teal appeal

How would you describe your interior design work?

My work is about creating liveable, workable, growable spaces – the rooms need to be able to adapt and grow as people do. I believe styling makes the sum of the items in a composition better than the individual pieces, creating an ambience from a collection of objects.

What does an average day look like for you?

I spend a lot of time at site meetings, collecting props for shoots and visiting showrooms. I can only make colour schemes during the day in natural light, so checking emails and following up on projects often happens at the end of the day and in the evening.

What are your favourite Resene colours, and why?

That is a hard one. My favourites are the happy teal and cerulean colours, Resene Boost and Resene Hullabaloo. I also like softer whites, such as Resene Sea Fog and Resene Quarter White Pointer, as they are more forgiving and organic than pure whites. The colours I suggest to clients are often greyed-off hues, which are kinder to our intense light and easier to live with.

What is one of your favourite recent projects?

There may have been a few favourites for me, but it’s the people and the clients I get to work with that make a project awesome. I recently styled a home and kitchen with splendid sea views, and all the home’s colours are inspired by water. The kitchen cabinetry in this home is in Resene Gunmetal, and the dark colour draws the eye to the window and sea beyond, where there are sometimes orcas in the bay.

Do you have advice for choosing a colour palette for a home?

Start with the material that is in the shortest supply or the hardest to come by, such as kitchen countertops. Paint should be your last choice when decorating a room, as there are so many Resene colours to suit the final look. I always ask clients for three emotive words to describe how they want the space to feel – then I’m off. I find inspiration in almost everything – a view from a window, the architecture and the period of the house. Always check your colour samples during the day and night, and don’t select a colour or product on a screen before you have seen it in person.

What’s your best tip for beginner DIYers?

Coco Chanel once said “The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.” I have the same sentiment but would say the best colour is the one that looks good for the room. You want to create that feeling of coming home and seeing something you love to trigger that golden feeling of ‘relax, you’re home now’. We should all have that.

› See more of Megan’s work at www.colourwhich.co.nz.

Words: Jessica Weale
Images: Bryce Carleton, Leon Rose

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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