Colourful outlook

From BlackWhite magazine - issue 11, colourful outlook

Six Resene Total Colour Award winners discuss their dream designer dinner dates, memorable projects and colour trend predictions.

What has proven to be the most valuable piece of industry advice you’ve received so far during your career?

Interior designers are expected to be experts on so many topics – especially if you are running your own business. It is near impossible to be over everything and the rate of change these days is so fast. However, if we can continue to develop professionally and have a base knowledge of each area, we will discover our strengths and realise where the rest needs to be outsourced.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

I have some mid-century armchairs that are in original condition and super comfortable but very orange. I am dying to find the right fabric to breathe new life into them.

If you could have dinner with any architect, designer, artist or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

I’d love to have a class reunion with our year at university. So many from my cohort have gone on to do such amazing things all over the world as well as here in New Zealand. It would be great to reconnect and hear all their best and worst work stories!

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

A machine where you can pause time to preserve a moment or memory in real-time and revisit it whenever you like.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

Reading people’s minds.

Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and how do you envisage they will be used?

I think we are going to get adventurous with colour in residential homes, especially in areas that aren’t high use and can afford some drama. I am loving seeing all the rich pairings of colours, colour blocking and colour drenching! I am especially loving the deep terracotta and brick red colours like Resene Prairie Sand, Resene Arriba and Resene Soiree.

What has proven to be the most valuable piece of industry advice you’ve received so far during your career?

Design for everyone is design for no one. You get much better results when designing for a particular target or audience than trying to do something that will appease everyone. Even though not everyone appreciates bold choices, some people will really love them.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

Our living area could do with an update now that our child and puppy are a little older, so today’s thinking would be based around the simple lines of a BoConcept Modena sofa, the classic design of a Noguchi coffee table and supporting local with a John Myall Meccano rug from Dilana. This will of course change tomorrow!

If you could have dinner with any architect, designer, artist or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

Banksy. He’s managed to become one of today’s most famous artists without anyone knowing who he really is. His work is a blend of art, satire and politics, often embodying things that everyone is thinking but no one is bold enough to say. I’m sure he’d have a million interesting stories that nobody knows and there’s no predicting what dinner would be like.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

A sci-fi-esque food machine, like a microwave that conjures up whatever meal I feel like without the hassle of preparing it myself. I’d likely still be left with the question of what to eat for dinner every night, but the results would be instant.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

An increased speed of thought and movement. If I could complete the things I need to do faster, it would give me more time to do the things I want to do and potentially boost productivity in all areas of my life.

Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and how do you envisage they will be used?

I think earthy greens like Resene Palm Leaf will continue to be popular along with golden hues like Resene Pizza and Resene Chamois for a lush resort-like feel. I try to keep away from trends though as being on trend now means you’ll be off trend soon.

What has proven to be the most valuable piece of industry advice you’ve received so far during your career?

‘Be married to the process and divorced from the outcome’, which was advice from a tutor of mine, Betty Bailey. It can be easy for new designers to feel defensive or offended if their ideas aren’t agreed with in totality, but at the end of each project, it’s critical to remember who will live in the space. After recommending different options and sharing your design rationale, some clients might choose a different path and that’s their prerogative.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

Whenever I find myself with some spare cash, the logical part of my brain thinks about home maintenance or upgrades to insulation, but the emotional part of me finds it essential to buy some art from a New Zealander. Greer Clayton, Emma Bass, Melanie Fields, Dean Wallace, Katie Gold, Amber Emm, Titian Studios, Ernest Shufflebotham and Lyndon Over all spring to mind, but Gretchen Albrecht is at the top of the list. She is brave to use shaped canvases, allows gravity to aid in the process, paints on the floor and uses bold colour. I can’t resist being surrounded by objects that I have a positive emotional response to. It fills my bucket with warm fuzzies.

If you could have dinner with any architect, designer, artist or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

I love the work of William Morris and how he was inspired by nature and celebrated the process of things being handmade. The revival of his prints today reworked in neutral colours is breathtaking. Someone from closer to home I would thoroughly enjoy sharing a meal with is Gretchen Albrecht. I’d like to hear about her journey from art school to professional artist and what connections proved the most valuable. I would also want to ask how she continues to create different colour palettes and stretcher shapes as she comes out with fresh, new work.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

Something that would gather ingredients together in one spot and transform them into a yummy meal with the push of a button. During our lifetimes, we need to prep, eat and clean up after 20,000 dinners, so it would be incredible to free up that much time, excite my tastebuds and support a balanced lifestyle.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

I would like my surroundings to be clean and tidy but find it hard to get motivated to spend half a day each weekend cleaning. It’s currently a necessary evil, but if I had a superpower where I could make that happen while sleeping, I’d use it every Wednesday and Saturday night.

Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and how do you envisage they will be used?

I think we are ready for a new dominate colour and I’d like to see it become earthy green shades like Resene Tic Tac Toe, Resene Field Day and Resene Raptor used on interior walls to reflect the bush, farms and forests throughout New Zealand.

What has proven to be the most valuable piece of industry advice you’ve received so far during your career?

Landscaping makes up 50% the success of the project. We need to design spaces in conjunction with the landscape.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

Light fittings! Lighting creates intimate atmosphere and will transform a whole space.

If you could have dinner with any architect, designer, artist or historical figure from the past or present (alive or not), who would it be and what might you talk about?

Balkrishna Doshi. I would love to talk to him about his work on low-cost housing and his research process of using a bottom-up approach.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

A teleport door that can take me anywhere so that I can see more of the world more often!

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

I would love to be able to telepathically show other people my visions so that I can quickly get others on board with my proposals.

Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and how do you envisage they will be used?

I think natural limestone colours like Resene Quarter Truffle will become popular as these hues bring a sense of nature to interior spaces.

What has proven to be the most valuable piece of industry advice you’ve received so far during your career?

Measure twice!

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

I would love new 3x4m rugs in all the living areas of my home. We have wooden floors and that would really bring warmth and texture to those spaces. There are some stunning green woollen options on the market right now.

If you could have dinner with any architect, designer, artist or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be?

I think it would be pretty amazing to have met architect John Scott. Locally, he has left a lasting legacy and the houses and buildings he designed are local treasures.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

Time travel. Who wouldn’t want to go back in time or into the future to explore a different era?!

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

Running and running and never getting tired so that I can win all the ultramarathons.

Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and how do you envisage they will be used?

I think we will continue to see more warmth coming through in neutral palettes such as Resene Parchment, Resene Sandspit Brown and Resene Arrowtown. These colours are stunning for painted joinery as well as interior and exterior walls, of course. I am loving the warm terracotta and peach tones, such as Resene Summer Rose and Resene Soiree, which I think we will see more of. These pair beautifully with warm neutrals and terracotta and travertine style tiles for living areas and kitchens.

What has proven to be the most valuable piece of industry advice you’ve received so far during your career?

Do it once, do it all and do it properly. It’s a combination of some classic clichés, but it’s true. I learnt early on that the last 20% really does take 80% of the time if you leave it, so I’m always focused on collaborating with clients to ensure they can get the full project done at the outset as it’s never going to be cheaper or less disruptive than at the present moment.

If you were to splurge on any one home renovation project or décor item right now, what would it be and why?

A full solar system with battery storage and heat pump hot water. I’m actively reducing my carbon footprint and environmental impact and next on the list is getting off the grid, but the cost of this step means I can’t make it happen as soon as I’d like.

If you could have dinner with any architect, designer, artist or historical figure from the past or present, who would it be and what might you talk about?

Ernest Shackleton. I’m a distant relative and I’d really like to hear his story firsthand to better understand how he maintained such leadership and relentless quest for adventure despite the many other challenges he had in his life.

If you could magically invent something that does not exist, what would it be and why?

A device to rebalance te taiao (the natural world). Ko au ko te taiao, ko te taiao ko au – I am the environment and the environment is me. We’re all aware of the impacts that humans are having on the environment and we are dependent on the balance being restored. While steps are being taken, the pace is not sufficient, and we really do need some magic to get it moving quicker.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?

Teleportation. Being able to avoid commuting and travel would save so much time and carbon emissions.

Which colours do you predict will be key trends over the coming months and how do you envisage they will be used?

I tend to leave trend predictions to the experts and prefer to work with clients to ensure they get the right fit for them over the long term rather than what’s in this season. I have seen a trend lately in people turning to the natural environment for inspirations, with greens like Resene Untamed and Resene Flax and earthy tones like Resene Colins Wicket being used. I think this will continue as we move to a better understanding of nature and our dependency on it.

Products mentioned in this article

BlackWhite magazine

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