Moonlight mile

From the Resene/Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards Competition - fifth finalist 2017/2018

This dramatic glow-in-the-dark scene was worth the time and effort for a very lucky 3-year-old

Simon Raine and Debbie Jones of New Plymouth went all out for their 3-year-old son Elliot’s bedroom. “What started as an idea for a dark blue wall to cosy up his room snowballed into a full outer-space wall!” says Debbie.

The primary school teacher (currently a stay-at-home mum) was inspired to go intergalactic when she discovered the glow-in-the-dark Resene FX Nightlight paint at her local Resene ColorShop. This was used in conjunction with Resene ‘Blue Night’ for the inky sky, and soft blue Resene ‘Ashanti’ for the lighter sky. Resene ‘Smashing’, a bright red, and bold yellow Resene ‘Tulip Tree’ lent colour to the planet and rocket, while Resene ‘Quarter Thorndon Cream’ was used for the pale moon and clouds.

The clever pair hand-sketched and painted the illustrations with some “pretty fine brushes”. It took a few weeks to complete the makeover, with Debbie and Simon, a high-school art teacher, working on it during Elliot’s nap times. Now Elliot can lie in bed gazing at the stars. “It encourages our little night owl to stay in bed and relax,” Debbie says.

Space themed bedroom
Debbie and Simon found inspiration for the fun, vintage feel of the room by searching for retro space images online. “The clouds connect the different coloured walls. The room is still light-filled, but the ‘space’ wall adds a really dramatic touch,” says Debbie.