How to Bring Your Exterior Up-to-Date With Gentle, Natural Hues

Sponsored Content

Nature continues to be a huge source of inspiration for design trends in 2022. Gentle natural colours and organic textures add depth and interest to your home, and create that sense of calm many of us have been craving after a challenging couple of years. They’re also a great way to connect your home with its surroundings.

Your exterior sets the tone for the rest of your home, making it the ideal place to start your colour journey. We spoke to the colour experts at Wattyl to discover this year’s on-trend natural hues, and how you can use them to bring your exterior to life.

Wattyl

Look to nature
The gentle greens, grey-greens and pops of charcoal synonymous with the Australian landscape are major trends for 2022. And they’re perfect for creating a sense of calm; “Gentle greens and grey-greens are soothing and make you feel connected to nature, which supports our desire for wellbeing,” says Marylou Cafaro, a trend forecaster and Wattyl colour ambassador.

“They blend the built environment with the natural one and create a balanced and relaxed look that blurs the lines between indoors and out,” she says.

Wattyl

“When seeking colour inspiration, the natural landscape is a great place to start,” says Katherine Champion, a Wattyl colour ambassador. So look no further than your backyard, a nearby park or surrounding bushland.

Prefer a curated palette? Check out the Conscious Connection palette from the Wattyl 2022 Colour Forecast – four soft, nature-drawn hues (Dewkist, Billy the Kid, Shelter Cove and Colorbond Mangrove) – that look stunning both inside and out.

Or have an exterior palette tailored specially for your home with Wattyl’s Online Colour Consultation Service (usually AU$65 but currently free; the service includes a 30 per cent discount on paints or stains on your first purchase over AU$100. Terms and conditions apply).

Wattyl

Choose a quality paint
Australia has some of the toughest weather conditions in the world, so it’s crucial to choose an exterior paint that’s up to the task.

“Wattyl Solagard is made in Australia specifically for Australian conditions,” says Champion. “Wattyl Solagard’s Total Protection Technology provides UV blockout, resists cracking, peeling and blistering, inhibits mould and mildew, and won’t chalk or fade. Plus, it’s self-priming on most exterior surfaces for faster painting.

“Wattyl Solagard Low Sheen is ideal for most wall surfaces, including render and cladding, and provides the best balance between appearance, dirt resistance and flexibility for greater protection. It is also backed by a 15-year warranty against flaking, peeling and blistering,” she says.

Wattyl

Layer tonal hues
To add character and warmth to your exterior, try layering different shades of the same, or similar, colours. “Using colours from the same tonal palette, with enough contrast, creates a monochromatic colour scheme that feels timeless and cohesive,” says Champion.

“For an appealing and on-trend look, layer grey-greens across your exterior walls, trims, the front door, roof and guttering. You could even extend them to your fencing, pergola or letterbox,” she says.

To create a seamless sense of flow, apply the same – or similar – earthy, nuanced hues to your interior, says Cafaro. “There are several ways to do this; you can create a relaxed and homey feel by layering gentle greens and grey-greens on your exterior, working from lightest tones on trims to medium tones on walls to darkest tones on features. Or, for a more contemporary feel, use just one pale grey-green or a mid-tone grey-green both inside and out.

“Using a textured paint on the ‘spine’ or main walls of your home both inside and out will really boost the sense of connection between the two areas,” she says.

Wattyl

Add texture
“Texture is one of the biggest trends in 2022 as we seek out more tactile surfaces in our homes that make us feel connected with nature,” says Cafaro.

“Textured coating systems, such as Wattyl Granosite, have a tactile appeal, encouraging you to run your fingers over their surface. They also add visual interest and depth to your exterior,” says Champion.

Textured surfaces can boost the performance of your painted surface too; “They increase durability, hide imperfections and, when top-coated with GranoImpact, provide added resistance to dirt, mould and fungi.

“Wattyl GranoImpact High Profile, which has a stippled texture; Wattyl GranoSahara Ripple Impact, which is subtly textured with a low-profile sandy finish, and Wattyl GranoMarble Impact, which has a finer, textured grain, are three of our most popular textured coating products for exteriors,” she says.

Wattyl

Natural touches
Finish off your earth-inspired exterior with touches of natural materials, such as timber, brick and stone, suggests Champion. “They will give your exterior a focal point and reinforce its connection to the natural environment,” she says.

Or, for a cost-effective and quick alternative, consider adding raw, naturally weathered metal panels to your exterior walls, suggests Champion. You could also use them to create privacy screens if you’re overlooked by neighbours or the street, she says.

“An abundance of plants, rendered and textured walls and touches of glass will all complement a gentle green or grey-green palette,” says Cafaro. “Yellow-based, red-based or grey-stained timbers for fencing, screens, decking and outdoor furniture will all work exceptionally well too.

“To extend your outdoor living space, use the same furniture on your deck as you’ve used indoors. Set up an outdoor rocking chair or a full outdoor lounge setting where you can relax alfresco. Style the area with clusters of pot plants of varying heights, shapes and textures but with a common theme, such as an all-terracotta, concrete or white finish, to create a laid-back yet contemporary feel,” she says.

More: Learn more about Wattyl Solagard on their website.

Tell us: Would natural, tonal hues and earthy textures work well on your facade?

This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.