Pale beauty

From the Resene/Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards Competition - Feb 2012 finalist

After three years spent dreaming about it, Cheryl Johnston and her husband Phil finally embarked on 12 months of redecorating to transform their century-old villa in Cambridge.

After three years spent dreaming about it, Cheryl Johnston and her husband Phil finally embarked on 12 months of redecorating to transform their century-old villa in Cambridge. Cheryl took her time selecting just the right shades of grey and white. “I had visions of what I wanted, but with hundreds of shades to choose from, I purchased a lot of Resene testpots to narrow down the options to the ideal few!” she says.

Cottage built in the back garden
Phil and Cheryl Johnston recently undertook a renovation of their 100-year-old villa. They built a whole new cottage at the back of the house. (above)

Perfecting a lighter palette can be tricky, and Cheryl “quickly realised just how different one grey can be to another”. She settled on Resene Eighth Stack for the cottage’s ensuite, Resene Eighth Tapa for the study and Resene Buttery White for the main bedroom. The exterior of the home was easier as the couple chose the same colours as their previous home: Resene Silver Chalice for the weatherboards, and Resene Alabaster for the windows, doors, posts and fretwork.

Bedroom ensuite an d study
Left: Cheryl says she and Phil chose a colour scheme that was in keeping with the style of the cottage, while honouring their own aesthetic. The main bedroom is painted in Resene ‘Buttery White’. Center: The new ensuite in the main house. Right: The new study is a lesson in the calm, soothing tones of grey.

In neutral

It’s a good idea to select a half-strength version of your wall colour for ceilings. Ceilings receive less light, so a colour painted on a ceiling will generally look darker than the same colour on a wall.

For extra interest, vary the sheen levels of your paint finish. For example, use a lowsheen finish like Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen on your walls, and complement it with the higher semi-gloss sheen of Resene Lustacryl on the trim and joinery.

The Resene Whites & Neutrals collection makes it easier to select a tone-on-tone colour palette, with up to six strength variations of Resene’s most popular colours.