This Horowhenua mum painted her entire home green – and the result is epic!
It was a comment from a friend that set Foxton’s Jinel on a very green-toned path before painting her home. “I love green, and I’d often say before we renovated the house: ‘If it were up to me, I’d paint the whole house green’. Then someone reminded me: ‘It is up to you!’ So, I did.” Resene colours splashed on each wall in forest and fruity greens have created a natural and warm colour palette.
The Horowhenua home was built in the 1970s – it came complete with a pink toilet, Jinel says. “The house was cut into four pieces and moved from Palmerston North to Foxton five years ago, then we purchased it in October 2020.” After a renovation the family completed themselves, it became home to Jinel and her husband Matt, their three children Tatum (9), Freyah (6), Kennedy (4), Opal the dog and Keke the cat.
“When we brought it, it had purple everything: purple curtains, purple carpet and purple doors. Purple is my least favourite colour, so it had to go.” Jinel says they chose the colours for each room one at a time, poring over sample colours for days until one stood out. “We actually painted the hallway twice; the first colour just wasn’t right and it was right before the second lockdown. So I had to live with it for a few weeks before I could get back to the shop!”
Resene Double Lemon Grass was the colour the pair eventually settled on for the entranceway. “I didn’t want anything too dark for this area, but still something with a hint of green to tie things in. We decided to keep the skirting boards original because they were already a warm colour to go with our warm/natural colour palette.”
The living room has become a family favourite painted in Resene Kelp. Jinel spied the shade on the Resene Facebook page. “I saw it, loved it and had to use it; the room has such a cosy feel now with the dark walls. It’s where most of my plant collection lives too.” Macrame wall hangings in subtle cream and beiges stand out against the colour.
In the master bedroom, Jinel experimented with warmer tones. The ceiling is in Resene Rumour Has It, and the walls in Resene Archive Grey. “The ceiling colour I chose mostly because of the name, and I thought it was fitting for a master bedroom. Resene Archive Grey I felt had a vintage feel, so warm and classic.”
Jinel says she is most happy with the master bedroom. “It’s all of me! I love rattan so have used that a lot in there. It features all of my favourite colours (burnt orange, olive and grey). I have mostly my husband to thank for that room, we work as a team – I have the ideas and he makes it happen.” The green theme continues in the master bedroom’s en suite, in Resene Mediterranean Olive. The couple wanted a moody bathroom, and this tone offered that vibe immediately, she says.
Her rustic-vintage interior style shows in the en-suite. “There’s a 100-year-old singer sewing machine that we repurposed into our en-suite vanity with appropriate antique tapware, lighting and a mirror.”
The kitchen/dining area offered room to play with stencils on their wooden flooring, something Jinel had wanted to try since seeing the design on Pinterest. Mandala-like patterns dance on the floor by the dining table. “I was recommended Resene Double Rice Cake in store to complement the wood floor. It turned out great.”
Much of the furniture in the family’s home has been bought second-hand and upcycled. The dining table holds particular sentimental value. “It’s old and up-cycled, but all of the scratches and pen marks leave memories behind. My kids spend a lot of time at the table, with art projects and play, then it becomes where we share our meals together.”
In the home’s main bathroom, Resene Saratoga is the star. It was one of the first green shades Jinel chose. “It had such a natural rain forest feel to it. It’s bright yet dark, great for a bathroom to create that forest feel.” The biggest learning emerged here for Jinel and Matt: “We had to do the plasterboard in the bathroom twice due to lack of reading instructions, so always read instructions despite what your husband says!’
The last of the green stretches to the children’s bedrooms, all in Resene Eighth Tapa. The tone felt gender neutral, Jinel says, giving them the option to switch rooms as the kids grow up.
Next on their renovations list is to give the kitchen an overhaul and add an entertainment area out on the deck. No doubt, some shade of green will make an appearance.
Top tip: Green is a complex and immensely varied colour group – in isolation it can be difficult to decide whether a green is cool or warm. It is much easier to see ‘warmness’ or ‘coolness’ if there are two options to compare. For example, a deep green room with rich autumn coloured curtains glows with warmth and vibrancy. In contrast, a slighter brighter green used in a well-lit south facing room accented with cobalt blue and white will be reminiscent of water and sky and be perceived as cold. Have a variety of options in front of you, compare them against each other, and think about the furnishings you will incorporate.
Resene Double Lemon Grass is subtle, inviting and sophisticated in the entranceway. Ceiling and trims in Resene Black White.
The living room has become a family favourite painted in Resene Kelp. Jinel spied the shade on the Resene Facebook page. The trims and ceiling are in Resene Black White.
Resene Kelp on the walls and Resene Black White on the ceiling offer the perfect backdrop for neutral coloured macramé wall hangings.
In the master bedroom, Jinel experimented with warmer tones. The ceiling is in Resene Rumour Has It and the walls are in Resene Archive Grey. Trims in Resene Black White.
The green theme continues in the master bedroom’s en suite, in Resene Mediterranean Olive. The couple wanted a moody bathroom, and this tone offered that vibe immediately, Jinel says.
Mandala-like patterns dance on the floor by the dining table. “I was recommended Resene Double Rice Cake in store to complement the wood floor. It turned out great.”
In the home’s main bathroom, Resene Saratoga is the star. It was one of the first green shades Jinel chose. The ceiling is in Resene Black White.
The children’s bedrooms are all in Resene Eighth Tapa. The tone felt gender neutral, Jinel says, giving them the option to switch rooms as the kids grow up. Ceilings and trims in Resene Black White.
Published: 28 Apr 2022
Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Saratoga
Resene Saratoga
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Mediterranean Olive
Resene Mediterranean Olive
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Kelp
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Eighth Tapa
Resene Saratoga
Resene Saratoga
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Double Rice Cake
Resene Black White
Resene Black White
Resene Mediterranean Olive
Resene Mediterranean Olive
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Archive Grey
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Rumour Has It
Resene Kelp
Resene Lemon Grass
Resene Lemon Grass
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.