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Peter and his partner Debbie renovated their 1910 cottage with elegant Resene Half Merino on the walls, ceiling and trim.
The exterior of the square-fronted cottage is Resene Sonyx 101 in Resene Black White with Resene Lustacryl Black White trim, Resene Walk-on Gunsmoke on the veranda and bold Resene CoolColour Nero on the front door.
Beautiful in its simplicity, Peter and Debbie’s home featuresResene Sonyx 101 Black White walls with Resene Lustacryl Black White trim, Resene Walk-on Gunsmoke on the veranda and bold Resene CoolColour Nero on the front door.
The master bedroom’s sophisticated finish is thanks to the Wildscape NZ Wallpaper Mural in Resene Merino and Resene Foggy Grey. The surrounding walls are in Resene Half Merino with ceiling in Resene Half Merino.
The fireplace is a statement piece in the cosy lounge and was refurbished using Rockcote fine sponge plaster from Resene Construction Systems. The walls are in Resene Half Merino, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and window trim in Resene Half Merino.
The couple went bold in the kitchen with Resene Double Stack on the cabinetry to complement the walls in Resene Half Merino.
Debbie loved dressing the kid’s room. Resene Half Merino on the walls, fireplace, ceiling and trim provides a soft touch.
The natural wooden flooring of the hallway pairs beautifully with walls, ceiling and trim in Resene Half Merino. Resene Foggy Grey adds a pop of elegance on the bungalow doors.
The bathroom got a bold and brilliant makeover with Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom tinted to Resene Half Merino on the walls.
Complementing the dark features in the bathroom, the couple painted the walls with Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom tinted to Resene Half Merino and completed the look with the door painted in misty Resene Foggy Grey.
The Block NZ’s Peter Wolfkamp creates a striking monochrome palette inside his Devonport cottage with Resene Half Merino
The Block NZ’s site foreman Peter Wolfkamp traded the rule book for a paintbrush when he renovated his circa 1910 cottage. He and his wife Debbie rose to the challenge of taking the century-old cottage and creating a home fit for modern living. The couple gave their home, which is situated in Devonport’s heritage zone, a sophisticated makeover with a bold range of Resene neutrals including striking Resene Nero and Resene Double Stack.
Peter, who is also a qualified carpenter and host of Newstalk ZB’s Resident Builder on Sunday, and Debbie, an international flight attendant for Air NZ, started the renovation project not long after finishing Season 8 of The Block NZ in late 2019, with a view of having it finished before Season 9 started. “I boldly declared I would be finished before Season 9 started, but had to eat my words,” says Peter, who had to put the renovation on the backburner after New Zealand went into lockdown. He says the renovation was not unlike what the teams on The Block NZ experienced.
“Working on my own project was very much like the teams’ experience; making hundreds of decisions and then putting them into action by actually doing the work on our project is just like a day on The Block NZ for the teams.”
The cottage itself embodies simplicity; its square-fronted design is one of four identical builds on the street. With a floorplan of just 95m2, including a kitchen extension completed in the 1990s, the couple worked with colours that would make the home feel bigger – inside and out. They painted the exterior Resene Black White and finished the look with a bold Resene Nero front door and Resene Gunsmoke on the veranda floor. “There is a real honesty about this house,” says Peter. “The overall look we wanted was to combine the original character of the house with comfortable modern living.
“Small touches keep the character of the original but reimagine it in a modern way. Our biggest challenge was to work with the existing layout – both the original front of the house and the 90s extension needed to be drawn together.”
Inspired by the Nordic colour palette, Peter and Debbie created cohesion in their interior spaces with walls and trim in Resene Half Merino and Resene Ceiling Paint in Resene Half Merino on the ceilings throughout. Resene Half Merino is a light, creamy off-white with just a hint of green. “We like the simplicity of a Nordic style and colour palette,” says Debbie. “That simplicity is peaceful and then it is easy to add colour with cushions, bedding and fabrics.
“As I have travelled for 33 years with Air NZ as cabin crew, I have been exposed to all sorts of different styles around the world.”
In the kitchen, Debbie and Peter made a bold statement with cabinetry in Resene Double Stack, a deeply serious grey. The kitchen has a beautiful view of the cottage’s back garden, but Debbie says it was a challenge to fit in all the essentials, including the laundry, into such a small space. “I love the kitchen, it is a lovely space being colourful, practical and functional,” says Debbie. “In a house with neutral tones, we punched out the kitchen by using Resene Double Stack on all the cabinets.
“I tend to prefer a lighter palette, but Resene Double Stack is warm and gave great impact to the kitchen.”
One of the challenges the couple faced working with an older house was balancing the desire to create a beautiful space with the mechanics of creating an efficient home that was warm and dry. Alongside fully insulating the house, Peter and Debbie refurbished the beautiful fireplace, scraping back the mortar and skimming the brickwork with Rockcote fine sponge plaster from Resene Construction Systems, before removing the old firebricks to install their new Escea gas fire. “The fireplace was a hidden treasure covered by the original framing, scrim and lining,” says Peter. “Once we had exposed the original brickwork we decided to make it a feature in the house.
“Having spent time in France, we loved the way in which the fireplace reminded us of houses we had stayed in and we loved the solidity and focus the fireplace and chimney gives to the room. It’s always a talking point.”
Another unique element of their home are the internal doors. While the house is a square front cottage villa, the doors within are in the classic bungalow style. “One curiosity of the house was the internal doors,” says Peter. “I figured that they were old enough to deserve to stay, that they had become heritage themselves.
“We wanted to integrate them into the overall style of the house by painting them Resene Foggy Grey.”
Resene Foggy Grey, a misty and contemporary hue, not only complemented the Resene Half Merino walls but also created a strong connection to the couple’s striking wallpaper choice for their master bedroom. The Wildscape NZ Wallpaper Mural was created for Resene by Peter’s sister, artist Tanya Wolfkamp. The forest design incorporates elements of engravings from Captain Cook’s third voyage to New Zealand in 1777, Italian intaglios and native bush such as toetoe and ponga.
“The bespoke colours used in the printing are Resene Merino and Resene Foggy Grey to match the colours we used in the house,” says Peter. “We are delighted to use her design as a feature in the master bedroom and it’s a bit of a show-stopper.”
The couple take inspiration from the work of American designer Joanne Gaines, whose philosophy on clean colour palettes and recycled vintage pieces have informed the décor choices in their home. Debbie especially enjoyed renovating the children’s bedroom, where she continued the colour scheme with Resene Half Merino walls, ceiling and trim. “My favourite room is the front children’s bedroom, which I had fun dressing,” she says. “There is an original brick fireplace which we rendered then painted Resene Half Merino.
“The chimney adds character to the space and we kept the colours natural so it can be used for any age group.”
The soft, natural colour palette meanders gently through the house and comes to a striking halt in the bathroom, where Resene Half Merino walls are juxtaposed against deep black cabinetry and the original clawfoot bath, refurbished painted with Resene Nero on the outside. “I’m really happy with the bathroom,” says Peter. “It’s a challenging space being long and narrow, but by changing the layout we have created a useful and beautiful bathroom that also includes great functionality.”
Peter first began using Resene paint for his projects in the 80s, when he helped his father paint their family home. “My Dad was insistent that it was the best paint he had ever used,” he says. “I have used it on my jobs for more than 30 years and it has proven itself to be durable and reliable.”
While the couple say the renovation has been a journey, they are happiest with the way the modern appliances and more traditional aspects of their home blend together. They’ve also got some pearls of wisdom for those thinking of renovating their home. “Planning is key,” says Peter. “Building and renovation projects are like a machine with many moving parts, and you need to know what each of them is, what they do, when they have to happen and how they fit together.
“The more you know, the better the project will progress.”
images Jessica Chloe Gernat
Top tip: If you are wanting to paint exterior elements such as brickwork, primed timber or galvanised steel, solid plaster or concrete, try Resene Sonyx 101. Resene Sonyx 101 is a waterborne coating with a semi-gloss finish that is optimised for superior toughness, durability and adhesion, perfect for your hard-wearing exterior surfaces.
Peter and his partner Debbie renovated their 1910 cottage with elegant Resene Half Merino on the walls, ceiling and trim.
The exterior of the square-fronted cottage is Resene Sonyx 101 in Resene Black White with Resene Lustacryl Black White trim, Resene Walk-on Gunsmoke on the veranda and bold Resene CoolColour Nero on the front door.
Beautiful in its simplicity, Peter and Debbie’s home featuresResene Sonyx 101 Black White walls with Resene Lustacryl Black White trim, Resene Walk-on Gunsmoke on the veranda and bold Resene CoolColour Nero on the front door.
The master bedroom’s sophisticated finish is thanks to the Wildscape NZ Wallpaper Mural in Resene Merino and Resene Foggy Grey. The surrounding walls are in Resene Half Merino with ceiling in Resene Half Merino.
The Escea DF990 gas fire is a statement piece in the cosy lounge and was refurbished using Rockcote fine sponge plaster from Resene Construction Systems. The walls are in Resene Half Merino, ceiling in Resene Half Merino and window trim in Resene Half Merino.
The couple went bold in the kitchen with Resene Double Stack on the cabinetry to complement the walls in Resene Half Merino.
Debbie loved dressing the kid’s room. Resene Half Merino on the walls, fireplace, ceiling and trim provides a soft touch.
The natural wooden flooring of the hallway pairs beautifully with walls, ceiling and trim in Resene Half Merino. Resene Foggy Grey adds a pop of elegance on the bungalow doors.
The bathroom got a bold and brilliant makeover with Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom tinted to Resene Half Merino on the walls.
Complementing the dark features in the bathroom, the couple painted the walls with Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom tinted to Resene Half Merino and completed the look with the door painted in misty Resene Foggy Grey.
The kitchen and dining room look out onto Peter and Debbie’s manicured back garden. The cottage’s exterior walls are in Resene Sonyx 101 Black White with Resene Lustacryl Black White trim.
Published: 07 Oct 2021
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
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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.
