In the lounge, Carley used, Resene Indian Ink, a blackened blue and one of her all-time favourites. A hint of Resene Green Meets Blue can be seen on the right, and Resene Alabaster is painted on the remaining walls and ceiling, while the beams are original.

Carley and Bryn had their hearts set on a black exterior but were concerned about the high sunshine hours in Nelson and the impact this would have on the house in summer. After advice from the Resene ColorShop in Richmond, they chose Resene All Black using Resene CoolColour technology.  Special pigment technology reflects more heat, so it doesn’t get as hot as a normal colour would. “To soften the black exterior we used Resene Grey Friars on the back deck and trims,” Carley says. “This colour combination then needed a burst of colour and after getting our Cape Cod chairs sprayed with Resene Keppel, it was an easy decision to carry this through to the decking balustrade.” 

Carley decided to run Resene Indian Ink down the staircase wall and along one side of the hallway, which flows into the bedrooms. “It made an instant impact and sitting against freshly painted skirting boards in Resene Alabaster, the punch of colour grounded the space and gave us a feeling of warmth and comfort to enjoy as a family,” Carley says.  Add punchy yellow to a favourite furniture piece in your home with Resene Southern Cross.

In the kitchen Resene Green Meets Blue brightens and lifts the space, contrasting with the laminate marble benchtop and cabinetry. “Incorporating this colour into the kitchen space that we'd used throughout the open plan space totally transformed and completed the interior of the house,” Carley says. Resene Alabaster is painted on the ceiling, which Carley says is a perfect crisp white.  Benchtop, cabinetry, tiles and flooring are existing.  If repainting, Resene White is ideal for a crisp white joinery look.

Carley’s three- colour palette comes together in the hallway, with Resene Indian Ink on the left-hand wall, and Resene Blanched Pink from the Karen Walker range on the facing wall. In  the kitchen Resene Green Meets Blue is a feature, a soft grey-green with a hint of blue.  Carley says, “we'd used Resene Green Meets Blue before and the colour is divine.” 

The master bedroom is a converted garage and panelled in pine. Carley says it desperately needed some life injected into it. “Choosing something that would complement all of the wood was really important to us and probably one of the hardest colours to choose. Sticking to our set palette of three colours, we ended up going with vibrant Resene Green House. The colour has transformed the space from a converted garage to a relaxing haven we now call our master bedroom.”

In her son’s room, Carley chose a rich dark blue, Resene Licorice. “In keeping with our colour palette, we were set on choosing another blue for this room, and after a few testpots, chose Resene Licorice. The room has gone from being the least desirable room in the house, to one of our favourites,” she says. Resene Alabaster is painted on the door, trims and ceiling.