This Californian bungalow in Northland is pretty in pink

It’s hard not to smile when you see Tanya’s front door. Resene New York Pink brings a slice of the Big Apple to Whangarei which hints at further colour to be found inside. “It makes me happy every time I arrive home,” she says. The 1950s stucco-style California bungalow is home to Tanya, her partner Manu, children Lucy, Leo and Louis, and their two ragdoll cats (Sylvie and Silas).

“Manu and I both really like character homes, and were particularly drawn to this place because it had excellent structure and a very warm feel to it. We could see the excellent potential it held, and the way we could change a few things to make it a user-friendly home,” says Tanya.

The pair were quick to begin renovations which included painting the home’s interior and exterior. It needed lightening and brightening, just an overall good freshen up,  says Tanya. Resene palettes offered the family plenty of choice. The home’s exterior is fresh in Resene Black White on the walls and soffits, with Resene Element (a match to FlaxPod) on the contrasting trim. “We decided on these colours because they provided great contrast and worked in our flax-coloured roof.” 

The biggest renovation task was extending the floorplan of the main bathroom, which was achieved by taking space from the master bedroom. “We also went through the lengthy process of removing a wall and an old fireplace to provide us with an open plan living/dining area. It’s been a long process with plenty of delays, but it has been worth it.”

Throughout the home’s interior, Tanya has given it a modern facelift with Resene Alabaster. “It provided a warm hue throughout the space. We used this colour for the skirting boards, and the window frames which were coated in an enamel semi-gloss.”

Keeping things white and crisp in the lounge and kitchen area allowed them to play with colours in the master bedroom and bathroom. Tanya says she was aiming for a calm and relaxing tone for the bungalow, with an urban coastal vibe. “I really didn’t want everything to be white on white, as I felt the character of this home lent itself to warm pops of colour scattered throughout the home.” 

The master bedroom has a pop of colour on one wall, with the use of Resene Paper Doll. Tanya’s colour choice was inspired by a Jen Sievers artwork that hangs in the room, which features similar warm pink tones. It’s become her favourite room in the home. “We have also painted the door to our ensuite in the same Resene Paper Doll paint colour, which we really love.”

In the home’s main bathroom, Resene Alabaster features again on the walls and the skirting boards. A feature wall is stunning in Resene Cashmere, a colour Tanya describes as ‘delicious’. “I was particularly drawn to this colour because it gave the bathroom a much-needed amount of warmth. Being an older home with high ceilings I wanted to make sure that we balanced out the white used with some warmer colours.”

Style-wise, the family incorporated a mix of old and new furnishings. “This is a family home and not a show home so we needed to make it comfortable for all of the family members. Again we went with natural wood tones to give the space warmth and added pops of colour through furnishings and artworks.”

Natural textures, materials like jute, natural wooden flooring and linen feature throughout the home. “Adding personal items from the whole family is a must as is adding in meaningful artworks to decorate the walls.”

Learning experiences were plentiful, Tanya says, as they had never renovated before. Dealing with product delays and lack of product availability during the pandemic was tricky. “You couldn’t get your heart set on a certain product because it was inevitably going to be delayed for many months or just not a possible option. Compromise was key. Compromise is now my middle name!”

Nevertheless, Tanya says she recommends the experience. “If you have the time, money and motivation to renovate a property I most definitely recommend doing it at least once in your life. It’s not all sunshine and roses, but the feeling of accomplishment at the end is all worth it.” 

Top tip: Do you love a certain Resene colour but can’t imagine a whole room in that shade? A feature wall allows you to be bold – in manageable doses! A dramatic accent wall will visually enlarge a space and create a contrast that makes the rest of the space seem brighter. Make the most of this effect by teaming your feature colour with a complementary neutral. Your local Resene ColorShop staff are always happy to help you find colours to suit the look you are after.

“I wanted to set the tone of the house before you enter the house and we decided on a coral tone in the form Resene New York Pink. It’s a great colour and it makes me happy every time I arrive home!” Tanya says. The home’s exterior is crisp in Resene Black White on the walls and soffits, and Resene Element on the contrasting trims.

 

Throughout the home’s interior, Tanya has painted walls, ceilings and trims in Resene Alabaster. The tone really makes her soft furnishings and house plants pop.

 

“I’m really pleased with the removal of the wall and fireplace between the living and dining area, as it makes it a more usable space,” Tanya says. Resene Alabaster is painted on the walls, ceiling and trims.

 

Natural textures and colours like jute and rattan are warm and inviting with Resene Alabaster as their backdrop on the walls, ceiling and trims.

 

The master bedroom is such a relaxing space with the high ceiling, a comfortable window seat and beaded chandelier, I love the Resene Paper Doll feature wall and our treasured Jen Sievers artwork.” Opposite walls, ceiling and trims in Resene Alabaster, which offers the perfect contrast.

 

“It’s too difficult to choose a single favourite Resene colour, so I would have to say that the colours we included within our home are definite favourites at the moment: Resene Cashmere, Resene Paper Doll and Resene New York Pink,” Tanya says. Feature wall in Resene Paper Doll, and opposite walls, ceiling and trims in Resene Alabaster

 

“The extension of the main bathroom allowed us to make it a full-sized space, which includes a nice big bath.” Resene Alabaster features again on the ceiling and the skirting boards, and the feature wall is soothing and warm in Resene Cashmere.

images Kellie Extance, Photography Northland

 

Published: 26 May 2022

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

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Resene New York Pink

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Resene Black White

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