Christchurch
After unsuccessfully searching for a functional but bright funky product, Sarah instead decided to create what became the first Chart Noticeboard.
The famous English proverb says ‘necessity is the mother of all invention’ and this was certainly the case with the creation of Chart Noticeboards Ltd. The genesis of the business came after founder Sarah Gamble went looking for a home organiser to visually display the busy weekly schedule for her family of five.
After unsuccessfully searching for a functional but bright funky product, Sarah instead decided to create what became the first Chart Noticeboard. She selected five Resene colours and painted these in a stripe pattern onto the back of clear acrylic Perspex, then hung this (paint side to the wall), allowing her to write her busy family schedule on the front of the Perspex using whiteboard or liquid chalk markers.
This board had pride of place at the end of the kitchen, and became an integral part of the family’s weekly organisation. Many friends and visitors commented on the board and quickly commissioned Sarah to make boards for them and as a result Chart Noticeboards was born.
Chart has grown very quickly, capturing a niche in planning and organisational products that are also artworks adding to and uplifting the space they are displayed in. This is the essence of Chart and is captured in the company by-line ‘the art of planning’.
Chart now has a range of over 20 different designs, in a number of sizes that can be finished in a wide selection of Resene colours. Chart exclusively uses Resene colours, which has been a component of the success to date.
The Home Organiser’s Collection is great for kitchens, shared family spaces and for children’s bedrooms and homework areas. There is an Artworks Collection, which are colourful show pieces (can also double as a noticeboard if needed), which have been popular in the corporate and new house markets. The specialised Sportboard Collection has been created for various sports and is used as a coaching and training tool for rugby, netball soccer and others. The Flag Collection has also been popular, including a Union Jack board requested by Prince William on his recent visit to New Zealand. Chart also works with customers and clients to tailor-make boards for specific places, spaces and colours.
Chart noticeboards are sold online and they recently began exporting boards to the United Kingdom.
Chart wanted the initial colour selection to be bright and funky, and so a base of primary colours was chosen for the first palette release: Resene Candy Floss, Resene Trinidad, Resene Gorse, Resene Lochmara and Resene Dizzy Lizzy.
Other early colour palette releases were inspired by Sarah’s personal favourite – the colour orange – and generating feelings of summer and memories of childhood holidays. These palette colours are fresh and crisp, with stand-out colours Resene Chilean Fire, Resene California, Resene Pelorous, Resene Sublime, Resene Spray and Resene Wham.
The autumn/winter range uses beautiful burnt hues, which give a depth and warmth to boards, with Resene Hive and Resene Ayers Rock being popular choices.
The Skandi Pastels are simply gorgeous. They remind you of a retro era and the rebirth of softer shades from the past. The pastels used are Resene Scandal, Resene Dust Storm, Resene Wax Flower and Resene Mellow Yellow.
Chart is regularly refreshing and expanding the colour palettes and releases new colour palettes twice a year.
Many customers also request custom-made boards and colours to match existing living spaces, which Chart is happy to accommodate within the Resene range.
Chart selected Resene Lumbersider because it adheres well to the Perspex and being waterbased it is easy to work with. Low VOCs is also an advantage. The painting process starts with Resene Lumbersider colours being applied directly onto the Perspex. A back coat (essentially the topcoat) of white Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel is used for its hardiness. It acts as a protective coating for the under layers. The painted side of the board is attached to the wall, outwardly displaying the crisp colours from behind the Perspex, with the acrylic surface able to written on with whiteboard pens, chalk markers or window pens and wiped off with a common cloth.
The boards are hung using 3M wallhangers so there is no damage to the underlying surface.
Colour selection: Chosen in-house. Sarah Gamble, Jayne Foster, Mary-Anne Thorn
Photographer: Deb Pankhurst
Product Designer: Sarah Gamble
Web design/Co product designer: Jayne Foster
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2014
Resene case studies/awards project gallery
View case studies that have used Resene products including many from our Resene Total Colour Awards. We hope these projects provide inspiration for decorating projects of your own... view projects
Total Colour Award winners:
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
2017 |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
2013 |
2012 |
2011 |
2010 |
Entry info
Latest projects | Project archive | Resene news archive | Colour chart archive