Colour lover

In 2007 Paul and Kerin bought a neutrally painted c1900s villa that did nothing for the original features that still remained. The exterior was white with a blue trim on the sills and the interior was beige - a cliche in itself.

They reintroduced picture rails to proportion all the rooms and chose Resene Vista White for the ceilings and wall tops as it wasn't as stark as white and would help to hide dirt with its greyish tint.

The rest of the interior developed, room by room, thanks to Kerin's love of strong colours. A favourite is the baby's room where the colour is soft but not boring. Resene Gingko is used in the foyer and hallway, Resene Gold Coast in the dining and living room, Resene Nebula in the kitchen, Resene Cranberry in the downstairs bathroom, Resene Broom in the upstairs bathroom and bedrooms finished in Resene Citron, Resene Red Red Red and Resene Jellybean.

The exterior was more of a headache with trying to work out which combinations would highlight the intricate features on the front face without dominating and looking too 'trashy'. They decided on Resene Arrowtown contrasted with Resene Eighth Arrowtown, with the front door in black. The next headache was the window framings. After several false starts they settled on Resene Armadillo which they have also used on the deck to tie it in and bring the complete colour scheme together.

All in all they are thrilled with the final results.

Hall and foyer	Dining and living rooms	Kitchen	Bathroom	Bathroom
Resene Gingko	Resene Gold Coast	Resene Nebula	Resene Cranberry	Resene Broom
Bedroom 1	Bedroom 2	Bedroom 3	Exterior walls	Soffits, joinery
Resene Citron	Resene Red Red Red	Resene Jelly Bean	Resene Arrowtown	Resene Eighth Arrowtown
Window frames
Resene Armadillo

Decorating inspiration gallery
Click on the links below to view more great home decorating ideas and colour schemes for home interiors and exteriors.