotta kitchen with glazed aqua tiles and stone floors or a burnt orange chair with a turquoise cushion,” recommends Kate.
Studies have shown that bringing an aqueous colour palette into your kitchen may actually curb your cravings. Some researchers say that the colour blue is unappetising, psychologically-speaking, because it rarely occurs naturally in food (save for mould) and thus doesn’t trigger an automatic appetite response – so a toned-down aqua can be a great fit.
The positive punch of turquoise can also be used to enliven coastal interiors. Use it to lead the eye around an otherwise crisp white backdrop, such as Resene Black White, in artwork, cushions and objects. Alternatively, you could opt for a grey white like Resene Sea Fog or Resene Merino to soften the look “Turquoise is a fun way to add punch to a black and white interior. For a real kick try Resene Yowza with Resene Charcoal and Resene Alabaster and use the vibrant teal to draw attention to a feature, like the doorframe.”
One of Kate’s favourite aqua combinations she recently used in her own home. “I’ve created a ‘winter room’ by painting all four walls in Resene Green Meets Blue, and it’s made the space feels encompassing and sophisticated, but I’ve thrown a fun curveball at it by adding a table in Resene Endeavor and cushions to match. This combination is actually a grey-green base with cyan features, but you could take it deeper into the greens by painting the walls Resene Fast Forward and using Resene She’ll Be Right as a feature colour.”
Aqua swims well with a whole range of pinks – go deep by pairing Resene She’ll Be Right with Resene Pink Ribbon or, for a softer take, combine Resene Freelance with Resene XOXO or Resene Shilo.
Try Resene Yowza with an inky navy, such as Resene Indian Ink or Resene Twilight Zone.
Add just a few surprising pops of aqua into an otherwise neutral room. Keep walls light and calming in Resene White Island or Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue and try painting a few small accessories in Resene Blue Lagoon or Resene Java and place them throughout your space.
May 31, 2019
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