The top colour trends that are going to be a big deal in 2023

13 Dec 2022

If there is one thing a fresh calendar signifies, it’s a chance to shake things up. Despite the monumental societal and culture changes that the past few years have brought, colour trends have undergone less drastic shifts than they generally do. Our desire to hang on to hues longer could be attributed to a desire to create some sense of stability during a tumultuous time. But now that more of the world has opened up and people have begun to travel and explore again, some dramatic and exciting new colour trends are emerging. As we look for a fresh start and to put a few especially challenging years behind us, these are the top Resene paint colours we’re about to see a lot more of in 2023.

The return of red

Walls painted in Resene Lonestar and statue in Resene Aubergine.

While there’s no doubt that pink and terracotta tones have been among the trendiest colours of the past decade, it has been a number of years since true reds have been hot hues in the decorating world. Bold, fiery and passionate, red is a fitting colour for our times and is destined to become a big deal in the year ahead – especially for clients looking to reenergise their spaces with a strong mood.

A clean, classic red like Resene Roadster on a piece of statement furniture is always a great idea for bringing a bold punch to an understated or otherwise minimalist space. But it’s rich carmine reds like Resene Incarnadine and Resene Lonestar that are primed to be top choices among restauranteurs, retail and residential clients that are after warmth, drama and being on the cutting edge of trends. Try these pinot-inspired hues with dusty pinks, sea blues or creamy whites such as Resene Inspire, Resene Ocean Waves or Resene Meringue.

Background painted in Resene Incarnadine with painted objects in (clockwise from top) Resene Amaranth, Resene Ocean Waves, Resene Heliotrope, Resene Meringue and Resene Black Sand.

Purple reign

Wall painted in Resene Athena, tabletop in Resene Black Doris, candlestick in Resene Creme De La Creme, large vase in Resene Tenor and small vase and plate in Resene See The Light.

Although it occasionally makes an appearance on the runway, it has been decades since purple has been considered a major interior colour trend – and that’s about to change. Over the past year, pastel purples like lilac and lavender have become the optimistic symbol of futurism and the digital age and have been heavily apparent in fashion and graphic design. But in the coming months, we’ll likely see more purple used in retail, restaurants, offices and homes. Pale periwinkle purples like Resene Heliotrope are perfect for adding an ethereal accent to exposed pipework while deeper aubergines, plums and mauves like Resene Half Aubergine, Resene Black Doris and Resene Tenor will become more prominent on walls, furniture and accessories. Mellow golden yellows like Resene Illuminate and Resene See The Light make great counterpoints to purples, as do creamy whites and peach pinks like Resene Creme De La Creme and Resene Soul Searcher.

Background painted in Resene Heliotrope, lidded dish in Resene Soul Searcher and vases in (from left to right) Resene Tenor, Resene Rice Cake, Resene Illuminate and Resene Black Doris.

Green goes acidic

Upper walls painted in Resene Martini, lower walls in Resene Camouflage and floor stained in Resene Colorwood Dark Ebony. Sofa and side table from Matisse, chair and daybed from King Living, floor lamp from Citta, table lamp and coffee table from ECC, artwork from The Poi Room.

There isn’t another colour family that has been more dominant in the decorating world over the past two years than green. Earthy, natural greens offered us a great deal of grounding, comfort and stability as we looked for ways to connect with one another and our surroundings during the most difficult years of the pandemic. Although greens won’t be going away in 2023, we’re about to see them undergo significant shifts in tone. More acidic hues like chartreuse such as Resene Funk and Resene Lemon Ginger have already been making a splash in the fashion world, but these colours are about to become more prominent in interiors.

Try deeper acidic greens like Resene Camouflage with pinky mauves like Resene Martini, deep charcoal greys like Resene Night Magic and greyed timber stained in tones like Resene Colorwood Dark Ebony, Resene Colorwood Crowshead or Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash. For brighter, punchier chartreuse greens like Resene Canary, opt for lighter colours to complement its warmth and cheerfulness like Resene Rice Paper and Resene Half Reservoir with a touch of more verdant greens like Resene Groovy and Resene Timber Green on smaller accessories.

Left wall painted in Resene Canary, centre wall and floor in Resene Rice Paper, right wall and middle vase in Resene Half Reservoir, shell vase in Resene Groovy and small jug vase (on floor) in Resene Timber Green. Chair from Good Form, pink vase from Citta.

The arrival of aqua

Left wall painted in Resene St Kilda, right wall in Resene Zumthor and floor in Resene Colorwood Dark Ebony. Chair and lamp from Matisse, sideboard from Danske Mobler, artwork from Slow Store, mirror from Made of Tomorrow.

Later in 2023, we will begin to see strong pops of aqua, turquoise and peacock blues emerging. Although colours like Resene Plan B, Resene Boost, Resene St Kilda and Resene Time Traveller may feel too intense to be used uniformly throughout all the walls in many spaces, they make fantastic accent colours for highlighting architectural features, on statement walls and key pieces of furniture. For a chic modern look, balance the strength of these bold aquas with a pop of strong red like Resene Amped and downplay the rest of the space with an understated palette of crisp white, black and pale cloudy grey with Resene Black White, Resene Invincible and Resene Ted. Or for a fresh and breezy look, start with a base in a glassy blue like Resene Half Opal and a yellowed white like Resene Rice Cake and accessorise with greener aquas like Resene Time Traveller and an olive green like Resene Log Cabin.

Wall painted in Resene Half Opal, floor in Resene Rice Cake and cabinet in Resene Log Cabin. Shelves, table, chair and lamp from Good Form.

To learn more about colour trends to keep an eye out for, check out the Red Alert section in the latest issue of BlackWhite magazine and look to the Resene The Range fashion colours fandeck for a curated collection of the most relevant on-trend hues.

projects Amber Armitage, Laura Lynn Johnston

images Bryce Carleton, Wendy Fenwick, Melanie Jenkins

Published: 13 Dec 2022