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Resene Clockwork Orange was chosen as the feature in the main living area for its sense of fun and warmth. The other walls are painted in Resene Double Merino.
Glen and Sarah see it as a modern take on the traditional concept of the hearth as the heart of the home. The other walls are painted in Resene Double Merino.
The exterior has a natural palette, with cedar cladding stained in Resene Wood X Mount Honey and walls painted in Resene Triple White Pointer.
Glen and Sarah find the fun in colour
When Sarah Mallia and Glen Robertson planned their newly built house, they were very aware of creating a home that was fun and easy to live in for them and their three sons. A collection of cheerful Resene colours was a part of the plan, anchored by the soothing tones of Resene Double Merino as the main neutral.
The couple had always planned on building new, which was just as well given that their previous house was badly damaged in the Christchurch earthquakes.
Sarah tells us more about the family’s colour choices:
How did you decide on the overall concept for the interiors?
We wanted to create a family home that was fun and easy to live in. The living spaces are large and bright and flow together. They needed to be multi-functional as well as multi-purpose. We knew that as the boys grow and their needs change, the function of each space could evolve, furniture could be changed around, and areas could be used differently.
We used soft neutral tones throughout, with Resene Double Merino and Resene Merino, but gave each space individual character with different colours. Each colour was carefully selected to create a desired mood and atmosphere which would define areas and their intended use. The tones in Resene Double Merino and Resene Merino work really well with all of the bolder colours.
How did you involve the children in those choices?
It was important that the boys (Henry, Eddie and Hugo) had a sense of connection with their own room so each child selected their own feature colour, a process which created great excitement and pride in their space.
Their bedrooms are primarily painted in Resene Merino and then each has a feature wall in their chosen colour: Resene Space Cadet, Resene Kumutoto and Resene Tutti Frutti. These colours are bright and playful but because they are also all greens and blues, it create a restful atmosphere to wind down and relax in.
We found that by using Resene Zylone Sheen paint on the strongly coloured feature walls, we got a lovely finish that allowed the colour to show as purely as possible with the minimum of reflection.
Where else have you used bold colour, and why?
Resene Clockwork Orange is used on a cube-shaped area which sits at the centre of the open-plan living and kitchen space. This is a major colour statement which adds character and vibrancy to the main area of the home. The colour was chosen for its sense of fun and warmth. It’s also a modern take on the traditional concept of the hearth as the heart of the home, this time encompassing kitchen and dining areas.
Resene Foundry was used in a glossy finish (Resene Enamacryl) on the front door and vertical feature posts in the entry/living area, both as a feature and an introduction of this dark charcoal tone as an accent colour. It’s used in furnishings and artwork throughout the house.
We used Resene Duck Egg Blue as a restful, gentle colour in the main bathroom and master bedroom.
The lounge at the end of the main living area can be closed off to become a separate space and this is painted entirely in Resene Double Merino for a more restful, formal mood. It’s also a neutral backdrop to the large shelving unit which spans one length of the room filled with colourful books and ornaments.
What was the biggest decorating, renovating or building challenge for this project?
It was actually a pretty smooth and enjoyable process, but designing the house to make the best use of a long, narrow north facing site was probably the biggest challenge.
Do you have a favourite colour, and if so why is it your favourite?
I love colour in general and find it really hard to choose a favourite. I think every colour has something to offer in terms of influencing mood and space and can be perfect in the right situation. I have always loved Resene Majestic Blue from the Karen Walker collection as it is so rich and has an appearance of hidden depths.
Published: 13 Jul 2017
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Resene Clockwork Orange was chosen as the feature in the main living area for its sense of fun and warmth. The other walls are painted in Resene Double Merino.
Glen and Sarah see it as a modern take on the traditional concept of the hearth as the heart of the home. The other walls are painted in Resene Double Merino.
The entry and living area are separated by vertical posts painted in Resene Foundry in a glossy finish (Resene Enamacryl).
The lounge is painted in Resene Double Merino for a more restful mood and can be closed off to become a separate space.
For Glen and Sarah's bedroom, they chose Resene Duck Egg Blue to create a soothing, relaxed mood.
The bathroom and toilet area are also painted in Resene Duck Egg Blue, a gentle, restful colour.
Each child chose the feature wall colour for their bedroom. The walls in this bedroom are painted in Resene Kumutoto and Resene Merino.
For this bedroom, Resene Tutti Frutti was chosen for the feature wall. The other walls are painted in Resene Merino.
Resene Space Cadet was the obvious choice for the bedroom of this Star Wars fan. The other walls are painted in Resene Merino.
The exterior has a natural palette, with cedar cladding stained in Resene Wood X Mount Honey and walls painted in Resene Triple White Pointer.
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Majestic Blue
Resene Majestic Blue
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
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 Duck Egg Blue
Resene Duck Egg Blue
Resene Majestic Blue
Resene Majestic Blue
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Clockwork Orange
Resene Double Merino
Resene Double Merino
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
