Fearless use of Resene colour lifts Lian Bruce’s house way beyond the one-neutral-fits-all philosophy. Feature walls of the Papamoa house she shares with husband David add zing to rooms which are otherwise painted in Resene Alabaster. A wall in the living room is painted in Resene Clockwork Orange; the internal double doors leading from the entranceway into the open-plan living area are Resene Wasabi green. Adding to the diversity is a deep purple-coloured (Resene Tarot) wall dividing the bed from the walk-in-wardrobe in the main bedroom. Doors predominantly painted in the grey Resene Cloud.

Lian – an English teacher and interior designer - is a firm believer in the link between colour and emotions. “What is fun about purple hues is that they incorporate the soothing aspects of blue with the energy of red. This is an interesting combination for a bedroom,” Lian laughs. Similarly, orange is a good colour for the living room, she says, as it stimulates conversation.

Making a difference with $50

Lian’s the first to admit, however, that these colour choices can change in the blink of an eye. “Things are in a constant state of flux. The people at the local Resene store know me well as I change colours all the time. It’s not because I am not happy with the way our home looks. It’s because it is fun and energising to change and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. For $50 you can make a significant difference.”

Lian’s painting techniques can be far from standard, too. Stripes in the bathroom are rollered on with the edges left rough. One wall in a spare bedroom now features rough stripes of Resene Picton Blue with Resene Alabaster, Resene Cloud and Resene Clockwork Orange. In the white stripes Lian has inserted text messages such as: “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”  Another reads: “Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”

Says Lian: “You have to have fun with your house and not take things too seriously.”

One colour does not fit all

This creative homemaker (whose business is called Ideas for interior design) is puzzled by people who opt for one paint colour for their entire house. “That doesn’t make sense to me - rooms have different functions, different inhabitants and different energies.”

Even the smallest room of this house has its own look, with its Resene Rose of Sharon orange door and poppy decals on one wall.

The latest addition to the décor has been a photomural, found on www.komar.de, one of Lian’s favourite websites and available through Resene ColorShops. 

“This spring flower drawing is colourful and cheerful and exactly what I wanted. It offers colour, but not a whole wall of it,” Lian explains. The mural provides stunning detail in the entranceway where a chandelier of light bulbs inside a metal basket is the other attention grabber.

People say they love the house this couple has built and the home they have created since emigrating from The Netherlands five years ago. When Lian quizzes them over exactly what it is they love, it is the colour they comment upon – “people react to colour.”

A Komar wallpaper (V4-719 Joli) sprinkles spring flowers across the entrance foyer walls. It can be ordered through your Resene ColorShop. The doors into the hallway are painted in Resene Wasabi. 

Quirky light fittings and accessories decorate the living room with its Resene Clockwork Orange feature wall. 

Also in the living room, the angled fireplace wall is painted in Resene Cloud. 

Wide stripes roughly painted with a roller decorate the bathroom wall. The colours are Resene Alabaster and Resene Cloud. 

The demur exterior of the house doesn't give many clues to the colour that lies within. 

All of the bedrooms, including the master, get a new look every few years. This feature wall is Resene Tarot. 

One wall in a spare bedroom now features rough stripes of Resene Picton Blue with Resene Alabaster, Resene Cloud and Resene Clockwork Orange. In the white stripes Lian has inserted text messages such as: “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”  Another reads: “Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”