Making an Entrance competition

Winner N^o5

Giving their Whangārei home a more modern look was the impetus for Ferne and Ben Reimanis to paint their front door in Resene Sassy, with exterior walls in dramatic Resene Double Foundry. Ferne, the fifth winner of our Making an Entrance competition in conjunction with Resene, says she trialled swatches of greens, mustards and pinks on the door before choosing Resene Sassy – not that it was too out of character: "My 21st was a pink party, my daughter's feature wall was in Barbie pink and 32 years [since the 21st], that love for all shades of pink is still there." The reaction from visitors has been fun. "Because our house is not on a street front everyone gets a shock when they come down the driveway... a most pleasant surprise," Ferne says. 

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Winner N^o4

Andra Bayly, the fourth winner of our Making an Entrance competition in conjunction with Resene, says when she bought her Whanganui home she inherited "a tried and true Kiwi black front door" but "this never sat well with me," she says, opting to brighten her entranceway with Resene Sweet Corn: "We settled on yellow to bring out the gold hues in the stained glass windows at the front and the side of the house." Andra says she is a "big colour person" and has used it throughout her home to evoke feelings of joy. "It's very 'Pepsi', very 'up' and effervescent," she says of her colourful palette, which begins at that welcoming yellow door. "I love it. It lifts my spirits above the grey skies every time I come home," Andra says. "It's a burst of sunshine."

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Winner N^o 3

Nikki McColl, the third winner of our Making an Entrance competition in conjunction with Resene, says her choice of Resene Pretty In Pink for the front door was in keeping with the Palm Springs vibe of the rest of her home – and pink is her favourite colour. "My two daughters, Ruby and Mila, were especially excited, and helped me choose which pink to paint it," Nikki says. All her friends love the colour choice, and she says, to her surprise, even her husband Phil loves the shade. "To be honest, I didn't think he would agree so when he said yes I was quite surprised!" She had already painted the door when she happened across the palm tree door knocker while on a girls' weekend away in Byron Bay, Australia, and "knew it would match perfectly". And it does.

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Winner N^o 2

Maureen Allen, the second winner of our Making an Entrance competition in conjunction with Resene, says people thought she was mad choosing Resene Clockwork Orange for her striking front door in the Napier suburb of Taradale, but it was something she had always been keen to try.

"My inspiration for the door colour was in my head, something I always wanted," she explains. "It was many orange testpots later that Resene Clockwork Orange rang all the bells." Those initial doubters have been surprised to see how good the door looks, Maureen says. "As I am heading towards my 80s I thought, 'here goes nothing'.

"I love it and it makes me smile every day."

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Winner N^o 1

A long-held enchantment with 10 Downing St, the home of Britain's Prime Minister, is the story behind the front door of Leanne Grinder's Thames house, which is painted in Resene Black. She vowed that one day she too would have a black door with gold hardware. The striking Resene colour "offsets the brass hardware and shows off the lovely floral details on the glass insets," Leanne explains, saying they get many compliments from passersby. It provides the perfect juxtaposition with the home's exterior in Resene Iron, a cool, understated grey, and its fence in Resene Half Sea Fog, a barely-there black- edged white. 

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