In the Stetson subdivision, from the Habitat By Resene website:
This award-winning house design gets a thumbs up – Resene Thumbs up that is
What do you do when your home of 40 years isn’t ticking your boxes anymore?
If you’re like homeowners Stewart and Tricia, you build your own boxes, and then start ticking those. Then you add a splash of Resene colour.
In the case of these Kapiti residents, their ‘box’ was a comfortable, stylish home right next door to the house they’d lived in for four decades.
Part of the sub-division they created called Stetson Estate, the couple chose the 90 sq metre south-facing triangular site because of its elevation which captures expansive views and provides for interactive social spaces.
Comprised of two opposing ‘wings’, their brief to Kapiti architectural designer Ben Gilpin was for as many sustainable features as possible, including high performance insulation and glazing, solar panels and water harvesting. Another non-negotiable was space efficiency, tucking a kitchen, bedroom, loft sleeping area, study and living/dining into a compact 55 sq metres.
When it came time to decorate the couple, who’ve run their own concert promotion business since 1972, also had firm ideas about their wish list.
That included rejecting the first concept of a teal blue/green exterior. “The owners felt it looked too much like a beach house and didn’t sit well within the native bush hillside,” says Waikanae interior designer Heather Thornley of Inspiration & Co.
“Instead, we went with Resene Thumbs Up as feature paneling on the four individual ‘wings of the home. That colour was inspired by the nearby flax flowers but also nicely set off the black frames.”
The architectural designer and interior designer picked Resene Titania for the external wall cladding and roof, while Resene Element helps to soften the dark hued joinery.
“We chose Resene Element for the vertical slats to match the COLORSTEEL FlaxPod garage door,” says Heather.”
The front door was given the Resene Bright Spark treatment to complement the panels in Resene Thumbs Up. “That allowed us to bring the bold yellow into the entry wall, as well as the feature panels on the west face,” says Heather.
When it came to the interior Stewart and Tricia wanted a warm neutral shade that complemented the timber and kitchen accents.
“With the interior, we wanted light Resene colours that didn’t detract from the views or jump too much out at us,” says Stewart. And a colour palette that didn’t detract from the cedar ceilings and 100-year-old barn timber imported from the US which was used in the conservatory. “Heather assisted us with a range of complementary options.”
Resene Triple Rice Cake is used on the walls and the ceilings throughout the interior are Resene Quarter Bianca. Trims and joinery are also in Resene Triple Rice Cake.
So successful was the collaboration between architectural designer, interior designer and owners that Stewart says he and his wife are thrilled with the end result.
“The overall colour scheme is probably the part of the project I think was the most successful. The way the colours balance with the extensive use of glass is hugely successful. My favourite colour would have to be Resene Thumbs Up on the feature paneling of the home’s four ‘wings’.”
A current popular choice in homes globally is botanic-inspired wall coverings. Heather introduced the trend in the guest bathroom with Resene Wallpaper Collection TP80002 which adds a whimsical touch and brings the outside in.
Stewart admits the biggest challenge with this project was convincing the team that they didn’t need conventional fireplaces. “We wanted to use fume-free bio-fuel fires without chimneys in both the lounge and the conservatory.”
It’s not just Stewart who loves the home, Ben Gilpin recently won two awards including the Resene Colour in Design award for this home in the Wellington/Wairarapa regional ADNZ Architecture Design Awards.
Interior design Heather Thornley, Inspiration & Co. www.inspirationandco.nz
Architect Ben Gilpin, Gil-Plans Architecture www.gilplans.co.nz
Images by Paul McCredie https://www.paulmccredie.me/