To the max

Finalist 3 – Colour Home Awards Competition

A Wellington apartment gets a maximalist makeover.

From clothes to interiors, the maximalist trend has been sweeping the board. For a fine example of this aesthetic, look no further than the cosy ’60s Wellington apartment owned by Carrie Lagerstedt.

A 1960's maximalist apartment interior

Carrie Lagerstedt - apartment owner

“My choices were inspired by the maximalist trend and my own love of bold, quirky choices,” says Carrie. She chose green shades for the living space to complement the natural tones in her favourite art pieces, settling on Resene Siam and Resene Scrub to bring a mossy, lichen look throughout. “Resene Siam has been a gentle, calming background for my quirky mid-century pieces and decor style.” The two greens also carry over to the hallway to make the space seem bigger as the green beckons you through the apartment.

Carrie also painted the living room ceiling in Resene FX Metallic in Resene Goldmine, which “works brilliantly and makes the space feel really warm and cosy, without making it feel small”. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Half Rickshaw was used as a base to make the colours pop.

In her “dressing room”/office, Carrie used Resene Careys Pink, a dusky 1980s rose pink.

A dark blue bedroom

A bright pink hallway

Resene Indian Ink gives Carrie’s bedroom a stylish hotel vibe.

“The pink is invigorating and inspires me to have fun with my vintage outfit choices,” she says. In the bedroom, it’s another moody, maximalist affair of colour. Carrie used Resene Indian Ink and Resene Goldmine to feel like she’s in a “luxurious hotel every night”.

“What has surprised and delighted me the most about this renovation is the intersection of colour throughout the house,” she says. “The contrasts of the green and pink, and the squares of blue, crisp white and rich gold really make me happy every time I spot them.”

Despite friends and family initially being unsure about her lavish colour choices, they’ve since come around after seeing the finished rooms. “Now it’s done, it looks amazing. I just had the attitude of if I don’t like it, I’ll repaint it. There were certainly a lot of testpots, and I’m glad I experimented with my choices.”