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Reader roundup: Noble gifts, a vibrant patio and unexpected uses for paint cans

15 Jan 2025

We’re welcoming in the new year with a great roundup of creative and colourful projects from our readers. From landscape paintings to elegant blue bathrooms and wooden toy trucks, these are sure to inspire your next home project!  

Remember we love to see your finished projects, so please email us some photos and the Resene colours, wood stains and/or Resene wallpapers you’ve used to editor@habitatbyresene.co.nz.  


Artist Sarah McLean shares one of her incredible paintings inspired by her surrounds in The Catlins, New Zealand. “Living on a farm in The Catlins I'm surrounded by big skies and wild coast,” she says. “I see potential paintings when I'm driving and will often pull over to take a photo for later. We have some amazing estuaries too; they are always different – and you can bet there's a testpot for every changing colour. Here in this painting I have used Resene Elephant for the blue of the sky and Resene Doeskin for the foreground. 

“When I was younger, I was a watercolour painter. I did a lot of really tiny paintings. I loved detail and took a long time over each piece. I now have a studio and work as big and fast as I can using Resene testpots with house painting brushes. To give my skies and landscapes some perspective I often add a little focal point sometimes with the smallest brush I can find. Be it stock, people or a small building or hut.” 

See more of Sarah’s work on Instagram: @saramclean_artist and @small_prophet_an_co. 


Homeowner Rita needed some extra outdoor seating for summer get-togethers and BBQs. After heading to the recycling centre she returned with two chairs, a little table and some beer crates for $12. All they needed was a little sprucing up which she achieved using Resene acrylic enamel in the shades Resene Bright Red, Resene Outrageous, Resene Space Cadet, Resene Tree Frog and Resene Quarter Turbo.  

“I am so pleased with the way they look,” says Rita. “They have been very functional and I have received a number of compliments from my visitors.” 

 
Sometimes you just need a little encouragement to try out a bold colour. Homeowner Marianne sought help from a Resene Colour Expert to find the perfect shade for her powder room. She found the advice and suggestions gave her the confidence needed to try out a shade like Resene Zinzan, and she couldn’t be happier with the result. The contrast against the white tiles and gold framed mirror makes this an elegant and stunning space.  

If you need help choosing a colour for your home, head to your local Resene ColorShop or use the free Ask a ReseneColour Expert online today.   


Tim, a retired craftsman with a passion for sustainability and creativity, has been turning timber off-cuts into delightful wooden trucks for children. His handcrafted toys, painted with Resene paints, were donated to the Salvation Army Christmas Tree initiative, bringing joy to kids in need during the holiday season. 

For Tim, the project began as a way to use leftover materials and channel his love for woodworking. “I’m a great believer in not wasting stuff,” he says. Starting with toys for his grandsons, he quickly realised the joy his creations could bring to many more children. Since then, Tim has made 195 trucks and counting, along with other wooden treasures like doll cots and toy tractors. 

Tim mixes Resenetestpot paints to achieve vibrant colours, with help from the local Napier ReseneColorShop. Builders in the community have also rallied around his mission, generously donating timber off-cuts. Tim recalls being particularly moved when Peter Roughan of Vision Homes purchased $350 worth of timber for his project. 

While the work involves careful planning, drilling and assembly, Tim describes it as a true labour of love. “When the Sallies say I’ve saturated the truck market, I’ll move on to something else,” he jokes. 


Paint pots can be used for all sorts of things! Including watering cans for trees and other plants like this little station set up in Lake Tekapo Regional Park.  

If you find you have leftover unwanted cans and have used up all your clever ideas to reuse them, you can bring them into the Resene PaintWise recycling service at most Resene ColorShops in NZ or take them to Paintback in Australia. 

We love to see your finished projects, so please email us some photos and the Resene colours, wood stains and/or Resene wallpapers you’ve used to editor@habitatbyresene.co.nz.  

Published: 15 Jan 2025