Turning back time

From habitat plus - decorating and colour trends 2023

Colours, textures and materials that reflect a collective sense of nostalgia are a significant current design trend, and it’s understandable why.

Given the amount of time most of us have spent inside lately, the popularity of pastoral looks – which embrace the essence of homeliness and a wistfulness for the ‘good old days’ – are an attempt to ground ourselves during uncertain times. Decorating with natural tones, artisanal objects and tactile textures reflects our desire to protect and preserve what is becoming increasingly important to us: the environment we live in. Stonewashed linens, plaid and gingham patterns, dried florals, handmade pottery, solid timber furniture and vintage antiques are all part of the look, but today’s preference for minimalism puts them to use in more pared back ways. Sun-bleached pastels, mauves, greys, beiges, browns and terracotta tones are natural fits for pastoral looks, but their mismatched nature also lends an opportunity to use quirky colours to customise your space.

While an authentic vintage patina can be quite desirable on older items, there are also many Resene products that you can use to restore an item that’s looking a little too worse for wear or to lend a weathered vibe to a newer piece. Resene Colorwood Natural timber stain is a beautiful hue for bringing golden warmth to wooden furniture or flooring while Resene Colorwood Whitewash and Resene Colorwood Greywash can be used to create a weathered look. Chalk finishes and waxes such as Karen Walker Chalk Colour and Karen Walker Vintage Wax can be used to add colour with a velvety matte finish or be rubbed over a colour coat to impart a rustic one. And non-contact surfaces such as light fixtures or decorative accents in materials like plastic, timber, concrete and metal can be given the look of years of rust in mere hours with Resene FX Faux Rust Effect.

top tip  Use Resene FX Paint Effects Medium to give newer walls an aged look. Choose two similar Resene paint colours – one that’s lighter and one that’s a couple of steps darker – that are similar to the material you want to mimic. Try Resene Triple Concrete and Resene Half Concrete for a concrete effect or Resene Double Blanc and Resene Quarter Blanc to evoke aged plaster.

Precious memories

At the end of a long day, there is nothing like coming home to a bedroom look that’s rooted in beloved memories and the things you love most. This pastel paint palette was inspired by a favourite throw, one that always brings comfort when it’s wrapped around the shoulders. By taking Resene Half Halcyon, Resene Moonbeam and Resene Moby to the walls and Resene Scotch Mist to the floor, that same sense of cosiness and nostalgia envelops the entire space. Resene Moonbeam has been painted only partway up the main wall, which not only echoes the squares on the throw, but the contrast between the Resene upper and adjacent walls creates the effect of a headboard without overwhelming the space with too much yellow. The rest of the space has been kept simple and understated, with only a patterned rug and a few woven cane furnishings breaking from the white, yellow and blue colour palette, lending the space a simplistic yet sunny vibe.

Home sweet home

Born of a desire to return to a slower way of living, pastoral movements like ‘cottagecore’ revel in the romance of rural life and celebrate a return to traditional skills and crafts such as foraging, baking and pottery. Creamy whites, pastels and natural tones like Resene Eighth Joss, Resene Norway and Resene Woodrush are particularly prominent in a cottagecore look and warm, organic textures are welcome additions. Understated bedlinen, freshly-picked or dried flowers in a mason jar, rustic antique jugs or a perfectly imperfect hand-thrown vase set the stage while candlesticks provide instant ambience. An eclectic mix of tones can create a rich and complex look rather than one that’s overly matchy. The key is not to strive for perfection, as a more laid-back approach will make you feel more at ease and increase the desire to linger longer under the covers.

Furniture revival

Before purchasing new items, think about all the vintage furniture and decor in secondhand shops, auction houses and online selling sites. With a bit of creative flair and a lick of paint you can adapt your second-hand finds into something unique to you and your space.

Bring older items back to life with Resene paints or wood stains. Try Resene Enamacryl on reclaimed or upcycled furniture to get a durable, gloss finish or try Karen Walker Chalk Colour for a weathered matte finish. Look to stains like Resene Colorwood Natural or wash finishes like Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash to enhance timber or create an aged look.

top tip  Combine multiple second-hand finds like tea-towels or vintage flour sacks to reupholster old chair seats or make cottagecore cushion covers.

Hard-working looks

Industrial interiors are often associated with lofty apartments and gentrified factory buildings that have been repurposed and converted into urban dwellings, especially those that feature exposed brick or metal beams, pipes or ducts. However, you can take elements of this trendy interior style and make them work in nearly any type of home. From upscale Scandi homes to casual farmhouses, industrial elements can be mixed with many different decorative styles. Leaving unfinished, raw and exposed elements is key for getting the ‘factory’ vibe that’s synonymous with industrial style, so it’s important to show the ‘bones’ and interesting architectural features of your space where possible. The colours you choose to decorate your industrial design are an important part of getting the right effect, too. Grey, brown, silver and black are prevalent in industrial colour schemes. Primary or vintage reds and yellows – especially yellow ochres and red oxides – such as Resene Fuel Yellow, Resene Hot Toddy, Resene Fahrenheit or Resene Mocha and forest or army greens such as Resene Half Forest Green or Resene Go Ben play their part in the look, too – especially if you want to bring attention to a key focal piece or create a point of difference for added interest.

top tip  Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel is not only a popular choice for colouring walls, but it also works just like a chalkboard and can be tinted to a huge range of colours. Use a darker colour, such as Resene Cinder, to create your own chalkboard feature in any shape or size directly on your wall or on a separate board or panel. Simply wipe it clean with a damp cloth whenever you want to start fresh. Or try Resene FX Blackboard Paint or Resene FX Chalkboard Paint, which are washable waterborne finishes for interior and exterior smooth wallboards and panels where a hard-wearing blackboard coating is required.

Groovy grout

The colours and textures of the 1970s continue to captivate our imaginations. The design of the time was fun yet sophisticated – an energy which is resonating with those pining for a simpler existence. Though the decade had its fair share of questionable design choices like plastic-covered furniture and shag carpets, today's looks are more restrained and curated, cherry-picking the highlights. Warm raw materials like wood, exposed concrete and stone paired with bold geometric patterns and low slung soft furniture are having a major resurgence, as are earth tones, golds and rusty orange hues like Resene China Ivory, Resene Teak, Resene Cape Palliser, Resene Tulip Tree and Resene Porsche. These colours are calming and help us feel grounded, desirable for creating a relaxing living environment that has an immediate comfortable feel. And there is nothing that communicates how relaxed and free-spirited your 70s-inspired space is quite like a perfectly imperfect handpainted flagstone floor.

Laid back retreats

Whether you call it a bach, cabin, cottage, lodge or chalet, recreating the appeal of a remote lakeside getaway in your everyday home can evoke the same relaxation as a holiday home getaway. A cosy cabin look is an appealing decorating idea if you’re after a look that's casual, nostalgic and welcoming. This style is all about creating a sense of warmth and retreat while referencing the wild landscape that often lies beyond the doors. On the peak of a snowy mountain or tucked in a pine forest overlooking a lake, cabin décor typically pays tribute to nature while also creating a reprieve from it – making a nature-inspired wallpaper like Resene Wallpaper Collection 2109- 155-01 an ideal choice for bringing the serenity that’s outside indoors. Pair it with adjacent walls in Resene Bison Hide and simple timber furniture stained in Resene Colorwood Natural. If cabins are all about paying homage to nature, then green is the ultimate cabin accent colour. Forest and jade greens like Resene Forest Green and Resene Log Cabin are ideal additions to primarily neutral spaces that need restrained hints of colour to enliven their look.

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