Purified form

While New Zealanders have a love of vibrant colour, there's another more subtle way to create impact for your interiors.

This double-height atrium provides a spectacular entry point in a contemporary home by architect Wayne Houston.

"Having designed an earlier house for the owners, this time they wanted me to create a home with a feel of solidity. They showed me an example of what they wanted on a website of Mid century American Design and we used that as the inspiration for this bold, sculptural home."

However, vibrant colour would have been overpowering in the design. Instead, they wanted a subtle tone, remarking that 'white is the colour of sculpture'.

"That said, a pure white would have been too reflective in this soaring volume. We then considered Resene Black White, a colour I love, but went instead for Resene Sea Fog, with its slightly darker tone."

Resene Sea Fog is a versatile white with a hint of grey, best used with other muted colours. While it can be hard to see the difference in these hues when viewed in separate spaces, the difference is clearer when seen side by side. And is even more obvious when painted over a large surface.

Here, Resene Sea Fog highlights the architectural forms of the atrium and offers a perfect surface for the shadow play from the high windows and lights.

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