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The open plan kitchen, dining and living area are awash with light reflected off the Resene Half White Pointer walls and Resene Alabaster ceiling and trim. The Resene Fuscous Grey feature wall creates a bold statement in the space.
Sarah’s contemporary style brought the hallway to life. She introduced accents in gold to complement the contrasting walls in Resene Half White Pointer and Resene Fuscous Grey. The ceiling and trim are in Resene Alabaster.
Chris designed the bespoke fireplace that acts as a divider between the lounge and open plan living space. The battened fireplace feature is stained in Resene Crowshead and the surrounding walls are in Resene Half White Pointer.
Sarah created a dark, sophisticated living space with feature wall in Resene Blue Charcoal, surrounding walls in Resene Chicane and ceiling in Resene Alabaster.
The moody master bedroom features Resene Wallpaper Collection Y6201202 surrounded by walls in Resene Fuscous Grey and ceiling and trim in Resene Alabaster.
The bathroom is a haven of relaxation with walls in Resene Half White Pointer and trim in Resene Alabaster.
Riley’s room continues the home’s striking colour scheme with two walls in Resene Foundry and surrounding walls in Resene Half White Pointer.
Austin’s room features walls in Resene Half Grey Friars, Resene Half White Pointer and a creative wall in Resene FX Blackboard Paint.
After repainting daughter Mia’s room three times, Sarah settled on Scandiavian grey Resene Half Baltic Sea with crisp Resene Alabaster ceiling and trim.
Sarah and Chris’ moody colour palette began with the exterior, where they painted the weatherboards in Resene Fuscous Grey, stained Shadowclad® in Resene Woodsman Crowshead and added trim in Appliance White.
Sarah’s attention to detail even included the property’s water tanks which she painted in striking Resene Black. The deep colour provides an excellent backdrop for the green hues of her newly planted gardens.
An empty Feilding paddock becomes a family home with an inspired moody dark grey colour palette including Resene Blue Charcoal and Resene Crowshead
Sarah and Chris don’t do things by halves. With nothing but a few paddocks on the outskirts of Feilding and an ambitious idea, the couple embarked on the challenge of a lifetime – building their dream home from scratch. Their three children were kept occupied with a caravan full of toys in a nearby paddock while the couple spent long nights and weekends creating their family home. Now, the fruit of their labours stands elegantly with a fresh coat of Resene Fuscous Grey in their perfectly manicured gardens. But their home’s dark exterior is just the tip of the iceberg – a vast and inspired palette of moody colours lies within.
Chris is a professional builder and Sarah has a background in sales management, but she recently ventured away from the office lifestyle to explore her passion for interior and garden design. The home’s section, large enough for several sheep and a pony, provides an element of freedom for their children, seventeen-year-old Riley, thirteen-year-old Austin and nine-year-old Mia.
Sarah originally painted the home’s interior in Resene Half White Pointer with Resene Alabaster trim. “Resene Half White Pointer is a beautiful warm white that works with many raw materials and colours, it has been an easy colour to work with” says Sarah, who later decided to introduce some darker hues to her colour scheme. “I love the dark on white look. It’s an easy way to make a statement in a home without over-cluttering with furnishings.
“As Resene Half White Pointer is a warm white, I went with warmer dark greys. I have used a different colour in each room, but they all tie in and flow with each other.”
The open plan kitchen, dining and living space inspired Sarah’s move towards bold, darker colours. Despite an abundance of different materials, including timber and stone features, Sarah felt the area was missing something special. She created the ‘wow’ factor with a feature wall in Resene Blue Charcoal and surrounding walls in Resene Chicane, a contemporary grey metallic.
Further renovations included removing the wall between the living area and the lounge, which are now separated by a bespoke double fireplace designed by Chris. The fireplace is surrounded with ground concrete and battens stained in deep Resene Crowshead, providing an elegant feature for both rooms.
“I absolutely love our bespoke fireplace in the living area, as well as our concrete floor and high pitched ceilings,” says Sarah, whose favourite area of the home is the open plan kitchen and living space. “I love the indoor outdoor flow and our large L-shaped island bench is perfect for entertaining our family and friends.”
Inspiration for the living spaces came from the couple’s initial choice of exterior colour; Shadowclad® in Resene Woodsman Crowshead, weatherboards in Resene Fuscous Grey and trim in Appliance White. “Resene Woodsman Crowshead on the exterior is carried through to the fireplace and the back of the island bench,” says Sarah. She complemented the dark exterior with an avenue of Aristocrat Ornamental Pear trees which have a uniform shape, vibrant green leaves and white flowers in spring. “I chose these trees as they will stand out with the Resene Fuscous Grey and white frames of the exterior, which mirrors the dark and white contrast inside.
“As a full project I am happy with how the garden and exterior choices flow smoothly into the house.”
Sarah continued the contrasting colour scheme in the kids’ bedrooms, where each room created a statement with dark feature walls surrounded by Resene Half White Pointer. Riley’s room was brought to life with a feature wall in Resene Foundry, while Austin’s room included a feature wall in rich Resene Half Grey Friars and a creative wall that Sarah painted in Resene FX Blackboard Paint.
It was youngest child Mia’s room that proved to be the biggest challenge. I learnt if you don’t like a colour in a room you can just repaint it,” says Sarah, who has repainted Mia’s room three times. “As she got older I changed the room to work with the house and covered all walls in Resene Half Baltic Sea.
“I have worked with Resene paint previously and it has never let me down. I love the colour selection.”
In the master bedroom, Sarah threw caution to the wind and created a richly sophisticated feature wall using silver textured Resene Wallpaper Collection Y6201202. She paired it with surrounding walls in Resene Fuscous Grey and created a polished look with ceiling and trim in Resene Alabaster. Designing this moody retreat allowed Sarah to truly find her interior style. “My style is modern and contemporary with industrial features,” says Sarah. “I love using different textures and materials to create a statement.”
After creating a rich and daring home for her family, Sarah’s love for dark interior colours continues to grow and she encourages others to embrace a more mysterious colour palette. “Don’t be afraid, go for it!” she says. “Dark colours mean less furnishings.
“Make sure you understand or get advice on the tones you’ve chosen – and whether they are warm or cool colours – so they pop and complement each other nicely, otherwise it can look harsh.
“When checking for the right colours, make sure you paint on large card first. Pop it up against the wall moving it right around the room, by the carpet, trim and other wall colours, before you commit. Think of the whole picture.”
Top tip: If you’re thinking of painting the exterior of your home in a dark colour, use a Resene CoolColour tinted to your choice of dark colour to protect your home. Resene CoolColour technology helps protect exterior materials and reduces the effects of the sun’s heat.
The open plan kitchen, dining and living area are awash with light reflected off the Resene Half White Pointer walls and Resene Alabaster ceiling and trim. The Resene Fuscous Grey feature wall creates a bold statement in the space.
Sarah’s contemporary style brought the hallway to life. She introduced accents in gold to complement the contrasting walls in Resene Half White Pointer and Resene Fuscous Grey. The ceiling and trim are in Resene Alabaster.
Chris designed the bespoke fireplace that acts as a divider between the lounge and open plan living space. The battened fireplace feature is stained in Resene Crowshead and the surrounding walls are in Resene Half White Pointer.
Sarah created a dark, sophisticated living space with feature wall in Resene Blue Charcoal, surrounding walls in Resene Chicane and ceiling in Resene Alabaster. 
The moody master bedroom features Resene Wallpaper Collection Y6201202 surrounded by walls in Resene Fuscous Grey and ceiling and trim in Resene Alabaster.
The bathroom is a haven of relaxation with walls in Resene Half White Pointer and trim in Resene Alabaster.
Riley’s room continues the home’s striking colour scheme with two walls in Resene Foundry and surrounding walls in Resene Half White Pointer. 
Austin’s room features walls in Resene Half Grey Friars, Resene Half White Pointer and a creative wall in Resene FX Blackboard Paint.
After repainting daughter Mia’s room three times, Sarah settled on Scandiavian grey Resene Half Baltic Sea with crisp Resene Alabaster ceiling and trim.
Sarah and Chris’ moody colour palette began with the exterior, where they painted the weatherboards in Resene Fuscous Grey, stained Shadowclad® in Resene Woodsman Crowshead and added trim in Appliance White.
Sarah’s attention to detail even included the property’s water tanks which she painted in striking Resene Black. The deep colour provides an excellent backdrop for the green hues of her newly planted gardens.
Published: 23 Sep 2021
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Resene Blue Charcoal
Resene Blue Charcoal
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
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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Resene Blue Charcoal
Resene Blue Charcoal
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half White Pointer
Resene Half Grey Friars
Resene Half Grey Friars
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
