This Dairy Flat farmhouse features bold wallpapers and wonderful wood stains

An empty paddock was the beginning of the build of a lifetime for couple Brad and Melissa. With several home builds under their belt, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands once more to create a fit-for-purpose family home that would be perfect for their fourteen-year-old son Jack, cat Tonka and Buddy the budgie. Enlisting the help of Mark from Waller Projects and interior designer Peta Davy from Yellowfox, Brad and Melissa filled their new home with misty Resene Double Sea Fog and an impressive collection of statement Resene wallpapers.

Brad is a civil engineering contractor and project-managed the entire house build, designing the floor plan, room layouts and specs to suit the family’s needs. Melissa, a house mum with a passion for landscaping, set to work planning the gorgeous gardens that surround the home. Located in the rural setting of Dairy Flat, the modern farmhouse sits on five acres and is surrounded by breathtaking mature trees.

“Each season feels like living in a different country with the changing of the trees,” says Melissa. “The house is open plan with a link to the country setting and the colour palette was similar to our previous home, which suits our taste.

“Peta helped it all blend into the perfect style of home we like to live in.” 

The home’s mix of contemporary features and classic farmhouse elements was tied together seamlessly using cedar cladding stained with Wood-X Foundry, available from Resene ColorShops, on the exterior and finished with COLORSTEEL® Slate on the roof and spouting. The interior of this unique home is a haven of light, with Resene Double Sea Fog walls and Resene Triple Alabaster ceilings and trim throughout the kitchen, dining and living spaces. “The part of the house we are most happy with is the kitchen and dining room’s indoor/outdoor flow to the deck area,” says Brad. “Our favourite colour is Resene Double Sea Fog.

“We’ve used this colour in the past, as well as Resene Black White, but feel Resene Double Sea Fog is our favourite as it’s a slightly warmer white.”  

Brad and Melissa’s dared to go bold when they introduced not one, but four unique wallpaper feature walls into their home. Sprinkled through various rooms, these dark wallpapers provide an elegant flow whilst adding a sense of individuality to each space. The couple paired Resene Double Sea Fog walls and Resene Triple Alabaster trim with a feature wall in mysterious Resene Wallpaper Collection 219428 in the master bedroom. The media room got a refresh with a Resene Wallpaper Collection 200263 feature wall with surrounding walls in creamy Resene Triple Truffle, while Jack’s favourite room, the music room, was decked out in funky Resene Wallpaper Collection J966-09.

The couple decorated their favourite room in the house, the gym, with a feature wall in Resene Wallpaper Collection 445503, a weathered concrete mural. “We all use this most days and it’s been absolutely fantastic,” says Melissa. “It’s built fit for purpose for what we wanted in a gym, including large bi-folds out to the deck for indoor/outdoor flow. 

“The mural looks so realistic people actually think we’ve built a concrete wall.” 

When it came to choosing the paint for the job, Brad and Melissa didn’t hesitate to call on Resene. “Resene paints have always provided us with a top-quality product and the selection of colour palettes is outstanding,” says Brad. After going through the process of choosing colour palettes for their home, the couple have some excellent advice for those looking to kit out their own home in a brand-new colour scheme. “Get the Resene testpots first, paint some large sheets, and put them on the walls and live with them for a week or so.

“You’ll get a feel of how light changes the colour and how it feels to live with. Take your time.”

The addition of the pool and pool house in the grounds has taken the farmhouse’s appeal to the next level and it has swiftly become the family’s forever home. “With the addition of the pool, Jack’s become a real homebody and loves the home,” says Melissa. “The home build meant a lot to each of us.

“For Brad, it was getting to design the perfect house for our family, for me it was the family-friendly open plan layout where everything had its place, and for Jack, he has his end of the house and a teenager’s space to get away to.”

See more of Peta Davy’s work on the Yellowfox website

Check out Waller Projects here

Images by Mark Scowen Photography

Top tip: Choose your paint’s gloss level to suit each colour and surface.  Soothing neutrals are usually best in lower sheen tones, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for walls and Resene SpaceCote Flat for ceilings.  Bright colours used in small touches will pop in a higher sheen finish, like Resene Enamacryl.


The elegant farmhouse exterior features cedar cladding stained with Wood-X Foundry, available from Resene ColorShops, and COLORSTEEL® Slate joinery and roof. 


The kitchen and dining room have a beautiful indoor/outdoor flow and walls in Resene Double Sea Fog make the interiors shine. The ceiling and trim are in Resene Triple Alabaster.


The family-friendly kitchen and dining space flows effortlessly into the lounge with Resene Double Sea Fog walls and ceiling and trim in Resene Triple Alabaster.


The media room is the perfect balance of cosy and open, with Resene Triple Truffle on the walls and Resene Triple Alabaster on the ceiling and trim.


The feature wall in the media room creates intricate detail and a striking mood with Resene Wallpaper Collection 200263. The ceiling is in Resene Triple Alabaster.


The master bedroom and ensuite come alive with bold walls in Resene Wallpaper Collection 219428. The trim is in Resene Triple Alabaster.


The master bedroom has stunning vistas over the family’s five acres of land. The feature wall is Resene Wallpaper Collection 219428 and the ceiling and trim are in Resene Triple Alabaster.


Jack’s favourite room, the music room, has an incredible feature wall in Resene Wallpaper Collection J966-09 and the trim is in Resene Triple Alabaster. Resene has a wide range of novelty and textured wallpapers perfect for kids and adults alike. Take a look at the latest Resene wallpapers. 


The gym’s feature wall is a talking point in Resene Wallpaper Collection 445503 with trim in Resene Triple Alabaster.


The outside dining area is one of the family’s favourite places to have meals. The exterior of their home is cedar cladding in Wood-X Foundry, available from Resene ColorShops, and the joinery is in COLORSTEEL® Slate.

Published: 11 Nov 2021

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