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passion project


From Habitat magazine - issue 29

A love of colour drove this gorgeous villa renovation.

Onehunga villa

For advertising executive Marcelle Baker decorating her home was more like a passion project than a job that had to be done. “Dreaming up interiors is definitely my creative outlet,” says the Auckland mother of two. When it came to pushing the ‘go’ button on the renovation of the Onehunga villa she shares with husband Simon Baker and children Lulu and Gus, there was one thing that topped her list. It was going to feature some strong colour.

“I love colour,” says Marcelle. “I had a pretty good idea in my mind of what I wanted and I’m really happy with how it’s turned out.” The home’s colour story is a mix of warm and cool tones that pop out from a backdrop of white. The charcoal grey library in Resene Nocturnal is framed beautifully from the architect designed extension recently added to the back of the house.

library and kitchen
Left: The charcoal grey library and living room is part of the original house and painted in Resene Nocturnal. Right: The light and airy open-plan kitchen is painted in Resene Alabaster which is the home’s main neutral.

“Space for our computer and paperwork was something else that was a high priority. Up until the renovation, all the office clutter lived on our dining table, which drove us crazy. So we were happy when our architect Lisa Webb (of Studio/LWA) cleverly found space for everything. As well as the amazing hideaway office with barn doors, there are floor-to-ceiling cupboards behind the fireplace wall,” she enthuses.

Marcelle spied similar style barn doors while researching renovation options online and added them to her must-have list. “It’s so great being able to pull those doors shut when we have people over. And when the doors are closed they actually become a feature of the room.”

lounge
Barn doors painted in Resene Korma access the hideaway study nook. The walls of the living area are Resene Alabaster.

Outside and study doors
Left: Marcelle and Simon with their children Lulu and Gus on the deck. The weatherboards are in a Resene custom made colour called Moody Grey, but a similar look can be achieved with Resene Atmosphere with trims in Resene Eighth Black White. Right: Spicy Resene Korma adds a shot of colour to the barn doors and study.

It was love at first sight when Marcelle saw the century-old villa at an open home 10 years ago. “As soon as I walked through the doors I felt at home. Its wrap-around-verandas and fretwork reminded me of the farm homestead that I grew up in. It has amazing original features like high pressed tin ceilings and a fantastic arch in the hallway. It’s also got a large back section and a north-facing aspect. It had been re-piled and partly renovated, including the addition of an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, which made it instantly liveable.”

During the next few years Marcelle and Simon carefully considered renovation options. They wanted to modernise the villa in a way that was sympathetic to its historical roots. Creating a timeless look was important to the couple. “Given that our villa is very early 1900s and our renovation was over a century later we wanted the addition to be quite seamless, recognising what was original and new, but in a really complementary way.”

Resene Atmosphere acts as a canvas for Marcelle’s interior design ideas, allowing bold pieces such as the petrel-blue sofa to stand out. The contemporary open-plan living room, dining area and kitchen have given the family the luxury of two living spaces. The library, in the original part of the home, doubles as a television room and can be closed off from the new part of the house by a cavity slider.

When it came to choosing the paint for Lulu’s room, Marcelle’s colour confidence came into play. The striking green-blue walls in Resene Reservoir are the perfect foil for the pops of pink (Resene Glamour Puss) and yellow (Resene Wild Thing) that repeat the home’s cool and warm colour theme.

childrens rooms
Dreaming up interiors is definitely my creative outlet

Top Tip: Always check your paint colour choices with a Resene testpot. Paint an A2 size card, leaving an unpainted border. Move the colour around the room at different times of the day and night to see how it looks. For a velvety look when using dark wall colours, use Resene SpaceCote Flat.

The exterior was also given a fresh coat of paint in a Resene custom made colour Moody Grey (very close to Resene Atmosphere) and Resene Eighth Black White. “We saw this colour combo on a beautiful house near us,” says Marcelle. “We drove by it several times over a few months and still loved it, so we slipped a note in their letterbox to ask them what it was. They replied by email and told us what the colours were, the Resene ColorShop they’d bought them from and told us we were welcome to use them at our place. We are very grateful!”

The new living area is cleverly zoned to cater for different eating, sitting and gathering activities but one thing is clear – the beating heart of this family dwelling is the white, marble, brass and oak kitchen. Marcelle loves to cook and it was important for her to get this space right. It features custom-designed touches that are pure Marcelle such as the black pendant lighting strung above the kitchen island. She had the iron fittings cut to her specifications by a local engineer.

“I love being in the kitchen on the weekends and Simon loves to be out in the garden, with the kids running between the two. The house is really great for hosting friends and family because of the separate social spaces. I wouldn’t change a thing,” says Marcelle.

Bedroom and paint products
Left: An elegant palette of black and white continues in the main bedroom, where the walls are painted in Resene Alabaster.

Paint it right

Choose the right Resene products for the job (above right). Use Resene Enamacryl for painting and upcycling furniture, like this doll trolley in Resene Glamour Puss. It’s a tough, waterborne enamel that’s easy to use and clean up. Or for a lower sheen finish use Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or for a chalk style finish, Resene SpaceCote Flat.

Style tip

The Bakers enhanced their classic monochromatic scheme with a shot of warm, spicy Resene Korma, used as an accent colour. Try these on-trend colours from the new Resene The Range fashion colours. Resene Red Herring, Resene Green Smoke and Resene Time After Time.

Get the exterior look with Resene Lumbersider low sheen tinted to Resene Atmosphere. Use a Resene CoolColour version of your colour to reflect more heat from the paint and surface and keep them cooler.

Get the look of the living room walls with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, a versatile and popular interior wall paint that can be used throughout a home’s interiors, including in wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Designer: Lisa Webb, Studio/LWA www.studiolwa.co.nz
Words: Leanne Moore, Images Helen Bankers


Resene Red Herring
Resene Green smoke

Resene Time After Time

Alternative solution - timeless and textured

Warm earthy tones add character to this kitchen

Kitchen designer Leanne Harley suggests this alternative scheme:

Before photo of kitchen
Before...

For this kitchen I wanted to create a timeless design that blended modern conveniences with classical elements. The custom cabinetry is finished in Resene Grey Area as the room’s primary colour. This particular shade really jumped out at me as it has a really earthy warm feel to it, and it’s a tone often found in character spaces. For a bold accent to that I opted for Resene Charcoal on the patterned and pressed metal on both the splashback and island unit façade. Black accessories complement and finish the look while the timber flooring in Resene Colorwood Natural wood stain adds a sense of warmth.

Top tip: Resene has a range of stains and urethanes that will enhance the beauty of the wood grain in your floors, walls, ceilings or furniture. See the Resene Woodsman range for exterior use and the Resene Colorwood range for inside use.

Earthy kitchen
The cabinetry is painted in Resene Grey Area, with the walls in Resene Barely There, the ceiling in Resene Alabaster and the oak floor in Resene Colorwood Natural wood stain. Bold accents in Resene Charcoal are painted onto the lattice pattern metal splashback and island façade from Stamp Pressed Metal. Other products include Heritage Burlington 4009 and Heritage Rewa 6021 Cabinet Handles from Archant, Nobilo New Road and RD00137 Black Tapware from Burns & Ferrall.

Light
Dekton Benchtop in Aura 15
Cosentino

09 274 9406
chair
Tolix Replica Chair in Black Matt with Rustic Wood Seat
Cintesi

09 377 6727
light
Glass Cloche Pendant Lights
Mr Ralph

027 7777 8602
stool
Clifton Indoor Saddle Bar Stools
Early Settler

0800 523 828
table
Trestle Dining Table in American White Oak with a Black Pepper Finish
Corso de’Fiori

09 307 9166

Designer: Leanne Harley, www.swpinteriors.co.nz
Illustration: Malcolm White


Alternative solution - cooking up cool

Rich moody colour makes for an ultra-stylish scheme

Designer Deanna Hills suggests this alternative scheme:

Before photo of kitchen
Before...

This new-look kitchen and dining space is a sophisticated look that uses rich, moody tones, a mixture of timbers and a touch of brass to give it a modern and stylish feel. A key feature of the room is the two different ceiling heights, used to create a stunning focal point. Using the darker Resene Porter on the stepped-down area of ceiling creates an interesting colour-blocking style, and gives the illusion of a room within a room. That darker colour runs down to the top of the kitchen cabinets creating a bold connection between the two different surfaces. Ideally, a good kitchen design will allow the space to serve a key purpose while still being a part of the architecture of the rest of the home.

Top tip: Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom combines anti-bacterial silver protection and MoulDefender mould inhibitor, perfect for minimising unwanted nasties in kitchens, bathrooms and laundries.

cool kitchen
The step-down ceiling, bulkhead and high cabinetry are in Resene Porter, with Resene Merino on the rest of the ceiling. Resene Truffle is used for all lower cabinetry including the island bench. The timber floor and timber detailing on the island bench are stained with Resene Colorwood Dark Ebony. Other products featured include a splashback of MT1393 Blue Gloss Concave Hex M tiles from Tile Space, Titanium Surface Mounted Downlights from Coombes & Gabbie and a Bobble Vase from Crave Home.

dining chair
Atelier Dining Chairs
Freedom Furniture

0800 373 336
glass light
Celestial Vintage Glass Pendant
Early Settler
0800 523 828
wooden stool
Elm Wood Antique Round Stool
Citta Design

09 630 6177
table
Wharf Dining Table
Freedom Furniture

0800 373 336
benchtop
Cloudburst Benchtop
Caesarstone

0800 303 606

Resene Porter

Designer: Deanna Hills, www.thedesigneryroom.co.nz
Illustration: Malcolm White


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