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Through darker framed doors, this snug invites its homeowners in for an evening of reading or movie watching. The walls and ceiling are painted in Resene Double Rice Cake. Design by Marylou Sobel Interior Design, image by Anson Smart.
The exterior of this Australian home is painted in the deep green of Resene Jurassic, and interior walls are in Eighth Lemon Grass. Design by Sandbox Studio, colour by homeowner, image by Louise Wellington.
A gentle pastel green, Resene Mantle, was used for this master bedroom, complementing the earthy toned décor and contrasting black accents. Design by Cedar and Suede, image by Mindi Cooke.
This vibrant courtyard exudes warmth and creativity. The garden walls are painted in four custom Resene colours. To get this look using the Resene Multi-finish range, try Kalgoorie Sands, Tango, Mexican Red and Space Shuttle. The staircase is in Resene Uracryl 403, a high gloss 2 pack acrylic urethane that has been tinted to Poppy. Design by Lymesmith, images by Brett Boardman.
The terracotta orange of Resene Tuscany features in this downstairs sleepout, creating a warm and inviting space. Design and image by Catherine Roberts.
Through darker framed doors, this snug invites its homeowners in for an evening of reading or movie watching. The walls and ceiling are painted in Resene Double Rice Cake. Design by Marylou Sobel Interior Design, image by Anson Smart.
This coastal home is painted in the warm Resene Quarter Ecru White. The ceiling is painted in SpaceCote Flat with beams in Lustacryl semi-gloss to create dimension. Design by Donnell Day Architects, image by Jessica Chloe Gernat.
Choosing colours for Australian homes
Choosing a colour, or colours, that capture the distinct essence of the Australian landscape helps to blend the built environment – your home – seamlessly with the natural world.
Australia has an intense, blazing sun mixed with some continental dust and haze which creates a warmer, amber filtered light. The sun can be stronger, and for longer periods, bringing an intense heat and brightness that can make bright whites blinding, especially outside, and turn cool tones into flatter, chalkier ones.
As you can imagine, if you’ve been browsing through European or US magazines for inspiration and have found a colour you love, it’s likely to look vastly different on this side of the world.
This doesn’t mean you can’t have that ‘mag-worthy’ colour, but there might just be a slight variation (warmer, cooler, lighter, darker) that will look a lot better here, or at least a lot more like that magazine colour once it’s on the wall.
This is where Resene testpots come in. Always pick up a few testpots and paint them onto a large piece of cardboard and view it on-site at different times of the day before committing to your final paint choice.
Colour palettes for your location
Now for the fun part – actually choosing your colours. Depending on where you live, taking inspiration from your surrounding environment can create a home that feels both harmonious for you and where it’s located.
For Australia, this could be shades inspired by the sun-baked outback, dense bush and eucalyptus, and vast coastal settings.
Nature and bush settings:
Best for: Homes surrounded by native gum trees, or suburban properties seeking a calming, biophilic look.
Colours: Try Resene Rivergum, Lemon Grass, Half Linen and Jurassic.
Vibe: Muted yet complex. You might want to skip intense "yellow-greens" (like lime) in favour of silver, jade and dusty grey-green undertones that match eucalyptus leaves.
The exterior of this Australian home is painted in the deep green of Resene Jurassic, and interior walls are in Eighth Lemon Grass. Design by Sandbox Studio, colour by homeowner, image by Louise Wellington.
A gentle pastel green, Resene Mantle, was used for this master bedroom, complementing the earthy toned décor and contrasting black accents. Design by Cedar and Suede, image by Mindi Cooke.
Outback and desert surroundings:
Best for: Rural, inland homes or creating a warm, grounding interior.
Colours: Try Resene Desert Sand, Cumin, Tuscany and Resene Colorwood Oregon.
Vibe: Safe, cosy and intrinsically connected to the red earth. These warm tones feel incredibly inviting and protective against stark sunlight.
This vibrant courtyard exudes warmth and creativity. The garden walls are painted in four custom Resene colours. To get this look using the Resene Multi-finish range, try Kalgoorie Sands, Tango, Mexican Red and Space Shuttle. The staircase is in Resene Uracryl 403, a high gloss 2 pack acrylic urethane that has been tinted to Poppy. Design by Lymesmith, images by Brett Boardman.
The terracotta orange of Resene Tuscany features in this downstairs sleepout, creating a warm and inviting space. Design and image by Catherine Roberts.
Coastal and city locations:
Best for: Beachside homes and architecture, or breezy urban spaces.
Colours: Try Resene Bison Hide, Half Napa, Tea and Resene Double Rice Cake.
Vibe: Light but grounded, these shades embrace pale wheaten sands and stony beiges rather than icy whites, offering a smooth transition that doesn't cause a blinding glare in intense sunlight.
Through darker framed doors, this snug invites its homeowners in for an evening of reading or movie watching. The walls and ceiling are painted in Resene Double Rice Cake. Design by Marylou Sobel Interior Design, image by Anson Smart.
This coastal home is painted in the warm Resene Quarter Ecru White. The ceiling is painted in SpaceCote Flat with beams in Lustacryl semi-gloss to create dimension. Design by Donnell Day Architects, image by Jessica Chloe Gernat.
Resene Pro Tips:
- Australia’s sun can be very harsh, if you’re using a dark colour on your exterior, deck or fencing, use the Resene CoolColour version to reflect more heat and protect your paint and stain.
- Resene’s SpaceCote Flat has proven extremely popular with Australian designers. While it has unmatched washability, it is the subtlety and luxuriousness of the flat, almost chalky finish that seems to appeal.
- Resene Uracryl is a 2 pack (2K) acrylic urethane that can be tinted in packs as small as 1 litre in virtually all Resene colours for an extra hard wearing, graffiti-resistant and highly durable finish (roughly twice that of a high quality acrylic) making it perfect for high wear areas and hard to reach situations where the cost of maintenance access can be extremely high.
If you live, or are planning to move, across the ditch, check out our article: Choosing colours for New Zealand homes.
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Published: 04 Aug 2026
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing editor@habitatbyresene.co.nz.
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Kalgoorie Sands
Resene Space Shuttle
Resene Double Rice Cake
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
Resene Eighth Lemon Grass
Resene Kalgoorie Sands
Resene Space Shuttle
Resene Double Rice Cake
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
