Invite the sun in and relax with resort-style interiors

Although travel is once again in full swing and the lapping waters of foreign lands may be calling, why not consider a one-way trip to the tropics at home? Channel the resort interior trend with crisp bright whites and blues, palm-dotted wallpapers and leafy indoor plants. Embrace the beauty of a staycation year-round with hues like Resene Half Pearl Lusta and Resene Eighth Spanish White. Your personalised paradise that brings the resort-life to you is a just lick of paint away.

If you’re dreaming of a spa day in a luxurious resort or perhaps or a morning spent soaking up sun by a pool, you can recreate these experiences at home with a little design flair. Whether your home is city-central, suburban, or coastal, this is a versatile trend anyone can channel in any season.

Channelling the resort feel

A home should be a haven. Channelling the resort interior trend doesn’t have to break the bank. You can make some very simple swaps/additions. It also suits a range of styles, depending on the resort-vibe you want to channel. For example:

  • The classic beach resort: The key to a beachy resort feel is natural materials. Try materials like wood, bamboo, or teak when it comes to oversized furniture. Accessories that are light and minimal are great (think crisp white linens and floaty curtains) or you can add rattan pieces for a more rustic style. Natural hues like beige and white will go well with a rustic seaside look - try Resene White Pointer and Resene Half Truffle.
  • The modern and luxurious resort: Think sleek and clean ­­– add metallic accents and materials like leather. Keep it minimal and quality. Consider dark concrete grey flooring. Pops of colour should be kept to a minimum if you’re after a modern resort look. Stick to neutrals like Resene Rice Cake.
  • The exotic resort: If you’re a maximalist, this resort look is for you. Think bold patterned wallpapers, pops of pink velvet, indoor palms, emerald green and gold accents.

Set the tone

 

While it might not be quite the same as being pampered by professionals, creating the look of a luxury resort hotel room at home can still create the opportunity for self-care and a proper winddown. Wall in Resene Atomic with painted design in Resene Half Concrete, floor in Resene Half Concrete, bedside table in Resene Half Concrete, breakfast tray in Resene Atomic  and vase in Resene Gecko. Bedding from Ezibuy, lamp and cushion from Freedom. Project by Laura Lynn Johnston, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Set the resort-style mood in your home with colours that bring to mind soft breezes, sandy beaches and wide open doors. Colour has a huge impact on our moods, and you can shift your mindset in your home with a simple colour change up. Winter is a great time to play with colour at home, to shake up moods and experiment as we approach summer. Choose a colour scheme that helps put you in a holiday mindset.

For an ocean-chic, Pacific getaway feel, choose crisp and airy whites like Resene Half Pearl Lusta, Resene Eighth Spanish White, Resene Double Alabaster. Dive into deeper soothing hues like Resene Half Truffle, Resene Surrender or Resene Napa.

Or perhaps you’re after a Mediterranean resort-look. Opt for bright whites again, but pair them with blues and warm clay tones. Try clay hues like Resene Mai Tai, Resene Swiss Caramel or even deep and warm Resene Korma. Paired with a colour like Resene Black White, these hues are stunning.

After a classy and modern look? Elegant pewters like Resene Pewter and taupes like Resene Perfect Taupe are your go-to.

Keep things fresh and minimal

This calming colour palette is set off with minimalistic furnishings that blend seamlessly with the walls. Walls in Resene Half Joanna (bottom) and Resene Quarter Alabaster (top). Sideboard in Resene Half Truffle, lamp in Resene Mondo on the base and Resene Half Pravda on the shade, footstool in Resene Half Pravda, plant pot in Resene Quarter Alabaster and vase in Resene Pravda. Chair from French Country, cushion from Collect Living, rug from The Ivy House. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton

Resorts feel calm and soothing the minute you step into them because of the vibe and mood they create. They feel effortless, but in reality are carefully curated and well thought-out by designers. You can create the same feeling of calm in your home by keeping your décor fresh and minimal. Think about creating texture with natural fabrics like cottons and linens, and warm wood tones. Touches of bamboo in lighting or rattan/reclaimed wood in furniture can add an exotic feel and balance out any modern pieces in a room. A mixed material, mixed wood look is ideal in creating a beachy resort-feel.

To match your minimal interior, keep paints soothing and soft. Let your furniture and soft furnishings be the star. Try setting white or wood furniture against walls in a slightly warmer tone like Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Half Truffle or Resene Parchment.

Top tip: You can vary the whites you use in a room, but make sure they are all either warm or cool. For example, a bedroom with walls in Resene Thorndon Cream, trims in Resene Merino, a soft wheaten-coloured carpet, and lots of plumpy pillows in antique linen, and ivory coloured sheers on the windows will look inviting and luxurious.

Go bold with patterns and prints

 

Resene Wallpaper Collection M37904 stuns against white outdoor style furniture and a pop of orange, the ultimate resort-style colour combo. Try the ceiling and trims in Resene Black White for contrast.

If there’s a palm-dotted wallpaper you’ve been eyeing up in the Resene Wallpaper Collection, now is your time to pounce. Bring the resort-feel to your home with a playful pattern – it doesn’t necessarily have to be a literal reference and island-themed. Any green-toned wallpaper that evokes images of sipping cocktails by a pool will do the trick. Green in particular is a fantastic hue to include if you are diving into wallpaper, as the tone creates a feeling of abundance, and is associated with refreshment, peace, rest and security - all feelings a good resort stay should evoke!

If your colour palette is bright and neutral across the rest of a room, green will stun as a feature wall. Try Resene Wallpaper Collection 91101 on a feature wall, with opposite walls and trims in the crisp Resene Black White. If green isn’t the hue for you, consider Resene wallpapers with blue and green tones reminiscent of the sea, or earthy/sandy hues that feel grounded and beachy.

Create luxury

Extend your resort-feel outdoors. Make an outdoor bathroom space a destination. Wall painted in Resene Green Meets Blue, striped shower wall in Resene Nepal and Resene Sea Fog, breezeblocks in Resene Sea Fog, shower stand and shelf in Resene Pitch Black wood stain, mirror in Resene Breeze, soap dispenser and rack in Resene Nepal. Showerhead from Cintessi. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton.

Creating a sense of luxury in your home like that of a fancy resort doesn’t have to be expensive. There are certain colours and design tricks that can help with this. For example, you could bring your lighting up-to-date with a new light fixture, be it a pendant light above your dining table or lamps in the living room. It’s an inexpensive way to add a chic and luxurious touch to a room. Perhaps you could install a new mirror in a bathroom or even invest in a fluffy new rug for your feet to land in when you get out of bed. Like a resort-stay, it’s the little things that create a feeling or luxury.

Embrace colours that create a feeling of luxury, too. Painting a room is one of the easiest ways to transform your space and create a look that looks more expensive than it is. Natural hues like Resene Bianca, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Concrete and Resene Tana are your best friend. Or go for deeper hues that sing with opulence and elegance like Resene Blue Night or Resene Indian Ink.

Embrace light

Resene Wallpaper Collection M37801 is sitting pretty in a living room with palm leaves dotting the walls. Paint the ceiling and trims in Resene Bianca for contrast.

Resorts always seem to have the perfect lighting, be it spaces drenched in natural light with windows and doors wide-open, or a relaxing tone set with mood lighting. A well-lit space isn't just more inviting, it can actually improve your overall well-being by boosting your mood and lowering your stress levels. There are plenty of tricks and tips you can use to get resort-style approved light levels.

One of the best ways to bring more light into a room is with a high-gloss paint colour on your ceiling using Resene Enamacryl. A glossy ceiling finish will help reflect light downward and add an unexpected element to the room. You can also add glossy with furniture and bring in more light with mirrors. On walls, however, a glossy finish can create glare rather than reflect light equally. On the other hand, matte, flat or low sheen surfaces, such as Resene SpaceCote, diffuse the light for a softer effect.

Don’t forget your flooring! When a space is in need of additional light, it's best to choose light coloured flooring to brighten up the room. Try painting your floor in shades like Resene Sea FogResene Quarter Tea or Resene Secrets. Light timber stains are also perfect for high-traffic areas since they're better at masking scratches. Try Resene Colorwood Whitewash, Resene Colorwood Light Greywash or Resene Colorwood Rock Salt timber stain for a light look that still lets the grain of the wood show through.

A tropical resort getaway is the ultimate way unwind, and recharge. Feeling like you need a touch of tropical living at home? Your local Resene ColorShop staff can help you choose the right colours and finishes so you can enjoy a holiday vibe year round.

Published: 01 Sep 2022

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].

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Resene Half Pearl Lusta

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Resene Eighth Spanish White

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Resene White Pointer

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Resene Half Truffle

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Resene Half Concrete

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Resene Double Alabaster

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Resene Swiss Caramel

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Resene Black White

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Resene Perfect Taupe

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Resene Half Joanna

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Resene Quarter Alabaster

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Resene Half Pravda

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Resene Quarter Tea

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Resene Thorndon Cream

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Resene Green Meets Blue

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Resene Pitch Black

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