Gerald Parsonson of Parsonson Architects gave this Waikanae Beach house a playful and casual feel with colours that relate to the blues and greens of both the built and natural beach environment.

He used Resene Dell, Resene Kaitoke Green, Resene Juniper and Resene Green Meets Blue along with Resene Quarter Spanish White and Resene Surrender (pale grey).

Making the most of her already panelled kitchen, Karen Kyriakoudis kitchen used Resene Ziggurat (blue), Resene Glamour Puss (paler pink) and then Resene Havoc mixed with Resene Alabaster to inject some colour into the room. 

To offset the predominantly raw, natural materials of this house designed by Tim Dorrington of DAA, he and homeowners Mark and Susie Easterbrook chose strong, sunny, vibrant colours – Resene Monza (red), Resene Supernova (yellow) and Resene Chilean Fire (orange) for the kitchen.

Says Mark: “This is the ‘active’ part of the house, so we wanted energetic colours. In summer, the house is full of warmth and sunlight, so we wanted colours that brought this through in the colder months as well.”

If you’re not sure you want to colour block a whole room, try the trend on a smaller scale by with a set of shelves like these, crafted for Good magazine, and using Resene Black White, Resene Citrus, Resene Pelorus and Resene Chelsea Cucumber. 

Colour blocking with a twist – this Japanese-style dining area has colourful storage compartments hidden beneath the raised tatami mat floor. The colours are those used elsewhere in the house: Resene Raspberry, Resene Hero (yellow-orange), Resene Morning Glory (aqua) and Resene Grenadier (orange) while the walls are Resene Canterbury Clay.

The dining area is in a house designed by Nathan Edmonston of MOAA Architects for himself and wife Yuki Fukuda.

Colour blocking is just as effective in the garden. This design won the 2014 Lexus Emerging Designs section of the Ellerslie Garden Show for student Jordan Hampson.

The sun-soaked courtyard used Resene Resitex Plastercote with Resene Golden Dream, Resene Geronimo and Resene Mine Shaft in a design that celebrates the client’s Mexican heritage but also embraced the true essence of the New Zealand summer.