Habitat plus - sitting pretty

From habitat plus - exteriors

With an increasing emphasis on the concept of outdoor rooms, most of us now have at least one space that qualifies for this description.

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In the case of suburban bungalows and villas it can be a large, fully fledged area, while an inner-city apartment may only lay claim to a balcony. Either way it can be great fun personalising these sorts of spaces; helping them sing in harmony with their surroundings.

Top tip: Your paint scheme doesn’t have to stop at the walls. Rejuvenating furniture and plant pots with paint will give a more cohesive look.

Contrasting downpipe and walls, outside room

1.Sober yet strong, the interesting beige of Resene Pravda stands to attention on the wall and downpipe in this scheme. It’s a no-nonsense colour, classic and reliable in almost any outdoor circumstance. Resene Cherrywood is a clever combination of red and brown hues from the Resene Woodsman exterior stains range and it adds a satisfying sense of warmth and depth to the decking here. If you have cane furniture, you can easily rejuvenate it with Resene Lustacryl, tinted here to Resene Masala.

2.The earthy black tones of Resene Treehouse stain provides a perfect link with nature on the walls of this sitting area, and still allows the natural grain to show through. It’s complemented by Resene Half Rakaia, a shingle-hued taupe, on the corrugated steel ceiling, Resene Warm Kwila stain on the deck and Resene Ironsand on the furniture.

A zen like feel with reds and blacks, outside room

3. Taking a lead from the subtle zen-like feel of this space, the rich red of Resene Japanese Maple from the Resene Woodsman exterior stains range pairs elegantly with the intense depths of Resene Sheer Black stain on the decking. Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream is used on the ceiling, and helps to reflect light down into the area.

4. A perfect coastal scheme, the washed out beach blues of Resene Moby for the slatted wall, and Resene Silvered Grey stain on the decking come together for a casual, laidback look. The crisp yet rich yellow-white of Resene Lime White does excellent service on the ceiling in this scheme. Bright sunny Resene Galliano adds a pleasing colour pop on the plant pot.