From BlackWhite magazine - issue 04, colourful outlook
Eight talented architectural and interior photographers dish about DIYs, colour predictions and dream designer dinner dates.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
Resene Celestial Blue by Karen Walker. I've done small feature walls in my studio and bathroom and never tire of the way its deep blue colour contrasts against my gold framed round mirror.
Amanda Aitkin
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
www.aaphotography.co.nz
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
I bought a huge, custom, off-cream cabinet second-hand. Even broken down into three parts and without the drawers and shelves, it took three 'muscle men' to move the outer shell. Once I painted it white and added leather pull handles, it came up beautifully. It's become both a statement and an elephant in the room, that's for sure.
Waikato Trust features walls and ceilings in Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta. Design by Chow:Hill Architects. Build by Form Construction. Painting by GMR Holmac. Image by Amanda Aitkin.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
My husband and I have renovated three homes now, doing most of the work ourselves, so I'd say we're pretty DIY savvy. But these days, I prefer to call in the experts and keep my weekends free. We've done our hard yards – although my husband thinks differently (but he's a DIYer for life).
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Have more courage.
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
Repaint our exterior brick (it's cream!). We've had the sample patches on our fence post for years but it's still on the list.
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?
Can I pick two? I love street art! Owen Dippie and Mr G Hoete are both local artists here in Tauranga and recognised internationally. They each create the most incredible lifelike pieces that uplift so many cities and communities. At dinner, I would want to know more about their stories and their connections to the people they paint – but I'd also ask for lessons for my 13-year-old daughter who is crazy about painting and becoming an artist.
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
I would invent a small appliance that keeps your butter at the right temperature. Or bring back butter conditioners to fridges. That would be even better.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
My superpower would be to breathe underwater. The underwater world is such a magical place to be in.
Based on what you've seen while out photographing projects, what are your key colour and design predictions?
Things have definitely moved from the light and bright to earthy pastels and moodier tones. Arches are everywhere now, which I love! Perhaps the next couple of years could take that further, where we'll see lots of bright colours and a new take on Art Deco – but without the animal print.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
I really like Resene Wan White. I've used it before for an interior and love the luminosity it casts over interior spaces.
Simon Devitt
Auckland, New Zealand
www.instagram.com/simon_devitt
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
I renovated my modernist Titirangi house with Bureaux Architects back in 2016. The paint colour we used really transformed the interior and created the perfect atmosphere for the rest of the design.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I've come to appreciate and rely on professionals doing the best job for a fair price every time. Never regretted it!
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Take risks, be happy to make mistakes, learn heaps and be generous with your knowledge.
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
We've just bought a new house and it really needs new paint inside and out, so I'm looking forward to some Resene colour suggestions from the BlackWhite team.
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?
I'd invite Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. His buildings are magical and playful, and I'd ask him about how he created the incredible atmospheres inside them.
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
A machine that slows time down. Time seems to speed up as you get older.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Invisibility. All photographers would wish for this, I suspect. I teach photography students techniques on how to feel like they are invisible.
Based on what you've seen while out photographing projects, what are your key colour and design predictions?
I've seen some great examples with bold use of colour, particularly in interiors lately. I suspect we'll see this trend continue and used more widely.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
Resene Jurassic. It's a really deep, elegant green that doesn't seem to overpower a space, with a nice subtle splash of personality.
Jessica Chloe Gernat
Auckland, New Zealand
www.jessicachloe.com
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
A fun project on the go is two wine barrels I'm looking to sand and weatherproof. They'll get a light wood stain and I'll make a nice top so the rain doesn't pool and we'll use them as outdoor bar leaners.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
Both. If it makes sense to me and I have most of the tools on hand, I'll do small things. But anything that feels like it'll cost more if I get it wrong, then I'll be on the phone to the pros!
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Watch closer when family are doing little fixups/renovations and have a go if you can. Everything from cars to construction helps make a handy problem-solving mind.
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?
A very sleek and sturdy outdoor cantilever umbrella. We would have enjoyed the outdoor space much more each day if there was an easy way to control that gorgeous beaming sun!
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?
Marina Abramović. What an incredibly courageous and focused performance artist. I would listen to any story that she wants to share, maybe ask where the state of creativity and artistic expression may be headed, and the pros and cons of such a connected yet isolated world.
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
A pair of wings! Something comfortable and quiet. There's still a child in me that wants to fly where it doesn't involve running off a mountain or jumping from a plane.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Flying. I seem a little obsessed with seeing the clouds in person.
Based on what you've seen while out photographing projects, what are your key colour and design predictions?
I think we will see more use of bright colour and fun combinations. Maybe all the lockdowns and lack of travel will have us emerge with a desire for exciting expressions through the spaces we occupy and clothes we wear.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
Resene Crisp Green from the Karen Walker Paints range. It goes really well with our original built-in dark stained joinery.
Stephen Goodenough
Christchurch, New Zealand www.instagram.com/stephengoodenoughphotographer
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
We've done some major renovations and redecorating in the last few years. I decided to hang wallpaper in our entry myself. Our home is late 1970s with cathedral timber lined ceilings. We want to modernise it but also retain those features that are of that period. I chose a geometric patterned paintable wallpaper that gives it a subtle 70s feel.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I always like to do what I feel I'm capable of. Decorating, designing and building small pieces of furniture, I love doing – and while I'm told I'm a perfectionist, I'm not so sure. When it comes to gutting rooms and rebuilding walls, I definitely leave that to the experts.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Start investing in your future early in life, be that buying your first home or investing in yourself by following your dream career. There will always be things you look back on and think you could have done that differently, but I've got no regrets.
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home décor item right now, what would it be and why?
Probably a new lounge suite or recovering ours. It's nearing 20 years old, and although it still has a classic contemporary style, it's starting to look a little tired.
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and why?
That's a tough one as there are lots of photographers from the past and artists of the last century I would love to meet, but it would probably be Leonardo da Vinci. He imagined so many technological advances, like aircraft, 500 years before their invention!
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
I don't know what I would invent, but if I could un-invent something, it would be social media. I think the world would be a better place without it.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
To hear people's thoughts. I mean, you could have so much fun with that, couldn't you?
Based on what you've seen while out photographing projects, what are your key colour and design predictions?
I've definitely seen a resurgence in mid-century design over the past two decades and, like fashion, that often goes in circles. So I could see that coming back around again.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
Resene New York Pink because of its versatility. It can be matched with earthy colours, pastel greens or dusty blues. I'm loving the darker pastels at the moment.
Holly Hawkins
Melbourne, Australia
www.hollyhawkins.com
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
I often have to paint backgrounds and props for my images. I recently painted my Adirondack chair in Resene Sea Fog. It's a versatile white with a hint of grey.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I would have to admit to absolutely being a perfectionist. It's important to try and paint the most evenly you can because everything shows up on camera!
No Bed of Roses by mural artist George Rose features Resene Lumbersider in Resene Black, Resene California, Resene Canary, Resene Chetwode Blue, Resene Governor Bay, Resene Grenadier, Resene Malibu, Resene Paua, Resene Riptide, Resene Smitten, Resene Spritzer and Resene Switched On. Image by Holly Hawkins.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Just get out there and do it. More lessons are learnt in the process of trying. There's no need to be so tentative and cautious. Fortune favours the brave.
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home décor item right now, what would it be and why?
I desperately need new couches, but I'd probably end up buying an Akari lamp that I've had my eye on for a while. Much less practical but so, so beautiful. I'm a huge fan of soft, ambient light around the home.
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and why? And what might you talk about?
Too many to choose. Perhaps one of my favourite photographers, Robert Mapplethorpe. We'd chat about New York in the 70s and 80s and large format black and white film photography.
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
Some kind of dream reader or dream interpreter. I'd love to be able to remember my dreams and watch them back like a film.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I'd love a photographic memory. To recall everything would be fabulous!
Based on what you've seen while out photographing projects, what are your key colour and design predictions?
There is a lot of lavender and lilac around at the moment. I think those pastel hues will stay popular for a while longer.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
Resene Rivergum. I love getting out into the mountains as that's where I'm most relaxed, and Resene Rivergum reminds me of the beechwood forests I enjoy so much.
Ryan McCauley
Porirua, New Zealand
www.instagram.com/ryanmccauleyphoto
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
My favourite project is one that I'm just about to start. I am stripping and re-staining my great uncle's writing desk to bring it back to its former glory and keep the history alive.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
I love to DIY and I certainly strive for perfection. If I can make a solution out of timber, I'll give it a crack every time. But when it comes to electrical and plumbing, I'm more than happy to pay someone to do it for me.
Rolls of blank wallpaper stacked up in the Aspiring Wall warehouse ready to be printed with designs from the Resene Wallpaper Collection. Image by Ryan McCauley.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be more confident and believe that your skills are worth people investing in.
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home décor item right now, what would it be and why?
I'd love to get a full set of plates, bowls, mugs and a jug custom made by a ceramicist, just for us. I love to support local artisans and artists and there is great joy in art that is a vessel for food!
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and why?And what might you talk about?
I would love to have dinner with my favourite New Zealand painter, Peter McIntyre. I'd ask about his experience of capturing war through his sketches and paintings.
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
As cliché as it is, teleportation. The ability to live in the middle of nature with the convenience of nipping to the supermarket when you forgot to get that one thing you actually needed would be ideal.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would stop time to enjoy those moments that are all too fleeting.
Based on what you've seen while out photographing projects, what are your key colour and design predictions?
I have noticed a move towards having small intimate spaces to sit and just ‘be'. Whether it is a window seat with some comfy cushions to watch the world go by or a return to spaces like libraries and dens, I feel like people are looking for those small sanctuaries within their homes now that the couch, study and home office have all become designated work-from-home spaces.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
I am a huge fan of burnt oranges and mustards, so I love all of Resene's oranges from Resene Clockwork Orange to Resene Moroccan Spice to Resene Twizel!
Nicole Reed
Melbourne, Australia
www.nicolereed.photography
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
While I'm not much of a DIYer or painter, I have done a few ‘wallpapering' projects where I've covered whole rooms with my photography for art projects. It was actually a lot of fun doing the pasting up myself.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
When it comes to finding ways to DIY things on photography sets that are a little out of the ordinary, I'm all in. I can paint a mean cyclorama or backdrop, or hack a cabinet into a greenhouse. But when it comes to anything else, I'd most definitely leave it to the professionals!
A portrait of artist George Rose by Nicole Reed featuring Resene Scrumptious and Resene Adrenalin.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
It would be to take more notice, believe in and heed the advice that older people gave me – how ironic! I wonder if I would listen to myself. Like, “hey Nicole, even though you are young and fit, you should be much more ergonomic in the way you shoot because it will catch up with you.”
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home décor item right now, what would it be and why?
I am obsessed with the B&B Italia Camaleonda Sofa – in orange or brown, of course! It has just the right amount of 1970s aesthetic that I love.
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and why? And what might you talk about?
I think about this all time! Well, more that I think about who I would have to a dinner party. But if I was to choose one person, it would be Kenzō Tange. He was one of the first architects that made me fall in love with architecture and then photographing architecture. I would ask him his opinion on the preservation of important works and what makes them important enough to preserve. Although he did not design it, it would be a poignant question considering the commencement of the demolition of the Nakagin Capsule Tower.
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
Oh boy, I'm going to be righteous and say a cure for cancer. For obvious reasons, the world would be a better place without it, but personally because I have had a few family members and friends affected by it.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I'm going to be totally unrighteous here and say the ability to teleport myself and other people to other parts of the world, purely to skip all those queues at the airport and the costs of travel!
Based on what you've seen while out photographing projects, what are your key colour and design predictions?
I think after enduring lockdown, people are putting a bit more effort into making their spaces an enjoyable and pleasing place to be, so I think we'll see a bit more colour and warmth both in homes and corporate settings. I've even seen more pops of orange (great news for me), mustards and lime greens around. There definitely seems to be 70s influences coming through and I'm hoping that takes off even more.
Which is your current favourite Resene colour and why do you like it?
Resene Half Washed Green. It's the colour our interior designer, Nicola Manning, chose for our master bedroom and it manages to be warm or cool, depending on the time of day, but it's always relaxing.
Mark Scowen
Auckland, New Zealand
www.markscowen.co.nz
What has been your favourite painting, wallpapering or staining project that you have done to date and what did you like about the outcome?
Last year we stripped wallpaper from the entire house and had the interior skim coated and painted, which has completely transformed our home.
Are you a DIY perfectionist or do you leave it to the professionals?
A bit of both, but when it comes to painting, I definitely leave it to the professionals.
If you could go back in time and give a younger version of yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?
Buy a bach somewhere. They used to be cheaper.
If you were to go out and splurge on any one home décor item right now, what would it be and why?
An original Eames lounge chair. They still look amazing even after 60+ years.
If you could have dinner with any artist or designer from the past or present, who would it be and why? And what might you talk about?
I would want to have dinner with New Zealand landscape painter Jonathan White, who sadly passed away last year and whose work I have admired for more than 30 years. I would like to have talked about the patience that goes into painting such incredible images as his.
If you could magically invent something that doesn't exist, what would it be and why?
Well-behaved children who always do what you ask the first time.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
As a photographer, I think the most useful superpower would be to control the weather so I had perfect light for every situation. It would also be very handy when tramping or kayaking.
This is a magazine created for the industry, by the industry and with the industry – and a publication like this is only possible because of New Zealand and Australia's remarkably talented and loyal Resene specifiers and users.
If you have a project finished in Resene paints, wood stains or coatings, whether it is strikingly colourful, beautifully tonal, a haven of natural stained and clear finishes, wonderfully unique or anything in between, we'd love to see it and have the opportunity to showcase it. Submit your projects online or email editor@blackwhitemag.com. You're welcome to share as many projects as you would like, whenever it suits. We look forward to seeing what you've been busy creating.
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