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The front lounge is a welcoming sight in Resene White Pointer with a simple ceiling in Resene White that highlights the original beams. The house won the 2020 Resene Total Colour Neutrals Award. The judges said "quiet and unassuming this home is a haven on the senses harnessing the power of an achromatic palette. Dark neutrals are used carefully, with lighter hues for added loveliness. This colour palette combination will undoubtedly inspire other homeowners to eschew the all-white look and uplift their own home with stronger hues."
The exterior of Roseberry Villa shines with Resene Triple White Pointer on the exterior weatherboards. The architraves and fretwork are in Resene Alabaster and create contrast against the striking front door in Resene Windswept.
Abbey continued the matai flooring into the formal dining room and paired them with bright Resene Alabaster on the walls, ceilings, and trim. In the kitchen, she used natural marble which complemented the refined cabinetry in Resene Alabaster.
The new renovation heightened the interior flow between the kitchen, dining space and living area. The kitchen cabinetry, walls, ceiling and trim are painted in Resene Alabaster and act as an intermediary between the family’s modern décor and the heritage aspects of the house.
The beautifully restored Resene Alabaster doors provide a peek into the master bedroom from the front lounge painted in Resene White Pointer. The feature wall of the bedroom provides a rich contrast in Resene Nocturnal.
Abbey loves the use of Resene Nocturnal for the feature wall, skirting, cavity door and architraves in the master bedroom. The wall doubles as a backdrop for photographs of floral arrangements for her artificial flower business, ‘Curated Botanics’ . Resene Nocturnal is the perfect dark neutral that makes everything in the foreground stand out.
Abbey’s son’s room is painted in Resene Alabaster. The white ceilings, walls, trim and door create a fresh feel that allows room for her son’s colourful toys.
The bathroom’s ceiling in Resene Alabaster adds height to the space and contrasts with the dark heritage tiles and freestanding bath.
Abbey put a lot of thought into the details of the renovation, ensuring that the history of the home remained intact. This included stripping and aging the brass hardware in the bathroom, which sparkles against the wall in Resene Alabaster.
From tired villa to heritage haven; Roseberry Villa shines with an update in white and charcoal
Roseberry Villa got more than a makeover when Interior Designer Abbey Lang moved in – it got a new lease on life. Old and new collided in this 110-year-old villa when Abbey doubled the home’s floorplan with a modern extension. To ensure the extension and the heritage aspects of the home merged seamlessly, Abbey used a carefully selected palette of Resene paint.
“Our objective was to be sympathetic to the design and detail of the original villa, whilst connecting the new living space to the outdoors,” says Abbey, whose renovation won the 2020 Resene Total Colour Neutrals Award. With the help of LTD Architectural Design Studio, Abbey transformed the 100 square metre, three-bedroom villa into a spacious family home for her partner and two children. Boasting a 200 square metre floorplan, the extended villa is now comprised of four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two lounges and an open plan dining area that allows a seamless flow into the garden.
The villa’s exterior glows with a fresh coat of Resene Triple White Pointer on the weatherboards, complete with crisp architraves and fretwork in Resene Alabaster. Behind the deep charcoal Resene Windswept front door lies a haven of light.
“I wanted the house to feel timeless and fresh, so opted for a neutral palette to let the architecture and the interior details be the hero,” says Abbey. “The villa has beautiful details seen in ceiling battens, skirting boards and the original flooring.
“I am really familiar with Resene paints and found the perfect whites and moody darks which complemented the heritage aspects and our dark stained matai floors.”
Abbey’s neutral colour scheme began in the family’s front lounge with walls in Resene White Pointer, an off-white with a hint of black. She added a final touch of bright Resene White on the ceiling.
Abbey redesigned the kitchen with minimal shaker stye cabinets, with a profile that echoed the detail of the original ceiling battens. “The concept of the kitchen was to make the cabinetry feel like an architectural detail within the whole space,” says Abbey, who painted the kitchen cabinetry, walls, trim, and ceiling in Resene Alabaster. Resene Alabaster, a near white with a blackened edge, reflected the light from the double hung windows and created a luminous glow within the kitchen and dining space.
The dining room, Abbey’s favourite room of the house, also uses Resene Alabaster for the walls, ceiling, and trim. “We love our dining room,” says Abbey. “It was a later addition to our plans, as we realised it was the perfect spot for winter sunshine and gives us extra space when all the family are over.”
Natural materials such as marble, timber, brass, and hand-made concrete tiles were key inspirations for Abbey’s designs. When redesigning the dining room, she restored an old ceiling rose and rewired a brass light fitting to add a sense of history to the space.
“I love mixing old and new together; celebrating pieces of the past which were done so well, with newer pieces for modern day functionality.”
The dining area flows into the comfortable second lounge area, where the walls, ceiling and trim are in Resene Alabaster. “Resene Alabaster provides the perfect warm white,” says Abbey. “It works beautifully with the deep rich brown floors for freshness and contrast.”
Abbey introduced her love of darker colours in the master bedroom, where she created an elegant feature wall in Resene Nocturnal with surrounding walls and ceiling in Resene Alabaster. “I have so many favourite colours, but I always find myself gravitating to Resene Element or Resene Nocturnal for darks because they are rich and intense. Resene Nocturnal is perfect for creating cosy spaces,” says Abbey. “Resene Nocturnal covers the wall, skirting boards, cavity door and architraves on the feature wall.
“This allows the eye to see the one wall as a deep moody backdrop, without the interruption of a contrasting colour. I chose Resene Nocturnal to enhance the scale and height of the bedroom wall, giving a grandeur to the space.”
In her son’s bedroom, Abbey used Resene Alabaster on the walls and ceiling to create a blank canvas for colourful décor. “We primarily used Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for the walls as this provides a nice flat matte finish,” says Abbey. “This contrasted with the Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss on the architraves, skirting and doors and adds extra protection as it is a family home with young kids.”
Resene Alabaster on the ceiling of the bathroom highlights the family’s classic freestanding bath and carefully restored brass elements. “A lot of thought went into the details in our home,” says Abbey. “Right down to stripping and aging the brass hardware.
“We also continued the matai flooring into the open plan living at the back of the house. We love it there because it connects us to the garden, whether it be snapshots through the double hung windows or through our glass doors, we are always seeing green, which is our happy place.”
For more of Abbey’s work visit her website or follow her on Instagram @abbeylanghome
Top tip: Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is a highly durable paint which brings enamel style toughness with a low sheen finish. It is easily cleanable and can also be used as a blackboard writing space.
The front lounge is a welcoming sight in Resene White Pointer with a simple ceiling in Resene White that highlights the original beams. The house won the 2020 Resene Total Colour Neutrals Award. The judges said "quiet and unassuming this home is a haven on the senses harnessing the power of an achromatic palette. Dark neutrals are used carefully, with lighter hues for added loveliness. This colour palette combination will undoubtedly inspire other homeowners to eschew the all-white look and uplift their own home with stronger hues."
The exterior of Roseberry Villa shines with Resene Triple White Pointer on the exterior weatherboards. The architraves and fretwork are in Resene Alabaster and create contrast against the striking front door in Resene Windswept.
Abbey continued the matai flooring into the formal dining room and paired them with bright Resene Alabaster on the walls, ceilings, and trim. In the kitchen, she used natural marble which complemented the refined cabinetry in Resene Alabaster.
The new renovation heightened the interior flow between the kitchen, dining space and living area. The kitchen cabinetry, walls, ceiling and trim are painted in Resene Alabaster and act as an intermediary between the family’s modern décor and the heritage aspects of the house.
The beautifully restored Resene Alabaster doors provide a peek into the master bedroom from the front lounge painted in Resene White Pointer. The feature wall of the bedroom provides a rich contrast in Resene Nocturnal.
Abbey loves the use of Resene Nocturnal for the feature wall, skirting, cavity door and architraves in the master bedroom. The wall doubles as a backdrop for photographs of floral arrangements for her artificial flower business, ‘Curated Botanics’ . Resene Nocturnal is the perfect dark neutral that makes everything in the foreground stand out.
Abbey’s son’s room is painted in Resene Alabaster. The white ceilings, walls, trim and door create a fresh feel that allows room for her son’s colourful toys.
The bathroom’s ceiling in Resene Alabaster adds height to the space and contrasts with the dark heritage tiles and freestanding bath.
Abbey put a lot of thought into the details of the renovation, ensuring that the history of the home remained intact. This included stripping and aging the brass hardware in the bathroom, which sparkles against the wall in Resene Alabaster.
Published: 20 May 2021
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene Triple White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
Resene White Pointer
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If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
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Ask a Colour Expert service.
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the look
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colour to use or need colour
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Ask a Colour Expert service.
