2008 October finalist

From the Resene/Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards Competition - Oct 2008 finalist

Our October finalist created a daring scheme with bright Pacific-inspired colours.

It was partly the cost of painting a house that led to the dramatic colour scheme Tamsin Hanly chose for her Auckland villa. “I felt that if we were going to spend a significant amount of money repainting the house that we should be doing something active, confident, original and energetic,” she says.

Pacific inspired colour scheme.
Walls Resene Ecstasy Trim Resene Wasabi Deck and external windowsills Resene Hairy Heath Lounge window frames Resene Chetwode Blue Lounge wall colour Resene Marzipan.

Villa details in auckland
Right: Front door accent colour Resene Deep Blush. Our October finalist created a daring scheme with bright Pacific-inspired colours

Tamsin wanted a warm colour scheme, and decided on Resene Ecstasy after trying different colours on a photocopy of a picture of her house. The painter, surprised by her daring choice, did the back of the house first to make sure she wanted to continue. “I must admit, the day he painted the first wall orange, I was really shocked,” says Tamsin. “It was so bright that it cast a reflection onto the neighbour’s house! But after a couple of days I got used to it. The Samoan neighbours on one side love the colours, and I haven’t talked to the neighbours on the other side about it! People stop their cars to look and people walking by will chat to me about it.

“I lived in the Pacific islands for a few years, and the colours there are so much brighter than, say, in Europe. This Resene colour scheme is a deliberate acknowledgement of the Pacific. My parents were both visual artists, and we were always encouraged to express ourselves creatively and be different. The colours clash with the formality of the villa but they also create new possibilities.”

Bright colour tips

Colours look more intense when used on a larger area. If you are undecided between two colours, it’s often best to go for the lighter one as it will look stronger in situ.

Some bright colours have pigments in them that are more vulnerable to the effects of the sun. Applying a coat of clear Resene Sun Defier, formulated with U.V. inhibitors to prevent much of the sun’s energy hitting the colour, can help colour look its best for longer.

To keep the exterior of your home looking good, wash it every 6-12 months using water and a cleaner like Resene Paint Prep and Housewash. It will clean your house and minimise the need for repainting.