New mum of twins completes ambitious renovation with pops of dusty coral, gold and ocean blue

If you want something done, ask a busy person, and interior and spatial designer Samantha Rei has definitely been busy in the past year. She project managed the full reconstruction of her 1949 Wadestown home while on maternity leave with her 4-month-old twin boys, Rufus and Harvey. She jokes that she lived off muesli, toasted sandwiches and takeaways during the ambitious renovation, looking after her two babies during the day and painting with her husband Ky late into the night. All that hard work shows: inspired by the hot Moroccan summers of previous travels, Samantha created a rich colour palette with pops of dusty pink Resene Cashmere, blue Resene Guru and Resene Pirate Gold.

“It was probably the most sleep deprived time of my life,” says Samantha, who tackled the management of reroofing the house, adding a laundry and bathroom extension, and creating an open plan kitchen, living and dining room. “It was pretty much the worst house on the street.

“But we focussed on the light, the greenery and the nature all around our home.”

When the couple first bought their home in 2012, the exterior weatherboards were riddled with rot. “The most difficult job was the exterior, the issue with the weatherboards was the biggest challenge” says Samantha. “I think we had eight different builders replace boards by the time it was finally completed.” 

Surrounded by trees, their family home now sits snugly in the lush grounds with Resene Bud on the weatherboards and deep Resene Gravel on the trim. The finishing touch to the exterior is a cheerful yellow front door in vibrant Resene Pirate Gold. Resene Pirate Gold’s rich yellow hue brings out the subtle warmth in the Resene Bud exterior. “I like so many colours, but I do really love Resene Bud as I love a sagey green,” says Samantha.

With working from home on the rise Samantha created a space in lieu of a spare bedroom that would double as an office but also a future play space for her children at the weekend. Drawing inspiration from the beauty and light of the couple’s 2014 trip to Morocco, Italy and Spain, Samantha painted the office in Resene Cashmere and Resene Surf Crest with Resene Eighth Joss on the trim.

“Seeing as we cannot go back to those countries at the moment, we wanted to have the imagery all around us,” she says. 

“I chose Resene Cashmere as it was the closest fit to the warm terracotta and earthy tones in the images and Resene Surf Crest for the green contrast across the wall.  

“My business focusses on sustainability, so ensuring that all rooms in a home are used to their maximum potential but have the ability to be multifunctional spaces instead of just single use is a top priority.” 

The original character of the home had hints of Mid-Century with a sprinkle of earthiness. This was a perfect fit for Samantha’s own style, which combines a natural earthiness with a mix of old and new pieces driven by the ethos she has created for her ecological interior design business, Sustainable Spaces. “My entire ethos is to ensure my designs are ecologically focused, so natural materials, locally sourced and environmentally accredited fixtures, fitting, products and materials.

“I chose Resene because it is a New Zealand company with a great range of environmental choice paints and finishes.” 

The kitchen wasn’t just a place for chef Ky’s delicious recipes, it was also a place Samantha could cook up an exciting colour palette. With a base colour of Resene Black White, Samantha created a feature wall in Resene FX Blackboard Paint with a bright ocean blue barn door in Resene Guru. The lower cabinetry is in Resene Ottoman and Samantha let her creativity shine with upcycled pendant lights in Resene Spotlight. “I love the kitchen as it’s such a hub,” says Samantha. “It’s a family space. 

“We’re big on cooking, so I designed it with my chef husband with food at its core: a lovely long bench space for kneading bread and pasta, a chunky timber bench made from the rimu framing we salvaged when taking out a wall, and a great big social second-hand table at the end, so we can all sit around and share the meals we’ve just created.”    

In the open plan living and dining room Samantha created a sophisticated colour palette with Resene Black White on the walls, ceiling and trim. “The main living and hallways are in Resene Black White to keep it open and as light and bright as possible,” she says. “The views are the main focus.

“We took our time and I’m glad we did. We bought the house before having our kids and now, being a family of four, we’ve made sure it works for us and how we live.”

You can see more of Samantha’s sustainable work on her website

Or visit the Sustainable Spaces Instagram page

Top tip: Resene FX Blackboard Paint and Resene FX Chalkboard Paint are the perfect way to create a functional feature wall in your kitchen or office. Both are premium scrubbable waterborne finishes for interior and exterior smooth wallboards and panels. Resene FX Blackboard Paint is available in Resene Black, and Resene FX Chalkboard Paint can be tinted to a range of Resene colours.


The vibrant office juxtaposes walls in Resene Cashmere with Resene Surf Crest. The trim is in Resene Eighth Joss. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


The spare room turned office space is inspired by Samantha and Ky’s trip to Morocco, Spain and Italy. The wall is in Resene Cashmere with Resene Eighth Joss trim. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


The family’s lounge is a haven of light, with Resene Black White on the walls, ceiling and trim and beautiful views of the surrounding flora. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


The open plan dining room, featuring an upcycled wooden dining table is simple and sophisticated with Resene Black White on the walls, ceiling and trim. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


Samantha gave the kitchen a trendy update with Resene Black White on the ceiling and upper cabinetry, Resene Ottoman on the lower cabinetry and feature wall in Resene FX Blackboard Paint. The blue barn door is in Resene Guru and the upcycled pendant lights are in Resene Spotlight. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


The kitchen blends wooden features and light colours beautifully with Resene Black White on the upper wall and Resene Ottoman on the lower cabinetry. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


The open plan dining and kitchen area has a clean finish thanks to Resene Black White on the walls, ceiling and trim. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


The light and bright bathroom was given a finishing touch with Resene Black White on the walls and ceiling. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


The exterior, surrounding by established trees, blends into its environment with Resene Bud on the weatherboards and Resene Gravel on the trim. Image by Sustainable Spaces.


With a practice of sustainability, Samantha upcycled flowerpots using left over Resene paint. The pots are in Resene Guru, Resene Surf Crest, Resene Cashmere and Resene Black White. The front door in the background is in Resene Pirate Gold. Image by Sustainable Spaces.

Published: 27 Oct 2021

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Resene Pirate Gold

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