Seven pastel paint picks for sophisticated spaces

15 Jun 2021

Not since the 1980s have pastel hues been as popular as they are today. It can be one of the trickier colour categories for designers to navigate, though; and it’s a common worry that these sorts of hues can risk feeling kiddie over cosmopolitan.

But like life, colour is what you make of it; and with the right forms and combinations, carefully curated pastels can add an understated sophistication that can’t be achieved through darks or neutrals. Try one of these Resene palettes to ensure your pastels look undeniably adult.

Go authentic with Resene Spanish Green

Soft and mellow Resene Spanish Green, reminiscent of Spanish moss, is an easy pastel to fall in love with. It’s effortlessly chic and works fantastically as a backdrop to natural textures and materials like timber, wool and hand-thrown pottery. For an elevated and authentic earthy space, team it with Resene Thistle, Resene Hermitage and Resene Friar Greystone.

The colour also has the look of oxidised copper, which makes it a natural fit for blending with metallics. Try it with Resene Rose Gold or Resene Gold Dust metallic if your space needs a bit of sparkle.

Wall in Resene Spanish Green, tables in Resene Grey Olive and Resene Poured Milk, vase in Resene Double Pravda, bowl in Resene Waiouru and plate in Resene Charcoal.

Try Resene Tacao for an minimalist scheme

Some might worry that relying on a peachy tone like Resene Tacao could leave your space feeling too twee, but in a pared down setting, it can look extremely trend-forward. This mild and milky mango orange sorbet is a love match for a minimalist scheme and works a treat for softening harsh manmade materials like concrete. Try it on the walls and ceiling in a simplified space with a floor in Resene Cararra and a statement piece of furniture in a splashy blue like Resene Wet N Wild with accessories in pinky Resene Just Dance and chocolatey Resene Route 66.

Wall in Resene Tacao, tabletop in Resene Cararra, plate in Resene Wet N Wild and vases (from left to right) in Resene Just Dance, Resene Tacao and Resene Route 66.

Resene Ashanti might be your mid-mod match

Nebulous and misty, Resene Ashanti would look just as at home in a zen-like yoga studio as it would in a playful kid’s space. But one place where it can really shine is as a backdrop to bold mid-century modern tones like Resene Space Cadet, Resene Gorse, Resene Hot August and Resene Sakura. Try it with any or all of these hero tones in thoughtful and deliberate doses, but be sure to balance out the scheme with plenty of black and white such as Resene Nocturnal and Resene Half Sea Fog to add in that air of sophistication.

Background in Resene Ashanti with A4 drawdown paint samples in (from top to bottom) Resene Space Cadet, Resene Sakura and Resene Nocturnal and coat rack in Resene Gorse.

Use Resene Wax Flower to warm a strong earthy palette

Strong earth tones are all the rage – especially woody greens like Resene Woodland, ochre golds like Resene Gingko, bitter oranges like Resene Mai Tai and baked terracotta like Resene Apple Blossom. But you may not have anticipated just how balmy and refreshing these colours look together when supported by a base in a pretty pastel pink like Resene Wax Flower. For added levity, bring in a healthy dose of a warm white like Resene Quarter Tea on major furnishings and offset the stronger earth tones with accents in a softer pink like Resene Just Right and a thistle beige like Resene Yuma.

Background in Resene Wax Flower, shelf in Resene Quarter Tea, vase on top in Resene Just Right, bowl in Resene Yuma, A4 drawdown paint swatches (top to bottom) in Resene Woodland, Resene Gingko, Resene Mai Tai and Resene Apple Blossom. 

Get an ethereal look with Resene Umber White

If you’ve never met a ‘pastel white’, you’ve probably never experienced Resene Umber White in person. Its undertones are brilliantly complex and, once applied to a wall, ceiling or floor, it gives off a positively otherworldly vibe. The colour lends itself well to everything from dusty corals like Resene Cashmere, grey greens like Resene Pewter, sherbet yellows like Resene First Light to moody blues like Resene Dark Knight and bushy greens like Resene Olive Green. Try it with one, or try it with them all and mix in some supple blush velvet, gold metallics, glass and marble finishes for an unquestionably elegant look.

Background in Resene Umber White with objects in (from largest to smallest) Resene Pewter (oval tray), Resene Dark Knight (large vase), Resene Cashmere, Resene First Light and Resene Olive Green.

Go for a glow up with Resene Gimblet

Reserved and acquiescent yet friendly and cheerful, Resene Gimblet is an underrated colour if there ever was one. It’s unique ochre-meets-pastel tone instantly communicates how appropriate it for use in an adult-focused area, but even more so when it’s blended with ultra-contemporary forms and a fashion forward palette of red-based hues. Try it with a handful of tonal terracotta hues such as Resene Crail and Resene Ayers Rock, a wine red like Resene Vanquish, a pale apricot like Resene Roxy, a leathery tan like Resene Papier Mache and a showstopping red like Resene Guardsman Red in an upscale café, retail or commercial setting for a space that’s certain to be a hit with the ‘it’ crowd.

Background in Resene Gimblet, tray in Resene Bitter, lidded containers in Resene Roxy (left), Resene Guardsman Red (right) and Resene Vanquish (on tray) and vases in Resene Crail (far left and far right), Resene Ayers Rock (bottom) and Resene Papier Mache (on tray). 

Soothe a space with Resene Dusted Blue

Nothing soothes quite like a dusty blue – especially one that so accurately lives up to its name like Resene Dusted Blue. But in this palette, it’s the pop of vivid Resene Havoc red that clearly communicates that it’s far more suitable for a sophisticated space than, say, a nursery – where one might naturally expect to see similar ‘baby blues’. Rather than a true tonal palette, the supporting collection of Resene Hammerhead, Resene Half Gull Grey, Resene Waikawa Grey and Resene Solitude proves that violet-based denim, pewter grey blue, chalky grey blue and dreamy ice blue can all live together in perfect harmony. But for best results, add a touch of a true white like Resene Half Alabaster for good measure.

Background in Resene Dusted Blue with painted objects in (from largest to smallest) Resene Half Gull Grey (large bowl), Resene Hammerhead (large curvy vase), Resene Waikawa Grey (smaller vase), Resene Solitude (cup) and Resene Havoc (lidded vessel).

projects Gem Adams, Kate Alexander, Laura Lynn Johnston, Leigh Stockton

images Bryce Carleton, Melanie Jenkins

Published: 15 Jun 2021