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The cool iceberg design is an easy detail to add to a bedroom wall. Use painter's tape and three shades of paint to create 3D-looking ice shards. Upper wall in Resene Quarter Frozen and lower wall and floor in Resene Spinnaker. Iceberg painted ‘headboard’ in Resene Sea Fog, Resene Frozen and Resene Blue Moon, dresser in Resene Quarter Frozen (upper) and Resene Spinnaker (lower), shelf in Resene Blue Moon and pendant lamp in Resene Bright Spark. Plant pot in Resene Matisse and vases in Resene Frozen, Resene Matisse, Resene Bullitt and Resene Fuel Yellow. DIY penguin skittles in Resene All Black, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Smoke Tree and Resene Roxy. Duvet, pillowcases and quilt from Città, Resene Living cushion from Briscoes, penguin puppet from Toyco
This DIY penguin hamper is painted in Resene All Black, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Bright Spark, Resene Smoke Tree, Resene Ayers Rock and Resene Roxy. Stool in Resene Frozen, box in Resene Matisse and pencil cup in Resene Fuel Yellow. Dresser in Resene Quarter Frozen (upper half) and Resene Spinnaker.
A tīeke artwork by Glenn Jones sets the colour palette in this bedroom. The wall is painted in Resene Travertine, floor in Resene Ravine and bedside table in Resene Blackout. Birdhouse shelves in Resene Middle Earth with edges in Resene Ravine, bird ornaments in Resene Rock Spray and Resene Half Melting Moment, lidded dish in Resene Half Chill Out, fluted bud vase in Resene Quarter Drought and tall vase in Resene Half Melting Moment. Duvet and pillowcases from Città, velvet cushion from Contempa, throw from Nood, bird cushion from H&M Home.
Bird lovers will adore this clothes hanger made of driftwood, painted in Resene Middle Earth. The wall is in Resene Travertine, floor in Resene Ravine and drawers in Resene Middle Earth. Hanging ‘birdhouses’ in Resene Middle Earth with edges in Resene Ravine, plant pot in Resene Rock Spray, bird ornaments in Resene Rock Spray and Resene Half Melting Moment, lidded dish in Resene Half Chill Out, fluted bud vase in Resene Quarter Drought and books in Resene Middle Earth and Resene Ravine. Orange chair from Nood.
In this magical space, the back wall is painted in Resene Warrior, with stars in Resene Black White and clusters topcoated in Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark. To maximise the glow the stars could be painted in Resene White topcoated with Resene FX Nightlight. Left wall and floor in Resene Mystic. Toy box, lipped shelves and wall hook in Resene Reservoir and vases in Resene Half Jumbo, Resene Reservoir, Resene Warrior and Resene Hermitage. DIY kite mobile in Resene Proton, Resene Reservoir, Resene Half Jumbo and Resene Black White. Cot from Mocka, cot accessories and wooden toys from Kmart, books and aqua cushion from The Warehouse.
Natural wonders: Children's bedroom ideas inspired by the remarkable world outside
Nature brings out the childlike wonder in us all, and after lockdowns spending far too long gazing wistfully out of windows, we gained a new appreciation for every colour, sound and sight that nature brings to our lives.
You can capture that joy and bring it inside with these Resene-hued children’s rooms. A bedroom makeover can be a fun nature-based activity, even on the rainiest of days. Choose conservation conversation starters for young ones, break out the Resene testpots and paint your own night sky or decorate a room dedicated to feathered friends.
Penguin power
The cool iceberg design is an easy detail to add to a bedroom wall. Use painter's tape and three shades of paint to create 3D-looking ice shards. Upper wall in Resene Quarter Frozen and lower wall and floor in Resene Spinnaker. Iceberg painted ‘headboard’ in Resene Sea Fog, Resene Frozen and Resene Blue Moon, dresser in Resene Quarter Frozen (upper) and Resene Spinnaker (lower), shelf in Resene Blue Moon and pendant lamp in Resene Bright Spark. Plant pot in Resene Matisse and vases in Resene Frozen, Resene Matisse, Resene Bullitt and Resene Fuel Yellow. DIY penguin skittles in Resene All Black, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Smoke Tree and Resene Roxy. Duvet, pillowcases and quilt from Città, Resene Living cushion from Briscoes, penguin puppet from Toyco.
This is one cool room. With a palette that includes Resene Frozen, penguins and children alike will feel right at home in this icy retreat. Whether you're inspired by little blue penguins, Antarctica's majestic emperors or the well-styled rockhopper, this timeless theme will have both toddlers and preteens in a flap.
There are countless opportunities to let your creativity fly. Resene testpots are your friend in this room, with small bursts of colour adding to the fun. Take a set of skittles (bowling pins) and turn them into little penguin masterpieces! Prime the skittles with a coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal (if your skittles are made of sealed wood or Resene Quick Dry if your skittles are made of unsealed wood) before using a basecoat of your favourite shades. Try a palette similar to ours by using Resene All Black, with Resene Alabaster as their feathered belly and eyes. A beak painted in Resene Tango and feet in Resene Daredevil will complete the transformation.
Warning, iceberg ahead! To create this quirky painted headboard start with two basecoats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel tinted to the aptly named Resene Quarter Frozen. Apply these over the entire surface of your wall, from floor to ceiling. Plan out the design of the iceberg first on paper with a pencil and label which paint colour you will use to colour each section. We used three colours to give our iceberg dimension. Use high quality painter’s tape to mask around the areas where you will be applying your first iceberg colour then paint each of those sections in two coats of paint. Try other icy shades like Resene Spindle, Resene Escape and Resene Blue Moon.
This DIY penguin hamper is painted in Resene All Black, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Bright Spark, Resene Smoke Tree, Resene Ayers Rock and Resene Roxy. Stool in Resene Frozen, box in Resene Matisse and pencil cup in Resene Fuel Yellow. Dresser in Resene Quarter Frozen (upper half) and Resene Spinnaker.
Turn a plain, lidded clothes hamper into a cute, stylised, yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho) using your favourite Resene paint colours. Try the above shades that we used, or go bright with hues like Resene Turbo, Resene Hyperactive, Resene Havoc and Resene Curious Blue. Once your first coat of paint has dried, apply a second coat in each colour.
Top tip: A wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen can be used as a chalkboard. You can also use Resene FX Chalkboard Paint, a premium washable waterborne finish that can be tinted to a range of Resene colours to create a chalkboard finish.
The tale of thetīeke
A tīeke artwork by Glenn Jones sets the colour palette in this bedroom. The wall is painted in Resene Travertine, floor in Resene Ravine and bedside table in Resene Blackout. Birdhouse shelves in Resene Middle Earth with edges in Resene Ravine, bird ornaments in Resene Rock Spray and Resene Half Melting Moment, lidded dish in Resene Half Chill Out, fluted bud vase in Resene Quarter Drought and tall vase in Resene Half Melting Moment. Duvet and pillowcases from Città, velvet cushion from Contempa, throw from Nood, bird cushion from H&M Home.
For tweens or teenagers yet to leave the nest, this sophisticated take on nature is a perfect steppingstone between fun and chic. Inspired by the saddleback or tīeke, the colour story centres around Resene Rock Spray, a rich deep terracotta orange that perfectly matches the songbird’s saddle. Choose colours for walls that will stay relevant as your tween grows and their tastes change, such as Resene Zumthor, Resene Half Emerge or Resene Carefree. Dip into your Resene testpots and use small accessories (think pots, vases and ornaments) to personalise the space to suit your teen.
Bird lovers will adore this clothes hanger made of driftwood, painted in Resene Middle Earth. The wall is in Resene Travertine, floor in Resene Ravine and drawers in Resene Middle Earth. Hanging ‘birdhouses’ in Resene Middle Earth with edges in Resene Ravine, plant pot in Resene Rock Spray, bird ornaments in Resene Rock Spray and Resene Half Melting Moment, lidded dish in Resene Half Chill Out, fluted bud vase in Resene Quarter Drought and books in Resene Middle Earth and Resene Ravine. Orange chair from Nood.
Branch out with this forest-inspired clothes hanger. First, convince your teen to accompany you on a hunt in the garden or on the beach for the perfect stick. Tidy up the wood by removing any leaves, moss or growth and gently sand. Paint the branch using two coats of a nature inspired shade like Resene Tom Thumb, Resene Paddock or Resene Green Spring. Once dry, hang by attaching two chains to the ceiling, with a loop in the middle. Hang the branch between, then your teen can use matching hangers to display and arrange their favourite items.
Starry, starry night
In this magical space, the back wall is painted in Resene Warrior, with stars in Resene Black White and clusters topcoated in Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark. To maximise the glow the stars could be painted in Resene White topcoated with Resene FX Nightlight. Left wall and floor in Resene Mystic. Toy box, lipped shelves and wall hook in Resene Reservoir and vases in Resene Half Jumbo, Resene Reservoir, Resene Warrior and Resene Hermitage. DIY kite mobile in Resene Proton, Resene Reservoir, Resene Half Jumbo and Resene Black White. Cot from Mocka, cot accessories and wooden toys from Kmart, books and aqua cushion from The Warehouse.
Is there anything more soothing than the gentle glow of starlight? There's comfort in the constancy of star constellations, making them the perfect inspiration for a calm, serene nursery. Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint brings Messier Object 45, or M45, to life in this soothing blue and grey hued nursery. M45 is a cluster of seven stars which have appeared in myths and tales throughout various cultures, often personified as seven sisters. Known as the Pleiades In Ancient Greek mythology, the cluster also appears in one of the most well-known Aboriginal tales, The Star Dreaming Story of the Seven Sisters. In Aotearoa, the stars are Matariki, and their appearance signals the beginning of Māori New Year, a time of harvest and celebration.
The feature wall in Resene Warrior gives the nursery depth while creating an inky evening background for the hand-painted Matariki and Southern Cross in Resene Black White, with an added dash of Resene FX Nightlight for a glow-in-the-dark effect. For other deep, dark shades, try Resene Cinder, Resene Blue Bark and Resene Indian Ink.
Top tip: For best results apply Resene FX Nightlight over a white basecoat, such as Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen or a Resene White testpot, allowing dry time in between coats. The glow will be strongest after it has been ‘charged’ in UV light during the day and will fade slowly at night as your little one drifts off to sleep.
Make your own kite or manu tukutuku like ours, painted in Resene Reservoir, Resene Half Jumbo and Resene Black White.
Kites or manu tukutuku were traditionally used by Māori to symbolise the start of Matariki. Create a kite mobile (like the one above) by cutting 12 kites and tie shapes in thick paper or card and paint in your favourite galactic colours. Use a strong glue to attach to strings and tie to a macrame hoop. For full instructions and kite template, click here.
For more children’s room designs, get some inspiration from the habitat plus – kids' spaces booklet. If you’re not sure exactly what colours you want, head to your local Resene ColorShop and bring the kids along to pick out some testpots!
projects Laura Lynn Johnston
images Bryce Carleton
Published: 22 Aug 2024
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing editor@habitatbyresene.co.nz.
Resene Quarter Frozen
Resene Quarter Frozen
Resene Quarter Drought
Resene Quarter Drought
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
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the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
