From habitat magazine - issue 35, editorial
Cream makes everything taste better, and it seems to have the same transformative quality on walls.
Are you working on a project with Resene paints, stains or wallpaper? We'd love to see it! Share it with us on email, Instagram or Facebook.
When my in-laws chose wall colours for their 1920s Auckland bungalow, they tested what seemed like most of the Resene Whites & Neutrals collection. With so many lovely off-whites to choose from, they weren't sure which to pick (their opinionated daughter-in-law's unsolicited advice probably didn't help matters).
But with a Resene Colour Consultant coming to the rescue, this tale of 'Goldilocks and the 13 testpots' has a 'happily ever after' ending. After testing a grey white that was too hard and a green white that was too soft, Resene Double Thorndon Cream, it turns out, was juuuust right, making the old home feel warm and cosy. Sometimes you need a little help to point you in the right colour direction. You can request your own colour help at www.resene.com/colourconsult.
I had the same choice paralysis when painting my cardboard teeny house (see details on our Teeny House Competition). Usually, when you decorate, there are restrictions such as budgets or room size to scale down your ambitions – but this teeny house is a blank canvas on which you can bring your decorating dreams to life – except in miniature.
habitat by Resene asked interior designers to work their magic on the cardboard teeny house and many of them used it as an opportunity to test shades they have in mind for their own homes. Annick Larkin wants a blue kitchen, so she tried Resene Coast while Kate Alexander painted the archway of her dreams.
Whether you're changing your home's colour or simply painting a cardboard box, the great thing about Resene paints and stains is that you can always dream big. At habitat by Resene, we hope the ideas within these pages will be just the inspiration you need to help you with your next decorating project.
In its 75 years in business, Resene has been lucky enough to see many colourful and creative ideas. Seeing photos of your projects and how you have used Resene colours, paints and stains in unique ways continues to be a highlight for us. We look forward to seeing your imaginative ideas and your decorating dreams come to life.
Happy reading!
Emma Rawson – editor
When the team gathered to celebrate Resene's 75th birthday, there were many stories and memories to share. A common thread was how many things have been achieved others said couldn't be done – from launching the first waterborne paint and a full range of bold colours to introducing Resene testpots, Resene ColorShops, Resene PaintWise recycling and even this habitat magazine. It's incredible where imagination, persistence, patience and passion can take you.
When you dig deep, you realise big highlights are never just a moment in time but come about slowly but surely by doing one thing, then the next and then the next and being open to what might lie ahead and where that might lead.
Decorating is much the same – it's a journey, not a destination. Our homes don't stand still. We gather a lifetime of treasures, gifts and memories in our homes – they are like living albums of all we hold dear. It makes sense that the backdrop to all these treasures – the painted walls – also evolve. Fun interactive walls in a busy family home may make way for soothing weathered tones when the kids leave home, to be reinvented as bright, fun features when the grandkids arrive. Or perhaps minimalist white walls may make way for striking wallpapers and maximalist colour features as your colour confidence grows and you fully embrace your own decorating style.
A picture tells a thousand words, and for many decorators, a colour tells many more. Decorators often share their colour stories with us – how a particular paint colour sparks a beautiful memory for them. Everyone's story is unique, so don't be afraid to use colour to help tell yours. It might just be the inspiration that someone else needs to create a colour story of their own.
Happy decorating!
the Resene team
Two of my favourite colours from the Resene Multi-finish collection
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Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.
Specifiers:
If you have an idea, project or story that you think would suit habitat, we’d love to hear from you. Please drop us an email with your details and include photos if submitting a project.
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