Soft aged colours all look like gentle reflections of the same thought process in this labour-of-love villa. Owners Nick and Nancy may be young but they’re old hands at the renovation process. And they not only choose what they want to do, but often strap on the work belt to do it themselves. Tradesmen were only employed on the ‘legal’ bits. Lofty ceilings, acres of woodwork, perfectly executed paintwork in a wide-ranging but elegant palette of Resene colours – it’s mostly down to their own hard work. They even relined the extra-high ceilings themselves.

Although the villa looks looks like it has always been here, it was actually moved on to the semi-rural section about 40 years ago. When Nick and Nancy bought it eight years ago the interiors were dark and oppressive, and having been turned around to take advantage of views across the valley, it had lost its sense of arrival from the road. So the house now has two entrance doors. The recently added entrance door and foyer at the ‘back’ of the house was reformed from a badly located bathroom and is painted a smart Resene Dark Knight.

Nancy has used Resene Pearl Lusta throughout in varying strengths as a unifying thread in the colour scheme. It appears on the woodwork, ceilings and on the kitchen cabinets. It also allows other colours – Resene Joanna on the kitchen walls, Resene Sisal in the dining and living rooms, Resene White Rock in the children’s room, Resene Tana in the hall trims and Resene Double Spanish White in the master bedroom – to all look like gentle reflections of the same thought process.

Top tip: Take a lead from Nancy and use varying strengths of one neutral throughout the house as a unifying thread, especially if you have used a wide palette of colours. See the Resene Whites & Neutrals range for inspiration.

Nancy is not just a builder, a painter and decorator, she’s also a sewer and an artist. Most the soft furnishings have been made by her (with a bit of help from her mum in the case of the heavy sitting room curtains) and many of the paintings are also by her.

A large archival artwork in the new entry lobby is made up of century-old newspapers, patches of scrim and rose patterned wallpaper, turquoise painted match-lining and kauri boards. It tells the story of the house. Alongside, in the calm retreat of the Resene Sisal dining room are three more framed sections of newsprint, the faded cream of each picking up the Resene Pearl Lusta of the woodwork.

It wasn’t until Oliver (now four) and two-year-old Amelia came along that a love of bright colours came to the fore. In their room, a drawer unit glows with green Resene Sushi, orange Resene Carpe Diem and red Resene Pohutukawa. Even Oliver’s baby feet were used to create the art that hangs opposite his bed. Says Nancy: “I put him in his baby bouncer, dipped his feet in a colour and let him bounce to his heart’s content. When there was enough of one colour on the canvas I’d wipe his feet, dip them in the next one and away he’d go.”

A whimsical collection of old furniture and ornaments dresses up a corner of the guest room, the walls of which are painted in Resene Gargoyle.

Nancy’s decorative touches are everywhere including a parade of old jars on a sideboard in the dining room. The walls are Resene Sisal. 

Trims in Resene Tana show as a soft eggshell green against the Resene Pearl Lusta walls. The archival artwork of old papers, paint and timber is on the left. 

A new ensuite sits in an addition to the house, with the free-standing bath cleverly set within the shower area and a skylight letting the sun shine in. 

A moody aged-looking ceiling in the main bedroom is painted in Resene Arrowtown while the walls are Resene Double Spanish White. A beaded curtain decorates the wall behind the bed. 

A chest of drawers in the children’s room is painted in Resene Pohutakawa (red), Resene Carpe Diem (orange) and Resene Sushi. The walls are in Resene White Rock. 

Nancy relaxes on the porch with Amelia. The weatherboards are Resene Black Haze, the baseboard is Resene New Denim Blue, and the deck and trims are Resene Tsunami.