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Babies and beyond Some cool ideas for kids of all ages. Huts, tree houses, teepees and tents. Kids love them. This simple version has a frame made from battens and dowel, painted Resene Goldmine, and a covering made from a length of cloth (curtain lining or calico), which is then potato-printed with stars in Resene Smiles. Add bunting in Resene Smiles and Resene Frozen, then put the tent up inside or out for some fun… more |
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Bright ideas – of floors and walls Homeowner Michele Powles uses paint to transform the walls and floors of her home. Adding paint is a quick and effective way to brighten or add drama to a room… but why limit yourself to only painting the walls? Many an old concrete bathroom or laundry floor could benefit from a little love. This bathroom floor is painted in Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Concrete and… more |
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Colourful people - Andrew J Steel Those who live in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch will recognise the work before his name. Chances are you've walked past the painted creatures and cheeky, stylised objects on your daily walk or drive – street art that brings character to otherwise bland, blank public buildings and a smile to locals. The artist is Andrew J Steel who, for the past decade… more |
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Colourful people - Richard Gardiner Houses are repositories of memories. Christchurch model-maker Richard Gardiner realises this more than most. He carefully fashions – from photographs or architectural plans – houses and buildings in miniature, as a precious and precise memento for his clients. Then he paints them with Resene testpots. "Often there is an emotional response when people come to pick up the model of their house," Richard says… more |
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Fire it up There's nothing like a fireplace when it comes to feeling cosy, and there are plenty of options for fuel, efficiency and looks. While it looks good, crackles pleasingly and feels cosy, the traditional open fireplace is on its way out due to new restrictions that relate to pollution concerns. Open fireplaces are notoriously inefficient anyway. You can, however, now buy highly efficient ‘clean-air approved' versions… more |
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Hot… or cool Either way, these kitchens are super elegant. With cabinetry painted in the richest orange Angela Grooby could find (Resene Tangerine), this kitchen suits the retro vibe of her ex-state home. Yet tawa floors stained with Resene Colorwood Walnut, white tiles and crisp Resene Alabaster walls restrain it just enough to pluck it out of the 1970s and place it firmly in the now… more |
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How to draw a floor plan Whether you're planning some minor renovations, rearranging the furniture or moving into a new house, a floor plan will help you make so many design decisions, and figure out where your furniture (or potential furniture) will go. Making a floor plan of a bathroom is, for example, hugely handy as the various fittings often have to be carefully placed… more |
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It takes two When building their new home, colour was as critically important as architectural design for this Wellington couple. They regarded the two as equally important, to be worked on and developed in tandem to create their special family home high on the hills above the Hutt Valley. The project was an opportunity to explore their appreciation and enjoyment of strong colour… more |
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My favourite colours - Sylvia Sandford Resene Total Colour Lifetime Achievement award recipient Sylvia Sandford simply loves working with colour… more |
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Off the shelf New products and ideas for the home... more |
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1 fireplace 3 ways Fireplaces and surrounding walls are the perfect place to have a bit of decorative fun. These homeowners had a problem. They had ended up with a fireplace, chimney breast and adjacent wall that they knew had potential... but what could they do to make it more exciting? Off they went to see Resene colour expert Nikki Morris at their local Resene ColorShop. She suggested these three schemes, none of which would incur too much cost or hassle to implement… more |
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Perfectly formed It's not hard to guess which is the landscape designer's garden as you drive down this quiet suburban street. Amongst the empty front lawns and sorry-looking shrubs, Sandra Batley's garden is a lush oasis. It's not grandiose or showy, it didn't break the bank, but it is perfectly formed. Just three years ago, the site was barren. In that short time… more |
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Red's the one Red makes for a fun feature wall. After a couple of years in their new house, these homeowners knew there was something missing. That 'something' was a bit of personality and character. The house was mostly decorated in neutral colours, including bathroom walls in Resene Double Alabaster, and while that was relaxing, it wasn't very interesting… more |
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Seeing double? These bathrooms are the same… but different. In the interests of a cohesive look, many homeowners with two bathrooms give them identical finishes and fittings. That isn't a bad approach, but homeowner Mandy Wilson and Belinda Ellis of Fraser Cameron Architects came up with a creative twist on that decorative strategy, for a new Taupo bach… more |
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Step by step - Make a compost bin Turn your scraps and cuttings into plant food with this compost bin… more |
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Take one testpot… Or two, or three or four. Use these handy little tubs of Resene colour to work some creative magic. Here are some ideas to get you started… more |
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Testpots - History lesson As Resene turns 70 we look at the colours that we've loved to use in our homes since the 1950s, and reinvent them for today… more |
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The hills are alive Enjoy the freedom of paint. Create this freehand mural to give your wall extra drama. It's not as hard as it looks. Feature walls are a great way to give any room added drama, but what about going a step further and adding a freehand masterpiece like this? It's not as tricky as it looks, and because it's freehand, if you make a bit of a mistake with your hill profiles, who would know?... more |
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