PUTTING THE “GREAT” BACK IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Sprucing up the backyard with some eye- catching colour is easier than you think.
Jazzing up the backyard with colour is a sure- fire way to bring the landscape to life. Best of all, it’s not difficult, according to Resene colour consultants Michelle Aschoff and Rebecca Long.
That colour, they say, can come from many sources including pots, fences, furniture, garden art, tiles, plants, accessories such as outdoor rugs and cushions, and even stained decks.
Pots are an easy but very effective way to create a more colourful backyard. As Aschoff says, it’s a simple matter of buying Resene testpots to change pot colours year after year. Among her favourites are from The Range 2020 collection — the modern bold pink BFF, teal blue Resene She’ll Be Right and the blue Resene Freelance.
Meanwhile, painting or staining decks and fences can completely overhaul outdoor spaces. It’s a 50/ 50 call whether to paint or stain, but either ways opting for darker colours or stains is the way to go, says Aschoff.
“The colour or stain all depends on the style of house and the look the homeowner wants, but nine times out of 10 darker colours look best. They ground the house and bring out the best in the surrounding greenery by creating that layering effect.”
Many are opting for strong, black fences which bring out the green of plants; for decking, natural wood brown tones are popular. Try dark timbers with bright accents of colour to give a Balinese tranquil feel to the backyard.
Pops of colour in the form of hanging pots or even bird baths will complement any newly painted fences – or, for something completely bold, Long suggests colours giving off that feelgood factor or which indicate a chill- out zone.
She speaks of a house that had a bright orange fence, Resene Jailbreak, complemented by a swimming pool and pots in green and turquoise: “The blue of the pool just completely contrasted with the orange fence; it was so striking, so beautiful.”
Use furniture
Tables and chairs are often a focus outdoors but rather than buy new furniture, it’s easy enough to give existing furniture a new lease of life.
It’s also a chance to be a little quirky and, if you don’t like the result, Aschoff says, it’s not hard to change the colour scheme. She suggests painting outdoor chairs different colours, such as Resene Raging Bull, Resene Untamed or Resene Fast Forward, and the table white, such as Resene Half Thorndon Cream.
“You don’t want to paint a table too white or it will reflect the bright light,” she says. Resene testpots are again the perfect way to try out new colours and it’s surprising just how far one testpot of paint will go.
Accessorising through cushions and even large outdoor candles ideally placed on the table will pull the entire look together.
Colour blocking is another option, says Long: “You could paint the legs of furniture one colour and the top another or you can add colour to an assortment of chairs – or you can mask out a rug and paint a rectangular shape in a fun colour.”
Her colour choices range from the bright orange Resene Jailbreak and the mustardy Resene Thumbs Up and the soft, fresh cool green Resene Nourish.
Paint the likes of Cape Cod chairs in bright colours, such as the aqua tealy blue Resene Yowza, the gorgeous gold Resene Cleopatra or the spicy rich red of Resene Pohutukawa.
Outdoor ideas
For those who don’t want to go all out in colour in their backyard first off, painting container pots and pieces of furniture is a good way to begin. Once confidence starts to build, tackling the door of an outbuilding, a pergola, or even an entire garden shed, for example, can be a fun way to express yourself.
“A lot of people are a bit nervous to put fun colour on a whole house but a shed, or even a shed door, is a cool way to add colour, you can go quite wild, it is just a shed after all,” says Long.
To add contrast, paint the shed door a different colour from the rest of the building. Long suggests a stunning deep emerald Resene Atlas, mixed with the bright orange Resene Party Zone or Resene Jailbreak, a softer orange.
“Blues and oranges look really good together, they offer a real contrast and those colour choices really will jazz up your backyard.”
Use pops of colour or texture in the form of plants, or even use the likes of coloured garden labels in a variety of Resene colours. Whether it’s garden markers, entire garden sheds, fences, containers or furniture, adding colour will transform your backyard into an inviting, stylish space.
“Have some fun with it, and most of all, make sure you create a space that you’ll be happy to spend time in,” says Rebecca.
Looking for extra inspiration?
Visit your local Resene ColorShop or www. resene. co. nz/ latestlooks for more colour and paint ideas and inspiration.