Amanda unlocks the magic in white

Amanda Neill is a designer who’s known for her ability to tie gorgeous furnishings with the right Resene paint. And when some clients wanted a relaxed feel for the new addition of their character home, she used an old favourite – Resene Alabaster – as just the right backdrop for a range of red, dusky blue and yellow furnishings.

As you can see, Resene Alabaster has an ever-so-delicate touch of grey in it. Amanda teamed it with Resene Half Alabaster ceilings and trims throughout, and specified Resene Quarter Foggy Grey, a soft pearl grey, for the main bedroom.

She tells us about the project.

What was the client’s brief and how do your design and colour choices respond to that?

The client wanted to create a light airy home with ample spaces for family living. A new open-plan family living area was added on that also included a new kitchen, office and laundry space.

The existing part of the home was re-jigged to include an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe off the master bedroom, as well as another lounge area for the kids. The clients wanted to bring in some statement design, which we did in the bathrooms. They had a number of pieces of furniture and art that we needed to work with and add to.

In the living area, the starting point for the colour scheme was art that combined red and duck egg blue. We introduced new sofas, chairs and cushions that played on this with a beachy feeling, and used them against a backdrop of Resene Alabaster walls and Resene Half Alabaster trims.

I love using Resene Alabaster as it has a soft touch of grey in it, making it contemporary and a great backdrop for other palettes to sit with. Yet it remains slightly warm rather than being a cold, austere white.

In the master bedroom, there was a drawer cabinet that had a very specific shade of yellow we wanted to pull out; this was bought into the fabrics, throws, and tiles in the ensuite.

What was your overall design philosophy?

As with any home, our philosophy is to listen to how the clients want to feel in their home and work to create that feeling. There are usually a number of existing items that we need to enhance and use, like an important piece of art, or Grandma’s chair. When you pull these into the scheme you create a home that has a heart.

What part of the design are you most happy with?

I love the ensuite and bathroom, the geometric tiles really made a statement with the bold contrast colour, even if they were tricky to work with.  I also love the fresh combination of the red and blue in the living areas.


For more of Amanda’s work, see the Designworx website. 

The house was built by Broswick Builders, the kitchen and cabinetry are by Hewe Kitchens and Interiors, and the tiling is by Prestige Installations.

Published: 22 Jun 2016

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].

living room, white, beachy, cape cod, paint ideas, paint trends, seaside colours

Serene Resene Alabaster is the perfect backdrop colour for a casual beachy feel. 

pictures

First Light Photography

living room, beachy feel, white, cape cod

Stairs connect the new open-plan living and kitchen addition to the older part of the house. The walls are Resene Alabaster and the trims and ceilings are Resene Half Alabaster.

white, bedroom, master bedroom, main bedroom, paint ideas, paint trends

Resene Quarter Foggy Grey is one of the few departures from the all-encompassing Resene Alabaster palette, used in the main bedroom. 

kitchen island, white, kitchen, cape cod, woodgrain, laminate

Woodgrain laminates act as a feature against the rest of the kitchen cabinetry, in Resene Alabaster.

white, bathroom, tiling

Designer Amanda Neill particular likes the geometric tiles used in the bathrooms. 

tiling, ensuite, white, bathroom, yellow

The yellow geometric tiles in the ensuite pull in colour from the main bedroom and work well against walls in Resene Alabaster.

white stairwell, wood stairs, wood staircase, wooden staircase

The stairs enhance the original homes central hallway, common in a house this age.

The walls are in Resene Alabaster and the trims and ceiling are in Resene Half Alabaster. 

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Resene Half Alabaster

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Resene Quarter Foggy Grey

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