Modern yet timeless
The McKernan family have transformed their home with a broad palette of Resene colours. Their bedroom is painted in Resene Kidman with woodwork, including doors, in Resene Swirl. The colour choices alone have transformed the bedroom from a boring 1950s style to a romantic, modern room.

The original windows were removed and French doors added to give it a sense of space and take advantage of the garden. It opened up the room but created a problem of where to put the wardrobes. Originally one whole wall was just wardrobe doors. In the new version of the room they decided to put in two 'his and hers' wardrobes with an open top to store items that aren't used all the time. This layout meant they could put a set of drawers in the middle to break up the wall and make it more modern.

They also added a small roman blind to the picture window so the wall did not feel too busy. The paintings were painted by Melanie using Resene Tawny Port and Resene Swirl to tie the room together.

The hanging light was a great find as it added to the whole feel of the room. They have now also found that Resene Kidman changes colour at certain times of the day. It is bright and cheerful in the middle of the day and slows down to a dusky colour by evening. The Resene Swirl gives it a clean edge and with the final touches of white the room feels crisp and fresh.

The lounge was once two separate rooms, with the original lounge small and dark with an open fireplace as the only source of heating for the house. The house is a 1950s weatherboard house, which was virtually untouched from when it was built. It had dark stained doors, skirting and architraves, which made it feel oppressive. They decided to take out the wall between the lounge and dining room and install an approved log burner, giving the dual benefit of opening up the house space and providing heating throughout the home.

The room was transformed into an airy and light room that gets almost all day sun. They painted the room in Resene Edgewater, which gave it a lovely cool hue. They were particular when choosing the colour, as they wanted it to be timeless but also give the room a more up to date feel. They removed all the old doors and replaced skirtings and architraves with new ones. These were painted in Resene Swirl, which has been carried throughout the house. They had the cream curtains made full length to give the feeling of space and height.

The cushions are from Freedom Furniture and helped to carry the theme along with touches of cream in accessories. This gives the balance of warmth to the cool wall colour. The prints are from Stephen Morath imported from Arizona - they are bright and colourful and add a sense of fun to the room.

Bedroom walls	Window surrounds and doors	Paintings	Lounge walls
Resene Kidman	Resene Swirl	Resene Tawny Port	Resene Edgewater

Thanks to Brett & Michelle McKernan of Christchurch.