Fab & Fifties

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

The fun-loving style of the 1950s was the starting point for this Christchurch home’s adventures in colour

Interior designer Becky Lee has transformed the former blank canvas of her 1950s Christchurch home. When she purchased the house – which she shares with partner Phil Tumataroa, a writer, and sons Nico and Beau – it was painted in variations of Resene Black White. Fast forward five and a half years and it’s a kaleidoscope of colour, with each room featuring its own dramatic look.

Fifties house with pops of green and pink accents

Turquoise lounge walls makes a statement

Full swing inviting colour ripples through the home, from the turquoise lounge in Resene Gulf Stream to the rich ochre guest bedroom in Resene Swiss Caramel (below). The tiled wall in the conservatory (below) is actually a mural hand-stencilled onto brick.

“I grew up in a colourful home, so being surrounded by colour is the norm for me,” says Becky. The adventurous combination of colours was initially inspired by a wallpaper Becky chose for the kitchen. From there, the home’s age began to play a role. “I started to think about the era of the house, 1950s style and design, and how I could put my spin on that.”

The resulting warm and vibrant palette includes an ochre feature wall in the main bedroom (Resene Apache), a coral pink bathroom (Resene Sakura) and a turquoise lounge (Resene Gulf Stream).

Becky hasn’t stopped at the walls, though – a hot pink dining table is painted in Resene Smitten, Nico and Beau’s metal beds have been transformed with the bold orange of Resene Energise, while the guest room in the sleepout is painted in Resene Swiss Caramel, with a side table in Resene Soulful and trunk in Resene Sakura.

The finishing touch is a hand-stencilled mural, which looks like tiles, in the glass conservatory. This area was brought to life in collaboration with artist Samantha Elise, who designed and executed the mural, with Becky choosing colours inspired by the home as well as an inherited vintage caravan: Resene Ragamuffin, Resene St Kilda, Resene Siesta, Resene Blanched Pink and Resene Mai Tai.