From Habitat magazine - issue 33, bright ideas
Sharing space can be hard for many of us, but these clever paint ideas will make it easier to keep the peace.
Draw the line, stake out your territory
When you find yourself in close quarters, even when it's with people you love, sharing a space like an office, bedroom or playroom is not without its challenges. If space is particularly tight, you could even find yourself having to share a desk space with a partner, sibling or room-mate. To keep your study buddy's stuff from spilling over to your side, you may need to literally 'draw the line' to stake out your territory. Use your favourite Resene hues to decorate your area. Relying on design principles like symmetry and repetition of shapes or motifs will help keep things cohesive while still allowing each of you to express yourself.
Top photo: Left wall in Resene Raptor, right wall in Resene Leather with triangle in Resene Rolling Stone, pegboard triangle in Resene Emerge, floor in Resene Neutral Bay with circle in Resene Blast Grey metallic paint (left) and Resene Castle Rock with circle in Resene Half Washed Green (right), table in Resene Alabaster (left) and Resene Jaguar (right), stool tops in Resene Rolling Stone (left) and Resene Emerge (right), shelves in Resene Jaguar (left) and Resene Alabaster (right), magazine file in Resene Rolling Stone, organiser in Resene Armadillo, ball ornament and vase in Resene Alabaster and books in Resene Nocturnal (top) and Resene Paris White (bottom). Stools from Kmart.
One child is crazy for dinosaurs, the other is obsessed with butterflies. When decorating a kids' bedroom or play space, there is no need to play favourites if you use a cohesive colour palette to tie together two or more seemingly conflicting ideas. Shades of dusty pink and silvery sage blend beautifully on walls. Use fun stencils so you can make sure both kids' interests are enjoyed in a shared space.
Use your stencil to trace shapes on to paintable wallpaper from the Resene Wallpaper Collection, available at your local Resene ColorShop. Paint them with Resene testpots, cut them out and tack them up to take your wall mural from two to three dimensions.
When using a block of colour to create a 'zoned' area within a larger open plan space, there's no reason why it can't eschew traditional boundaries.
Make a stylish statement by bringing your colour block around a corner, on to your floor, over architectural details like architraves or panelling, on to a piece of furniture – or even a combination of all four.
Starting with a base of Resene Ravine on the walls and floor of this living room, this sitting area has been defined with a block of Resene Pumice which both crosses over a corner and pours over onto the floor. Combined with the strong vertical lines of the artwork framed in Resene Duck Egg Blue, the cabinets in Resene Blue Smoke and the coffee tables in Resene Pewter and Resene Harp, it helps to make the room feel taller and more spacious. Vases, bowls and smaller accessories in Resene Yucca, Resene Pewter, Resene Haven, Resene Pumice, Resene Armadillo and Resene Eagle. Sofa and chair from Freedom Furniture, cushions from Città , Shut the Front Door and Allium Interiors, throw from Allium Interiors, downloadable art from Etsy.
Even something as simple as a painted circle can be all it takes to define and bring character to a corner where you can curl up with a book within the context of a larger shared room.
To get the look, you'll need a small nail or tack, a length of string (that doesn't have any stretch to it) and a pencil. Figure out where you want the centre of your circle to be and hammer the nail gently into the wall there. Then, cut a length of string slightly longer than the radius of the circle you'd like to paint. Tie one end of the string to the nail and the other to the pencil, then keep the string taut and the pencil perpendicular to the wall to draw your circle. Remove the nail, patch the hole and sand it smooth. Work slowly and use a high-quality brush to paint a nice clean edge along the inside of your circle, then fill in the rest using a small smooth surface paint roller.
In this reading corner, inspired by classic film noir, layered tones of grey create a sophisticated desaturated look that's as much a live-in piece of art as it is easy on the eyes.
Paint Resene FX Magnetic Magic beneath your coloured Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen topcoats and your wall will work both as a chalkboard and a noticeboard capable of holding strong magnets.
With more people working remotely than ever before, it's a smart idea to eke out a corner or nook where you can set up your own home office. Unless you're lucky enough to have a room to spare, chances are you're going to have to get creative.
If the area you'll be taking over is in a multi-purpose room where it wouldn't make sense to erect new walls, separate it visually from the rest of the space with a block of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to a darker colour than the rest of your walls. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen works just like a chalkboard – simply wipe it clean with a damp cloth whenever you want a clean slate.
styling: Greer Clayton, Laura Lynn Johnston, Vanessa Nouwens
images: Bryce Carleton, Wendy Fenwic
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Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.
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If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit habitat, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.
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