The Forecast is for More Colour

Trends don’t develop in a vacuum, burning brightly for just one season before evaporating without a trace. They’re slowly progressing ideas, evolving incrementally until they become new yet similar variations of the same general theme.

Pink prevails

Whether you love it or hate it, pink has been, and continues to be, one of the most defining colours of the decade. In fact, there hasn’t been any other colour that has become quite as sensational or made as much of an impact on decorating trends. While one particular ‘millennial’ shade may have kicked off pink’s popularity, the hue has since transitioned into dustier territory, becoming more refined and ‘grown up’ in the process.

Softer, rosier shades and muted near-beige blushes are being favoured now, as are those with a ruddier feel to them. The good news is that, unlike millennial pink, these versions don’t carry the same ‘flavour of the month’ vibe – meaning schemes built with today’s pinks are likely to have a much longer shelf life and result in a look with more timeless appeal.

As a result of pink’s soaring popularity, reds, browns and beiges have all been affected, with each taking on more of a pinky hue. This could be attributed in part to the continued prevalence of the tone-on-tone trend, where these desert like shades often get combined and layered to create something of a sunset effect. To get the look, try combining Resene Just Dance, Resene Sunbaked, Resene Sorbet, Resene Soulful and Resene Despacito.

For an elemental, nature-inspired colour with a truly contemporary feel, terracotta simply can’t be beat. A shade that’s not quite pink and not quite brown but not exactly beige or red either, it’s a somewhat difficult hue to define. Since it’s generally considered to be the colour of natural clay pots, and because the colour of clay differs wildly from region to region, it’s only to be expected that the colour will mean different things to different people. 

For the most trendy terracottas, look to Resene Sunbaked, Resene Moccasin and Resene Raging Bull. Try them with on-trend dusty pinks like Resene Just Dance and Resene Shabby Chic for a tonal look, or mix your favourite with a celery white like Resene Carrara and add a pop of a vibrant cerulean blue such as Resene Wet N Wild. If a browner shade is what you’re after, try Resene Desperado, Resene Redwood or Resene Hairy Heath wit

The minimalist movement has encouraged many modern homemakers to live a more clutter-free and thoughtful life. With this, shades associated with minimalism – such as creams, beiges, and whites – are popular choices for anchoring interior colour palettes. Creamier shades of white, in particular, that feature more colourful undertones have become desirable for their inherent simplicity that can also be manipulated with different types of lighting. Resene Half Tea – a timeless cream that shifts dramatically richer and deeper as the sun sets – is a reining favourite for this reason. Try it with grey-beige neutrals like Resene Napa, deep purply browns like Resene Rebel or a steely blue like Resene Bismark. 

Resene Carrara, which gets its name from the famed Italian marble, is another great option if you’d like a more neutral white that still carries plenty of warmth. Try it with a golden beige like Resene Crowdpleaser, a muddy brown like Resene Route 66 and a deep gravel like Resene Porter.

While nature has long been a common inspiration for home décor, woodland tones like mushroom greys such as Resene Napa and fern-inspired shades such as Resene New Leaf are among the most popular hues. Floral and fauna motifs are wildly popular too, which has led today’s on-trend natural looks to split into two main sub-categories: those built with tonal palettes with natural textures layered on, and those with graphic patterns. 

To get the best of both worlds, start with a palette built from warm and neutral Resene colours, it’s easy to incorporate a bit of jungle flavour through tropical plants and something out of the menagerie to add interest but still keep the space from feeling completely untamed.

Just like pinks, greens too have gotten dustier – with sage, olive, jade and emerald being the current favoured variations, along with fresher mint, such as Resene Kandinsky.

Sage greens sit across from burgundy on the colour wheel. This distinction makes them complementary colours, which means the hues work well together thanks to their high contrast. As a timeless and classic colour, wine-inspired shades such as Resene Courage and Resene Salsa not only make them a great partner to on trend sage but also a useful tool for building a look that has longevity.

Sage greens as also equally suited for building tonal looks with silvery shades like Resene Helix and Resene Silver Chalice. Since tone-on-tone schemes are built on layering, the more you add, the more the whole scheme will hang together. The trick is to pick hues that complement with enough variation to keep things from becoming completely homogenous – and grey-greens like Resene Peace and Resene Secrets are particularly excellent to work with when you’re trying to create a restful space.

Dark and dramatic colours have captured the imaginations of courageous colour lovers seeking a refreshingly different look to bring into their homes. 

Moody navy blues in particular, such as Resene Indian Ink and Resene Wishing Well, are making some serious waves – especially when paired up with stormy greys like Resene Porter and Resene Suits. These shades are ideal for building up a deeply layered cocoon-worthy look – especially in a space where you would want to linger, such as a bedroom or lounge. They are also ideally suited to pops of on-trend gold, mustard and butterscotch such as Resene Influential, Resene Cleopatra and Resene Bi Hoki.

According to colour experts, no hue expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow. While mustard still remains a design staple, but we’ve begun to see more optimistic, buttery tones rising up the ranks. 

One of the hottest new colours, cheery ‘Gen Z yellow’, is starting to add a refreshing burst of brightness to our homes. With its lively sunshine hues, this shade is a ray of positivity in a world that is increasingly challenging.

It’s also true that yellow brings out the best in other colours. If you’re tired of a neutral scheme, what better way to relieve the boredom with a corn coloured feature wall, cushion, art, picture frame or throw? Try softer shades like Resene Thumbs Up and Resene Chorus line with duck egg blues, earthy greys or olive greens for an on-trend look. Or, stick with long reigning classic mustards like Resene Cleopatra or Resene Influential with sapphire blues, greyed whites or coffee browns.

When it comes to trends, don’t just choose a colour or wallpaper because it is trendy.  Make sure you love it too.  Always pick and choose the ones that suit your own tastes and lifestyle.  You don’t need to completely redo everything – like you would bring in a new jacket or scarf to freshen up your wardrobe, so too can you accent your home with new trends colours and wallpapers to give your home a fresh new look.