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The living room mural is based on aerial photographs of the house and incorporates Resene Unwind, Resene Mustang, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Triple Tea, Resene Prussian Blue as well as a Resene custom-made pink.
The use of different textures and fabrics adds extra dimension to the colour palette. The walls in the living room/kitchen are in Resene Countdown.
Wood trim, including windows and doors, are in Resene All Black to complement the brick and set off the interior style.
Resene Unwind creates a cool and light bed head against the dusky pinks of the brick and furnishings. The ceiling is Resene Eighth Tea.
The study, with its practical raised bed is painted in Resene Eighth Tea, with a pop of Resene Unwind on the ceiling/bed base.
Resene Countdown and Resene Prussian Blue are a bold combination in the living area while a crazy paving floor connects the inside with the outside.
Warm rich colours are a highlight of the kitchen, with Resene Countdown above the bench and Resene Buddha Gold on the shelves.
A wall in Resene Buddha Gold has been painted in an artful pattern of shapes in Resene Unwind.
The main bathroom features a Resene custom-made pink very similar to Resene Sorbet off the new Resene The Range fashion fandeck. The Resene Eighth Tea ceiling as a perfect ‘quiet’ backdrop to the dramatic black tiles, and Resene All Black on the window and wood trim.
Sonia creates a live-in work of art
This 1960s architecturally designed house in Cronulla, New South Wales, has been given much more than a facelift with a new coat of paint. Sonia van de Haar, creative director of Lymesmith design practice, has instead used a bold, playful Resene colour palette that has turned the home into a work of art.
Working with Amber Road Design and an adventurous client who was open to trying anything, Sonia replaced the existing Resene Mission Brown based colour scheme for a palette incorporating the original face brick walls which were left unpainted, aside from a stunning abstract mural. The rest of the home was painted in two palettes of Resene colours: ‘quiet’ shades in harmony with the brick and more ‘active’ colours which are bolder and designed to delight the eye. Everything is connected by a unique crazy paving floor and a stunning original mural also painted with Resene colours.
The striking colour vision for the whole house saw it named Residential Interior Maestro (runner up) in the 2018 Resene Total Colour Awards.
Sonia tells us more:
What made this design project unique?
It was a delightful job because the client was so open and willing to try things out. The design process felt adventurous and fun. Nothing was seen as too precious or too serious, and nobody cared about resale values. The driving concept was to make a house that reflected the clients’ commitment to living life their own way and enjoying it now.
It would be easy to revert the house to a neutral colour scheme at a later date, in the meantime, the house reflects and celebrates the individuality of its owners.
How did you work with the interior design team?
Amber Road took a fearless approach, relocating the kitchen to the ground floor and extending the downstairs living area into the beautiful established garden.
Amber Road also brings a great deal of textural richness to its projects through layered materials, interesting tiles and eclectic furniture. I responded by picking up on certain cues in the original house, and Amber Road’s refurbishment in the colour choices.
Did the brief or colour vision evolve through the process?
One of our clients became seriously ill during the renovation, and work stopped for almost three years. Returning to complete the project after a break allowed us to revisit the colour scheme and make some final adjustments. It was a rare opportunity to look at the previous work with fresh eyes, which led to a bolder end result.
What Resene colours did you use?
I chose a 'quiet' colours as a base palette that was in harmony with the face brick tones. This included a Resene custom-made pink on the walls of the main bathroom and ensuite as well as the stairwell ceiling, and Resene Eighth Tea on the ceiling.
We also used Resene All Black on the doors, windows and exterior woodwork in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel because we didn’t want the trims to be too reflective.
I chose a second palette of more active colours particularly in the downstairs kitchen and living area. The kitchen walls are Resene Countdown and Resene Mustang with joinery in Resene Prussian Blue and Resene Buddha Gold. We also used Prussian Blue on the ensuite screen.
Resene Unwind was used as a bedhead colour in the master bedroom and the study lift ceiling.
As part of the project Lymesmith was also commissioned to make a mural for the house. It is an abstract piece developed from aerial photographs of the house location, and uses the interior colour palette as a starting point. The area of the living room mural is the only time the brick was covered. The mural palette includes Resene Unwind, Resene Mustang, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Triple Tea, Resene Prussian Blue, and a Resene custom made pink.
did you know…that every two years Resene launches a fashion fandeck of colours. Some colours from older collections, such as the Resene Countdown and Resene Mustang used in this house, are no longer available in testpots in store, but you can still view them as large swatches in the colour library at your local Resene ColorShop or they can order in an A4 drawdown paint swatch for you. Try Resene Dynamite and Resene Raging Bull as alternatives, which are both on the new Resene The Range fashion colours 20 fandeck.
What do you love most about the finished project?
Moving through the house really is a pleasure. You experience colours in new relationships to each other, as well as in relation to the garden, and in a myriad of unexpected ways.
The placement of each colour evolved as the project developed, and various colours emerged in response to vintage furniture, or artwork selections, and vice versa. The client enthusiastically embraced and encouraged the colour play, and had an active role in the project.
Images by Prue Ruscoe
Published: 04 Oct 2018
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
The living room mural is based on aerial photographs of the house and incorporates Resene Unwind, Resene Mustang, Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta, Resene Triple Tea, Resene Prussian Blue as well as a Resene custom-made pink.
The use of different textures and fabrics adds extra dimension to the colour palette. The walls in the living room/kitchen are in Resene Countdown.
Wood trim, including windows and doors, are in Resene All Black to complement the brick and set off the interior style.
Resene Unwind creates a cool and light bed head against the dusky pinks of the brick and furnishings. The ceiling is Resene Eighth Tea.
The study, with its practical raised bed is painted in Resene Eighth Tea, with a pop of Resene Unwind on the ceiling/bed base.
Resene Countdown and Resene Prussian Blue are a bold combination in the living area while a crazy paving floor connects the inside with the outside.
Warm rich colours are a highlight of the kitchen, with Resene Countdown above the bench and Resene Buddha Gold on the shelves.
A wall in Resene Buddha Gold has been painted in an artful pattern of shapes in Resene Unwind.
The main bathroom features a Resene custom-made pink very similar to Resene Sorbet off the new Resene The Range fashion fandeck. The Resene Eighth Tea ceiling as a perfect ‘quiet’ backdrop to the dramatic black tiles, and Resene All Black on the window and wood trim.
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
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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Resene Mission Brown
Resene Mission Brown
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Prussian Blue
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
