A 1970s Lockwood is transformed into a Scandi-inspired delight with Resene Spanish White

When Nathalie and Ross bought their 1970s era Lockwood home in 2019, they knew they had bought a quality home from a local Kiwi company. When they renovated their beautiful home, it's not surprising they chose another Kiwi icon, Resene, to paint the walls and give the interior timber a little TLC. 

Resene was founded in 1946 by Ted Nightingale, a few years before Dutch immigrants Johannes La Grouw Snr and Johannes Van Loghem founded Lockwood Homes in 1951. Their idea of using New Zealand pinus radiata timber to create an easy-to-build engineered home caught on, and Lockwoods have been popular throughout the decades since. Like Resene, the company is still family-owned. 

Nathalie and Ross loved the character and quality of their home's craftsmanship with its exposed beams, five-metre-high ceilings, and A-frame windows, but with more than four decades under its belt, it was a little tired. There were signs of wear and tear, and some of the wood's colours also made the home seem dark. They gave their home a splash of their family's personality using Resene paint while retaining the iconic design's wooden features.

"We immediately saw the potential, and we knew we could turn it into something special with the right type of paint," says Nathalie. 

"We were on a tight budget, and repainting the interior was something we thought could make a huge impact without breaking the bank." 

Nathalie and Ross had seen many older Lockwood homes like theirs that have been renovated and painted entirely in white. They decided to go a different direction choosing Resene Half Spanish White as the hero colour in the house while keeping the original wooden ceilings and some walls unpainted. They protected the unpainted timber with Resene Aquaclear

"For us buying a Lockwood home was about celebrating the wood. Bringing the wood back and embracing the aesthetic in its most simplistic and natural form was our end goal," she says.

Nathalie prefers a minimalist style but has an eclectic mix of furniture, including Mid Century and Scandinavian pieces. She and Ross chose Resene SpaceCote tinted in Resene Spanish White in various strengths to give the house a cohesive look.

"Creating a harmonious space was crucial as we wanted every part of the house to tell a story." 

The couple had found the original colouring of the south-facing dining and living area quite dark. They left the ceiling in its original wood finish and painted the walls in Resene Half Spanish White with doors in Resene Quarter Spanish White. The dark hallways and stairwell were cheered up with a lick of Resene Eighth Spanish White

In the family room, the couple used Resene Quarter Tea on the walls around the windows. Originally the timber trims and frame were in an orange glossy tone; however, they sanded it down to bring back its natural wood tone before coating in clear Resene Aquaclear waterborne urethane.

Nathalie opted for a bit more colour in the master bedroom while also working with the room's timber finishes. She chose a feature wall in Resene Grey Olive paired with Resene Half Spanish White to create a natural tone. "It embraces what it's like to be on a beach retreat, surrounded by trees," she says. It's now her favourite room of the house, "I love the feature wall and simplistic interior. I feel very relaxed every time I go in there." 

Ross and Nathalie's daughter, Isabella, loves the colour pink, so they chose Resene Shilo on a feature wall which they paired with other walls in Resene Half Spanish WhiteF to tie into the rest of the house.

Painting the home was rewarding, but Nathalie says removing the original varnish was a bit of a mission. To prepare the walls, they first gave them a clean with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner before sanding. Ross, who did most of the sanding, used an orbital sander using 120-180 grit sandpaper to remove the original coating. The couple then filled holes in the timber with filler before sanding again. They then applied a wood primer to prevent the knots from bleeding through the paint (use Resene Wood Primer) before using a flexible sealant to fill the gaps between the timber. They sanded again with 220grit to ensure a smooth surface and wiped it clean before applying two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen

Read here for more Lockwood painting tips 

Ross and Nathalie's top tip is a good one: "Do it right the first time." Initially, the couple rushed the renovation, cutting corners and skipping preparation steps. The final result wasn't a success. They had to sand their work back down to the bare timber and start from scratch again. 

"Preparation is key. You can't skip sanding and need to rough up the surface and remove polyurethane before applying primer. For sanding, I highly recommend that you have an orbital sander or a belt sander which was a lifesaver for us," says Nathalie.

 

Read more Resene Lockwood transformations:

A dark Lockwood gets a refresh in Resene Half Black White

Tracy revives a Kiwi icon 

Chris and Kim’s lavish Lockwood in Nelson is the beach house of our dreams 

 

The couple’s bedroom retreat contrasts Resene Half Spanish White on the walls with the original Lockwood ceiling. The idyllic feature wall is in Resene Grey Olive.

It took Nathalie and Ross a while to decide on the colour of the feature wall in the master bedroom but Nathalie loves the look of the Resene Grey Olive which delivers the natural retreat feeling she was looking for when paired with the original Lockwood A-frame ceiling.

 

The walls of the living room are Resene Half Spanish White, Resene Quarter Spanish White on the doors keeps the south-facing room light and bright. The walls and trim in the hallway and stairwell are painted in Resene Eighth Spanish White to make the enclosed space seem brighter.

The south-facing living room was brightened up by painting Resene Half Spanish White over the original Lockwood timber. The couple had to sand back the original clear coat and prime to achieve the smooth paint finish. They lightened the timber trims by sanding back the beams and coating them in Resene Aquaclear.

Nathalie paired the Resene Half Spanish White walls in the living room with lots of indoor plants and natural fibres. The neutral palette works well with her mix of Scandinavian and Mid-Century furniture.

The family room/playroom is painted in Resene Quarter Tea. The timber panelling around the window has been sanded back from the original orange gloss colour and then coated in Resene Aquaclear to create a softer look.

Their daughter Isabella’s favourite colour is pink so Nathalie and Ross chose Resene Shilo for the feature wall and Resene Half Spanish White for the walls and trim. The original timber ceiling was kept.

Resene Half Spanish White on the walls in the spare room makes it seem more spacious. The window trims have been sanded back and coated in Resene Aquaclear.

Small dark areas with little light such as the toilet were brightened with Resene Quarter Spanish White on the walls, trim and door.   

Images Nathalie Ong

Published: 18 Mar 2021

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

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