go for grey

A stunning two-tone kitchen that uses an unexpected visual ‘tide line’ is the result of one man’s passion for his villa renovation.

When Cameron Nimmo of Oamaru was gathering inspiration for the project, he came across a photograph of black character doors and images of dip-painted furniture and doors. Taken with the idea, he decided to use the dado height from elsewhere in the house, which sat at about 1200mm off the floor, and run that line around the kitchen. Everything below would be painted in Resene Foundry and everything above it would be white, with the walls papered in design 46577 from the Resene Wallpaper Collection from Resene ColorShops, and the windows in Resene Quarter Rice Cake. “I used a laser measure to get the line straight, but there was a lot of taping!”

The line runs across window joinery, the pantry door, the fireplace and even a timber dresser. Says Cameron: “People were surprised that I painted the dresser because they thought it was old. But it’s actually a new piece made out of recycled teak that I found on TradeMe.” The dresser fits snuggly into its purpose-built corner, alongside the newly constructed fireplace which houses a free-standing oven.

A long benchtop emphasises the ‘dip painted’ effect with the lower windows and cabinets in Resene Foundry and walls papered in Resene Wallpaper Collection design 46577, from Resene ColorShops. The top part of the windows is in Resene Quarter Rice Cake. Top right: Even a replica timber dresser gets the tide line effect.

The tide line effect is emphasised by the dramatic size of the bench by the window, which is 5m long, while the bifold windows above are 3.4m long. Plans are afoot for a large entertaining deck outside so that the bench can be accessed on both sides once the windows are open – “like a bar leaner,” says Cameron. The benchtop is made of acrylic to avoid unsightly joins and includes a classic butler’s sink.

A clever trick has been used on the ceiling in the kitchen – an anaglypta paper embossed to look like old pressed tin ceilings has been applied using design RD0151 from the Resene Wallpaper Anaglypta Collection, available from Resene ColorShops. It has then been painted in Resene Black White. Cameron chose brass fittings, lights, taps and handles to fit the traditional look of the kitchen and a rich parquet floor… which is actually vinyl. Aside from designing the look for the kitchen, Cameron is also completing much of the work himself, when he’s not working at his day job as a shearer, that is. To track Cameron’s progress, see his Instagram account @avonvillaoamaru.

Well framed

A stunning feature wall painted in the pale elemental grey of Resene Half Gauntlet is the centrepiece of a kitchen renovation designed by Celia Visser of Visser Design.

The renovation of a 1950s architectural home involved the complete spatial redesign of the existing kitchen and utility area, and the addition of a new scullery. Walls were moved to open up the space, extending the room and incorporating new sliding doors to the deck.

The brief from the homeowner was for a modern kitchen that blended in with the existing architecture and also incorporated rimu – from the floor and window architraves – into the design.

Resene Half Gauntlet was inspired by colourings in the marble benchtop. The cabinets are in Resene Quarter Black White.

In response, a new wall was built out from the existing outside wall and fitted out with two sets of ovens. Painted in Resene Half Gauntlet, it defines the new wall against a neutral backdrop of Resene Quarter Black White used on the other walls and cabinetry. At the centre of the wall, a rimu-framed alcove was inserted around an existing window and a hob installed to complete the cooking zone.

The search for the right grey took some time but once Resene Half Gauntlet was trialled, Celia and her clients knew instantly it was the right one. Says Celia: “We used the marble benchtop as a colour cue but needed a grey that blended with the ovens but also complemented the rimu frame around the window.”

Resene Half Gauntlet proved to be the right grey for the feature wall, complementing the marble benchtop, rimu detailing and the wall ovens. Resene Half Gauntlet is from an older colour collection; try Resene Double Stack as an alternative. The walls and cabinets are painted in Resene Quarter Black White.

A marble-topped island sits centre stage, with a sink and room for social seating at one end. Rounding off this U-shaped layout is a drinks area – a specific request from the owner – that contains twin, below-bench wine fridges, plus a bar hidden by an electric door with LED lighting.

Avid golf fans, the clients also requested a large TV be incorporated into the back wall that could be viewed from anywhere in the kitchen or family room.

The adjoining scullery was designed as a full preparation area that can be closed off when entertaining. It contains a sink, storage, fridge-freezer and dishwasher, plus an adjacent laundry and utility area.

Designer: Celia Visser, Visser Design
Images: Rachel Wybrow

The versatility of grey

Grey is a go-to neutral for many, but not all greys are created equal. They can be slightly warm, quite cool, stormy, misty or serious. While ‘truer’ greys like pale dove grey, French grey and charcoal have been popular in recent years, grey is set to gain a more interesting edge with the addition of a touch of colour. Resene has a vast choice of greys, many of which can be found in the Resene Whites & Neutrals collection. There are also some exciting new greys in the new Resene The Range fashion colours fandeck:

Want to get your own free copy of future issues of habitat magazine?

Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.

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