Risk-taking visionaries have scooped top prizes for their creative use of colour at this year’s trans-Tasman Resene Total Colour Awards.
The colour awards, hosted by paint company Resene, recognises and celebrates those whose who’ve created contemporary living spaces through an innovative use of colour.
From a clashing kitchen decked out in bold brights to a modern, yet moody, rendering of heritage hues, these top winners are sure to provide fresh inspiration for any upcoming projects.
HILL HOUSE BY NEIL FENWICH ARCHITECT
Nestled in New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, this award-winning home boasts a kitchen which can best be described as an intense embrace of colour.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Residental Interior Award, the judges said they were wowed by the clever use of hot pink, bright orange and magenta offset by demure teal accents.
Hot pink, orange and magenta pack a mighty punch in this ultra-modern setting
The judges declared cooking in a kitchen this bright would never seem like a chore again
They noted: ‘It has not only embraced it [colour], but created such a rhythm of colour, it just makes you want to dance. Sunburst of colour provide an explosion of colour.
‘Exciting, brave and pretty. Cooking will never seem like a chore again.’
The bright colours have also been reflected in a custom-created splash-back
MORNINGSIDE’S HOUSE OF FLOWERS BY BRIGID SINCLAIR
Creative use of colour is about breaking the rules and this house in a central Auckland suburb isn’t having a bar of boring beige. Instead, its exterior is a riot of colour rendered in a breath-taking celebration of nature.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Creative in Colour Award, the home was recognised by the panel for being a ‘fabulous showcase of the difference you can make with paint, colour and imagination.’
They said: ‘Charming, enchanted and incredible, this home looks like it has grown out of the garden.
‘This home is a conversation starter, bring the community together to enjoy someone stepping out of the mould’
The house of flowers originally started as just a little creativity on the front of the home
‘Charming, enchanted and incredible, this home looks like it has grown out of the garden’
SPITAKI HOUSE BY LOVELL & O’CONNELL ARCHITECTS
Drawing inspiration from artist New Zealand Michael Smithers landscape paintings, this home is a juxtaposition of a gentle exterior against a brightly hued interior to create a striking colour counterpoint.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Colour Maestro Award, the judges were impressed by the way colour was used as a ‘musical notation.’
‘Wrapped into a more neutral exterior, it’s like a bold jewel box that is enjoyed by its owners, a welcoming touch light inviting warmth into the heart of the home.’ they noted.
‘It’s a warm and inspired use of colour.’
A gentle halo glow of yellow in the interior brings a sense of sunshine indoors regardless of the weather
VICTORIAN AND HERITAGE INTERIOR BY FLOW COLOUR AND DESIGN (AUSTRALIA)
Nodding to its Victorian heritage through careful use of colour, this home has a contemporary feel through its choice of unexpected hues.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Residential Interior Colour Maestro Award, the judges spoke of how a tonal use of colour elevated a traditional interior.
‘In true Victorian style everything is picked out, but not in the colours you may expect,’ they said.
‘Forgoing the common neutral or very deep palette you might expect to see, this home embraces contrasting warm colours, with stronger hues to accent.’
The judges spoke of how a tonal use of colour elevated a traditional interior.
This home embraces contrasting warm colours, with stronger hues to accent
BASSETT ROAD RENOVATION BY EMMA MORRIS & LUCY MCGILLIVRAY
Enlivening a modern space was achieved by a light dusting of colour throughout to create a layer of textural warmth.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Neutrals Award, the judges commented that a lighter-toned interior was bought to life in an intriguing way through the gentle introduction of colour.
‘Most see neutrals as the easy option, but choosing the right neutral colours can really make a home sing.
‘This home is simply beautiful in neutral – with a soothing and calming ambiance that many homeowners would love to have in their home.’
Choosing the right neutral colours can really make a home sing
THE FAIRY TALE HOUSE BY DAPHNE CARVALHO
This house in New Zealand’s Aro Valley revels in its odd shape the unusual use of colour brings it to life in a totally unexpected way.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Residential Exterior Award, this home was considered by the judges to be ‘cheerful and fun’ and one that is ‘guaranteed to bring a smile’.
‘This home is a celebration of colour and the fairy tale home young children dream of,’ the panel commented.
‘The palette is brave and whimsical, with a sense of opening a child’s paintbox for the first time.
The judges noted most would shy away from using colour with an oddly shaped design to work with
‘This home is a celebration of colour and the fairy tale home young children dream of,’ the panel commented
LEMONS AND LIMES IN THE KITCHEN BY SALLY PULHAM
This all-white kitchen was given a pop of personality with hand-painted floor rendered in zesty tones of lemon and lime.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Creative in Colour Maestro Award, the judges revelled in its simple, yet brilliant, creative approach to enhancing what could have been a potentially bland space.
‘This project embraces the age of the floor and uses that to tell the story. Each section was carefully painted and left overnight, creating a daily moving maze for this home’s inhabitants to move around,’ they said.
‘A labour of love, it’s a reminder to us all that patience, paint colour and a creative idea can be transformational.’
What would most of us do with an old floor? Rip it out and start again
HILLS ROAD DAIRY BY DALMAN ARCHITECTS
This corner store took out a top award for a brightly-hued palette to turn what was a drab dairy (milk-bar) into a creative focal point for a suburban community.
Awarded the Resene Total Colour Commercial Exterior Colour Maestro Award, the judges commented on the innovative thinking of the team in creating this unique outdoor space.
‘This project is inspired from the inside out. Bright, bold and irrepressively cheerful jellybean colours are introduced in a blocked Mondrian way,’ the judges said.
‘Immediately appealing, and cleverly wrapped around the building, this dairy advertises its presence with optimism.’
The judges noted it took a brave team to ignore the norm and create something unique
‘Bright, bold and irrepressively cheerful jellybean colours are introduced in a blocked Mondrian way’