REFLECT CALM
Green blues you can use in any room
CALM AND ORGANIC, green-blue colours guide our interiors towards a state of serenity and tranquillity. Harmonising blue’s gentle associations with the ocean and sky, and green’s ties with inner peace and strength, this colour blend encourages us to stop and stand still, relax and reset.
The versatility of green-blues is such that they can be used in any room from a hallway, powder room to a bathroom. These uplifting hues are the restful answer to busy day-to-day lives.
Create a feast for the eyes with the dark turquoise of Resene Hippie Blue in the lower half of a wall, its 1960s feel, married with the soft pastel mauve of Wonderland. Paint trims in the apricot rose of Wax Flower with accent items in pistachio mint Chelsea Cucumber.
If you’re set on bringing the blue-green duo into your home but aren’t sure how, consider whether you prefer more green or blue? The beauty of this blend is that you can take it any direction — serene seafoam, dusky aqua, gemstones, teals or punchy turquoise. Resene colour consultant Amy Watkins suggests trying green-based colours such as Resene Opal or Sea Nymph, to Jet Stream, through to the more blue-based Kumutoto or Ziggurat.
Painting your walls a rich teal will bring a sophisticated, elegant feel to your interior, as well as a feeling of cosiness. These luxurious shades suit any room and look best with trims in Resene Poured Milk. Teal tones of Persian blue-green Resene Maestro paired with a burst of fruity terracotta Resene Japonica on accents or the sumptuous Deep Teal paired with the blue of Cobalt will build a beautiful look. Or try the peacock teal of Dauntless mixed with Sea Fog in accents.
Chalky seafoams evoke rippling waves and walking through shallow waters barefoot. These hues have a calming feel, ideal for living rooms or bedrooms where we like to escape and recharge in a tranquil environment. Bring in this feel to your home with Resene Duck Egg Blue, with trims in Half Villa White, or the pale duck egg blue-green of Half Jet Stream, paired with the warm milky hue of Swiss Coffee.
Stylist Megan Harrison Turner recommends turning your eyes to nature as your inspiration, taking into account any vista of the sea you might have from a room. “Because so much of our land is on the coastline — and we are islands after all — green-blues work well. Any room that has an outlook onto the sea could be in a greenblue, as could any room that has an outlook on to the bush as the bush tends to be dark-grey green, which sits well with greenblues. In a way, windows are basically large picture frames, the subject of which changes from day to night, and drawing colours of nature into a room enhances a space.
“For a city home, try the cloudy light blue of Resene Nebula, icy Loblolly or more hints of green in the pale duck egg of Jet Stream,” she says. “In the country, bring in the white undertones of Paris White or the aquatinged grey of Ashanti. These colours are gentler and paler than a seascape or a landscape so they are lovely background colours for a room that won’t overwhelm.”
“Intense green-blues need careful lighting and a little pigment goes a long way,” Megan says. “So Resene Half Emerge, Cut Glass, Hermitage and Breeze are where I’d look first. Then get braver with Conch, Ashanti and Wishlist. Aquas are great colours for New Zealand’s North Island. The teals and green-blues that suit the South Island are deeper, such as Teal Blue, Stromboli, Cutty Stark and Bush.”
For an entranceway where you want to lighten the space, Kate Alexander, creative director of Places and Graces, suggests the pale blue-green of Resene Jet Stream. “It also works in a living area with an outlook to the sea. In some lights it’s the exact match of the sea on an overcast day. Resene Ashanti is good for the same thing but with a hint of grey, a little softer and less icy.”
Deeper blue greens with a chalky tone, like Resene Thor, Undercover and Juniper work well for a whole room, when aiming to create a cosy and calming space, Kate says. “A clean aqua-green like Resene Scandal or its softer coastal version Half Kumutoto are fun tones to use in a children’s room or playful family space,” she says. “If you want to just dip your toe in a brighter turquoise, try using it inside a hall cupboard as a surprise with tones like Ming, Resene Blue Chill or Guru.
Bright and refreshing turquoise, uplifts and energises. Although this sharper hue will suit any room, it especially works well in bathrooms, where we like to feel stimulated and fresh. Try the lively aqua of Resene Freelance paired with a cool grey.
And amid this tranquillity you can still add a touch of life to your surfaces. A limewash patina using a green-blue tone will bring a sense of movement to your walls, without dominating the room. To give your tranquil home a touch of texture, bring in a limewash patina with Resene FX Paint Effects medium. Or get creative in other ways, such as tying in a tone-on-tone effect with furniture. Stay with the green-blue colour family but go lighter by painting your chairs, cabinets or bookshelves in lighter tones. Furniture in sky blue or a pale jade will pop against a background of rich turquoise, harmonising your interior with this rejuvenating colour palette.