A roomy rebuild in Onehunga is colour matched to the last detail with Marley and Resene

When Louise and Eugene bought their home in Onehunga, Auckland in 2009 their four-bedroom house was squeezed into only 112 square metres. More than a decade and two kids later the growing family found they needed more space, so it was either move or create a larger home on the same site.

“We needed more space as a family as our children grew. I think we were in Auckland’s smallest four-bedroom house and the living space was very compact. Our options were to either move or expand where we were,” says Louise.

They opted to rebuild and increase the size of the home to 270 square metres. Every single interior wall from the existing structure was removed in the eight-month build to accommodate the new floor plan. They maintained the character of their home by opting for a silver and white colour scheme with every detail colour coordinated including the Marley Stratus Design Series®Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes in Grey Friars® with the weatherboards in Resene Silver Chalice.

“Finding the balance between modernising our home whilst maintaining some of the great character of both the original house and the surrounding neighbourhood was a challenge,” says Louise.

New Zealand’s Level 4 lockdown last year was another curve ball in the renovation but Louise and Eugene stayed positive throughout.

“We had to be out of the house for the majority of the renovation. It was a challenge to find a rental nearby that was happy to take us – and dog – for a short-term rental. We were very fortunate to find the perfect place and a very supportive landlord.

“Going into level 4 lockdown when we were just two weeks out from being back in the house was also very hard. This delayed the job and added more cost however overall, we were extremely lucky to have been back on track straight after lockdown.”

Old and new are blended seamlessly using the clever colour scheme. For the cladding they opted for timber weatherboards which are painted in Resene Silver Chalice.


The roof is Colorsteel® in Grey Friars which works perfectly with the Marley Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes also in Grey Friars® from the Stratus Design Series®  The timber weatherboards which are painted in Resene Silver Chalice.


The Stormcloud® quarter-round profile has clean, strong lines which fit in with the modern yet classic styling. Marley Stratus Design Series® has a 15-year guarantee and excellent UV resistance. It is a striking contrast against the Resene Silver Chalice weatherboards.

A lot of effort went into ensuring the home was well insulated including Viridian ComfortPlus, a leading Low E performance laminate, for the double-glazed windows. The classic colour scheme of Marley Stormcloud® spouting and RP80® downpipes in Grey Friars® and Resene Silver Chalice weatherboards looks good from every angle.


The interior of the home has a neutral base palette, painted throughout in Resene Black White on the walls and ceiling.


David Trubridge lights and custom-made oak slats are featured in the central stairwell which is the first thing you see when you open the front door. These features are highlighted by the use of crisp Resene Black White on the walls.


Louise and Eugene specifically designed the kitchen with storage in mind and the butler’s pantry is perfect to hide away any clutter (and the craft beer fridge too!). The bookshelves on the front of the island, and on either end of the overhead cabinets, add a nice yet practical feature. The kitchen has a monochrome colour scheme with Resene Black White on the walls. For as similar black colour to the cabinetry, try Resene Nero.

Published: 17 Jun 2021

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