Back down to earth

We’ve always taken inspiration from nature in our homes, so what does “earthy and natural” mean when it comes to interior design and colour inspiration?

Over the past few years, we’ve increasingly embraced a design ethos that connects us to nature. What has grown out of nature-inspired design trends is a desire to go beyond visual representations of nature to feel the texture of the outdoors and bring it inside.

In that context, “earthy” takes on a broader three-dimensional, sensory definition. We might start with earthy colour, using beautiful, muted browns, greens, blues, floral pinks and even sunset golds, but we also want to include the patterns, light and feel of nature and its materials.

Resene stylist and colour trend specialist Moneuan Ryan says modern earthy shades can be used to balance perennially popular minimalist modernism with sensory richness of nature, in a style known as Global South or Southern Contemporary. It embraces not only richer earthy shades like sienna, ochre and terracotta, but cultural crafts, traditional textiles and natural materials like clay, stone and thatch.

“It combines these elements in a fresh way, using rich natural colours to connect the built environment with the natural environment.”

Accents of muted orange and peach add vibrancy to this soft green dining room, while keeping it feeling grounded and earthy. Wall painted in Resene Paddock with shelves and bench seat in Resene Green Spring, floor stain colour washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, table in Resene Spanish White with chairs in Resene Cabbage Pont, table vase in Resene Sunrise, pots in Resene Cabbage Pont and Resene Lemon Twist, storage box in Resene Lemon Twist; bottom shelf, vases in Resene Spanish White, Resene Paddock, Resene Japonica, Resene Spanish White and Resene Iko Iko, bowl in Resene Cabbage Pont and pot in Resene Lemon Twist. Artwork by Serola Art Studio from Etsy, cushions from The Warehouse, candles, napkins and faux flowers from Kmart. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.

Browns and greens

Colours that spring from the earth, such as greens and browns, are the obvious first source of inspiration for an earthy look, Moneuan says.

“The colour palette can include the softest warming whites like Resene Quarter Bianca and Resene Spring Wood to off white shades that are more cocooning and very liveable,” she says. “These include pink and clay tones such as Resene Cashmere, Resene Wafer and Resene Beethoven.”

Pair these warm neutrals with bolder accent colours that deepen in richness on walls, beams, ceiling and furniture, she suggests.

Shades like brown-red Resene Redwood, Resene Aubergine or Resene Red Planet bring a rich, luxurious finish while remaining earthy and textured, particularly when used in flat or low sheen finishes like Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

“Elegant but rustic, softer browns and bronzed shades can’t be missed off as an integral part of these new palettes,” Moneuan says.

Colours like Resene Nomad or Resene Sugar Loaf are soft and dusky yet deliver strongly as wall colours. For something deeper try Resene Millbrook, Resene Deep Bronze or Resene Black Magic for maximum bold and cocooning earthy tones that feel truly reflective of our own natural environment.

When it comes to greens, Moneuan suggests dark and stormy shades like Resene Racing Green, Resene Eternity or Resene Log Cabin for a similarly rich and deep finish that feels complex and interesting as well as earthy.

For fresher notes, look to more flaxen greens like Resene Aspiring, she says, as a lighter uplifting hue or Resene Siam and Resene Woodland for truer forest canopy inspired tones.

The texture of stained wood panels in earthy shades adds visual interest and relief against the deep brown right wall painted in Resene Half Bokara Grey. Left wall in Resene Double Masala, skirting in Resene Bokara Grey, floor stain colour washed in Resene Colorwood Shade, wood panels in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy, Resene Colorwood Bask and Resene Colorwood Shade, chair in Resene Scrub, lightshade in Resene Teak, accessories in Resene Flax, Resene Triple Thorndon Cream and Resene Biscotti. Basket, throws, rug and bedlinen from Città, lamp from Lighting Direct. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

It’s not all about browns and greens

Though browns and greens tend to be what we gravitate to when we think of “earthy colours”, there is a growing trend to go broader into blues, reds and even sunset shades while keeping to an earthy aesthetic.

The trick here is to look for mid-range colours which have a muted or greyed edge to them, so they’re bolder than pastels, while not as vivid as brights or jewel colours. If you want an earthy red, try brick hues or those that veer toward brown such as Resene Red Oxide or Resene Fahrenheit, rather than pinker-toned berry or fire engine reds.

When it comes to blues, look for greyed, dusty blues like Resene Weathered Blue from the Karen Walker Paints range or, for a more teal hue, Resene Seachange. In yellows and golds, look for the shades of a fading sunset like Resene Noosa or Resene Tussock.

The softened edge of these colours not only helps your spaces feel soothing and comfortable to be in, when used in a low sheen or flat finish they can even take on the appearance of a subtle chalky or suede-like texture that emphasises the sense that has been created in nature. You can amplify this sense further by using lower sheen and matte finishes such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and Resene SpaceCote Flat.

The lime-washed effect on this wall in soft sunset shades lends the room the earthy weathered look of washed terracotta. Wall painted in Resene Manuka Honey base with topcoat in Resene Villa White mixed with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium, floor painted in Resene Villa White, pillar and shelf in Resene Manuka Honey and vase in Resene Brown Sugar. Pendant, chair and rug from Kmart, leather wall pocket from Mavis and Osborne, book from Tessuti. Project by Amber Armitage, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Touch the earth

Texture is an important part of an earthy-feeling and nature-inspired interior. That can mean physical texture that comes from natural fibres like flax and linen, rough sawn timber and bark or stone. It can also mean visual texture that comes from showcasing the natural wood grain of furniture or built features like floors, ceilings and beams.

Use Resene Colorwood Natural wood stain to elevate the natural colour and grain of your wood or try for subtle colour effects that can make your space feel cohesive while keeping the wood grain at the heart of the look. Stain washes like Resene Colorwood Shore Thing or a tinted stain like Resene Bark keep to an earthy colour scheme while making the most of your wood. They can also be a useful way to revive older wood and bring it up to date with your new earthy colour scheme, without losing the grain texture.

Resene FX Paint Effects Medium is an extremely versatile and fun product that can be used to create a range of textured looking “broken” finishes. Try an irregular baked earth look using a base of Resene Grain Brown then Resene Quarter Sorrell Brown (both from the Karen Walker Paints range). For additional texture that resembles plaster cladding, use tinted Resene Sandtex Mediterranean effect to your basecoat.

Textured wallpapers that resemble natural fibres like linen, bamboo or woven flax are another way to bring natural earthy notes into your finished room. Like paint effects, wallpaper textures can also be physical or visual. Try the woven look of Resene Wallpaper Collection M688-07 or the striations of Resene Wallpaper Collection 34799. For an earthy look inspired by the rich colours of mineral seams and geodes, try Resene Wallpaper Collection 39659-3.

Earthy is an interior design term that can mean different things to different people. To get started in an earthy design that suits your colour tastes and make you feel connected to nature, start with the mental image you see when you think of “earthy”. That’s the best place to start pulling together your favourite colours and textures.

If you need help finding the right colours to bring out the best in your home, come in and visit your local Resene ColorShop, Ask a Resene Colour Expert free online, www.resene.com/colourexpert or book a Resene Colour Consultation free instore or virtually or a paid home visit in selected areas, www.resene.com/colourconsult.

Rustic reds and charcoal floorboards bring earthy variety and texture to a nature-inspired dining room. Floor stain colour washed in Resene Colorwood Shade, walls painted in Resene Rivergum, with skirting in Resene Colorwood Charred Black, table in Resene Tuscany, chairs in Resene Alpaca, sideboard in Resene Pandemonium, table vase in Resene Cest La Vie, bowl in Resene Pearl Bush, coral in Resene Alpaca, geometric vase in Resene Eighth Black White, bottle vase in Resene Soiree and large planter in Resene Pipi. Artwork from Spotlight. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.