Design News

Brush up your painting skills and brighten your wash days There’s no two ways about it, doing laundry is a chore so why not inject a sense of fun into it with a quick refresh? I painted a striped ceiling, used blackboard paint to make a blackboard, stencilled a word onto the wall, then added […]

Our 2023 Resene Small Room Awards winner had some fantastical fun with tropical wallpaper This year’s Resene Small Room Awards grand winner is something straight out of Harry Potter: a hidden bathroom-turned-library, accessed only via living room cavity sliders. Inside this magical world, a fantastical feature of Resene Wallpaper Collections 36630-1 leaps out at visitors […]

An iconic Wellington house shines just as bright, years on Designed by iconic Aotearoa architect Roger Walker, Mary and Michael Donn’s 1977 Wellington home is a burst of sunshine in the often-cloudy city. When it came time to paint the exterior, the couple initially planned a white facade with a contrasting trim. However, Roger strongly […]

A hidden library nook becomes a leafy refuge Purchased during 2020, Lisa Foote spent several months last year extensively renovating her “special gem” of a Christchurch home. “Our goal was to lighten and brighten our once dark home and to include some unexpected pops and surprises,” she says. Her library, which was once a bathroom, […]

A Wellington apartment gets a maximalist makeover From clothes to interiors, the maximalist trend has been sweeping the board. For a fine example of this aesthetic, look no further than the cosy ’60s Wellington apartment owned by Carrie Lagerstedt. “My choices were inspired by the maximalist trend and my own love of bold, quirky choices,” […]

A colourful Nelson home stands out on a character-filled street When Bonnie Slade and Jason Callister moved into their “1980s fibre cement board box” home on a heritage street in Nelson, they knew they couldn’t match the character features of the other homes in their neighbourhood. “So, we went with an architecturally designed ‘complete opposite’ […]

A Milton hallway evokes daffodils and pine trees Ahallway is a much-used, often neglected space when it comes to care and colour. For Alice Blake, it was a wonderful chance to brighten up her Milton family home, with bursts of green and yellow using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. “Looking out our hallway window we see […]

A hexagonal home office gets the tropical treatment Adrienne Morgan’s home office is not your usual working-from-home set-up. It’s located next to a unique ’70s pole house; a stand-alone hexagonal room off the deck that resembles more treehouse than workplace. “Initially, this area had a cold and uninviting atmosphere, with maroon-painted walls and worn sisal […]

A short-stay rental for visitors from home and abroad gets brightened up with some bold, beautiful shades Transforming her one-bedroom property to a short-term rental “opened up a world of possibilities” for Alisha Roff. “I wanted to create a fun, uplifting, creative, restorative place for all kinds of people to come and stay,” she says. […]

Farewell your tired furniture and give yourself a stylish upgrade with timeless, comfortable pieces that will stand the test of time With the kids growing up and leaving the nest, it’s time to treat yourself to some new furniture that reflects your new way of life. Ditch your tired couch for luxe leather or a […]