In this warm and inviting contemporary living room, Resene Duck Egg Blue walls and Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue flooring introduces subtle and appealing colour to a space decorated primarily with other pale blues and neutrals. It’s the sort of look that’s just as ideal for a beachside bach as it is for your everyday home. The choice to paint the woven pendant lamp Resene Raindance and the raised planter in Resene Quarter Tea also helps to soften them. To add to the tropical feel, the wide, flat vase found in an op shop is painted in Resene Quarter Tea with a palm tree design applied using a stencil and Resene Raindance. The coffee table and mirror are painted in slightly more saturated Resene Rewind and Resene Raindance respectively to add some subtle tonal contrast while the jug vase in Resene Raindance, the bowls in Resene Raindance, the tealight holder in Resene Slipstream, the tray in Resene Quarter Tea and the hook rack in Resene Truffle have been colour matched to the soft furnishings.Sofa from Contempa, rug, Atlantis Deco Object, Edie Scale white mug, coasters and tealight votive from Freedom, artwork from Etsy/sageseaprints, pale aqua cushion from Allium, round cushion and bamboo pot stand from Kmart, linen throw and linen cushion from Adairs. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton

Bright and breezy, this bedroom is enveloped in a fresh palette of Resene blues, including Resene Quarter Emerge on the walls, Resene Fast Forward on the nightstand, Resene Mystery on the large vase, Resene Indian Ink on the small vase and Resene Raindance on the lamp base. Each shade plays off a different coloured cushion, making for a cohesive looking space. The floor is painted using Resene Walk-on in Resene Quarter Concrete.

Duvet and Hampton linen cushion from EziBuy, Euro pillowcases and throw from Allium. artwork from Etsy/urbanepiphanyprints, vintage washed linen cushion from Adairs, Rogue Lambs Ear Spray from Freedom. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.

An intimate corner with an elegant bar cart and a cosy, layered blue setting makes for the perfect sophisticated spot. The walls in this graceful nook are painted in the mid-toned hue of Resene Seachange, a soft Scandinavian blue with a touch of slate grey. In this room,Resene Seachange is paired with another lighter mid-blue, Resene Awash, on the curved wall feature, and a smoky grey blue with a slight purple edge, Resene Rhino, on the table and pot plant. An even lighter blue with notes of lilac and grey, Resene Breathless, features on the floor to complete the elegant tonal look. Walls in Resene Seachange, arch in Resene Awash, floor in Resene Breathless, shelves in Resene Awash, Table in Resene Rhino, pot in Resene Rhino with stripe in Resene Breathless and triangle motif in Resene Awash, small vase (on shelf, with bar tools) in Resene Breathless. Chairs from Freedom Furniture, bar cart from Wooden Horse, rug from Grounded Homeware, brass scoop from Good Thing, artwork from Rachel Mataira, brass tray (on table) and brass plant pot (on shelf) from H&M Home, plant from Mood Store. Project by Melle van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.

This child’s bedroom uses layering of blue tones to create a fun, fantasy world. The walls and ceiling are Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel tinted to the aptly named Resene Quarter Frozen. For the deep Antarctic waters, the floor is painted in two coats of Resene Walk-On flooring and paving paint tinted to Resene Spinnaker. By tinting this same hue into Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, the ‘water’ runs 75cm up the bottom of the wall to create an enveloping effect. Once the ‘water’ had dried, the main feature of the room, the iceberg painted headboard design was painted in Resene Sea Fog, Resene Frozen and Resene Blue Moon. Using Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel, a durable formula that’s ideal for furniture, the dresser is painted in Resene Spinnaker and Resene Quarter Frozen. The bedside table is painted in Resene Frozen and a stool and a floating shelf carries that key colour from the iceberg off the wall and into the room. To infuse some energy, the pendant lamp, vase and pencil cup are painted in Resene Bright Spark to play off the golden yellow tones in the cushion and throw. Small accessories like plant pots and storage boxes are painted in Resene testpots in Resene Matisse, Resene Bullitt and Resene Frozen. Duvet, blanket and navy pillowcases from Citta, puppet from Toyco, throw from Freedom, Resene Living cushion from Briscoes, canvas shoes from Kmart.

Project by Laura Lynn Johnston, image by Bryce Carleton.

In this tonal version of a cocooning living space, the walls and coffee tables are painted n Resene Midnight Express with painted vases and plant pots layered into the roomin deeper Resene True Blue and Resene Kashmir Blue as well as cooler Resene Smokescreen and Resene Breathless with a few touches of warm white in Resene Bianca and black in Resene Nero. The addition of five accent hues may sound like a lot, but it’s helpful in representing the full chromatic transition from very light through to very dark and visually softening the gap between them. Velvet sofa, rug and blue cushionfrom Nood, striped circle cushions from Freedom, coffee tables, console table and artwork from Kmart, gold dish and tray from H&M Home. Project by Laura Lynn Johnston, image by Bryce Carleton.