From habitat magazine - issue 05, editorial
We take a look at how the past is informing the present, and how new ideas can be used to align yesterday’s spaces to today’s lifestyles.
A couple of years ago, I put a new kitchen into my little 1950s home. The house is fairly typical of the time; an ordinary weatherboard box, built by a carpenter on one of Auckland’s state housing projects for his family to live in for the duration of his contract.
The new kitchen, however, is charcoal and grey, with stainless steel fittings. It’s simple, functional and nice to come home to. It’s also a far cry from anything I might have imagined putting into the house had we done it 10 years ago, before my traditional instincts were exposed to today’s design opportunities.
And that’s the theme of this issue of Habitat – the meeting of ancient and modern. In fabrics, colours and homes, we take a look at how the past is informing the present, and how new ideas can be used to align yesterday’s spaces to today’s lifestyles.
We take a walk through a 19th-century villa and 1920s boot factory, which have been given new life through careful planning and sensitive refurbishment. We look at current directions in textiles, and how new treatments are updating timeless patterns. And we also come up with a few suggestions on how to take some of the pain out of getting your renovation signed off by Council.
On the people front, we catch up with ex-marathon runner Allison Roe. We also talk to the husband and wife couple behind the highly creative events management company, Orange Productions.
And, as always, we get practical. With summer on its way, we walk you through how to get the barbecue seriously clean, and offer some advice on when not to tackle your outdoor painting.
So, sit back and take some time out with Habitat. And, as always, do let us know if there’s more you’d like to see or if you have any specific colour or design questions we might be able to answer for you.
Rachel Macdonald editor
Who would have thought, when Ted Nightingale and his trusty cement mixer dabbled in making a cement-based paint in his garage, that it would be the first step to Resene celebrating 60 years? And yet, here we are, 60 years on, with a myriad of paints, coatings and colours used on a vast array of projects all over the place.
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, the Resene waterborne manufacturing plant is based just a short car ride away from that first garage ‘factory’. And, as time has passed, the reins of the business have been handed from Ted to his son Tony, then on to Ted’s grandson (Tony’s son), Nick Nightingale.
Reaching 60 is a milestone, so thank you from the Resene team to all those who have supported us through the last six decades – your suggestions, compliments and complaints have continued to encourage us to deliver quality and innovative paints, coatings, colours and service. And a special thanks to the Resene team – without them we’d be lost.
We’ve also got a second reason to celebrate this year. It’s the 10th anniversary of Resene gaining Environmental Choice approval. Today, well over 85% of the paint Resene sells is Environmental Choice approved. As Resene actively replaces old solventborne technology with new waterborne technology, more customers can enjoy quality paint that is safer for the environment.
As we celebrate our 60th, we look forward to a colourful future, and what better place to start than in this issue of Habitat? Enjoy!
The Resene team
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Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.
Specifiers:
If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit habitat, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.
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