Here we frame a bold view back to vintage interiors, reinvented for this era.
In association with Resene.
Boldness revival
Were interiors bolder in times gone by? Property listings with original finishings still intact and the snippets of home life in family photo albums would suggest so. Hindsight may be 20/20, yet we’re prone to looking at the past with rose-tinted glasses. Either way, we think the carefree use of colour from yesteryear was adventurous, emotive — and overdue a revival. We’ve paired retro colours in a sumptuous scheme fit for decadent dining that channels the fearless and tactile decorating spirit of the past. Rich can’t-get-enough ’70s-style brown confidently layers over rust-toned orange-reds and temperate gold, alongside contemporary design and new artisanal pieces.
Introducing the view from a neutral living space where Resene Millbrook envelops the walls is a doorway frame, a threshold in the creamy off-white of Resene Anglaise and gentle yellow of Manuka Honey. Beyond, we glimpse the full-commitment colour walls in the deep neither-quite-red-nor-orange of Resene Desperado. The golden-ochre Resene Bullwhip floor harmonises with the glow of lamplight reflections melding near-seamlessly into the lush cashmere-blend rug.
Furnishings equal in warmth and tactility complement the colours of the scheme, with a variety of natural materials completing the unique story this interior tells. A beautifully preserved vintage wooden dining table from ’50s Sweden teams with the soft texture of Japanese washi paper in the Tetris floor lamp and the visible throes on the surface of the pit-fired ceramics narrate a journey.
Going bold can apply to just one room — it needn’t be all or nothing. Leading your eyes on a visual voyage, we’ve shown how a more traditional room painted neutrally (exemplified here in the brown-beige shade of Resene Millbrook) can link harmoniously with something daringly decorated. The continuity of floor colour connects both spaces, leading through to our dining scene where the walls command attention for full, joyful colour immersion.
Stylist’s tip
Considering taking the leap with a strong, saturated hue? We’re loving a ’70s palette but, before you go all out, try painting a large area (or moveable board) with Resene test pots to get a real feel for living with your prospective new colour scheme in the lighting conditions specific to your place.
PAINTED ITEMS Background walls in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Desperado; floor in Resene Walk-on tinted to Resene Bullwhip; and foreground walls in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Millbrook, doorway frame line in Resene testpot in Resene Anglaise, doorway inside edge in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Manuka Honey, platform under marble plinth in Resene testpot in Resene Brown Pod, resene.co.nz/colorshops. DÉCOR ITEMS OPPOSITE Ever Before artwork by Loren Marks, $6550, sanderson.co.nz. Gold handloom cashmere-blend low-pile rug, $18,285, designcentralnz.co.nz. Arch dining chairs by Ellison Studios, $880, slowstore.co.nz. Empire dining table, $5950, js.co.nz. Halo serving bowl, $49, cittadesign.com. Italian marble grapes, $729; Gingham linen napkin, $81.50/set of 2, tessuti.co.nz. Marabelle vase, $285, flowstudioceramics.co.nz. Pit-fired orb by Graham Ambrose, $920, thepoiroom.co.nz. Pinto placemat, $29.90, cittadesign.com. Custom Tetris lamp, $899, lowercase.co.nz. Duck Duck Goose fabric, $55/m, marthas.co.nz. Arabescato marble plinth (atop a platform), $2100, pompeiihome.co. Form of the line artwork, $1189, boconcept.co.nz. Raku copper red vase, $295, flowstudioceramics.co.nz. Stylist’s own flowers.
THE PALETTE, FROM LEFT Resene Desperado, Resene Bullwhip, Resene Manuka Honey, Resene Anglaise, Resene Millbrook, Resene Brown Pod.
Styling Juliette Wanty
Photography Wendy Fenwick