On the straight and narrow

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

It’s not unusual for visitors to Michele Powles and James Winton’s home to mistake the striped wall in their kitchen for expensive designer wallpaper.

It’s not unusual for visitors to Michele Powles and James Winton’s home to mistake the striped wall in their kitchen for expensive designer wallpaper. In fact, the clever colour combo is the handiwork of Michele, who knew exactly the look she was after.

“I went to a Resene ColorShop and started playing around with the different colouredcard paint samples,” she says. “It took me about half an hour to choose the colours.”

It’s difficult to believe this cute cottage was once badly in need of some TLC. “Its skin was peeling and its tongue was hanging out,” says Michele. “But a good drink of Resene paint in every room over the past two years has gotten us neighbour-envy!

bright stripes kitchen
Recreating Michele and James’ striped wall at your place could be easier than it looks. “We used a plumb line to create each vertical line, then marked the wall with chalk,” explains Michele. “Using the chalk lines as a guide, we ran masking tape down each side of each stripe, then it was just a matter of paint, dry, repeat.”

kitchen details
Left: An orange kettle adds a dash of vibrant colour to the stovetop. Center: Be bold and opt for dining chairs in different colours. Michele linked the colour story in the kitchen with the dining area by covering the chairs in shades that echo the gorgeous striped wall.

“It’s easy to play it safe, and people kept discussing the importance of resale appeal, but with a house like ours, it’s going to be an emotional purchase anyway. Buyers will like it or not, and in the meantime, we get to enjoy living in a home that’s relaxing and invigorating in turn.”

If you like the look of this kitchen, turn to page 40 to see the rest of the home’s bold and beautiful colour scheme.

Stripes Resene Drumbeat (brown), Resene Breakfree (maroon), Resene Blackjack (black), Resene Galliano (yellow), Resene Bullseye (red), Resene Ecstasy (orange), Resene Free Spirit (turquoise), Resene Topspin (green), Resene Calypso (blue). Walls and cabinets Resene Karen Walker Milk White.

Tips to try:

If you’d like to gives stripes a go but you’re not sure which colours to choose, check out the back of the Resene The Range fashion colours fandeck for a selection of complementary shades.

Add interest and variety to a neutral colour scheme by creating a striped wall with your choice of colours from the Resene Whites & Neutrals collection.