Make waves with water-inspired design

Earthy shades have long been popular in our interiors. Muted warm shades of brown, cream and greige are a simple way to connect our homes to nature and play in a more varied neutral colour palette. But there’s another elemental source of inspiration that can drench your spaces in nature - water.

From cool and airy to beachy and chill to moody and sophisticated, there is a water-inspired look to suit your interiors. While water does immediately turn our attention to a classic nautical blue like Half Resolution Blue, greys, teals, powder blues and deep greens can also work beautifully to create water inspired spaces.

Water features

While colour is a great place to draw inspiration from, Resene colour consultant Hannah Lynch says other aspects of water such as light, pattern and movement are just as important.

“My mind goes to intricate patterns of water and its colours dancing in different lights. I would play with using different linear patterns and abstract shapes, looking at fabrics, washes and wallpapers,” Hannah says. She suggests wallpaper designs like Resene Wallpaper Collection FJ020216 or Resene Wallpaper Collection 39659-1, or Resene Context curtain fabric in Hydra, as simple ways to start bringing touches of a water theme into a room.

This beautifulrag-finished mural evokes the beauty and movement of the sea. Wall painted in White Pointer with topcoats in Half Dusted Blue, Seachange, San Juan and Soothe mixed with FX PaintEffects Medium. Floor stain colour washed in Colorwood Breathe Easy,pendant light in San Juan, table in Half Breathless, planter in Breathless, cup and saucer in Black White and vase in Bone. Living Rug from Mitre 10, chair from Danske Møbler. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.

Visual texture can be another way to capture the constant movement of water or its blurring or shimmering effects on other materials. For example, you could create a watercolour-style feature wall using FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with a palette of soft pastel and neutral shades such as Castaway, Gunsmoke, Martini, Silver Chalice and Double Alabaster. There’s no need to keep to the colours of water as your water inspiration comes from the soft, watered edges of your different paint colours to give a relaxed, soothing finish.

How to: To create your watercolour feature wall, first paint your basecoat in a mid-toned shade such as Castaway. Mix your other colours individually in separate containers with FX Paint Effects Medium. You could also add Hot Weather Additive to slow the drying time allowing you more time to work. Start from the bottom and brush rough, different width stripes of each colour, one at a time, for a soft, organic look. After each colour is applied, dip a wide clean brush in water and blend the edges of each stripe so the colours blur together.

Water-inspiredocean blues and fresh creamy yellows bring nature indoors to this dining room.Left wall painted in Astra with trim in Half Gin Fizz, right wallin Revolver, with skirting in Mulled Wine, floor stain colourwashed in Colorwood Breathe Easy, tabletop in Putty, legs in Teak, side table, small bowl stained in Colorwood Deep Purple,ribbed vase and milk bottle in Mulled Wine, console table and flat vasein Astra, mug in Revolver, books in Cumin and Revolver, handled vase and small vase on console in Cumin, small dish in Half Astra, handled vase in Putty, bottle in Truffle,pendant light in Cumin, painting frame in Colorwood Deep Purple,overpainted artwork in Half Gin Fizz, Putty, Mulled Wine, Astra and Cumin. Chair fromDanske Møbler. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

You can use a similar technique to create a wall mural inspired by a blustery sea, by painting your wall in a basecoat of White Pointer. Start by painting your wall with a basecoat of White Pointer. Then apply layers of blues and neutrals like Half Breathless, Half Dusted Blue, Seachange, San Juan and Soothe mixed with FX Paint Effects Medium. Start with the darkest shades first and apply layers of colour using a roller to create swirls and waves. Use a rag to smudge and merge edges.

Colour combinations to try

“When it comes to choosing colours for a water-themed design, start by exploring monochromatic tones of blue, black and grey with accent tones of yellow and green for a balanced nature-inspired space,” Hannah says.

She suggests trying the fresh crystalline blue of Halcyon with pastel Gull Grey and charcoal Baltic Sea. Add accents in soft biophilic green Orinoco and rich cream Triple Pearl Lusta.

These soft shades will lend a room the soothing calm often associated with water. The muted nature of these colours also means they work well if you’re looking for an almost-neutral palette that adds just a few touches of gentle colour, rather than dramatic sweeps of bright shades.

Coastalcool sea blues lend elegance to a beachy bedroom. Wall painted in Breeze, floor stain colour washed in Colorwood Bleached Riverstone,bedside tables and headboard in White Thunder and Santas Grey,bench in Explore, boxes and small planter in Loblolly, vase in Santas Grey, lighthouse and starfish in Poured Milk, small vasein White Thunder, large planter in Thor, artwork base coated in Quick EzyFill and, Midnight Moss, Loblollyand Thor. Throw from Nood, bedding from Briscoes. Project by MeganHarrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.

That said, there is plenty of room to experiment with bolder palettes when working with water as your creative spark.

For the feel of a moody, stormy ocean try deep rich blues like Coast or Indian Ink, warm teals like Casal or Balderdash or even dark greens like Swamp and Aquamarine for a sense of deep, still water. Add freshness to these bold shades with foamy whites and neutrals like Half Chill Out and White.

It might seem a surprising choice but adding in notes of delicate lavender or pastel purples like Lola and I Do lend a dreamy feel to your colour scheme, reminiscent of the sun setting over water. Try them with muted grey-blues like Powder Blue and Milk White from the Karen Walker Paints collection.

To create a more sun-drenched, beachy vibe, look to lighter, brighter blues reminiscent of tropical seas like Sail or Anakiwa and pair with delicate, sunny yellows like Pale Prim or, for alpine lake freshness try them with icy blue Tranquil or off-white White Pointer.

Warm it up

One thing to keep in mind when working with water-inspired colours, particularly paler blues and greens, is that they often have cooler undertones. This can be just the right feel in sun-soaked spaces or any room you want to feel crisp and fresh. Think cornflower blue Relax with Panorama in a bright, warm bathroom, for example.

Hannah says it can be particularly tempting to go for brighter blues in small, dark rooms thinking they will make the space feel bigger, but they can leave the space feeling chilly, particularly if the room is south-facing with little natural light.

Water-inspiredneedn’t be restricted to classic blues. Rich teal brings to mind the deep stillwaters of a lake. Walls painted in Stromboli, floorboards stain colour washedin Colorwood Breathe Easy, bench eat in Deep Teal, basket in Bastille, table legs in Teak with top in Putty, fruitplate in Casal, bowl in Popcorn, angular plate in Tuscany,milk bottle in Deep Teal, tray in Bastille and planter in Casal. Chair and cushions from DanskeMøbler. Project by Moneuan Ryan, image by Bryce Carleton.

“Instead, introduce a strong, complex blue like Shadowy Blue or Conch because it will naturally warm a space even if it is a cooler colour.

“If you’re unsure about going a darker colour and want to make the space feel light, you can always opt for a light neutral on the walls, perhaps with warm and sandy undertones like Half Sandspit Brown, then introduce colourful hues as accents.”

Being beside or near water has inspired some enduring classics in interior design style such as the navy, white and bare wood finishes of the Hamptons style and the weathered blues and creams of a relaxed beachy look, but if you think beyond the obvious combinations a water-inspired design can lead to something uniquely you.

If you need help choosing colours that work for your water-inspired look, 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.