Inside NZRenoTok’s smash-hit first season

19 Jun 2025

NZ RenoTok’s season one was a smashing success! Over a thrilling six-week TikTok Live series, four creator‑led teams took on renovation challenges, from tiling to full‑blast painting, all while streaming to the DIY community.

What made it even more colourful was the teams’ use of Resene paints and products throughout their projects. The series not only showcased reno skills but also highlighted how Resene’s quality range can bring any project to life.

Fans couldn’t get enough, racking up over 24 million content views across season one, proving that renovation can feel like prime‑time entertainment. The best part for viewers was at the end of each week, the teams went live to reveal their projects and viewer votes decide the winners!

We got to chat with the teams to get to know them and see what they got up to on the show. First up:

The Current Place – Damien and Chanelle

Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be an avid DIYer?

“We’re a (yes, slightly cliché!) model and photographer couple, but we like to think we’re doing things a little differently. Lately, we’ve been shifting our focus toward a more sustainable approach to fashion and creativity. That’s why we’ve taken on the challenge of renovating an old wool shed into our new studio space. We’re doing our best to use repurposed materials and find alternative options wherever possible – giving old things a new life while building something uniquely ours.”

How did you come to be on NZRenoTok?

“We got an email about the show, asking if we’d be keen to take part. At first, we were buzzing, convinced we could absolutely smash it. Then reality hit, we were in a wool shed, not a typical house, and didn’t have the same foundations or setup as everyone else. But we said yes anyway, and got straight to work building walls, floors and ceilings – all to make sure we’d be ready three months before filming started.”

Tell us about what you did on the show and what your NZRenoTok journey was like!

“Three months before the show, we started prepping the wool shed to be up to scratch like everyone else’s. We had no floors, no walls, no ceilings, just a big old shed and a big dream. There were a lot of arguments, a lot of 3am finishes, and that was all before filming had even started.

“We worked on five sections of our place and one charity playground. We got to renovate our laundry with Panasonic, our mudroom with Mitre 10, an office space, a ‘spa-throom’ with Resene, a pirate ship with the Kindness Collective, and a greenhouse with Mitre 10.

“Each challenge had a 4–5 day deadline, and it pushed us in every way. We realised we were way more capable than we gave ourselves credit for. We learned how much we could push ourselves, how well we actually worked together under pressure, and how important it is to trust our gut, especially when it comes to style and colour choices.”

Where did you find the inspiration behind your design choices and colour selection?

“We’ve always been drawn to heritage colours and the drama of colour drenching. Honestly, we don’t go in with a set plan, we just walk into the Resene ColorShop and somehow, one colour always jumps out at us. We trust that instinct and roll with it.

“For the laundry, we went with Resene Olive Green which is rich and grounding. The mudroom was a mix of Resene Sambuca and Resene Colorwood Deep Oak wood stain, giving it that earthy old school country feel. The office featured Resene Jaguar, Resene Mission Oak and Resene Colorwood Deep Oak wood stain which was bold but warm. Our spa-throom was drenched in Resene Aubergine, which instantly gave it that luxe, retreat feel.

“And the pirate ship? Full of fun with Resene Bullseye, Resene Half Turbo and Resene Endeavour, playful, bright and colours we thought would be appealing to kids.”

A deep, earthy green was used in the laundry, Resene Olive Green, pairing well with the burgundy tiles and gold finishes.

The mudroom is rustic and inviting with heritage inspired hues and décor. This space is painted in Resene Sambuca with timber stained in Resene Colorwood Deep Oak.

This moody, bold office is painted in Resene Jaguar, Resene Mission Oak and Resene Colorwood Deep Oak wood stain.

An absolutely stunning ‘spa-throom’ drenched in Resene Aubergine for a luxe, retreat feel, paired with wallpaper from the Resene Hey Poppit Wallpaper Collection.

The playground was a hit with the kids painted in bright Resene Bullseye, Resene Half Turbo and Resene Endeavour.

What was your favourite part?

“Seeing each of our ideas come to life, and somehow look amazing – plus getting inspired (and just a little competitive) by seeing what everyone else had pulled off each week. That healthy pressure definitely kept us on our toes for the next round.”

What is your favourite Resene colour?

“From the show our favourite colour was Resene Aubergine because we like the name of it haha. But it really lux-ified the space and feels like a colour that would never be typical.

Our goal with the colours was to stay 10 million miles away from anything standard that screams rental property.”

Where can our readers see what you’re up to if they want to follow along?

“We would love to see you join us on the rest of our wool shed build, we’re always open for ideas, opinions and tips and tricks! You can find us on Instagram and Tik Tok.”

Published: 19 Jun 2025