Design on Bremner

Home to the same family for 17 years, this 1970s home needed an update to the tired décor and layout. To maximise the budget the decision was made not to extend the house but to be smarter with the space available. The location of the windows was also retained so lintels did not need to be changed however some were converted to doors to access onto the deck.

The aim was to evoke feelings of calm confidence with a whimsical note to reflect the design personality and individuality of the resident designer who works from a home based design office.

The horizontal striped wallpaper in the entrance sets the scene and flows into the living area. This entrance also has a quirky design nook with a butterfly wallpaper from the Paradise collection added for informality and liveliness, introducing many colours into the room in a constrained way. The painted Resene Hero orange side detailing adds interest and is a colour that continues throughout the house.

The north facing exterior wall was chosen for a feature wall. It competes with the strong sunlight and vivid outdoor greenery so a strong bold colour was needed to balance the impact on the interior environment. Resene Gothic was selected as it was bright, clean and fresh.

Instead of an ordinary line up of pendants for the kitchen island, a custom made ceiling light box was created and painted to match the ceiling, which adds interest and texture with the fall of the shadows. This defines the kitchen space and delineates it from the dining and living areas.

While a colourful living environment was desired, it also needed to be practical so the colour scheme could be changed easily as trends evolve. This was achieved by:

• Painting the window and door reveals/architraves in the neutral colour Resene Double Rice Cake. This means the feature wall can be easily painted to change the entire look of the room.

• The custom designed and made TV wall units are also in Resene Double Rice Cake.

• The fire has removable panels that can be recoated in the future.

• Warm tones were selected for the kitchen joinery, providing a neutral base for any future colour scheme.

The hallway and stairwell were challenging spaces, as the old plasterboard needed to be retained but critical light from the afternoon sun highlighted the wall imperfections. The issue was solved with Resene Anaglypta wallpaper RD335.

The media room was treated very differently from the rest of the house. Dark colours were chosen to create a cosy intimate space which had a cocooning effect for the occupants. The front, rear and ceiling were painted in Resene Coffee Bean, with side walls in a striped Carmague wallpaper. Hanging Edison lamps washed the surfaces with a subtle warm glow adding to the sense of blended richness and comfort.

Architectural specifier: Julie-Ann Ross
Building contractor: John McLaren
Painting contractor: Murray Turner Decorators
Photographer: Graham Warman
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2016