Beautify the bach

Here are some quick project ideas that can be done in a weekend to beautify (or maintain) the family bach.

Trips to the bach are about relaxing and spending some quality time with family, away from the pressures of daily life.

A block of bold colour painted with Resene Half Forest

A simple block of bold colour can have a huge impact in any room, and can be easily achieved in a weekend.

This room’s main walls and floor are painted in Resene Double Rice Cake with colour block in Resene Half Forest Green. Chair and planter in Resene Tom Thumb, with side table in Resene Nero. Rug from Mocka. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Revive an outdoor area with simple touches of contrasting colour

Simple touches of contrast colour add instant personality and revive a bach outdoor area.

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This patio floor is painted in Resene Triple Concrete topcoated with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Double Stack and Resene Eighth Black White. Walls painted in Resene Eighth Black White, zigzag in Resene Resolution Blue and Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Polo Blue, chairs in Resene Polo Blue, shutters in Resene Polo Blue topcoated with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Zircon and Resene Half Resolution Blue, planters in Resene Resolution Blue topcoated Resene Paint FX Medium mixed with Resene Zircon and lights in Resene Element. Cushions, tableware, and wicker table from Spotlight. Project by Melle Van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.

While that means you’re not necessarily looking for home improvement projects there can be times when you look around the bach and realise parts might be looking in need of some TLC – or if you need a fun, indoor project to keep you busy on a rainy day.

Decorating at the bach can often also be a licence to experiment with colour and creativity, in ways you might not want to try at home.

Here are some quick project ideas that can be done in a weekend to beautify (or maintain) the family bach.

Wash the bach

This one’s not necessarily exciting or creative, but it is essential. If your bach is near the sea it needs washing down twice a year, to remove salt deposits. That applies to baches (and homes) in the vicinity of the sea, not just beachfront.

As Resene Paint Expert Jay Sharples says wind-blown salt can blow up to 25km inland, which includes a surprising amount of the country. “Salt deposits are often visible in the form of a white residue on exposed areas, and will be easier to notice on darker colours. Jay says, “If you’re within 300 metres of the sea, I’d recommend cleaning every six months using Resene Paint Prep and Housewash for painted surfaces.”

“The more often you clean and remove contaminants from the surface of the substrate the longer the coatings will last. We have slow-acting cleaners like Resene Deep Clean that can be good to use at the end of summer, and faster-acting cleaners like Resene Moss & Mould Killer, Resene Paint Prep and Housewash, Resene Bio-Cleaner, Resene Heavy Duty Paint Prep and Oil Remover that are good to use at the start of summer or whenever you make time to clean.”

Revive outdoor areas with fresh stains and painted pavers

Revive bach outdoor areas and give them a new lease of life with fresh stain and even painted pavers.

This decking is stained with Resene Woodsman Natural with side wall painted in Resene Halcyon and rear wall in Resene Bluff. Concrete tiles in Resene Halcyon and Resene Bluff, table in Resene Umber White, bench seat in Resene Hammerhead, pots in Resene Pale Prim and light in Resene Solitude. Chair, cushions, lemon planter pots from French Country Collection, tray from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Project by Melle Van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.

Paint or stain your wooden trellis

Freshly stained or painted wooden trellis is a simple way to add shelter, privacy and style to a bach outdoor entertaining area.

Rear wall and trellis painted in Resene Eighth Spanish White, front trellis stained in Resene Woodsman Bark, decking stained in Resene Woodsman Tiri, table painted in Resene Half Pearl Lusta, bench in Resene Eighth Pearl Lusta, large pot in Resene Baltic Sea, medium pot in Resene Tana, small foreground pots in Resene Quarter Lemon Grass and Resene Avocado and tall vase in Resene Blanc. Cushions from Castle and Things. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.

Upcycle with testpots

Baches often turn into the last resting place for items of furniture or decor that have outlived their popularity in the home. That makes them perfect candidates to be given a new lease of life by refreshing them using Resene testpots. As Resene Colour Expert Amy Watkins says anything from a chair or outdoor table to bookshelves, pots and artwork are fair game.

If you have older dining chairs, indoor or out, consider painting each chair, paint the back of a bookshelf, add a different colour to the front of each drawer in a set or repurpose old bowls and pots as planters.

Using Resene testpots is a cost-effective approach for smaller upcycle projects or use multiple testpots in various colours to create a mural – maybe on an old, weathered bit of fence. You could even add some creative flair in the form of a mural to the side of a shed, a bedroom wall or even the side of the house.

If you need to keep the kids occupied on a rainy day at the bach, it can be as simple as getting them painting rocks using Resene testpots or leftover paint from previous projects, suggests Resene Colour Expert Amy Watkins. “It’s such an easy fun thing to do with kids over the weekend. Grab some testpots and let the kids go wild with creativity.” Then when the weather fines up they can go outside, hide their rocks and then do a treasure hunt to find all the hidden rocks.

top tip Most Resene testpots contain Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen, which can be used inside or out on a range of projects from furniture flips to fence art and craft projects.

Colour block

If you want to add some style and flair to your bach interiors without committing to a large makeover Resene Colour Expert Jackie Nicholls suggests colour blocking.

That means instead of painting a whole room, or one feature wall, add smaller blocks of colour to a section of wall instead as a quick effective way to add character and personality to the bach – or even cover an area of wall that’s looking a bit faded and worn.

All you need is some good quality masking tape, a Resene testpot or a small tin of paint – depending on the size of your colour block – and a roller.”

Jackie suggests adding a block of colour behind a piece of art that’s getting lost on a blank stretch of wall. Use colours in the artwork as the colour block for maximum impact.

Add large circles on the walls of a children’s bunk room. Add hooks for towels or pegs and bulldog clips attached to the walls to show off holiday drawings or other artworks. You could also try adding shelves painted in the same shades as the circles or colour blocks.

Add extra interest to any bedroom with a coloured headboard, painted directly on the wall or using ply or upcycled wood. Paint it in a bold shade like oceanic blue Resene Epic, a dusty sunset shade like Resene Dawn Glow or a fresh botanical green like Resene Smashed Avocado. For a more textured, relaxed finish simply stain wash the wood with Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Shade.

top tip If your summer bach projects involve painting larger areas you may want to consider adding Resene Hot Weather Additive to your paint. It’s designed to slow the drying time in hot weather giving you more time to get a smooth finish.

Revive the deck

With a bit of planning, giving a wooden deck a new lease of life is quick and easy using Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain.

First give the deck a good clean with a broom and Resene Moss & Mould Killer mixed with water. You do need to leave that for about 48 hours before washing with Resene Timber and Deck Wash and thoroughly rinsing.

Stir your chosen shade of Resene Woodsman Wood Oil Stain and apply two coats to the deck in the direction of the grain. Leave the first coat 24 hours to dry before applying the second coat, and leave the deck for 48 hours before walking on it.

A similar process will also work for restaining fences, furniture, or even weatherboards, using Resene Waterborne Woodsman.

Staining your wooden outdoor surfaces – trellis, fences and furniture as well as decks – not only protects them, but it can be a simple way to add unexpected colour to outdoor areas. Try darker green-toned shades like Resene Woodsman Treehouse for fences that blend with your trees and shrubs to create softer borders. On your deck keep things neutral with Resene Woodsman Natural or experiment with the weathered grey of Resene Woodsman Bleached Riverstone or the golden browns of Resene Woodsman Uluru on timber privacy screens to create changeable outdoor spaces.

top tip Stains are translucent, so the final finish colour will depend on the type of timber, and if it has already been stained. Stains applied to light woods will appear much stronger and brighter in colour than stains applied to dark wood. Try a Resene testpot on an offcut before you commit.

Colours mentioned in this blog...

Beautify the bach

Wash the bach

Upcycle with testpots

Colour block

Revive the deck

Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.com