Jane and Pim reawaken a beauty in this Waiuku farmhouse

With broken weatherboards, asbestos in the kitchen linoleum and a long list of other fixes, this century old farmhouse needed major commitment from its homeowners Jane and Pim to bring it back to its former glory. And committed they were. After four and a half years of sanding, painting, restoring and more, the Waiuku home is a beauty, resplendent in bold and wonderfully chosen Resene colours fitting for the charming villa.

Jane, an artist and children’s book illustrator, and Pim, a surf instructor and draughtsman, work mostly from home and were able to pour a healthy amount of time into fixing up the farmhouse themselves, with help from contractors and the local community along the way.

When it came to the renovation, Jane and Pim shared the same attitude. This primarily was about honouring the home’s heritage, restoring its natural beauty and polishing up its architectural features. Meanwhile, modern comforts were brought in where needed, such as a dishwasher in the kitchen and insulation throughout the home.

“We wanted to embrace the age of the house, and we had to do it on a very tight budget,” says Jane. “All of the furniture is secondhand apart from the beds, and we decided to leave the rooms as separate areas when others might have converted them to an open plan.”

And after countless hours sanding the farmhouse inside and out, it was finally ready for its paint makeover. Every room has a carefully considered colour palette, one that serves a purpose and tells a story. With no intentions of selling the home for the foreseeable future, they weren’t afraid to use bolder colours to add to the character of each room, which Jane loves. “It feels as if each room has its own personality.”

Resene Norway, a mid-toned green, creates a cosy feel in the kitchen and dining room where the couple’s main socialising takes place. They tested many Resene greens on the walls before deciding on their perfect hue.

In the master bedroom, a quarter strength of Resene Nebula on the walls sets the scene. Resene Nebula, a dusky light blue, features again in the guest bedroom, this time in half strength.

The living room is a real standout, with sumptuous colours and rich textures inspired by a private men’s smoking lounge. Exquisite Resene Cab Sav on the walls is the backdrop to elegant furnishings, from a vintage velvet sofa to an ornate rug and antique desk and card cabinet.

A stunning stained-glass door, rescued by Jane and Pim rescued from a rubbish heap, leads into the living room and ties in perfectly with the whole look.

Two areas in the home that were given a relatively neutral treatment were Jane’s art studio and the hallway.

The studio is a bright and sunny room, painted in Resene Quarter Villa White, with a splash of Resene Pale Prim, a quiet yellow, on the panelling.

The huge hallway is finished in warm and soft Resene Half Wheatfield, a perfect backdrop for the couple to exhibit paintings. The shade also works well with all of the wall colours in each room, making it the ideal neutral to bring the interior’s colour scheme together. Each room is also trimmed in either Resene Quarter Villa White or native wood, to further unify the couple’s colour choices,

For the exterior, the farmhouse’s surroundings inspired the colour, green-blue Resene Jet Stream, which has also become Jane and Pim’s favourite colour.

“Being surrounded by broad skies up on a hill, it felt like a seamless colour to fit in with the area,” says Jane.

The front door and accents complement the cladding in Resene Destiny, with trims in Resene Quarter Villa White, giving a nod to the classic villa style.

While the farmhouse looks like a dream now, it’s down to incredible hard work by the couple, who faced a fair few challenges and surprises during the reno. Pim in particular started the project with little building experience and was faced with an increasing list of tasks as it went on. One of the bigger ones was discovering asbestos in the kitchen’s linoleum, leaving the couple without a kitchen for several months - which Jane found to be one of the toughest times during the renovation.

They are grateful for the Waiuku community, whose local builders and handy people were there to teach them vital skills, such as replacing weatherboards and plastering.

Now that the reno is complete and the couple are settled into their stunning villa, Jane gives her advice to others looking to embark on a similar journey: do what you love and have fun with it, and don’t worry about what other people think. Sound advice, indeed.

Published: 28 May 2020

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

Burgundy living room

Taking inspiration from a private men’s smoking lounge, the living room is exquisite in Resene Cab Sav and trims in Resene Quarter Villa White. The restored stained-glass door was rescued from a rubbish heap, left by previous tenants.

Resene Cab Sav Burgundy living room white ceiling fireplace

The century-old villa has plenty of beautiful features for the homeowners to highlight, including a stunning ceiling with battens, crown moulding and a medallion. The ceiling is painted in Resene Quarter Villa White, a complementary contrast to walls in rich Resene Cab Sav.

Bedroom Resene Nebula yellow bath pink walls

Calming and fresh, the master bedroom is an inviting space, painted in a quarter strength of Resene Nebula, with trims in Resene Quarter Villa White. A restored tub in Resene Pale Prim peeks through the doorway from the bathroom, painted in Resene Half Pale Rose. The bathroom’s ceiling, panelling and architraves are painted in Resene Quarter Villa White.

Resene Norway living room green

Resene Norway on the walls creates a cosy, farmhouse-appropriate look for the dining room. The homeowners tested out some 50 shades of Resene greens before falling in love with this one. The ceiling and trims pop in Resene Quarter Villa White.

Resene Norway green kitchen

The colour carries into the kitchen, with Resene Norway on the walls and Resene Quarter Villa White on the trims, ceiling and cabinetry. While the homeowners kept most of the villa’s original features, they added modern comforts such as a dishwasher and insulation.

Resene Wheatfield hallway

The hallway leads into the various rooms throughout the house, and so needed to complement the colours in each. Resene Wheatfield was chosen, a warm, soft neutral, which also provides the perfect backdrop for the homeowners’ various art.

Resene Nebula blue bathroom

A restful space thanks to half strength of Resene Nebula on the walls, the guest bedroom is a dreamy place to stay, with sweeping views of the farmland outside. The bedroom has been finished with skirting boards and architraves in Resene Quarter Villa White.

Resene Cab Sav Resene Jet Stream

Homeowners Jane and Pim sit in the living room, painted in beautifully rich Resene Cab Sav. They share the restored home with their cat Darcy, and Sully and Danny, both rescue dogs. The weatherboards on the exterior are painted in Resene Jet Stream, the couple’s new favourite colour.

Resene Jetstream blue house

Not to be outdone by its beautiful interior, the exterior of the old farmhouse has also been given a facelift. Painted in Resene Jetstream on the weatherboards, with a front door and base of the house in Resene Destiny, it’s a far cry from its dilapidated state four and a half years ago. The trims, lacework, flashing and railings are all in Resene Quarter Villa White, enhancing the villa’s classic architecture.

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Images Jessica Gernat, Jessica Chloe Photography

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Resene Quarter Villa White

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Resene Half Wheatfield

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