Down to earth

Finalist 1 – Colour Home Awards Competition

Warm browns and green leafy accents add depth and character to this heritage Wellington villa.

Bringing life back into a tired villa isn’t easy work, but in the right hands, magic can happen. When Kimberly and Tim Bamford purchased the 1916 Wellington villa in 2022, they knew a long reno was ahead.

Heritage villa bedroom with warm brown walls and leafy green accents

Renovating couple Kimberly and Tim Bamford

The location was stellar, but the villa had been a long-term student flat. “The house had lost much of its original charm under layers of rental wear and tear. All the walls were a dated cream and basic white, which made the house feel worn,” says Kimberly.

“Colour is something we both lean towards,” they say about their decided colour palette of bright greens, cosy beiges and warm browns. “We knew the best way to give the house its character back was through the use of colour. Choosing colours that felt more in line with the heritage of the house was really our end goal.”

“We’ve used a rich, earthy colour palette from Resene to bring depth and personality to each space, eschewing plain white for something far more expressive.”

One room is painted in Resene Zylone Sheen in Resene Spice, a bold nutmeg brown. They saw the colour in a magazine, and then colour-matched by a staff member in Resene Kilbirnie. The other room is Resene Zylone Sheen in Resene Millbrook, a complex and light brown beige, and the hallway is painted in Resene Zylone Sheen in Resene Half Tea, a complex dirty neutral.

Home office with warm brown walls in this renovated historic villa

“The bedroom colours were a bit intimidating and out of our comfort zone. It was hard to imagine a whole room of that colour and not worry that it would turn out too dark, but it ended up looking great,” says the couple.

The bathroom is the brightest room, painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Turtle Green. Complemented by brass joinery and green tiles, the deep bronze green “brings a luxurious, grounding mood” to the space.

There is still a lot to do – namely, the entire upstairs – but Kimberly and Tim are happy to take the remainder of the renovation slowly and thoughtfully. The overall vibe they’re aiming for? “A blend of city and country manor, elegant yet welcoming, with thoughtful details that balance character and function.”

Colours mentioned in this article