How to create the ultimate outdoor space

Outdoor living rooms or living rooms opening up into a larger outdoor patio space have become a hugely popular design option.

Interior designer Fiona Tracy, of Tracys Interior Design, says the outdoor room has become a space of importance – one not to be overlooked when building or renovating.

“Today we are seeing less distinction between indoor and outdoor spaces. If done well, the outdoor room creates an additional living space for your home or apartment,” Tracy says.

In summer the appeal of such a space offers welcoming shade, filtered sunlight, and a wonderfully relaxing place to lounge. It’s also a place to anchor the barbecue and, sometimes, also features outdoor fridges and pizza ovens.

At Jalcon’s new Blackburn Point showhome in Auckland’s Hobsonville neighbourhood, grand glass bi-folding windows open out into a large deck area. Photo / Supplied

Tracy says she is noticing a strong shift towards natural materials and colours that blend well with the outdoor environment - somethingResene colour specialists agree with - as most people seem to like their outside room to be in harmony with their environment.

So, what are some colour palettes that work well for bridging the gap between indoor and outdoor spaces? Tracy’s advice is to select tones and materials that have been used inside the home.

“Shades of white like Resene Black White work well when teamed with black or near-black accents like Resene Nero or Resene Element and understatedgreys like Resene Half Tapa,” she says. “This palette can showcase the exterior architecture while softening the look with timber, stone or even rusted metals.”

A timber wall painted in Resene Half Villa White and a deck stained in Resene Woodsman Mid Greywash. Photo / Supplied

Resene colour experts notice a trend for black as an accent colour, sometimes with a secondary accent colour in Cape Cod-style chairs, or cushionsin bright orange, plums, blues or greens, for example.

Christine Hodges, a Resene colour consultant at the Hamilton ColorShop, has seen varied paint choices made to link inside and outside livingand says many homeowners opt for a ‘continuous colour’.

This is most often an off-white like Resene Half Black White, which draws the eye to the exterior enabling a seamless flow. Thechoices are many but Hodges says it’s not silly to strengthen the depth of your selected colour for an outdoor area as colour looks a lot brighter outside.

Sometimes, however, there is a definite contrast in paint choices between these two areas. It may be the ceiling in the outdoor zone is donein a clear finish to enhance a timber ceiling, or the whitewashed effect is used, or even a soft grey wash, Hodges says.

If the outdoor area includes a pergola, Resene Lumbersider range is worth considering.

In the case of a coastal theme, an exterior painted in Resene House White, works well with an open pergola and light wicker furniture, while there’s always the opportunity to add some wow via a dramatic feature wall. The grey-blue of Resene Tax Break is an example of a hue that fits with all things coastal.

Colourful outlook: Wall painted in Resene Porter, trellis stained in Resene Woodsman Light Greywash timber stain and deck in Resene Woodsman Mid Greywash. Photo / Supplied

As for colours at ground level, Resene offers alternatives to a stained finish on decking including Resene Walk-on, a general-purpose flooring and paving paint, tinted to Resene Double Sea Fog, a classic greyed pavement white giving the look of barely wet concrete.

If there’s paving underfoot that may need a brightening up, then Resene Concrete Stain will tackle that job. Simply wash, allow to dry and then apply to existing pavers and they'll come up great.

Heat stress and potential damage to paint and cladding can be averted by using Resene CoolColour paints and wood stains. Especially advisable for darkcolours, these reflect more of the sun's UV than a standard version of the colour.

Wall painted in Resene Porter, trellis stained in Resene Woodsman Light Greywash timber stain, deck in Resene Woodsman Mid Greywash timber stain. Photo / Supplied

Top tips:

- Neutral paint tones can help reduce the glare from harsh sunlight. Try a soft grey like Resene Triple Concrete or a slightly blued grey such as Resene Duck Egg Blue.

- Colour looks a lot brighter outside, so a rule of thumb suggestion is to go a step darker outside than you would if you were selecting a colour indoors. For instance, if you find a colour you love, choose it in a double strength version which has twice the pigment.

- When choosing darker paints and stains, opting for a Resene CoolColour will help to reflect more of the sun's UV than a standard version of the colour, keeping surfaces cooler to the touch.

- If maximum durability is a driving force, then Resene Lumbersider is worth investigating as this low sheen paint ensures exactly that in all exposed conditions.

For more colour and paint ideas and advice see your local Resene ColorShop.

This content has been created in partnership with Resene.