b'left: The arched windows that were already part of the New Regent StreetsResene Resene co lour blue skybuildings Spanish Revival style faade fit perfectly with the arched themePermanent Green Shilo Championing inside the bar. An awning in Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Shilo with signage and frontage trim in Resene Permanent Green tie well intothe existing heritage colour palette of buttery yellows and minty greens.first bar, Revival, made entirely out of shippingofficially finished but evolve over time, building containers, says Brett. more character and layers along the way. AndBelinda Burke infuses her Master of Architecture thesis Hollis also heads up sales and marketing forbecause we own the buildings that gin gin is in, Valli Wine, so while she has another clear tie toweve very much taken the approach that it willwith chromatic inspiration from both near and afar.the industry, owning a gin bar wasnt somethingevolve over time.she ever thought she would do. Brett agrees they have made every effort toW henyouhavegainedfirst-handHer design-led research thesis titled Colour,love his bold use of colour, and thats what luredartBarragnwasheavilyinfluencedbyhis If someone told me when I was 21 years oldthink ahead and future-proof their set upnotexperience of the benefits that comeHell of a Good Thing! was fuelled by a passionme in. Ive now come to realise the wealth inexchangeofideaswithpeoplefromother finishing up a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Louisianaonly in terms of the buildings, but also the businessfrom living in an environment brimmingforcolourwhichwaspiquedduringtravelstoBarragns architecture that extends far beyonddisciplines,anditwashiscrossoverbetween that a few years down the track Id be living inoperations. We upgraded pretty much everythingwith vivid colours, returning home to find streetsMorocco, Spain and, particularly, Mexico, wherea glossy page of pretty colours, says Belinda.andarchitecturethatinterestedmethe New Zealand, married to a Kiwi, working in thethat could be upgraded in the buildings, knowinglined with subdued homes decorated in soullessshe resided for six months. She was especiallyWhen I was in Mexico, I walked through twomost. He considered colour not just as a mere wine industry and opening hospitality outlets, Ithat if we did that now, it would serve us better inneutrals can be pretty disenchanting. But insteadtaken with Mexican Architect Luis Barragns wayofhishousesBarragnsownhomeanddecorative element, but as a powerful tool for would have thought they were crazy, she says. years to come. We licenced the venue from 8amof letting it hamper her, architectural graduateof choreographing magical atmospheres throughstudioandCasaGilardianditwasthesealteringtheperceptionofspace.Itwasalso My path has certainly been a meanderingto 3am, seven days per week to ensure we have aBelindaBurkewasignitedtoadvocatefortheuseoflightandcolour,whichledhertorich experiences that made me eager to learnhis sensitivity to the potential of colour and its one, taking a few turns here and thereand Iwide range of operational hours to work within andconfident use of colour in our built environment,focus on how his same strategies could influencemore about the ways in which he designed withinseparable relationship with light, coupled with wouldnthaveitanyotherway.Thecommonsecured a lease over a large area of New Regentfight the prejudice of chromophobia and helpcontemporary architecture back home. colour,spaceandlight.TheresanemotionalMexico and New Zealands similar light qualities, thread is the duality: the art, wine and hospitalityStreet to enable about 80 seats out front ofmove our culture to embrace emotion, wonder,Irememberflickingthroughbooksonand spiritual dimension to his manipulation ofthat made him a desirable subject to draw from.worlds all have the nitty gritty sidegetting yourthe venue. We also have an off-licence whichdelight, sensitivity and sensuality. Barragn in my second or third year of study. Ilight and colour that makes it so captivating. While the site could have theoretically been hands dirty, creating and growingas well asallows us to sell takeaway alcohol, and our houseanywhere, Belinda chose the Wairarapa region the polished, more luxurious side. The Americanmade gin, gin gin gin! Luke distils this himself atasshethoughtitprovokedachallengingand South where I am from is very much this way,Curiosity Gin and it has been a major hit. juxtaposing angle of investigation to the urban andIwasraisedspendingequaltimerunningBrett and Hollis are already well into theircontexts of Barragns projects. Its a greenfield around the woods searching for Native Americannextproject,renovatingthehistoricWaikakasitethatswidewithlongshadowsstretching arrowheads as I did in nice dresses going to dinnerChurchwhich has already been relocated to parties with my parents. Ive always said that I lovethe foot of Queenstowns Coronet Peak. The to wear cowboy boots as much as pearls, and allcouple has been sharing the journey of this new of these areas allow me to do both. endeavouronInstagram(@waikakachurch),left: Belindas project won her the Resene Total Theprojecttooklongerthanplannedand based on the wonders theyve worked withColour Rising Star Award in 2021. Resene Aquaclear particularly with subcontractor delays and thewaterborne urethane varnish in a satin finish was chosen gin gin, we cant wait to see what shape this newto protect the interior timber walls of Belindas project Christmas shutdown, adds Hollis. We openedenterprise takes.while a skylight featuring Resene Happy allows warm, at the end of January, just in time for us to moveyellow light to radiate down and bathe the interior of onto another project back in Queenstown. To check out gin gins latest offerings, visit www.gingin.co.nz.the home. Timber trims in Resene Colorwood Natural For us, there is only so much you can plan(interior) and Resene Woodsman Natural (exterior), with a fitout until you are actually in the space,interior flooring in Resene Colorwood Bark and exterior using it and getting the feel for how it all comesdesign Brett and Hollis Giddens, Luke Dawkins deck in Resene Woodsman Natural.together.Asmuchplanningthatgoesintobuild Dean James Contracting Resene WoodsmanResenetheprojectbeforeopening,thereisatleastpainting Lakes Painting and Decorating Natural Happythat amount in tweaks and adjustments aftercustom table artwork Paula Broderick Resene ColorwoodResene Colorwood beingoperational.Thebestspacesareneverimages Sarah Rowlands, www.sarahrowlands.co.nz Natural Bark50 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 51'