From Tūī's eyes to home design: A nature inspired wonder in Wānaka

Ever wondered how the Tūī bird experiences the world? This designer’s vision of a Wānaka home sought to emulate the world through the eyes of the Tūī in their architectural design and build of soft curvature, organic lines, complementing textures and Resene colours.

“As a spec build, it is always tough to bring an artistic vision to life that will be striking yet palatable to anyone that buys the home,” says architectural and interior designer, Priyanka Sareen from Home Factor. “We wanted to create a beautiful home that had a strong inspiration behind it and the vision was brought to life in the architecture of the home and the interior design to create a very unique and cohesive design.”

The beauty of this home is seen through the influence of nature showcased through a modern design method. Splashes of muted and deep greens, curved angles and wooden elements, shine through in this home, just like they would in a setting of a rich native forest.

 

This nature inspired entryway features cedar slats at the top of the walls, with a subtle pastel green on the right wall, Resene Half Lemon Grass. The surrounding walls are painted in Resene Half Merino and ceiling in Resene Quarter Merino.  

The first unique touch is an artistic cedar lining at the top of the hallway in the main entrance. The various shades and grains in the wood complement the neutral and nature tones throughout the home. “As you walk through the vibrant green front door, you are greeted with cedar slatting, artistically lining the top of the wall,” Priyanka says. “We incorporated the subtle pastel hues of Resene Half Lemon Grass in the hallway to set a lovely green earthy tone for the entire house. Its slight hue adds depth, creating the illusion of a larger space while also bringing an alluring tone - a perfect canvas for bold architectural designs and decor.”

 

Resene Half Merino on walls and Resene Quarter Merino on the ceiling were used to balance the deep forest green of Resene Half Karaka in the living room, creating a bright, refreshing and open feel. 

Resene Half Merino and Resene Quarter Merino were implemented throughout the home for walls and ceiling,” Priyanka says. “Their neutral soft tones create a spacious and vibrant feel while softly contrasting the earthy green tones throughout the home. Their subtle glow brings a cohesive flow between green forestry themes and bold statements, while providing the perfect canvas for further decor.

The rich, deep green of Resene Half Karaka reflect the main theme of the forest as seen through the Tūī’s eyes. This particular colour closely depicts green leaves in an artistic way, especially in the kitchen where it makes a statement with floating shelves. Wall painted in Resene Half Merino and ceiling in Resene Quarter Merino. 

A rich rainforest green, Resene Half Karaka, was used as a unique feature in the heart of the home. “This forest green makes its statement in the kitchen with floating shelves to emulate outstretched tree branches,” Priyanka says. “The granite-toned countertop contrasts this deep green wall, while black nickel-plated pendants add a touch of luxe.”

A creative use of colour works to separate the kitchen from the open plan space making it a distinct and special room on its own. Feature painted in Resene Half Karaka, walls painted in Resene Half Merino and ceiling in Resene Quarter Merino. Feature lights from Desejo.  

The expansive windows throughout the open-plan kitchen, dining and living space let in the natural beauty of sunny Wānaka without compromising on style or comfort. Resene Half Merino on the walls makes this space feel roomy and spacious, while another feature wall in the living area, painted in Resene Half Karaka, works to separate this space into a relaxing and cosy fire lit corner at the end of the day. 

The flow of woodland themes throughout this home is a reflection of bold and detailed thinking. Every part of this home feels like a journey through the forest as if you were discovering the world as a Tūī. 

The master bedroom is adorned with a curved pastel green print across the wall using Resene Half Ravine, a gentle cloudy green. The elegant black and grey pendants with their exceptional angles work to emulate the organic shapes of nature.

A gentle green hue was used as an alluring statement in the master bedroom, Resene Half Ravine, reflecting the home’s forest green theme. This artistic pastel tone adds depth and interest to the space, while complementing the walls and ceiling painted in Resene Half Merino and Resene Quarter Merino. Feature lights from Desejo. 

“We handpicked Resene Half Ravine to maintain a cohesive flow with the adjoining master ensuite, which features a fish scale pastel green mosaic,” Priyanka says. “We used this colour to create a soft, peaceful and refreshing sanctuary. Its light curvature is an artistic homage to the Tūī bird’s plumage.”

 

The main bathroom features dark stone toned slate, and an intimate designer wall light in aged brass. A custom glass print of forest leaves forms the perfect backdrop that combines all elements with a ceiling in Resene Quarter Merino to create space. 

When looking at the exterior of this home, your eyes are immediately drawn to the architectural curve and stunning colour. Resene Charcoal beautifully complements the forest green colour scheme with its earthy look. “Resene Charcoal was used to wrap the architectural build,” Priyanka says. “Its slight blue tint creates a stunning sophisticated feel, while reflecting our theme of the forest through the Tūī’s eyes.”

 

As the sun drops behind the mountains, the deep shade of Resene Charcoal becomes a dark striking feature of this home’s exterior. The front door pull, Jalo from Desejo, is a unique and luxurious touch.

Creating an aesthetically captivating yet universally appealing home within the parameters of a spec build can be challenging. Priyanka’s goal was to craft a stunning residence infused with a compelling artistic concept, and she successfully translated this design vision into the home's architecture and interior aesthetics, resulting in a distinct and harmonious overall design. Every part of this home feels like a journey through the forest.

Winner of Master Builders House of the Year 2023 Silver Award.

interior designer and specifier Priyanka Sareen www.homefactor.co.nz

images Sampford Cathie

features Desejo www.desejo.co.nz 

Top tip: Loving these feature walls and colour blocking techniques? Getting the most crisp, clean and seriously straight paint lines is an art form. First, use masking tape to mask off the area you want to fill with your feature colour. Then, paint along the edges of your tape with the same colour paint that is already on the wall. This will bleed through underneath the tape and seal the edge, so when you paint on your feature colour and take off the tape, you end up with a perfectly sharp line. The bleed-through occurs because the texture on your wall often has a light orange peel stippled texture. When you put masking tape on and paint on top, the paint invariably bleeds into the gaps where the texture is. By painting with the existing colour first, it fills those gaps and gives you a perfect straight line. For more advice, watch MasterStroke’s video on How to paint a sharp line using masking tape.

Published: 20 Sep 2023

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].

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Resene Half Lemon Grass

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Resene Quarter Merino

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Resene Half Merino

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Resene Half Karaka

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