Amanda and Steve make a massive move and end up with their dream home

Homeowners Amanda and Steve found the perfect piece of land in the heart of the Waikato with the intention of developing a Clydesdale stud and horse care facility. The couple were after a classic home that could overlook the gorgeous setting in a simple and neutral palette of Resene paint colours.

With Steve running his own engineering firm and Amanda being a developer and a stay-at-home mom of four children who is also in charge of running the household, life for the family was already full-on. Originally planning to build anew, Amanda and Steve ended up moving a house to the site, completely stripping it down to the bones before fleshing it out again.

The project was a massive undertaking, but Amanda says the team of builders and sub trades they used made things run smoothly and they found it very satisfying to get the results they were after.

“My goal was to create a classic style of home that wasn’t going to look dated in a couple of years, so the architecture and colours were very important to us,” explains Amanda. “We had done up older homes before and so when we stumbled across a house for removal we jumped at the chance to get creative. We ended up doubling its size and creating a home our whole family loves.

“It was a journey with huge ups and downs but we are so pleased with the final result,” she says.

Amanda admits that both she and Steve are both very optimistic people. “Big thinking and optimism definitely came in handy for this mammoth project.”

“I've done a few homes up over the years and always enjoyed the Resene colour range. I went into the Hamilton ColorShop with my carpet and hard flooring samples in hand and their colourist, Chrissy, pointed me in the right direction. I was after a light and bright home and asked for a neutral colour that would go with anything.

“We ended up choosing Resene Quarter Rakaia for the living areas and Resene Half Rakaia in the bedrooms, Resene Black White for the kitchen cupboards, ceilings, outside brickwork, fireplace and windows and Resene White for the exterior cladding. I am in love with the results. I ended up painting my children's furniture and even my Kauri dining table in Resene Black White too! And, to top off the look, Resene Wallpaper Collection 440423 in the master bedroom created the calming backdrop I was after.

“One of the main criteria for our new home was that it needed to be light and bright. We placed it north facing with many windows and the paint colours make it even brighter.

“I love to change my furniture and accessories a lot so Resene Rakaia is the perfect backdrop to do this. I have found it’s a lovely neutral that goes with everything.”

While she is ecstatic with the overall result, Amanda says she is most happy with the big open plan living areas they created. “It makes family life easy and entertaining a breeze.”

“It’s absolutely our dream home. We are very happy.”

For those struggling with their home decorating colour choices, Amanda recommends popping into your local Resene ColorShop. “Bring in pictures of your dream and make use of the knowledgeable staff there to help guide you.”

Published: 22 Oct 2019

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing editor@habitatbyresene.co.nz.

living room inspiration, open plan living ideas, neutral interior ideas, interior inspiration

Amanda and Steve’s open plan living space features walls in Resene Quarter Rakaia complemented by trims, cabinetry and ceilings in Resene Black White. The Kauri dining table was given a refresh in Resene Black White.

dining room inspiration, neutral dining room, neutral interior ideas, white interior inspiration

Bright and airy, the kitchen/dining space features plenty of eye-catching details, such as the embedded accent lighting within the island. The walls are in Resene Quarter Rakaia and the trims, cabinetry, ceilings and dining table are painted in Resene Black White.

kitchen inspiration, kitchen ideas, kitchen design, neutral kitchen, white kitchen ideas, resene

Amanda and Steve’s open and spacious kitchen/dining area makes entertaining a breeze. The walls are in Resene Quarter Rakaia and the trims, cabinetry, ceilings and dining table are painted in Resene Black White.

lounge inspiration, living room ideas, barn style door, home office ideas, home office design

A barn-style sliding door painted in Resene Black White helps cordon off the home office area from the living area, creating a semi-private area to work in. The walls are painted Resene Quarter Rakaia while the trims, cabinetry and ceiling are painted in Resene Black White.

wallpaper inspiration, wallpaper ideas, bedroom inspiration, wallpaper feature, bedroom ideas

The walls of the master bedroom are in Resene Half Rakaia with trim in Resene Black White and a feature wall in Resene Wallpaper Collection 440423. While Resene Wallpaper Collection 440423 is from an older collection, you can get a very similar look with Resene Wallpaper Collection 525717 (right).

kids bedroom ideas, kids bedroom inspiration, neutral bedroom ideas, children bedroom ideas, resene

Amanda even gave her children’s furniture a fresh lick of paint in Resene Black White to match perfectly with the Resene Black White trims and ceiling. The walls are painted restful Resene Half Rakaia.

bedroom inspiration, neutral bedroom ideas, grey bedroom ideas, neutral interior inspiration, resene

The walls of Amanda and Steve’s light-flooded guest bedroom are painted Resene Half Rakaia while the trims and ceiling are in Resene Black White, creating a neutral backdrop for pattern and texture to be added through soft furnishings.

exterior inspiration, exterior ideas, exterior design, white exterior, exterior renovation, resene

After being completely stripped down and built back up again, the exterior cladding of Amanda and Steve’s dream home has been painted in Resene White while the brickwork is in greyer Resene Black White.

images Jessica Judge

Square square colour information icon
Square square colour information icon

Resene Half Rakaia

register h icon  look book

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Login or Register to get started!

×
Square square colour information icon
Square square colour information icon

Resene Black White

register h icon  look book

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Login or Register to get started!

×
Square square colour information icon
Square square colour information icon

Resene Quarter Rakaia

register h icon  look book

Create your own mood boards of your favourite colours, photographs and information from habitat by resene.

Login or Register to get started!

×

the look

If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.