Recreate the balmy days of summer holidays at home.
There’s nothing quite like that feeling that comes with a stint at the bach, or a family summer holiday of any kind. If only there was a way to evoke those same feelings of peace and calm year-round at home.
Good news! There is. With some thoughtful use of paint, colour, and texture there’s no reason you can’t re-create the balmy days of summer holidays every day of the year.
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Resene colour expert Meryl Southey suggests the soothing natural tones of the sky, sea and sand make a great colour palette to play with when it comes to recreating a bachy feel in your everyday home.
Merl suggests juxtaposing mid greens, beiges and blues, such as Resene Double Duck Egg Blue, Resene Half Robin Egg Blue and Resene Awaroa Bay to create an inviting, holiday feel. Pair them with calming off-whites such as Resene Chalk Dust and Resene Half Carrara or brighter Resene Alabaster so the space feels airy and open.
If you’re a fan of neutrals, opt for sandy tones like Resene Sand, Resene Desert Sand and Resene Bronco. Want a stunning sunset vibe? Try Resene Solitaire with Resene Tuscany and Resene Soiree. Want a soothing native bush setting? Try Resene Sand with Resene Green Smoke and Resene Mangrove.
Bring all the warmth of a summer’s day with parched earthy tones and warm neutrals. These walls are painted in Resene Manhattan and skirting in Resene Dawn Glow, floor in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, small Box on a bench in Resene Rice Cake, bench seat and vase in Resene Ghost, box in Resene Sazerac, painted book in Resene Rice Cake and coaster in Resene Manhattan. Chair from Danske Møbler. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.
Textured finishes on walls that make them look just the right amount of weathered is another way to bring a relaxed feel to a room.
One simple and quick way to do this, Meryl says, is by using a textured Resene wallpaper. Try the natural fibre look in an off-white with Resene Wallpaper Collection 38819-3, or the parched earth look of Resene Wallpaper Collection 38833-2.
A more elaborate wallpaper pattern can also immediately change the feel of a room, even if it’s used just on one feature wall, or in framed segments. Try the fresh delicate blossoms of Resene Wallpaper Collection SUM206, or the beachy waves of Resene Wallpaper Collection IF2-003.
Wallpaper is also a fast way to add a block of bold colour that you connect with summer holidays. Try the lush botanical green of Resene Wallpaper Collection 537673, paired with Resene Alabaster, Resene Apple Green and an accent decor in gold or brass. If you prefer paint to wallpaper the fresh green of Resene Green House would give the same fresh, vibrant finish.
A painted mural inspired by the ocean is a surprisingly easy way to evoke memories of beach holidays. The wall is painted in a basecoat of Resene White Pointer with the watercolour effects created using Resene Half Breathless, Resene Half Dusted Blue, Resene Seachange, Resene San Juan and Resene Soothe. The skirting is painted in Resene White Pointer, floor in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, pendant light in Resene San Juan, bench seat in Resene Colins Wicket and pot in Resene Apache. Cushions from Freedom. Project by Annick Rennell, image by Bryce Carleton.
Adding water-themed colour palettes and designs into your home can be a good way to recreate memories of past holidays.
Colours to try together include Resene White Pointer, Resene Seachange, Resene Half Breathless, Resene Half Dusted Blue and Resene San Juan. If you want to get really creative try them together to create a layered water-colour style feature wall. Use Resene White Pointer as a basecoat then mix the other shades with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium and apply over the dry basecoat using a large wet paint or wallpaper brush, roller or wet rag to blur the lines and help the colours to run together at the edges. Start with darker shades then add lighter colours.
Top tip: Resene Hot Weather Additive can help slow the drying time of your paint to give you more time to create the effect you want.
When it comes to what paint to choose for a relaxed beach house finish, Meryl recommends Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. “It is a durable, washable paint that avoids a lot of finger marks on the walls and gives a lovely velvet effect.”
For an earthy softness she suggests Resene SpaceCote Flat for a matte finish, or Resene Room Velvet, a hybrid low sheen, which gives extra durability where required.
Try refreshing outdoor furniture or painting pots and planters with Resene Enamacryl (a tough waterborne enamel) or Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen (a low sheen waterborne paint) in colours you’ve used inside your home, or add interior furniture in materials often found outside like rattan and using a natural colour palette in greens and browns like Resene Wabi Sabi or Resene Open Sesame, or go for bold florals that reflect your garden like Resene I Dare You and Resene Coconut Ice. Decorate with foraged finds from the beach, bush or farm, Meryl says.
Sea blues and sandy neutrals layer with other natural colours and finishes for an easy-breezy relaxed space. Lower wall painted in Resene Dusted Blue with dado rail in Resene Atomic, and upper wall in Resene Linen, floor in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, bench seat in Resene Double Pavlova, hooks in Resene Atomic, coat stand and shelf in Resene Diesel, items on shelf in Resene Seaweed, Resene Atomic and Resene Rivergum and lighthouse in Resene Colorwood Shade, Resene Sea Fog and Resene Double Pavlova. Cushions from Nest-direct.com. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.
Pull window dressings back to allow as much natural light in as possible. If privacy is an issue consider wooden or bamboo blinds that will still filter light through into your room.
If natural light is hard to come by, there are still some simple hacks that will help you make the most of what you have. Add a mirror to bounce around the light you do have, with added value that it can make your room feel larger and more open. You could also use a Resend Enamacryl gloss or Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss paint finish which will also add glints of extra light, or try touches of Resene FX Metallic which contains metal flakes that will help reflect more light.
If natural light is just too hard, make up for it with plants. Go for a mix of varieties and sizes so you get a layer of greenery that will add the fresh notes you’re looking for.
Top tip: When you’re trying to recreate the feel of summer bach holidays at home, don’t think too literally about the colours of a specific place. Think more broadly about how those summer holiday memories make you feel and choose the colours that help evoke those feelings.
Visit your local Resene ColorShop for all the quality paints, wallpapers and colours you need for your project. If you need more helping choosing just the right colours for your place, book in a colour consultation with a Resene Colour Expert, virtually, instore or at your place. Simply visit www.resene.co.nz/colourconsult to book. Or use the free Resene Ask a Colour Expert service, www.resene.co.nz/colourexpert.
