“It’s not like me to have white walls,” says Tracy, “but I felt that this home needed them to look modern and light.” While the hallways, master bedroom, family room and dining room may be painted in neutral tones of Resene Wheatfield and Resene Cararra, the rest of Richard and Tracy’s North Shore home is testament to their love of colour. Blue, red, turquoise, lime, black and lavender adorn the walls, making this a bright and warm, but very stylish, family home.
Surrounded by native bush, the house is based on a Canadian Colonial style. Richard and Tracy bought it five and half years ago, and since then have spent a lot of time putting their own stamp on the place. Although Joanne Godding helped them to create a new kitchen and bathroom, the rest of the changes have been completely their own idea and creation. “Sometimes I found I had an instant thought of what could be achieved, other times I found I sat on it and ideas just slowly grew,” explains Tracy. “We have a strong love of native timber and the sense of warmth that it adds, so the changing of the floors to solid wood gave a starting point.”
Repainting most of the house was another early amendment. One colour that had to stay, though, was the Resene Pohutukawa red in the living room. At this time of year, it is particularly stunning as the perfect backdrop for the family Christmas tree.

Why did you make the colour scheme choices you did? The original Karitane yellow on the walls throughout the house had to go. The colours we chose grew from living in the spaces for a while and getting a sense of the light in the rooms, and a feel for the look we wanted to achieve – more modern and fresh. They are colours that we like, but that we also felt would lend themselves to a change of style and colour in furnishings etc if need be. Both our children chose their own colour schemes for their bedrooms.

Which space do you get your greatest satisfaction from? The kitchen and family area and the deck that these rooms open onto. They work really well for us as a family, especially with the indoor/outdoor flow that allows us to spill easily outdoors with larger groups. The kitchen is not huge, but Joanne ensured that she met with our criteria in her design, and we have a very workable and functional space. I love the look we have achieved with this whole area.

What is your advice for someone trying to achieve a similar look? Think about light in the rooms that you want to change. Use drawdowns (available from Resene) and move them around the room so you get an idea of the colour at differing times of the day, and in “shadowed” areas of the rooms. Live with the drawdowns for a few weeks and check that the colour feels/looks ok with furnishings, and carpet. If it feels good, go for it!

The Resene Magik wall perfectly complements a large painting by artist Christine Mathieson.

Dillon chose Resene Atlantis for his bedroom walls. The orange duvet cover adds brilliant contrast.

Bright and bold, the Resene Hullabaloo accents make this a not-so-ordinary bathroom.

“The kitchen and family area and the deck that these rooms open onto, work really well for us as a family, especially with the indoor/outdoor flow that allows us to spill easily outdoors with larger groups,” says Tracy. The house has been painted with Resene Black Bean, and the trim is Resene Double Sea Fog.

The black cabinets, painted with Resene Nero, look modern and stylish, while rustic wooden stools add a relaxed vibe.