Helping hand

The Maria family completely gutted a 1950s coast bach and used Resene colours throughout. The house had previously been painted entirely beige, which Lisa says ‘killed our souls’. Keen to enliven their home, they wanted to retain some of the bachy feel using colour to create a relaxed and fun atmosphere.

The house had a tiny kitchen at the back, outdated bathroom and rooms that weren’t utilised because of poor layout. The entire internal space was gutted and reconfigured to have an open plan kitchen, dining and living space that took up the entire western side.

They sought advice from a Resene colour expert, who provided great guidance and pushed us a bit out of our comfort zone. They had already committed to a red in the kitchen and a cola red fireplace in the living space and needed wall colours to complement these choices. The Resene colour expert suggested Resene Mexican Red and Resene Norway green with an off-white elsewhere to keep the space feeling open. The kitchen splashback also features Resene Ziggurat.

The colours in the remaining rooms are calmer, in keeping with their use as bedrooms. The master bedroom is Resene Dusted Blue, the second bedroom is Resene Secrets and the study is Resene Lynch. The main neutral throughout is Resene Half Barely There, which works well with the colour palette.