Not every room in the house is filled with natural light, but this doesn't mean you have to paint the walls white. In fact, enhancing the moody character can be a far more successful design solution.

This is exactly how this living room was approached. Sydney colour specialist Anne Resplendino opted to paint the walls in Resene Sandcastle. This creates a very soft, comfortable interior – the shadows on the wall add visual interest, playing off the sand and warm honey tones without darkening the room.

To provide contrast, the wall above the fireplace is painted in Resene Monkey, a deep walnut brown. This enhances the presence of the fireplace and the large mirror above.

Further contrast is provided by the time, doorways and skirtings. These are painted in Resene Quarter Blanc, which creates a fresh, crisp finish.

Resene Zylone Sheen and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen – two Environmental Choice-approved paints – were used for the walls. The trims, doorways and skirtings were painted in Resene Lustacryl, a semi-gloss waterborne enamel.