The resurgence of wild style: How to decorate a living room and bedroom

  • 15/03/2022
  • Sponsored by - Resene
Left: Leaf motifs punctuated with soft cheerful colours, Resene Wallpaper Collection 36630-1 is brimming with life. Try it with tropical blues like Resene Wavelength and Resene Spinnaker and a soft chalk white like Resene Snow Drift.
Right: Resene Wallpaper Collection 36518-1 brings in bold botanicals and blends them with on trend shades of olive and pink. Try it in a bedroom with a headboard and side table in Resene Karaka and skirting boards in Resene Rice Cake.
Left: Leaf motifs punctuated with soft cheerful colours, Resene Wallpaper Collection 36630-1 is brimming with life. Try it with tropical blues like Resene Wavelength and Resene Spinnaker and a soft chalk white like Resene Snow Drift. Right: Resene Wallpaper Collection 36518-1 brings in bold botanicals and blends them with on trend shades of olive and pink. Try it in a bedroom with a headboard and side table in Resene Karaka and skirting boards in Resene Rice Cake. Photo credit: Supplied

Flora, fauna and animalia are some of the hottest dominating decorating trends for 2022. With bold colours and earthly accents adopting, this design style will give your home a wild flare. But rest assured – this trend can be executed with elegance, and without throwing you back a few decades.

The trend involves using a few different materials, organic textures and graphic patterns to elevate the style and natural feel of the room while paired with warm and neutral Resene paint colours and wood stains. Décor pieces finish off the look by adding a bit of animalia and literal nature. Living rooms and bedrooms work best for this trend, as feature walls and décor textures thrive in these spaces.

Living room

For living rooms, try a statement wall in a nature-inspired green such as Resene Yucca, Resene Middle Earth, Resene Holly, Resene Gecko or Resene Laurel or a wallpaper design that is full of lively florals or leaves such as Resene Wallpaper Collection 36630-1 or 36518-1. 

It'll pair well with grey whites like Resene Quarter Concrete or Resene Sea Fog beautifully to create a strong base, and then you can pull together the rest of your décor palette from there. Add a vinyl couch in Resene Nero, Resene Rose of Sharon or Resene Mission Brown then incorporate natural fibres through a woven rug made of jute or wool in lighter tones like Half Sour Dough and Resene Quarter Parchment to balance out the boldness of the other elements. 

Other furniture and decorating elements will work best in tones like black, forest green or warm yellow such as Resene Jaguar, Resene Half Forest Green and Resene Chamois.

If you are struggling to find the perfect coffee table, side tables or ornaments in just the right shade to suit your scheme, pick up some paint in colours like Resene Double Cod and Resene Noosa and paint them yourself. Ottomans also make a great touch to bring in an element to the floor space. Painting patterns on fabrics like animal stripes or spots works a charm.

Left: Birds and fish are especially popular symbols in New Zealand interiors. Wall in Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, outside of sideboard in Resene Fast Forward, plant pot, fish ornaments and sideboard doors in Resene Mystery, and side table and lamp shade in Resene Artemis. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton. Right: This elegant dining space features both flora and fauna motifs amidst an unexpected colour palette. Back wall in Resene RSVP (left) and Memory Lane (right), left wall in Resene Noir, floor in Resene Elderflower with geometric pattern in Resene Black and table in Resene Blackjack. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton.
Left: Birds and fish are especially popular symbols in New Zealand interiors. Wall in Resene Half Duck Egg Blue, outside of sideboard in Resene Fast Forward, plant pot, fish ornaments and sideboard doors in Resene Mystery, and side table and lamp shade in Resene Artemis. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton. Right: This elegant dining space features both flora and fauna motifs amidst an unexpected colour palette. Back wall in Resene RSVP (left) and Memory Lane (right), left wall in Resene Noir, floor in Resene Elderflower with geometric pattern in Resene Black and table in Resene Blackjack. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton. Photo credit: Supplied

For a brighter and more minimalist approach, pair neutral grey walls – think Resene Half Ash, Resene Quarter Tapa or Resene Atmosphere – with crisp white trims in Resene Quarter Merino or Resene Half Alabaster. Add a plush couch in a warmer stone grey like Resene Tana, Resene Half Pravda or Resene Eighth Arrowtown and then boost the rest of the furniture with light timber tones in Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Rock Salt and sprinkle in some black and cream accents in Resene Blackjack and Resene Half Villa White. 

To incorporate texture, some branches in a vase or a piece of driftwood on a table work well as do textured and patterned cushions. Don't forget a staple piece of artwork that is of a natural element, whether that is of a plant or an animal while being mindful of your colour palette.

Bedroom

For a feminine bedroom, a bright neutral Resene Half Black White feature wall with pale pink Resene Ebb surrounding walls can make a great starting place for a light and fun environment. 

Adding a textured headboard and curtains in a pale pineapple-yellow-like Resene Half Astra will add some warmth and a tropical twist. Decorate the room with plenty of green plants and animal art prints that pick up hints of hues like Resene Rice Paper and Resene First Light. 

For a bit of excitement, paint a jute rug with animal prints in the same shades to add texture and another natural element.

The finishing touches are really what makes this trend pop along with a cohesive colour palette. A mixture of deeper and lighter tones with natural elements works well. 

Tip: Don't be afraid to be bold with texture, prints and statement walls to really encapsulate the beauty of flora and fauna for those who live within it.

For more wild colour and wallpaper ideas, see your Resene ColorShop or view the latest colour ideas.

This article was created for Resene.