Positive results

NZ House & Garden, Resene / Colour expert

Natalie Du Bois loves the mood-boosting effects of the right colour.

Designer Natalie Du Bois has a particular passion for kitchens and bathrooms as these areas are richly detailed, technically challenging and can make the biggest difference to someone’s quality of lifestyle and enjoyment of their home.

Why do you love working with Resene colour?

I like that colour can not only improve our environment but also be a mood booster if used properly. Choosing the right colour can really energise and uplift us but can also do the opposite. I find understanding the psychology of people very important to be able to identify what solutions work for them individually.

What advice do you have for using colour in a kitchen, bathroom or laundry?

Always try to use colours you feel a positive energy around – to help you decide on what works for you look at photographs. These can be of anything really, not just those of interiors or houses, and can be something like natural scenery which might evoke certain feelings. Then you can extract those colours into your overall colour scheme.

Colour can make us feel joyful, happy, sad or nonchalant. Think about how you want to feel and how you want your guests and family to feel in the space.

What are your three current favourite Resene colours and why?

I am currently loving using earthy tones.

Resene Half Rickshaw has a very interesting soft clay-like tone. I used this on kitchen cabinets recently and have had so many comments from people who love it and want to know what it is.

Resene Horses Neck is a subtle bronze which I find calming and soothing.

I love using green for New Zealand interiors and Resene West Coast has a muted green tone which can ground a space. It’s sophisticated and can work in both traditional and modern interiors.

And a lovely neutral that works well with everything is Resene White Linen. I am steering towards more ivory and warmer whites than I have in the past.