Flora & fauna

Finalist 2 - Small Room Awards Competition

A Nelson nursery uses paint and native trees to welcome a new member of the family.

Before the birth of her grandson, Jeana Freeman was asked by her daughter Brittany to paint “a little something to brighten up a wall” in what was to be the new baby’s bedroom. “As our family all love the native flora and fauna of Aotearoa, it was a no-brainer I would do something to represent our unique environment,” Jeana says. “They told me it was important to put nīkau trees in it. At the time it seemed odd to me that they were so insistent.”

Flora & fauna themed nursery

Jeana’s granddaughter Molly and son-in-law Ash helped to prep the wall using Resene Acrylic Undercoat. Despite feeling intimidated by the large scale of the project, Jeana got to work.

“I used Resene testpots, which I found flowed and blended beautifully,” she says. Her favourite colours were Resene Saratoga, Resene Rain Forest, Resene Saddle Brown, Resene Pohutukawa, Resene Kakaramea and Resene Sushi. The result was a mural that could be ripped from a page of a children’s book.

One month later, Niko was born. “Suddenly it made sense why they wanted nīkau trees in the mural,” Jeana says. “What a transformation of an otherwise very plain room.”

Finalist 02 - Small Room Awards Competition

Nīkau for Niko: A pīwakawaka, pōhutukawa and nīkau palms painted using Resene testpots feature in Jeana Freeman’s mural for her grandson Niko.

More Resene colours to try:

Resene Half Spanish White

Resene Comfortably Numb

Resene Good To Go

November 2023.

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Small Room Awards Competition
from Resene and Your Home and Garden magazine

Have you done something bold or interesting with paint or wallpaper in a small room in your house? It could be an office, nursery, laundry or powder room – the only criteria is it's small in space but big in impact. › Entry info

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Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.com