Tuscany On Tamborine

The outlook is clear and concise; once the transformation of the Tuscan farmhouse is complete and avocado orchards are brought back to their splendor, the newly painted Resene Half Bone gates will open for photo shoot collaboration and hire. The target market is homewares, photographers, print and online advertising and fashion brands that are looking for a ‘Tuscan look, who will find it right here on Tamborine Mountain surrounding the acres of organic orchards.

The span of companies used for furniture, finishings and trades stretches from Byron Bay to the Gold Coast to Mount Tamborine and Brisbane.

The exterior of the property was a non-negotiable after using Resene testpots to trial colours. The exterior walls and gutter are finished in Resene Bone, wooden fence-line and gate in Resene Half Bone and pergola in Resene Quarter Bone. The Resene palette gave the depth and warmth needed to visually express a feeling of gracious, unapologetic Italian afternoons with a soft dignified tone.

Resene Half Bone was carried into the interior lounge room, affectionately known as ‘The Great Room’. Resene Quarter Alabaster was used in the bedrooms, foyer, dining room and bar for a simple luxurious yet delicate tone. Bar cabinetry is finished in Resene Half Forest Green. In the bathroom Resene Big Stone is used on the cabinetry. In the master bedroom the walls are finished in Resene Half Haystack with wainscotting and dado in Resene Eighth Spanish White. The wainscotting and dado in the washroom, toilets and entry are in Resene Gordons Green.

The original wooden windows had intricate edges and brass hardware. How do you restore something that is left to ruins? When looking for testpots, local Resene ColorShop staff mentioned they had a natural wood stain that would bring them back to life. After looking over the colour palette, Resene Bark and Resene Bushtrack were chosen to trial. All that was needed was to sand the wood and apply two coats of the Resene Bark. The test areas looked alive and brought through the warm tones needed to exaggerate the pink and beige undertones of the Tuscan colour palette. This has allowed the original window frames to be retained that had all the beautiful texture and tones of hardwood and enhance the grain of the wood and colour. The stain has been finished in Resene Colorwood waterborne urethane.

The original roof line of the undercover open-air dining area was the biggest challenge. The plan was to close in the open-air area with windows and door frames and created ‘the great room’ which would become a lounge room with fireplace looking over the olive orchard. They exposed the beams after taking off the roof lining and found the beams to be pine not hardwood. Although they wanted to showcase the trusses and height in this a frame roof line, that type of wood is not something the Italians used in their truss roof lines. The room resonates authentic rustic Italian charm with the exposed beams, truss and a beautiful 55kg Italian chandelier.

Thanks to staff at the local Resene ColorShop, they discovered Resene Colorwood Enhance in Walnut to darken the pine look of the beams just enough to trick your eye. This work will be done once the room is in lock up stage with windows fitted.

Architectural specifier: Camweon Design Logic
Building contractor: Effective Constructions
Interior designer: Alicia Stephens, AMS Interiors & Styling Pty Ltd
Painting contractor: Heinrich Painting
Photographer: Arlington Lane Photography, Leigh Baumann Photography
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2020