b'in the canDesigns that NatalieendedupstudyingspatialinteriordesigninCapeWithamotherwhowasanaccountantandafatherwhoNatalies colour crushesTown. But after completing her studies, she struggled to find aownedaluggagefactory,shesaysgrowingupwithafamily Natalie Du Bois shares howjob. I had written endless letters and rung up so many designbusiness and learning to be good with cashflow definitely helpedReseneReseneResene firms offering to work for free, but nothing eventuated. I resortedwhen it came to starting her own business, Du Bois Design, inBlack White Triple Black White Quarter Truffleshe became a kitchen designto waitressing for a spell and then worked for three employers2007. But it was her days as a trainee chef that gave her some ReseneReseneResene specialist and the best Reseneat once who shared a cottage and antique furniture shop, a softreal insight into creating kitchens that work for the people whoSea Fog Triple Sea Fog Half Stackproducts for the hardestfurnishings business and an antique lighting supplier. use themand its not only something she specialises in, but its My first design job was convincing my boss it was a good idea toalso something shes gotten very good at. Over the last 20 years,opposite: Natalies elegant use of colour is ever present in her kitchen designs. working room in the house. redo the signage and colours for the antique shopfront, she says.Natalie has taken home over 45 awards, including two ReseneCabinetry in Resene Half Stack, walls in Resene Triple Black White and ceiling, Her aim was for the shop to be noticed and get more people throughColour Awards at the National Kitchen and Bathroom Awards. architraves and trims in Resene Black White. Image by Michelle Weir,the door, so Natalie introduced fuchsia to its boring beige faade. ItFor people who have multiple passions and have learned towww.studioweir.com.may have been for slightly selfish reasons to curb my boredom, but Iwear many hats the way Natalie does, variety is often the spice ofabove left: Lightingboth in terms of properly illuminating task spaces, but had a goal and that was to get to London and try be a real designer. life. I have had new clients say that the reason why they go withalso in the way she plays it off of the different surfaces throughout the space ButitwasworkingtherethatallowedNatalietosaveupme is that they can see I listen to my clients needs as my projects is something Natalie executes beautifully in her kitchens. Cabinetry, walls enough money to follow her dream. are so varied. There are many different styles and looks whichand ceiling in Resene Sea Fog and doors in Resene Triple Sea Fog. Image by This didnt really happen straight away. I managed to find ayou can see on my website and Instagram. To be honest, I think IKallan MacLeod, www.kallanmacleod.com.job in Harrods department store in Knightsbridge, where I soldwould be bored if there was just one type of look that I designed.below left: Natalie created plenty of interest through pops of colour and nursery, childrens and bedroom furniture. It was a great steppingI try to see the beauty in all style genres and focus on what willa mix of different materials and textures in this eye-catching kitchen. stone, as it taught me how competitive I was in sales and wantingwork for my clients to make them happy in their environment. Cabinetry in Resene Half Merino, walls in Resene Quarter Truffle and statement cabinets in Resene Chilean Fire. Image by Jamie Cobel,to be the best. I tried to move to the interior design departmentMy favourite projects to work on are timeless, sophisticated,www.jamiecobel.com.by continually hounding them, but no one wanted me. Eventually,high-quality interiors. I like each project to show some unique aspect I ended up working across the road at a high-end kitchen designto give it a point of difference. And I love incorporating natural companydesigningGermankitchens,bespokekitchensandmaterials, stone, timber, natural fabrics like linen and metals. specified in a Resene colour and then needs to be matched, and other interior furniture. Through her experiences, shes learned that design work cantthis is quite tricky as the match can never really be perfect since The irony, she says, was that Harrods rang to ask if she couldbe forced. Sometimes its good to leave the design for anotherits not an actual Resene colour or a Resene base. Using Resene come in for an interview for their design department on herday and come back to it the next day or night. I like designing atAquaLAQ on upcoming projects will be much easier and avoid first day therewhich she kindly declined. Instead, she gainednight as I find my inspiration is better when I am not interruptedanyirregularitiesandtheneedtohavesamplesre-matched, experience moving around between her new employers threeby phone calls and emails and I can block out a few hours to sinkwhich can be time consuming.showrooms located in Chelsea, Richmond and Knightsbridge.my teeth into it. I pretty much live and breathe work 24/7butI love that the Resene website is extremely thorough, with ThisreallygavemegreatinsighttotheexpectationsandI am not sure how healthy that is though, she laughs. My initiallots of information. They have really made it very user friendly, pressuresofbeingadesignerafewlatenightsofgettingmeetings with clients are quite in-depth, and I try to get insideso I can see that a lot of time has been spent ensuring it works designs done for deadlines would soon be the norm. their heads to work out what really makes them tick. I find thatfor their clients no matter if its for the general public, painters, Therewerecertainlytryingtimes,sheadmits,andIafter talking to my clients and understanding them, thats wheredesigners or architects. The Resene fandecks are well organised remember feeling like I was not cut out to be a designer. I thoughtthe inspiration starts. and easy to work with and the new releases on colours always maybe a change would be good, so I approached a company in theWhen it comes to which products she specifies for her jobs, W hen she finished high school, interior designer NatalieThe day after she finished high school, Natalie started workingsame area I lived in Chiswick and they nabbed me straight away.Resene Natalie usually turns to her favourites. I tend to like more matte,makes it interesting to want to specify different colours. to have Du Bois wasnt entirely sure which career path sheas a trainee chef. It was a great experience, and quite a challengeThis job and my boss really gave me the confidence to believe Ivelvety finishes, so I often specify Resene SpaceCote Flat and ReseneI do feel that I like to support businesses that have good people wanted to take. I knew I had talent in the arts and havebeing the only female amongst experienced chefsespeciallydid have what it takes to be a designer. I was even convinced toChilean Fire SpaceCote Low Sheen for kitchen ceilings and walls, she says. who are supportive, and that is what I feel I get from Resene.always been creative. Cooking and food were always importantafter coming straight from a girls school. It wasnt long before Ienter a design competition and ended up winning, which madeNatalies top tip ReseneWhileReseneLustacrylandReseneEnamacrylaregreatLooking back on her journey now, Natalie is proud to me; I started cooking from an early age and was intrigued byrealised I preferred to be around to see the joy people get fromme feel like I needed to stick with it.choices for ensuring a durable finish on doors and trims, Nataliegotten where she is today. Even when we know what we are capable flavour. When I was a child, there was no such thing as chickenwhat I create, which didnt happen at all in that job. I felt that beingThat same year, in 2000, I moved to New Zealand with myRely on your supplier and product reps. Half Merino says that Resene AquaLAQ may be a game changer for gettingof, its common to second guess ourselves when others dont buy nuggets for usmore like ox tongue, snails and beef bourguignon.an interior designer definitely would offer thisand, luckily, I wasthen Kiwi partner, whose visa had expired. For the next 7 years, IAsk them lots of questions if youre ever in doubt Resene colours on kitchen and bathroom furniture and joinery. into it. There are a lot of challenges in this industry, but if we are My father was French Belgian and his mother was a caterer foraccepted into design school in the nick of time to start with myworked for a high-end kitchen design company and then for anabout anything. They know their stuff, so its better to not I am very interested to use the Resene AquaLAQ system,passionate enough, it makes all the difference, she says. embassies, so we had to eat quite rich tasting foods. same school leavers. interior design company. just assume you know the answer. Their knowledge is gold. whichwasreleasedjustrecently.Mostofmycabinetryiswww.duboisdesign.co.nz 56 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 57'