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The shades of the seaside will help soothe you into a good night’s sleep. This bedroom’s wall is painted in Resene Alabaster with thick hand-painted stripes in Resene Frozen and narrow hand-painted stripes in Resene Quarter Frozen. The flooring is stained in Resene Colorwood Natural and the side table is Resene Kashmir Blue. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Give your walls the earthy look of building materials such as limestone, mudbrick or adobe, by combining Resene Wild West with Resene FX Paint Effects medium mixed with Resene Sante Fe. Floor in Resene Bianca and side tables in Resene Alabaster and Resene Blank Canvas.
While bright colours can energise, dark colours such as grey or blue can help us unwind. When paired with jewel tones they create a sumptuous, luxurious retreat. This bedroom’s walls are painted in Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, the floor is in Resene Eighth Bokara Grey and the cane headboard and side table are Resene Virtuoso. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Melanie Jenkins
Paring back your colour palette to just tonal layers of one colour like this deep chocolate brown makes for a very inviting retreat. The walls are painted in Resene Monkey with the floor in Resene Space Shuttle. The dresser is Resene Kabul, the bedside lamp is Resene Americano and the side table is Resene Kilimanjaro. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Headboards are a way to introduce colour, texture and style into a bedroom. An asymmetric curved headboard can evoke Art Deco or even Bauhaus style. This bedroom’s walls are painted in Resene Triple Merino and the floor is Resene Merino. The headboard is painted in, from left, Resene Tide, Resene Tussock, Resene Nepal, Resene Americano and Resene Smooth Operator. The bedside tables are Resene Nepal (large) and Resene Tide (small).
Personal space: five bedroom styles that beckon
Bedrooms are personal sanctuaries where we want to relax and retreat. They’re also a place where you can experiment to create an interior style that really reflects your personality.
Because they’re typically private spaces, your design choices can be entirely different from any other room in the house. They are generally the space where you don’t need to consider anybody else’s opinion on what’s “tasteful” or “on-trend”. You just have to think about what makes you feel comfortable, relaxed and ready for rest.
Theming your bedroom can be a fun way to pull together a cohesive, stylish interior design that you really love. Theming your bedroom as a grown-up doesn’t need to mean lining the walls with your favourite superhero or dinosaur wallpaper, although by all means go for it if that’s your cup of tea. Themes can simply focus on particular colours, a mood you want to inspire or maybe a happy holiday memory you want to recreate.
In celebration of the release of our new bedroom design booklet habitat plus – bedrooms, here are some ideas to get you started:
Soothing seaside blues
The shades of the seaside will help soothe you into a good night’s sleep. This bedroom’s wall is painted in Resene Alabaster with thick hand-painted stripes in Resene Frozen and narrow hand-painted stripes in Resene Quarter Frozen. The flooring is stained in Resene Colorwood Natural and the side table is Resene Kashmir Blue. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
The sound of the waves lapping on the shore must be one of the most pleasant and relaxing sounds to fall asleep to. If you can’t move your bedroom to the coast, you can create a soothing beachy feeling in your bedroom with relaxed lines, sand-toned wood finishes and lots of breezy blues.
Blues are a natural colour choice for bedrooms because they’re inherently soothing. Soft grey blues like Resene Duck Egg Blue are fresh and calming, while deeper, stormier oceanic blues like Resene Navigate are cosier and comforting.
Blues are also versatile. Pair them with other natural beachy shades like aqua Resene Scandal or sandy Resene Merino or go more nautical with bold notes of red Resene Pohutukawa and subtly beige-toned Resene Ecru White.
To complete the beachy look go for weathered timber finishes stained with Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Natural and embrace the casual relaxation of a bach holiday.
Earthy naturals
Give your walls the earthy look of building materials such as limestone, mudbrick or adobe, by combining Resene Wild West with Resene FX Paint Effects medium mixed with Resene Sante Fe. Floor in Resene Bianca and side tables in Resene Alabaster and Resene Blank Canvas.
The colours of nature have always been popular in bedrooms because they’re inherently relaxing and often allow us to play with quite a tonally neutral colour scheme.
Our tastes are evolving though, with bolder, sunbaked shades like Resene Sante Fe or Resene Ayers Rock finding their way into our resting spaces. Think clay, umber, stone, tan and terracotta, which all offer a sense of solidity and being connected to the earth.
With notes of turmeric yellow and copper-toned orange, colours like Resene Pirate Gold or Resene Moroccan Spice are uplifting and bring to mind the colours of the sunset; perfect for preparing for bed.
These mid-neutral tones are really flexible and work particularly well when used with Resene FX Paint Effects medium to create the illusion of natural texture seen in hand-built mudbrick or adobe buildings, as well as colour.
Finish the look with sculptural branches or plants and lots of natural fibres such as cotton, linen and bamboo.
For more classically neutral natural tones try warm beige or taupe colours such as Resene Half Napa, Resene Desert Sand or the always popular Resene Tea.
Luxurious retreat
While bright colours can energise, dark colours such as grey or blue can help us unwind. When paired with jewel tones they create a sumptuous, luxurious retreat. This bedroom’s walls are painted in Resene Quarter Bokara Grey, the floor is in Resene Eighth Bokara Grey and the cane headboard and side table are Resene Virtuoso. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Melanie Jenkins
Surrounding yourself in luxury should be the standard for any bedroom - and it needn’t mean you have to spend a lot.
Luxury bedrooms don’t need to be about the finest furniture or fittings, the luxury comes from choosing the colours you love and layering the space with things you love.
Opting for darker paint colours on your walls, and even the floor or ceiling, is a fast, simple and comparatively inexpensive way of creating an immediate sense of luxury. Choose a matte finish such as Resene SpaceCote Flat and dark walls take on an almost suede-like finish which feels cocoon-like and inviting. Pair the matte finish with Resene FX Metallics for sophisticated contrast.
Add some contrast to your dark colour to give it a lift and some visual interest so it doesn’t feel too dense or overwhelming. Brighter jewel tones like Resene Gecko or Resene Sapphire contrast well with deep greys and blues like Resene Nocturnal or Resene Aviator. For a fresher contrast add light notes of a neutral such as Resene Merino or a pastel like Resene French Lilac.
Lighting is another important feature of creating a sense of luxury at home. Try softer, yellow-toned bulbs and have a mix of light sources from overhead to lamps so you can adjust the lighting to suit your mood.
Tone on tone
Paring back your colour palette to just tonal layers of one colour like this deep chocolate brown makes for a very inviting retreat. The walls are painted in Resene Monkey with the floor in Resene Space Shuttle. The dresser is Resene Kabul, the bedside lamp is Resene Americano and the side table is Resene Kilimanjaro. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.
Dark chocolate browns and warm, rich caramels used in tonal layers create a decadent bedroom retreat. It’s a new spin on the classic interior design technique of layering similar shades of one colour to create a space that is simple yet sophisticated.
Going for a dark shade creates a moodier retreat space, particularly when compounded by layers of luxurious textures like velvet, wool or silk.
If going dark is not for you or suited to your bedroom (maybe you already have a dark bedroom you’d like to make lighter), you can still achieve this simple, sophisticated look by opting for fresher colours. Try layers of grey-greens, such as Resene Ravine, Resene Pewter and Resene Silver Chalice. For a neutral palette, simplify even more by opting for one shade in different intensities, such as Resene Half Sea Fog, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Double Sea Fog and Resene Triple Sea Fog. Different intensities will bring out different characteristics of the colour, creating a nuanced but still neutral finished room.
Whether you are going all in on a dark colour like chocolate brown, or sticking to versatile neutrals in your tonal layers, always add one highlight contrasting colour in small amounts to pull the room into focus and help prevent it all visually merging into one.
For example, warm cream Resene Spanish White will freshen up dark greens and browns, while a warm hit of sage green Resene Norway or burnt orange Resene Tuscany will make neutrals sing.
Colour play
Headboards are a way to introduce colour, texture and style into a bedroom. An asymmetric curved headboard can evoke Art Deco or even Bauhaus style. This bedroom’s walls are painted in Resene Triple Merino and the floor is Resene Merino. The headboard is painted in, from left, Resene Tide, Resene Tussock, Resene Nepal, Resene Americano and Resene Smooth Operator. The bedside tables are Resene Nepal (large) and Resene Tide (small).
One very simple way of adding personality and flair to your bedroom is to add different coloured features and furniture.
Start with a neutral wall colour, then let your imagination run wild with ideas on how to add colour in other ways. It’s a particularly handy approach if you’re in a rental property or don’t want the effort and expense of a full room renovation.
One quick way to amp up your bedroom style is with a painted headboard. And there’s no need for it to be a strictly rectangular shape that’s the width of your bed.
Arches or other geometric shapes cut from MDF or ply add instant drama, particularly when painted in unexpected colour combinations. Try different pieces in a colour gradient using chic charcoal greys like Resene Double Stack, Resene Tuna, Resene Nocturnal and Resene Bokara Grey.
Take colour inspiration from your bedlinen and curtains as well the walls. You don’t have to stick to matching colours, think about what will complement and contrast for a more unexpected finish.
Other ways to add unexpected colour pops to your bedroom are painted wall shelves or bookcases. Try painting light fittings, picture frames or even creating your own artwork either on canvas or directly on to the wall. Resene testpots are particularly useful for smaller projects to transform your room with colour when you don’t need a lot of paint.
For more bedroom design ideas, pick up a copy of habitat plus – bedrooms from your local Resene ColorShop or read it online at www.resene.com/habitatplus.
Published: 08 Sep 2022
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Resene Quarter Frozen
Resene Quarter Frozen
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Half Pohutukawa
Resene Half Pohutukawa
Resene Moroccan Spice
Resene Moroccan Spice
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
Resene Space Shuttle
Resene Space Shuttle
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Silver Chalice
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Double Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Spanish Green
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Triple Merino
Resene Smooth Operator
Resene Smooth Operator
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Resene Duck Egg Blue
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Resene Half Pohutukawa
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Resene Quarter Bokara Grey
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Resene Triple Merino
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Resene Smooth Operator
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
