Reds & plums to enrich your home
These rich hues will bring elegance and suit any room in the house
EPOCH, MULBERRY AND CHERRY — enriching, romantic hues don’t get much better than this. These plums and brown-reds are taking the interior limelight with their deep, reassuring tones.
You’ll find fine examples of these luxurious tones in violet-tinged Resene Memory Lane or red-based Resene RSVP, fruity Resene Plum or the dignified Resene Fandango. If you dare to go darker, opt for evocative and moody Resene Service, the red wine-like Resene Vanquish or the elegant Resene Mulberry.
For the perfect partner, pair with softer shades such as the pale lilac of Resene Poet or the darker Resene Deluge with creamy taupes in Resene Half Joss or Resene Serene. They also look elevated next to warm whites, try Resene Elderflower, giving clarity and freshness. Other on-trend combinations include Resene Blackjack, the red undertones of Resene Pohutukawa or the dusky blue of Resene Memory Lane.
For the ultimate in sultry sophistication, make darker, more moody statements with partners in russet-tinged Resene Felix, earthy Resene Avant Garde or the strong taupe of Resene Kabul. Accents in Resene Finch’s grey-green, the soft brick of Resene Crail, the pastel mauve of Resene Wonderland or the soft Resene Coral Tree will complete the setting.
Colour blocking is one way to incorporate multiple tones from this colour family, picking three of your favourites. The rich red of Resene Arthouse, the plum violet of Resene Pompadour and the lighter muted mauve of Resene Strikemaster resonate well. Or try the bright magenta of Resene Rouge, followed by the brown mauve of Resene I Do. If not on a wall, bring these together on a set of drawers, alternating one colour per drawer.
A dado in a hallway or bathroom will accommodate these sumptuous colours, with immediate impact and warmth. The result is deep and moody, yet restful — ideal for a living room or a reading nook. If you have an open-plan living area with panelling or varying vertical surfaces, this is a chance to apply a tone-on-tone approach, moving from dark to light hues.
These plum colours illustrate how the nuances of colour are being celebrated and encouraged. Not quite pink, nor red, these in-between shades continue to come to the forefront. Resene colour consultant Jackie Nicholls says that in the past, red tones were very straight forward and strong, but this has evolved in a positive way.
“Now we are seeing them as undertones with twists of grape, coffee and charcoal,” she says. “These more complex and hazy shades are much softer and more timeless, making them easier to blend with other colours and finishes. They link well with earthy elements, plants and patterned fabrics, pulling a whole scheme together,