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look book 
A smart but inconspicuous look for the exterior uses Resene Concrete for the weatherboards, Resene Stack for the window surrounds, Resene Half Stack for the window frames. The pergola is stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman Riverstone.
The kitchen's colour scheme was dictated by the new kitchen benchtop and splashback. Resene Black Forest, a deep murky green, was a perfect fit.
Greg and Sandra kept with a green palette for other rooms in the house, using Resene Pewter for their bedroom. The colour is a soft grey green, touched by tints of blue.
Reader project: Sandra and Greg get with the greens
When Greg and Sandra decided to downsize, they gave their new home their own take on ‘neutral’. Given that the previous house had been painted in red and purple, ‘neutral’ was never going to be about painting everything off-white.
Instead, their new interior scheme centres around the deep rich green of Resene Black Forest, and the sea-green tones of Resene Pewter.
Sandra tells us more:
How did you decide on the overall look of the interiors? What was your overall philosophy?
Greg and I decided to downsize to a smaller home three years ago. Our previous house was painted Resene Chicago on the outside to reflect the colour of the Glen Eden river on which it was situated. The inside walls were painted with Resene Castro (a deep purple-red) and Resene Cherry Pie (purple) so you can see that we are not neutral people when it comes to decorating.
The interior had to fit with our existing furniture and the art work we have collected from our travels over the years. So the walls had to be neutral. By neutral I mean not patterned so that ruled out some of the glorious wallpapers available these days. We also wanted a change from the previous house – so that ruled out red and purple. Although I love dark colours, I knew that they wouldn’t work in some of the darker rooms.
In the end, the colour scheme was dictated by the new kitchen benchtop and the splashback. We’d had a dark green marble benchtop previously and I really liked it. I also had a photo that I wanted to use as a splash back. So using the two we ended up using Resene Black Forest and Resene Pewter throughout the house.
What about the outside?
When we bought the house the outside was white with deep blue windows sills. The roof was light grey. We decided that we wanted a smart but inconspicuous look so chose Resene Concrete for the weatherboards. The window sills and surrounds are Resene Stack and the opening frames Resene Half Stack. We need a new roof so we choose Resene Grey Friars for that and the spouting. The pergola and fence are stained with Resene Riverstone.
What part of the house are you most happy with?
I love all of it. No regrets anywhere. I like to cook, so the kitchen was important to me. I also work from home so instead of using the space off the kitchen as a dinette, I use it as my office. The space opens onto a large deck through french doors and is sunny.
What is your advice for someone trying to achieve a similar look?
Work with what you have and what you like – then be brave. Walls don’t have to be bland.
What was the biggest decorating, renovating or building challenge for this project?
As I painted the inside, my biggest challenge was cutting in the wall paint where it met the elaborate cornices. Greg painted the outside and his biggest challenge was working around all the plants I had planted!
Do you have a favourite colour, and if so why is it your favourite?
Purple. I have no idea why. It has always been my favourite colour.
How did you find working with Resene paint and colours?
This is an interesting question because I think more than being about the Resene paint, it’s the people who work at the Warkworth Resene ColorShop. They are always helpful and friendly and nothing is too much trouble. Having said that, the paint is good quality and the colour range extensive. I’ve never used anything else.
Published: 14 Oct 2015
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
A smart but inconspicuous look for the exterior uses Resene Concrete for the weatherboards, Resene Stack for the window surrounds, Resene Half Stack for the window frames. The pergola is stained with Resene Waterborne Woodsman Riverstone.
The kitchen's colour scheme was dictated by the new kitchen benchtop and splashback. Resene Black Forest, a deep murky green, was a perfect fit.
Resene Black Forest blends beautifully into the dining room.
Greg and Sandra kept with a green palette for other rooms in the house, using Resene Pewter for their bedroom. The colour is a soft grey green, touched by tints of blue.
The ensuite, painted in Resene Pewter.
The living room is also painted in Resene Pewter, which features well against their dark leather furniture and collected art work.
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
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the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
