The lay of the land

Finalist 5 – Colour Home Awards Competition

The beautiful surrounds of Central Otago helped to inspire this new build’s colour scheme.

A beautiful blue kitchen in Resene Lynchpin

The spellbinding, vibrant light of Central Otago is no stranger to acting as muse to the many creatives that dwell on its doorstep, and this time the panoramic views inspired Naomi and Stefan Petersohn to integrate a world of colour in their new build. “I wanted to create spaces that were cosy and calming while also feeling connected to the amazing landscape outside,” says Naomi.

The house, nestled in the hills that run along the backs of Cromwell and Tarras, was designed by Naomi and painted last year. The house is the Petersohn’s first family home, after living and working in a variety of small spaces, including caravans and sleepouts, so the need for space is both a physical and an optical one. “I wanted your eye to flow around the walls and outside, and to provide a calm, cohesive backdrop,” Naomi says.

“Based on the landscape, the two sides of the house have a different, but complementary character,” Naomi says. On the west side is the kitchen and living room that faces the turquoise vista of Lake Dunstan. The walls are painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Lynchpin to capture the ever-changing colours of the lake and sky, with Resene Lustacryl in Resene Lynchpin on the ceiling.

On the eastern side of the house facing the hillside, Naomi and Stefan gifted these spaces with a rich “botanical character”. The office is painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Golden Sand, which Naomi describes as an “energising and creative thinking inducing yellow”, which together with the playroom in Resene SpaceCote in Resene Amulet, helps reflects the kōwhai trees that the couple is propagating outside.

Naomi Petersohn

A blue kitchen inspired by the sky and lake

A dreamy bedroom mural

Kitchen: The kitchen walls capture the colours of the lake and sky. Bedroom: Naomi painted this dreamy mural in her daughter’s room.

The bathroom-laundry is painted Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Monsoon and complements the tones of the schist outside and the local bluestone tiles inside. In their daughter’s room, Naomi used leftover testpots to paint a mural of mountains and mānuka, one of the many native species that the couple has planted on the property.

It’s not just the walls that celebrate the wonders of nature in the Petersohn home. Brightly painted furniture using Resene Lustacryl is dotted throughout the house, whether it’s the Resene Ming painted sideboard in the living room; the drawers in Resene Smoky Green in the bedroom; or the side table in Resene Palm Green. “They have been carefully chosen to work together when you see them from another room, and to provide different sense and purpose to each of the spaces,” says Naomi.