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Good often comes from bad, and this serenely decadent ensuite is a great example. The unpleasant discovery of extensive but hidden damage caused by a slow-leaking pipe, led homeowners Fraser and Sandy Gillies to virtually gut the room and start again. The result is a space with a zen-like peacefulness that would look at home in a Pacific Island resort... more
Kelly Gammie of Eucalyptus Design took her cue from the 1970s architectural vintage of this house and combined it with her passion for presenting interiors as works of art to create the unique contemporary look for this kitchen. Angular geometric lines feature throughout the house, with arrow-head shapes on the walls and faceted light fittings. In the kitchen, the angled block of black on the wall is actually Resene Blackboard Paint... more
What small boy wouldn’t love this stunning room? And especially when it has a special connection to his beloved late grandfather. Millie MacAlpine chose the interior schemes for her family’s new home in Canterbury with the help of her mother Veronica Moore. The theme for son Monty’s bedroom came from a red iron tool box on the wall which used to belong to his Poppy. Monty and his grand-dad shared a special bond and he was devastated when he passed away... more
Some of us just paint our walls. Greer Clayton uses them as over-sized canvases for her increasingly intricate stencilled and free-hand artworks. Or she takes to a table with a herringbone pattern and a coat of whitewash, or adds polka dots to a child’s desk or gives some plant pots a textured ombre effect. If it can be turned from plain to fabulous, Greer will be there. In between times, she paints canvases and exhibits at various city galleries... more
A sophisticated answer to recycling plywood offcuts has seen Mat Macmillan produce a beautiful range of modern pieces for the home. From his Tauranga-based studio, Maker Furniture, this craftsman saw opportunity in the offcuts – some colourfully brushed with paint from Resene – and got to work crafting wonderfully shaped fruit bowls and lamps. Perhaps most striking is the Slice Lamp, its brightly coloured segments... more
Create a personalised measuring stick to track your growth... more
A renovation by ‘remote control’ didn’t hinder the progress of Maggie Robertson’s colourful ‘forever home’. She calls it a ‘forever’ home and it’s easy to see why Maggie Robertson would never want to leave her transitional Edwardian villa in one of Auckland’s fringe city suburbs. Her colourful, tasteful interiors meld a stately sense of early 19th century practicality with lively modern elegance and act as a perfect backdrop for her captivating collection of treasures... more
Interior designer Debbie Abercrombie often asks her clients to choose colours based on the following three emotions: Find a colour that is pleasing: My choice is Resene Regatta. A pleasing colour should be used in rooms in which we spend a lot of time. Resene Regatta is a classic navy, and is fresh when teamed up with soft whites and with a touch of green. It reminds me of a wonderful sailing holiday I had last year. The next colour should be inspiring... more
When Lynda Hallinan isn’t presenting TV shows or writing gardening books, she’s at home in the vege patch of her lifestyle block, or relaxing at her retro bach. Find out her favourite colours... more
The familiar sight of schist and cedar wraps the Wanaka home of art patron Jan Warburton. But don’t be fooled by the neutral exterior – the attention to detail applied to these two materials alone hints at the surprises that await inside. Jan’s keen eye for detail and love of bold colour have transformed this 1990 spec home which was originally owned by her parents. When she decided to alter the house in 2012, her vision of creating a haven for herself... more
Interior designer Jackie Jones has no objection to her kitchen renovation being referred to as a ‘makeover’. The word has quick-fix connotations which was exactly what she and husband Jeremy Patston needed when they bought their house two years ago for themselves and their blended family of five kids. Faced with an old timber kitchen and visually busy two-tone timber floor... more
Create a swing seat for your backyard, and then sit back and enjoy it... more
As house prices rise and stocks are in demand, the small home movement is gaining momentum. Housing reports lately have been gloomy – for buyers at least. House prices have risen 24% since 2008 as purchasers compete for a near stagnant supply. And cutting corners in the past has meant that lots of homes are unhealthy, energy-inefficient... more
When it comes to bathrooms, nothing beats a fresh scheme that’s simple and relaxing. Because bathrooms are generally small spaces, it’s good to choose a style that allows you to keep the design lines quite clean and uncluttered. With its eco-greens and streamlined vanity stained with Resene Colorwood Black Pepper, this space echoes with a hint of Eastern promise. The colour palette is restrained and elegant, anchored by a wall... more
Marrakesh, Rajasthan or Ankara – you could fool yourself into being anywhere with this eclectic, exotic scheme. Using the gorgeous Glamour wallpaper (code 404722) from Resene as a starting point for the colour scheme and as a feature wall to the left, the setting sparkles with rich blues and oranges, set against the quiet mysterious grey of a Resene Triple Rakaia wall. The floor is painted in Resene Transmission... more
Retro oranges, reds and a pop of purple give this setting a cool mid-century Californian appeal. Add a plush carpet and some house plants, and you’re truly in the groove. The two-tone wall is a simple yet stylish device. You can use any colours but we chose to cool down the heat of the Resene Red Berry by matching it with the aromatic taupe brown of Resene Coffee Break. A second-hand sideboard has been given a facelift with hardwearing Resene Enamacryl... more
The trend to use one colour throughout a house as an ‘anchor’ neutral has been going strong for some years. But why does that one colour look so different in different rooms? It’s all to do with which direction the room faces: north, south, east or west. Colour is not equal, unchanging and well behaved. This is why colour responds to the axis of light and why it looks totally divine in some rooms... more
We’ve all heard of infinity swimming pools but one architect has created his very own ‘infinity kitchen’. Visually held together with a bold band of hot orange splashback and a sleek stainless steel bench, it slices through the rear wall of his villa to become the sort of outdoor entertaining hub anyone would admire. The villa renovation was a labour of love for Garry Cullen of Ardmore Architects, customised to suit... more
When householders in Scandinavian countries arrive home during dark, icy winter months, they typically leave their warm boots, coats, hats and scarves in porches or mud rooms, stepping into dry, bright, warm interiors where light clothing is the norm, all-year-round, thanks to Government insistence that every dwelling must have adequate insulation and double glazing. It’s taken a long time for us to ditch our ‘harden up and put on an extra jumper’ approach here but... more
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From issue 8 onwards, copies flow wrapped and sent to Resene Cardholders are flow wrapped in environmentally responsible material from epi-global. This product when discarded in soil in the presence of microorganisms, moisture and oxygen will biodegrade decomposing into simple materials found in nature, as described in ASTM D6954-04.
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