Artistic inclinations

From habitat plus - decorating and colour trends 2024

In rebuttal to our increasingly digital worlds, a resurgence in artistic styles have been making a major impact on home decorating.

From painterly looks inspired by impressionist masters to unique custom murals, Resene products are being used in fun, creative ways to add texture and interest to spaces large and small. Whether you want to put a brush to canvas to create a distinct DIY artwork to decorate your space or take your creativity to your walls, there are no limits to how you can put your artistic talents to work and turn your home into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Not only are many of these inspirational ideas far easier to create than they may look, they’re also a whole lot of fun.

Trend: timber walls – see grounded in nature

Make an impression

Have you ever wished you could walk right inside a favourite artwork? Impressionist and watercolour-inspired walls awash in dreamy hues are surprisingly easy to achieve. With Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with an array of soft hues like Resene Half Breathless, Resene Half Dusted Blue and Resene Soothe, you can gently blend your brushstrokes with a clean rag to turn walls, floors, furniture or décor into a Monet-like masterpiece. On timber surfaces, a similar look can also be created with a brush by layering semi-transparent Resene Colorwood wood stains and washes.

If you're drawn to the look of a painterly effect but worry that creating it yourself could be beyond your abilities, go for a wallpaper instead like one of these designs from the Resene Wallpaper Collection.

Freeform flair

It’s easy to bring your own unique individuality and artistic flair to your space with a one-of-a-kind interior mural created with Resene products. Home murals don’t need to take up an expansive wall or span the full surface from edge to edge – though those can be great ideas in the right space. Even a door, corner or piece of furniture can become your mural’s canvas. No matter what scale you decide to paint your masterpiece at, be sure to sketch out your idea on paper first before pencilling it on your surface. And if you’re having a tricky time deciding which colours to use, pick up some Resene testpots and test out your palette together on an art canvas, storage boxes or plant pots that you can use to decorate the rest of your space.

did you know?  You can turn a portion of your mural into a magnetic message board by undercoating it in Resene FX Magnetic Magic. If using a medium or dark colour for your topcoat, ask for it to be tinted into Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and the same surface can double as a chalkboard – simply wipe it clean with a damp cloth when you need a blank slate.

top tip  Is your home mural inspired by a piece of artwork or photograph? Bring it to your local Resene ColorShop and the staff can help you find the right colours to match. Or upload a picture to one of Resene’s free online colour matching tools, like Resene ColourMatch Online or the Resene Colour Palette Generator to find similar hues to use in your design.

A room with a view

If your room doesn't have any windows, or if the windows you do have look out on to a less than stellar locale, use the geographic features of a favourite vacation destination to inspire a unique hand-painted mural and you'll always have an unparalleled picturesque view. When creating a landscape mural that features many different colours, use Resene testpots to reduce waste. If you want your landscape to have a simplified, illustrative style, stick to three colour families – for example, use Resene blues for the sky, purples for the mountains and greens for grassy hills. Or, use lots of colours to create a paint-by-number effect. To add depth to your landscape, first separate the colours you will be using into light, medium and dark tones. Paint with your medium tones first then add highlights with your lighter colours and shadows with your darker colours.

Creepers and critters

Choose your Resene colours based on the type of space you will be painting your mural in. If you are painting a mural in a home art studio or office space, you might choose vibrant and creative colour choices that energise you. But if you are creating a mural in a space that's meant for relaxation, sticking to gentle pastel tones that all have a dusted quality to them can keep your mural feel softer and more serene. Instead of saturated verdant greens, this cute headboard mural design uses subtle colours pulled from the bedding to bring life to its creeping vines and adorable insects for a soothing sleeping space.

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If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit Habitat plus, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.

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