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This bright, spacious living room is painted in the dark green shade of Resene Jurassic, reflecting the beauty of the surrounding bush. The ceiling is painted in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
Mid-century modern at its finest with stunning native timber and pops of colour through bright artwork and green and ochre accented décor. The walls are painted in Resene Jurassic, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
The converted office with custom furniture painted in pops of Resene Buttercup, Resene Retreat, Resene Riptide and Resene Deep Teal. The walls are painted in Resene Double Concrete, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
A fresh new kitchen with ocean blue tiles and feature timber cupboards. The walls and ceiling are painted in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
The glass expanse leading down the hallway brightens and warms the space leading to the bedrooms. The walls are painted in Resene Double Concrete, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
A slightly darker shade to the rest of the house, Resene Triple Concrete, was used in the master bedroom, giving a cosy and cocooning feeling. The ceiling is painted in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
Splashes of colour make this children’s room a vibrant and pleasing space. The bedhead is painted in Resene Salsa, with a rainbow table painted using an array of bright Resene testpot colours. The walls are painted in Resene Double Concrete, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
Adding some warmth to the bathroom, Resene Half Merino was used on the walls. Resene Double Concrete was used in the WC which is a slightly cooler grey shade. The trims are painted in Resene Sea Fog.
Reviving mid-century: A story of love, paint and perseverance
When Felicity and her husband stumbled upon their dream mid-century home, they knew they had found something special. The house immediately captured their hearts, and they wasted no time in making it their own. When redecorating the interior, pops of Resene colours transformed their beloved home into a vibrant, inviting space for their growing family.
The first challenge arose when they realised the need for an office space with the imminent arrival of their daughter. With some creative planning during Felicity's maternity leave, the duo managed to convert the laundry and oversized entrance area into a functional office, as well as moving the washing machine into a kitchen cupboard and taking on a full kitchen renovation. They crafted custom furniture for the office through Cutshop and added a splash of colour with Resene testpots on the raw ply panels in Resene Buttercup, Resene Retreat, Resene Riptide and Resene Deep Teal.
“We were happy living in the house in its un-renovated state while our children were small as it meant we didn’t have to worry too much about them damaging things, but there came a point where we simply couldn’t live with the bathroom any longer, so we spent a couple of months renovating that ourselves,” Felicity says.
When Covid-19 lockdown hit and Felicity and her husband spent more time staring at the walls, they launched into a full-scale interior renovation of their home. Originally falling in love with its mid-century character, they aimed to lovingly restore its original features which was achieved through a carefully selected colour scheme that reflected the surrounding Titirangi Bush.
Opting for a dark green hue, Resene Jurassic was chosen for the living room walls. “This colour scheme was inspired by the surrounding bush and the leafy outlook from the space,” Felicity says. “The large expanses of glass and native timber flooring off-set the dark green walls, so the space still feels bright and airy.
“We paired the dark green with a light grey, Resene Double Concrete, for the rest of the walls as we wanted a more neutral palette but felt that white would be too bright given the extent of glazing in the house.”
As with most painting jobs, preparation is key. While the previous owner's colour choices were pleasing, the layers of old wallpaper beneath the paint prompted Felicity and her husband to embark on a wallpaper-stripping journey, which ended up consuming much of their weekends.
Initially determined not to repaint the ceilings due to the challenging beams, they couldn't resist after seeing the stunning results on the walls. They meticulously scraped ceiling beams, applied masking tape and conquered tall ladders to ensure every detail was perfect. Between the timber beams is now a charming white with a green edge, Resene Half Merino, which is the perfect neutral for the lush green landscape which surrounds the house.
Resene testpots became their go-to solution for painting their custom furniture pieces, adding playful pops of colour throughout the home. In the children’s room, the deep pimento red of Resene Salsa was used for the bedhead, and an array of vibrant Resene testpot colours were used for a whimsical rainbow table.
Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen was the duo’s paint of choice for this mammoth project. Having already used it in a previous renovation, they knew it had an outstanding finish, easy cleaning and touch-up capabilities, and they trusted it to bring their vision to life. “We also used an oil-based product, Resene Sureseal, to undercoat the walls and ceiling as they had been skim coated with plaster over the original wall lining,” Felicity says. “It was essential to use this product to ensure that old stains did not migrate through the paint finish, and we were glad we went to the extra effort of using this as the finish was excellent.”
After pouring their hearts into this renovation project, Felicity and her husband bid farewell to their beloved mid-century home after five enjoyable years, moving on to build their own dream home from scratch. “It was pretty hard to say goodbye, but we are glad that the new owners love the house as much as we do,” Felicity says.
design Felicity Brenchley www.felicitybrenchley.nz
images Jamie Cobel www.jamiecobel.com
Top tip: Resene Sureseal is now available in a new waterborne version, Resene Waterborne Sureseal, which means you can use one low odour, easy-to-clean up in water sealer throughout your home from dry areas to wet areas like bathrooms. It can seal in stains on old plasterboard and act as a first coat on varnished surfaces like Lockwood® to get them ready for topcoating.
This bright, spacious living room is painted in the dark green shade of Resene Jurassic, reflecting the beauty of the surrounding bush. The ceiling is painted in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
Mid-century modern at its finest with stunning native timber and pops of colour through bright artwork and green and ochre accented décor. The walls are painted in Resene Jurassic, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
The converted office with custom furniture painted in pops of Resene Buttercup, Resene Retreat, Resene Riptide and Resene Deep Teal. The walls are painted in Resene Double Concrete, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
A fresh new kitchen with ocean blue tiles and feature timber cupboards. The walls and ceiling are painted in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
The glass expanse leading down the hallway brightens and warms the space leading to the bedrooms. The walls are painted in Resene Double Concrete, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
A slightly darker shade to the rest of the house, Resene Triple Concrete, was used in the master bedroom, giving a cosy and cocooning feeling. The ceiling is painted in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
Splashes of colour make this children’s room a vibrant and pleasing space. The bedhead is painted in Resene Salsa, with a rainbow table painted using an array of bright Resene testpot colours. The walls are painted in Resene Double Concrete, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and trims in Resene Sea Fog.
Adding some warmth to the bathroom, Resene Half Merino was used on the walls. Resene Double Concrete was used in the WC which is a slightly cooler grey shade. The trims are painted in Resene Sea Fog.
Published: 01 Aug 2023
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Double Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
Resene Triple Concrete
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Ask a Colour Expert service.
