Mural attraction

Finalist 3 – Colour Home Awards Competition

A state house is given a pop of colour, and then some.

Kareen Durbin is smitten with her “simple, stereotypical state house” in New Plymouth, she can’t deny it. “We love the blank canvas this humble home has offered us as we experiment with colour theory at scale via Resene paints,” she says.

An attractive mural painted in this home

Kareen painted her bedroom in watermelon tones

Kareen: Homeowner Kareen Durbin used the pretty watermelon tones of Resene Glorious in the bedroom of her granny flat.

After entering the front door, guests are submerged into a world of violet, with the walls and ceiling drenched in Resene Deep Koamaru. Kareen describes it as an “immersive colour experience”, with the white living space in Resene Quarter Iron acting as “the light at the end of this tunnel guiding you into the heart of the home”.

The choice to use such a bold blue in the entrance was an obvious one. “The dark, but warm and vibrant tone creates a sense of contraction,” Kareen says. It also makes the rooms painted in light Resene Quarter Iron feel larger by a trick of the eye.

Perhaps the most show-stopping moment belongs to Kareen’s hand-painted mural in the living room, a swirling, intoxicating dreamscape. “While almost all the rest of the interior is in Resene Quarter Iron, the wall surrounding the fireplace has been painted in a joyful, abstract manner incorporating all the colours in the house,” Kareen says. The eye-catching wall features Resene Cinnamon and Resene Glorious.

Main bedroom painted in Resene Jambalaya
Main bedroom

An entranceway painted in Resene Deep Koamaru
Entranceway

The main bedroom is a “cosy cave” painted in Resene Jambalaya, layering brown tones in the room on top of the statement native timber floorboards, yet kept crisp and modern with a white trim and ceiling. Kareen’s daughter’s bedroom was approached with a similar mentality, but using Resene Half Raven as the dominating colour instead. “It’s a lovely neutral so all her bright images and toys can pop against it.”

In their sunny garden, a granny flat used as an Airbnb serves up a treat, with the bedroom decorated in Resene Glorious, a sorbet shade that looks good enough to eat. “This has been a satisfying project as we transformed a grotty old flat, room by room, into a home full of surprising colours that we love to live in,” Kareen says.