Above: With a little help from Mum, seven-year- old Mia picked Resene Cloud for her bedroom walls, which serves as a neutral backdrop for her colourful artwork. Left: Five-year-old Jackson went for Resene Plantation walls, which contrast beautifully with the Resene Milk White trim. Below: The feature walls in four-year-old Boe’s room are finished in horizontal stripes in Resene Smalt Blue and Resene Milk White and a map to inspire dreams of far-away lands. (Resene Smalt Blue is from an older colour collection, try Resene Casal as a current alternative.) Above: Deep and dark Resene Coast in the master bedroom sets the scene for a sleeping sanctuary. Right: Resene Blue Dianne teamed with a Resene Milk White ceiling are a striking match in the main bathroom. Resene Cloud Resene Plantation Resene Casal Resene Smalt Blue Resene Atlas Resene Milk White Resene Coast Resene Blue Dianne family hunker down when the children are in bed. They chose Resene Green Meets Blue, which is reminiscent of sea glass, for the walls and repainted the Resene Milk White trims. Annabel believes that children need a room that reflects them as an individual and that it should be updated every few years as they grow. She encourages her clients to get the input of even their youngest children before choosing the colour schemes for their bedrooms. So, naturally, the Berry children helped choose their paint colours. Seven-year-old Mia was ready to move away from the mostly pink scheme she’s had since infancy and wanted a neutral background to display her artwork. Together, she and her mother chose the grey-white Resene Cloud. Sporty Jackson, who’s five, went with Resene Plantation green on his walls, while loud and bouncy four-year-old Boe’s room stayed the same with its feature wall of horizontal stripes in Resene Milk White and Resene Smalt Blue (Resene Smalt Blue is from an older colour collection, try Resene Casal for a current alternative). Simon and Annabel couldn’t be more pleased to keep the original décor they chose for their bedroom. “We love it, so we didn’t change it,” says Annabel. “The walls are Resene Coast, my favourite navy blue, and we have Resene Atlas with white tiles and a dark timber vanity in the ensuite.” However, after a few years, even the most professionally applied paint job can begin to look a bit weary. Annabel advises clients to repaint rooms every five to ten years. With children’s bedrooms, she recommends that you should aim for every three to five. top tip Resene colours are still available even if they are not on a current colour chart. View an A4 drawdown paint swatch at your local Resene ColorShop to check you like it and then staff can tint it into your chosen paint for you. 42 43 feature house