With a view out across the neighbourhood to hills and farmland beyond and all day sun, Liz and Pete didn’t want to fight the colours of their natural surroundings when deciding on the new scheme for their renovated 1950s bungalow.  Instead, they wanted to bring those colours indoors, so decided on a palette of soft taupe alongside a shot of vibrant green – the appropriately named Resene Celery - as an accent colour in their kitchen, and the use of warm yellow in the adjoining hallway.

Chocolate coloured carpet was chosen to maximise the solar gain in the north-facing living areas, so the colours also had to work with that.

What Resene colours and products have you used, and what inspired those choices?

Our house is a 1950s bungalow nestled high on a hill amongst foliage and trees with all day sun. We wanted the paint colours to enhance and reflect the vibrant outdoor colours of blues, greens and chocolates that were also the inspiration for the furnishngs. We wanted the colours to have a relaxed, contemporary feel but stay in keeping with the bungalow style of the home.

Outside, the original white exterior of the house was inappropriate for the location and the outdoor living.  We have a large north-west facing deck across the front of the home so we needed colours with low reflectance to ensure that when we used the deck - which we do a lot - that we weren’t blinded by a high reflective exterior paint colour.  We also wanted the house to blend into its surroundings.

We used Resene Triple Malta for the weatherboards, Resene Half Nullarbor for the window surrounds and Resene Biscotti for the fascia boards and concrete ring wall.

Did you know… that you can find the reflectance value of Resene paint colours on the reverse of the colour card, described as an RV % number. Black has a low reflectance value of so absorbs most heat and light while white has a reflectance value of 100% and reflects most heat and light?

What part of the house are you most happy with?

The open-plan kitchen, dining and living area.  The colours recommended here by colour consultant Kim Nicol of the Resene ColorShop at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, work fabulously.  We are delighted with the result.

What is your advice for someone trying to achieve a similar look? 

Engage the services of a colour consultant at one of the Resene ColorShops and ensure you think about how the light changes throughout the various parts of the home and other factors that may influence colour choices. 

To request a colour consultation, click here or Ask a Resene colour expert for colour ideas by email. 

What was the biggest decorating, renovating or building challenge for this project?

The biggest decorating challenge was finding the most suitable paint colours given the home’s orientation. Bright sunlight falls across the front half of the house accommodating the kitchen, living areas and two of the bedrooms, whilst the rear half, which accommodates the bathrooms, laundry and two further bedrooms faces south so has limited sunlight.  

The biggest building challenge was designing the kitchen and ensuring the kitchen, dining and living areas flowed well. Ensuring continuity was also important when choosing the paint colours for this area.

Do you have a favourite colour, and if so why is it your favourite?

Yes, our favourite is the Resene Celery used for the splashback areas in the kitchen.  This colour is vibrant yet sophisticated, and gives some punch to the kitchen area without being overbearing. Kim from Resene recommended this colour and our architect, Anna Windsor of Vorstermans Architects, suggested using it in three places in the kitchen to ensure it balanced out the entire look and complemented the sleek white joinery, the chocolate composite benchtop and the chocolate carpet in the living and dining areas.

The mellow master bedroom is painted in Resene Weathered Yellow from the Karen Walker collection, which is a warm yellow with a hint of green undertone. 

The warm beige tones of Resene Perfect Taupe ensure that the open-plan living and dining area echo the natural colour palette of the outdoors. Trims throughout the house are Resene Quarter Spanish White. 

A new baby meant a new look for the nursery. Resene Misty Lavender was chosen because it’s a lovely whimsical colour that’s gender neutral. 

Resene Eighth Canterbury Clay was a perfect, warm, neutral shade for the painted wall areas of all of the bathrooms and complemented the tiling beautifully. 

Resene Brie, being a warm yellow shade, was used in the entry, laundry and throughout the hallway to enhance natural light. 

The fresh green of Resene Celery was also used behind this sculptural bookshelf beside the kitchen, on recommendation from the architect Anna Windsor. 

A large deck stretches across the northern side of the house so Liz and Pete chose a mid-toned colour for the weatherboards - Resene Triple Malta – that wouldn’t be blinding on the sunny days.  The window surrounds are Resene Half Nullarbor.