We're only one week into the new season of The Block NZ and already seeing exciting colour combinations and creative design calls, thanks to the expertise of four teams battling for redemption after previous seasons.
Of course, for many of us, the best part of the Block NZ renovations is being inspired to bring some of that magic into our own homes. With a little guidance from the experts at your local Resene ColorShop, small changes can have a big impact.
To find out on how to easily and effectively bring this year's on and offscreen trends into our own guest rooms, Newshub spoke to the colour experts from Resene on what's new, what's hot and what we should be considering when decorating.
Easy, breezy, beautiful
Any bedroom should be a calming sanctuary, but especially a guest room — it should be a home away from home for friends and loved ones. This week we saw many of the duos use complementary calming tones in their guest rooms, and Stacy and Adam take out the win with their coastal-chic combination of Resene Quarter Bianca and Resene Truffle.
Resene colour consultant Brenda Ngatai says while we're still seeing warm and cool whites as the main colour palette in Kiwi homes (more on this later), we're also seeing a trend towards "soft and gentle" statement colours which she says give a "breezy and carefree" effect.
"The look and feel is light in energy and easy to be in," she said. For a feeling of comfort and safety, she recommends opting towards complementary colours like Resene Double Blanc, Resene Half Pavlova and Resene Quarter Lemon Grass.
According to Resene marketing manager Karen Warman, another great way to achieve this calming effect is by using a tone-on-tone colour palette, which is often soothing as it allows your eye to travel from one area to another without any jarring visual elements.
"This is an easy choice for guest bedrooms," she says.
"Choose your main Resene colour and then use darker and lighter hues of that colour to decorate other parts of the room. For example, walls in Resene Half Truffle can be complemented by trims in Resene Truffle and a deeper Resene Triple Truffle on painted furniture."
Neutral territory
Beige previously may have been thought of as 'bland' — but not anymore. Ngatai says increasingly gentle beiges and tea colours are being used in interiors as a way to introduce warmth and serenity — especially when paired with crisp whites.
"It's a new look coming through into New Zealand homes, introducing warm neutrals as a complementary colour," she says.
In their calming sanctuary of a guest room, Auckland mates Chloe and Ben impressed the judges with their combination of pale winter beige Resene Eighth Pravda and barely-there black-edged white Resene Half Sea Fog.
Ngatai recommends using a warm white like Resene Quarter Bianca as the main attraction, paired with earthy tones like Resene Half Pavlova, Resene Half Sisal or Resene Quarter Drought.
"These are mid-to-light gentle, easy beige colours but are different in tone from each other — these colours offer calmness," she says.
"For a complete neutral accent palette that will suit both feminine and masculine moods, consider warm neutrals with depth such as Resene Double Stonehenge and Resene Quarter Stonehenge."
She adds that easily adaptable neutrals allow for "all the other factors to fall into place", including the bed style, lighting, window dressing and textures in the bedlinen, cushions and throws.
White and light
There are many reasons to opt for white walls in your guest room as – it’s timeless, it’s classic, it’s relaxing and it will go with your bed linen and chosen accessories. Confused about whether to opt for a 'warm' or 'cool' white? Ngatai explains it's all about being conscious of your space.
"Warmer whites are suited to interiors that don’t offer much natural light — they might be in the shade or shadows due to neighbouring buildings or close to an environment with a lot of vegetation," she explains.
Her picks for warm whites include Resene Half Bianca — which Auckland couple Maree and James used in their guest room this week — Resene Quarter Bianca and Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta.
"These are my go-to's, when the desired look is minimal, streamlined and contemporary, — these are the warm whites that do the job," she says. "You can literally use them to paint the entirety of an interior, including the ceiling.
"They give a sharp, fresh, clean look and warmth all at the same time."
Cooler whites are more suited to north-facing rooms that have large windows and lots of natural light coming in, says Ngatai. Her picks are Resene Half Black White, Resene Merino and Resene Half Sea Fog.
"These cooler off whites are grounding — they defuse and calm down the brightness," she explains.
Think of the linen
The most important aspect of any bedroom? The bed, of course — so don't forget about the impact of well-chosen bed linen, including complementary colours and textures.
"When choosing your colours, remember to consider your bedlinen. In any bedroom the duvet is a key part of the colour palette," says Warman.
On The Block this week we saw Maree and James opt for cosy terracotta and forest green bed accessories to offset their white linen, while Stacy and Adam opted for varying shades of blue cushions and throws to match their coastal colour scheme.
But don't feel like you have to be too attached to one option, says Warman, who recommends swapping out different options depending on the guest.
"Depending on how often you expect to have guests staying with you, it can be a good idea to choose two-to-three duvet designs to suit a range of guests and make sure your colour palette works with those," she says.
Pick a point of focus
Got a room that feels a bit flat? Make like Christchurch couple Quinn and Ben this week and opt for a feature wall - Ngatai often recommends them as a way to draw the eye and liven up an otherwise plain space.
"One painted statement wall is a very good option," she says. "If you’re into DIY, call into any Resene ColorShop and our staff will assist with the correct advice on accessories, paint systems and colour choice to make sure your project will be a success."
Not such a dab hand on the paintbrush? No worries — Warman adds there are also other ways of adding in a feature wall that aren't using paint.
"Feature walls finished in a design from the Resene Wallpaper Collection are a popular option in guest bedrooms, with the feature wallpaper used on the bedhead wall to add interest to the room without overwhelming it when you are lying in bed," she recommends.
Talk to an expert
If you watched this week's Blockheads have their one-on-one sessions with their Resene colour experts and wished you could have the television treatment, we've got good news. You don't have to be a contestant to get advice from the experts — Kiwis all over the country can make an appointment to talk to a Resene colour expert at Resene ColorShops, or get free advice from a Resene Colour Expert online.
Ngatai especially recommends this option for those feeling unsure about a big change in space, as it "helps hugely getting you confidently on a new path".
You can also pick up a Resene habitat booklet in the colour area of all Resene ColorShops. "These are full of inspiring images and wonderful ideas for both interior and exterior," says Ngatai.
"The newest Resene habitat plus booklet is solely about all types of bedrooms - for you, for the family and for guests! These useful booklets are for you to pick up and take home."
If you're planning on getting busy decorating soon, and are searching for some cool colour style tips and tricks, visit Resene's website, view the latest looks, book a Resene Colour Consultation, or ask a colour expert online.
This article was created for Resene, partner of The Block NZ on Three.
