“My favourite room is unquestionably the home office. This is the brightest, warmest space in the house, and I have painted the entire room in Resene Dark Slate. This space exudes calm and fills me with happiness, working in here is an absolute delight.” Trims and ceiling in Resene Black White.

The family in front of this Richmond home, the deck was built by Caleb. The villa is fresh in Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen tinted to Resene Umber White on the weatherboards and pergola, windows and door trims in Resene Lustacryl tinted to Resene All Black. They’ve since moved out of the home and are in the middle of their next renovating adventure in Auckland.

The living/dining features Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to Resene Concrete painted on walls with a combination of light and dark kitchen joinery alongside a stonework wall.

In this warm and inviting contemporary living room, Resene Duck Egg Blue walls and Resene Quarter Duck Egg Blue flooring introduces subtle and appealing colour to a space decorated primarily with other pale blues and neutrals. It’s the sort of look that’s just as ideal for a beachside bach as it is for your everyday home. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Bryce Carleton.

“Painting the whole house was a massive undertaking and we knew we had to engage professionals. It made it so much easier to work in with the builders who were replacing boards at the same time and sharing scaffolding,” Gemma says. Cheerful Resene St Kilda is painted on the weatherboards, Resene Alabaster on the fence and trims and Resene Colour Me Pink on the doors and mailbox. 

Spending time surrounded by intense colours like red can actually raise your heart rate. Resene blues, on the other hand, are among the easiest colours to live with. Darker/denim blues in particular have just the right amount of greyed dustiness to them to make them perfectly suited for our intense natural light. The wall in this calm bedroom is painted in Resene Rhino, floor in Resene Iron and battens in Resene Half New Denim Blue, Resene Gull Grey, Resene Neutral Bay and Resene Midwinter Mist. Chest of drawers in Resene Gull Grey, bedside table in Resene Neutral Bay, pendant lamp in Resene Iron, footed bowl on bench seat in Resene Rhino, squiggle vase and crinkle vase in  Resene Half New Denim Blue, tealight holder (on books) in Resene Rhino and books painted in Resene Rhino and Resene Neutral Bay. Duvet cover and pillowcases from Foxtrot Home, throw and rug from H&M Home, linen cushion from Adairs. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Batten wall designs add great texture to this living space, while sticking to a monochromatic theme. Battens and the top of the coffee table and side table are painted in Resene Half Tuna, lamp base in Resene Blue Smoke, lampshade and little dishes in Resene Nebula, tealight holder in Resene Yucca and bowl in Resene Tiara. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

“The exterior originally had dark blue trims, which in our super sunny city, meant peeling, blistering and bubbling, so I repainted the exterior trims in Resene Alabaster to protect them for as long as possible.” Weatherboards in Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue from the Karen Walker Paints collection with window trims and soffits in Resene Alabaster.

The stunning dining walls are painted in bold Resene Mine Shaft creating an intimate and cosy dining area. Ceiling painted in Resene Eighth Thorndon Cream and trims in Resene Quarter Thorndon Cream.

This cheerful front door is painted in Resene Jalapeno. The living room sings in vibrant teal Resene Retreat. All trims and ceilings are in Resene Quarter Merino, while the bedroom is in Resene Oxygen. All interiors are painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.