Colour my world

From the Resene/Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards Competition - Mar 2010 finalist

Erina Emery’s passion for bold colour is evident in the decor of her home.

“I love colour and have always wanted a house where I could let my imagination run wild – thankfully my husband was prepared to indulge me.

“I spent many months planning and deciding how to revitalise and freshen the interior,” she says. “I started in the dining room with some amazing fabric that I found for the blinds and decided to have a lovely feature wall to match, for which we chose the colour Resene Turbo.

A bold red carpet on the stairs dictated the colour of the handrails, though it was not easy finding exactly the right shade. “After trying about six Resene reds we ended up making our own, with the Resene staff’s help. This is now called Emery Red,” says Erina.

Va va voom

Kitchen and hallway
Erina Emery created her own red for the stairs, with the help of Resene staff.

Tip: How large a painted area is can affect the way the colour appears. When used to fill a whole room, strong colours seem stronger and more intense than if used on just a feature wall. If in doubt use a shade lighter than your original choice. Multiple walls intensify the colour.

Tip: Surface textures also change the way you perceive colour. Smooth surfaces reflect light while heavily textured surfaces absorb light. So, the same colour painted in a gloss paint on a wall will look lighter and brighter than if it were painted in a flat paint finish.