Conway Sylvester House by Wayne Conway and Belinda George
Kate Sylvester and Wayne Conway have renovated their original brick-and-tile home no fewer than three times. Almost 20 years ago, architect Belinda George designed the kitchen using walnut and painted cabinetry in blues and greens that spoke to the house’s mid-century bones, but didn’t feel overtly retro. Rather than bright primaries, she used washed-out, slightly intermediate shades: Resene Refresh, Resene Half Opal, Resene Koru, Resene Wasabi and Resene Lemon Twist. (The couple reprised the scheme on new fronts when they renovated in 2021.) “We really wanted to work with colour – we wanted that warmth and surprise,” says Sylvester. “We wanted it to be modern mid-century, with clean lines and simple shapes – nothing fussy and not nostalgic.”
As seen in Here 26.
Houghton Bay House by Patchwork Architecture
In this house in a new subdivision above Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s south coast, three small boxes jostle below a cliff. At ground level, one box houses the kitchen-dining area while another contains the living space. In the kitchen, a faceted line of cabinetry (following the line of the house) is painted in Resene Clover, a striking green that connects to the outdoors and sets off the largely timber interior. “We wanted something vibrant but without being over-powering,” says Patchwork’s Ben Mitchell-Anyon, “on the warmer, earthier side of green.”
As seen in Here 26.
Matuku Moana by Studio Brick
The home of architect Jeremy Brick and his wife Anna has some surprising moments: soft, pinky colours downstairs and darker tones above. Originally, they settled on Resene Romantic for the upstairs bathroom ceiling. “We wanted to steer away from the classic white,” says Brick. “It is a very subtle pink-peach, which felt perfect.” Downstairs, on the kitchen cabinetry, the same colour worked perfectly with their stone splashback, soft-beige walls in Resene Despacito, and timber touches. “Resene Romantic pulled all of these together perfectly.”
As seen in Here 29.
Helm House by llewellyn Architecture
The rebuild of a charming 1990s house by Harry Turbot turned the late architect’s one-bedroom studio into a three-bedroom home without sacrificing any of its original charm. Throughout, architect Kimberly Read played with a soft, grey-green palette that connects with the water and landscape outside, while contrasting with the warm timber inside. In the kitchen, she chose Resene Templestone, a shaded daub of green, brown and grey. “It was the lovely soft grey-green we were looking for,” she says. “And it tied in really nicely with the natural slate top, which throws the same green hues but is a lot darker and desaturated.”
As seen in Here 26.
Resene
Appliances
For the longest time, appliances came in white or stainless steel, or you integrated them into the cabinetry. Now, with Bespoke, Samsung’s range of fridges and dishwashers can be finished in your favourite Resene colour to fit in seamlessly or stand out boldly. Panels are sold separately, so you can choose more than one colour – mix and match your panels or even have different finishes for different seasons. There are thousands of colours to choose from in the Resene colour range, from neutral hues to something bright and playful.
Products
Colour selection aside, the right product makes a big difference. Resene AquaLAQ sealer ensures new cabinetry – be it painted MDF or timber – stays true to its hue. Updating existing cabinetry? Use Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss or Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel: the higher the level of gloss, the more durable the paint will be. Elsewhere, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom is ideal for wet areas. It combines the benefits of a waterborne enamel with anti-bacterial silver protection and MoulDefender – low-sheen with added durability.
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