Pattern mixing is one of those decorating skills that many are afraid to try themselves, but it’s far easier than you might expect. One foolproof idea is to stick to patterns within the same colour family, such as blue, so it will be immediately noticeable that all your patterns share something in common. Don’t overlook walls, furniture and flooring as places you can add more patterns using paint. To create this wall design we painted two different types of stripes on top of our base wall colour, Resene Alabaster. First, use high quality painter’s tape to mask off where you want your wider stripes to be and then paint them in two coats of Resene Frozen. Once dry, remove the tape and use Resene Quarter Frozen to hand paint your thinner top stripe on in two coats using a large paintbrush to give it softer, imperfect edges and a casual vibe that’s perfect for the bach or a relaxed living space.
To make your painted wall effect stand out even more, choose a Resene paint with a different sheen than your basecoat, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for the wall and Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss for the stripes.
Other colours to try with pale icy blue – deep coastal blues, ochre tinted creams and caffeinated browns.
Checkerboard designs are not only hugely popular, they’re also classic and versatile. The pattern can be spun to fit with just about any style from French country to retro to chic to funky. You can paint this design anywhere to inject a bit of fun into your space, even on something as small as a coaster, but a checkerboard floor is a choice that will keep looking classic long after the peak of this trend has passed. We created ours with Resene Walk-on flooring paint tinted to Resene Eighth Joss and Resene Doeskin to connect with our Resene Eighth Joss walls. Once your floor is finished, you may not want to stop! Create repetition within your space by painting vases, plant pots, lampshades and furniture in checkboard designs using different colour combinations like Resene Dusted Blue and Resene White Linen or Resene Tobacco Brown and Resene Tea at different scales for a bold, layered look.
Use high quality washi-style masking tape, available at Resene ColorShops, to give your checkerboard effect crisp lines.
Other colours to try with suede brown – violet blues, deep walnut browns and brick reds.
At the end of a long day, there is nothing like coming home to a cheerful bedroom – especially one that uniquely reflects what 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 upper and adjacent walls creates the effect of a headboard without overwhelming the space with too much yellow. The rest of the room 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 minimalist – yet very friendly – vibe.
To bring a nostalgic look to furniture, try Karen Walker Chalk Colour paints and waxes – available from Resene ColorShops.
Other colours to try with creamy yellow – cerulean blues, ultramarine blues and spicy orange browns.
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