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From Resene and Your Home and Garden

Finalist 4 – Colour Home Awards Competition

The design inspiration for this home makeover was timeless elegance with a cocktail bar vibe. Mission accomplished.

Resene Colour Home Award article

Honouring the legacy of a home can take many different forms. For Carol and Steve Webster, it meant using Resene paint to tell the story of their century-old Nelson home. First, they tackled the gardens, then they slowly turned their attention towards what a thoughtful interior update would look like. “In the first year we observed, gained the feeling of the place and put lots of thought into how it would best work for us and the way we live,” says Carol.

The kitchen, dining room and what was originally a lounge and a reading room (now an open-plan lounge that flows into the rest of the space) were their first target. After soaking in the home for a year, Carol and Steve had decided on the specific aesthetic they wanted to introduce.

“We searched for Resene paint colours that would create an old-worldly feel and suit the amount of natural light coming into the rooms. We wanted something timeless and elegant, with almost a cigar or cocktail bar vibe.”

Resene Zylone Sheen in Resene Mangrove, a sophisticated muddy green, was the powerful statement colour they decided to apply to their walls. For the kitchen cabinetry, they went with Resene Double Mangrove. They used Resene Mangrove on the skirting. Their contrasting neutral, which pops against the painted skirting, is Resene Zylone Low Sheen in Resene Quarter White Pointer, a sober, greyed white. “Resene Mangrove gives the rooms a rich, moody depth and Resene Quarter White Pointer lightly softens and complements,” says Carol.

As well as creating a rich and timeless atmosphere, the palette pays homage to the hills of native trees the rooms look out on. “The Resene paint colours that we chose really bring the outdoors in, which we love.”

“Colour creates feeling. It adds so much to how you live, relax and enjoy all moments of life. When you walk through your door and instantly love your surroundings, you know you have done the right thing.”

Resene Colour Home Award article

Colour Home Awards Finalists - Carol and Steve Webster

Sophisticated muddy green interior in Resene Mangrove

Sophisticated muddy green and grey-white dining room

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Text by Bryony Ammonds-Smith. Photography by Tim Williams. Colour Home Awards 2025/2026

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Colour Home Awards
View more projects from the finalists and winners of the Resene and Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards competition.

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Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online.   See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.

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