Above: The view from the street shows off the unique topography of the lot. The cedar cladding and fence have been stained and protected with Wood-X Traverse, available from Resene ColorShops, the plaster walls have been painted Resene Double Black White and the soffits and fascia are coated in Resene Sonyx 101 waterborne semi-gloss in Resene Double Black White and Resene Thunder Road. Left: The Ainsworths kept their palette neutral to allow the garden to stand out. The pergola is painted Resene Double Black White and the furniture is stained with Resene Woodsman Whitewash. Opposite: Homeowners Flint and Celia’s backyard was the top priority during their renovation so that it could be picture perfect in time for their son’s wedding. Resene Woodsman Whitewash Resene Double Black White Resene Chorus Line feature garden forward backyard The garden came first with this Hawke's Bay building project, and with good reason. Resene Jalapeno top tip The bright sun tends to make exterior colours look lighter, so make sure your exterior colours have enough contrast so that they don’t all look the same outside. Always test and view your colours outdoors first by painting a full Resene testpot in two coats onto a large piece of cardboard, leaving an unpainted border around the edge. worked with our architect Nick Bevin several times before; and like Nick and Flint, they had a good rapport. “Blair was totally in charge of the garden but I wanted a water feature - for good feng shui - as well as goldfish. I also asked for a bridge across to the entry and a red door, of course. I was thrilled when he said yes to everything.” The home sits on the former driveway of Sacred Heart School at the top of Napier’s Bluff Hill. Nick says that the only flat part of the property is where the garden sits. The rest is a large slope cascading down into an untamed woodland area. Nick’s design cut into the top of the slope to allow two- levels of generous living space with expansive views to the west and easy access to the sheltered private garden enclosed at the east. “We tried to preserve as much flat outdoor area as possible, so we had to put the house as far over as we could.” While the property offers magnificent Mid to deep grey finishes are popular for garage doors and are easily complemented by other exterior colours. Make sure your garage door is well protected by using Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel or Resene Enamacryl if you prefer a glossier finish. Remember when you're choosing a dark colour, opt for the CoolColour version to minimise heat build-up. If you're not sure which colour to choose for your garage door, consider using the same colour as your roof. W hen Flint and Celia Ainsworth built their home in Hawke's Bay, they approached the project with a unique point of view, working their design from back to front. With plans for a family wedding underway, getting the garden and outdoor living area party-perfect was top priority. Now with a lush, well-established subtropical garden on the same level as the interior, their outdoor area has very much become part of the couple’s living space. An array of raised beds and structural elements carry the same materials and colour scheme as the interior to further enhance the link. The couple moved in after Flint’s company, Ainsworth + Collinson, finished the home, but the garden had been completed earlier, which is why it already looks so well-established. “Our son was getting married and he wanted everyone to come back to the house for a barbecue. We were really lucky to get landscape designer Blair Robb [of Dig Landscape Design] because he had Resene Thunder Road 75 74