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On the Auckland home’s cedar weatherboards, Resene Woodsman penetrating oil tinted to Resene Treehouse was applied. The exterior soffits, downpipes and windows are painted in Resene Sonyx 101 tinted to Resene Alabaster. This same product was tinted to Resene Ironsand for the fascia at the roof line.
The family has enjoyed plenty of time soaking up the sun across multiple courtyards. Weatherboards are stained in Resene Woodsman tinted to Resene Treehouse teamed withexterior soffits, downpipes and windows painted in Resene Sonyx 101 tinted to Resene Alabaster. Resene Sonyx 101 tinted to Resene Ironsand is painted onto the fascia at the roof line.
Inside, Resene Zylone Sheen tinted to Resene Rice Cake is painted across the home’s walls with the same colour extending onto the ceiling and trims. It offsets the red of the home’s interior brick beautifully.
The home has plenty of space for both relaxing after busy workdays and hosting gatherings on weekends. Ian is a business advisor, leadership coach and the owner of Glass Half Full. Georgia is a real estate agent and owner of Back to Basics, a designer and manufacturer of fabric and copper eco-friendly products. Walls, trims and ceilings, including the brickwork, all finished in Resene Rice Cake.
The kitchen is bright, light and open. “The house is positioned to get sun all day along the long side, this heats up the bricks and concrete. It remains warm, even in winter.” The walls, trims and ceiling are painted in Resene Rice Cake.
Resene Rice Cake on the walls, trims and ceilings allows the green of the garden to stand out.
Resene Rice Cake offers a neutral backdrop for pops of colour, like these fashion yellow features in one of the home’s five bedrooms.
Resene FX Blackboard Paint provides a place to get creative in the home office. Resene Rice Cake is painted on the opposite wall and ceiling.
With a floor area of around 223m2, this Auckland home has different spaces set over split levels to accommodate everyone in the family. The walls, trims and ceiling are in Resene Rice Cake.
The pool door was given a new lease of life with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss tinted to Resene Ironsand.
An architecturally designed mid-century gem has a timeless refresh
Once upon a time Ian and Georgia’s Auckland home would have likely been adorned with macrame and shag rugs. The home was designed by renowned architect Marshall Cook in the 1970s. For years University of Auckland architecture students toured the house on field trips to take notes. This year the home has had a modern refresh, painted top to bottom in Resene paints.
“We wanted to keep the original look of the house. We aimed for a fresh and clean interior look, with lots of natural light,” Ian says.
The brick and cedar home in Meadowbank was originally designed in 1969 for the accountant at ceramics business Ceramco, who wanted to showcase the products of the company. When the home was built in 1970, it was the first to be built with double skin, reinforced brick. It’s thought to be one of the last in New Zealand that used structural forest-grown kauri.
Sitting on 1404 square metres of land, the brick home has been Ian and Georgia’s oasis for the past five years with their daughter. A phoenix palm, kowhai and gledisia attract visiting tui and wood pigeons in the garden.
The home is open plan and orientated to the north, with brick courtyards designed for plenty of outdoor time. It was one of the great party houses of the era. Fast forward nearly half a century and Ian and Georgia attest that its clever layout is ideal for entertaining and family living. “We have gatherings in summer and winter. We’ve spent a lot of time in the dining area and adjacent patio overlooking the pool, while the young ones played in the pool or danced in the lounge.
“The large windows and view from the BBQ area means it easy to keep an eye on the children playing outside. We had a family friend host a hens party there too, they had a ball!”
The exterior is fresh in new coats of Resene paints and stains across the whole house. Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain tinted to Resene Pitch Black is sophisticated and striking on the front gate. On the home’s cedar weatherboards, Resene Woodsman penetrating oil tinted to Resene Treehouse was applied. This wood stain finish adds colour to wood while allowing its natural grain to show through.
On the exterior soffits, downpipes and windows, Resene Sonyx 101 was tinted to the neutral Resene Alabaster, with Resene Ironsand painted on the fascia at the roof line.
Inside, Resene Zylone Sheen tinted to Resene Rice Cake is the star colour. “Resene Rice Cake is a chalky white, and this colour on the brick texture as well as plaster surfaces gives a very natural feel. Having this colour throughout the interior keeps the flow of the home and lets the bricks tell their own story.”
The tone complements the red of the interior brickwork and its tall ceilings. “The kitchen and dining space has been our favourite spot in the home. It has an amazing view to the trees with no neighbours visible. It’s a very social space, with its own fireplace and overlooks the pool,” Ian says.
The layout of the kitchen has been largely unchanged since it was built, and includes well-maintained original joinery, including a rimu-lined pantry.
Sitting poolside, doors were given a new lease of life in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss tinted to Resene Ironsand. “Advice from our painter Jo from Miraj Painting was very helpful when it came to picking colours.”
Ultimately, Ian and Georgia said they focused on keeping a simple Resene colour palette and letting the character of their house shine through.
They are saying goodbye to their much-loved home, moving into something smaller. “We hope the next owner enjoys the tranquillity and morning light that awakens the house in the morning. We hope they appreciate the architecture and love sharing the energy the house has with family and friends.”
Find the home for sale with Ray White here: 176 Gowing Drive, Meadowbank NZ | Ray White Parnell (rwparnell.co.nz)
Top tip: For home exteriors, it’s often best to stay clear of bright white colours. Our intense sun in this part of the world can make pure white quite blinding to look at. Your neighbours may end up having to wear shades, even when the sun isn’t out. Use the light reflectance value (LRV) that is handily noted on the back of Resene paint chips to guide you. Take care with colours with an LRV of higher than 85% to make sure they will not reflect too much glare.
On the Auckland home’s cedar weatherboards, Resene Woodsman penetrating oil tinted to Resene Treehouse was applied. The exterior soffits, downpipes and windows are painted in Resene Sonyx 101 tinted to Resene Alabaster. This same product was tinted to Resene Ironsand for the fascia at the roof line.
The family has enjoyed plenty of time soaking up the sun across multiple courtyards. Weatherboards are stained in Resene Woodsman tinted to Resene Treehouse teamed withexterior soffits, downpipes and windows painted in Resene Sonyx 101 tinted to Resene Alabaster. Resene Sonyx 101 tinted to Resene Ironsand is painted onto the fascia at the roof line.
Inside, Resene Zylone Sheen tinted to Resene Rice Cake is painted across the home’s walls with the same colour extending onto the ceiling and trims. It offsets the red of the home’s interior brick beautifully.
The home has plenty of space for both relaxing after busy workdays and hosting gatherings on weekends. Ian is a business advisor, leadership coach and the owner of Glass Half Full. Georgia is a real estate agent and owner of Back to Basics, a designer and manufacturer of fabric and copper eco-friendly products. Walls, trims and ceilings, including the brickwork, all finished in Resene Rice Cake.
The kitchen is bright, light and open. “The house is positioned to get sun all day along the long side, this heats up the bricks and concrete. It remains warm, even in winter.” The walls, trims and ceiling are painted in Resene Rice Cake.
Resene Rice Cake on the walls, trims and ceilings allows the green of the garden to stand out.
Resene Rice Cake offers a neutral backdrop for pops of colour, like these fashion yellow features in one of the home’s five bedrooms.
Resene FX Blackboard Paint provides a place to get creative in the home office. Resene Rice Cake is painted on the opposite wall and ceiling.
With a floor area of around 223m2, this Auckland home has different spaces set over split levels to accommodate everyone in the family. The walls, trims and ceiling are in Resene Rice Cake.
The pool door was given a new lease of life with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss tinted to Resene Ironsand.
Published: 29 Jun 2022
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
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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.
