Joe and Lisa’s bright and beautiful family home
Through their building company, Byrne Homes, builder Joe and designer Lisa are no strangers to creating a beautiful home. But when it came to constructing and customising a space of their own, the couple leveraged a clean, contemporary and earthy palette of Resene colours to give their family of five – including kids Sophie and Jack, and retrodoodle Molly – a home to be proud of.
From the get-go, Joe and Lisa aimed to push the boundaries of design and construction to showcase to potential buyers what Byrne Homes can do. The finished product is indicative of the couple’s experience, creativity and flair for choosing tasteful colours. “We wanted to create a contemporary, slightly modernist interior with natural earthy tones and textures with pops of colour throughout,” Joe says.
With special attention being paid to how they use each space, Joe says, “there is room for everything, and cosy spaces where we can be together as a family as well as separate spaces. Living in this house is a joy and it really has enhanced our way of life already.”
Most of the home’s interior walls are painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog – one of Joe’s favourite Resene hues. “It’s a fresh grey, but it doesn’t feel cool. Plus, it pairs well with a myriad of accent colours.” It’s proved an inspiring choice, creating a fresh, modern feel throughout while allowing the home’s minimalist furnishings and artful pops of colour to shine. Feature walls are a common theme in the home too, with Sophie’s bedroom showcasing Resene Pot Pourri behind her bed and Resene Half Baltic Sea behind Jack’s. The TV wall in the lounge also benefits from a standout feature wall in Resene Double Cod Grey – a striking contrast in such a light space, but a smart one for reducing glare and setting the right mood.
However, Joe and Lisa’s design and build hasn’t been without its missteps and frustrations, with Joe admitting he’s been his most difficult client to date. “I admit to doing 27 revisions of the kitchen!” In addition, the couple were originally going to use concrete block on the base of the house, which had to be abandoned due to the delay in sourcing. Joe had to be quick thinking to ensure the build went ahead on schedule, and decided on pour-in-situ board form concrete instead. “Having never done this before on this scale, we were lucky enough to have the ‘maestro of concrete’, Ross Bannan, on hand to advise us along the way. It was a nerve racking but very exciting process.”
Joe advises anyone preparing to paint their interior to choose a Resene colour palette and stick to it throughout their house for a cohesive look. He also stresses the importance of paying attention to the outside by hiring a good landscaper. “Hard landscaping can add huge value to your property, and clever planting can add visual interest and create privacy.”
The results of their efforts are enviable: a cool and contemporary home customised to their family’s every need, one that shows the power that colour can bring to set each space apart while still very much feeling like part of the whole.
Published: 18 Mar 2020
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The walls in the bright and spacious open plan living space are painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog – one of Joe’s favourite colours – complemented with trims and ceiling in Resene White.
The stairwell is defined with an accent wall in Resene Gauntlet. The rest of the walls are in Resene Triple Sea Fog and the trims and ceilings are in Resene White.
The open plan living, dining and kitchen walls are painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog with ceiling and trims in Resene White. Timber floors and furnishings inject a feeling of warmth throughout the space, especially with all the light pouring in.
Kitchen walls painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog with ceiling and trims in Resene White. The dark cabinetry offers depth and personality which pops against the light wooden features. Try Resene AquaLAQ tinted to Resene Ironsand on kitchen cabinetry for a similar look.
Calming greys and blush pinks give the master bedroom space a refreshing touch of colour when layered over walls painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog. Trims and door (at right) in Resene White.
This window seat in the master bedroom is a cosy spot for reading and taking in the magnificent views. Walls painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog with ceiling and trims in Resene White.
Sophie’s blush toned room is a vision with the feature wall in Resene Pot Pourri. Surrounding walls in Resene Triple Sea Fog with ceiling and trims in Resene White. The chic drawers (to the left) are painted in Resene Pot Pourri and Resene White while select dresser drawers are in Resene Pot Pourri and Resene Double Cod Grey.
Jack’s room features fun colourful yellow and blue additions which stand out amongst the walls in Resene Triple Sea Fog and the feature wall (behind the bed) in Resene Half Baltic Sea. Ceiling and trims are painted in Resene White.
As a point of difference, the walls of the study are painted Resene Half Tasman, a soft green. But for continuity, the ceiling and trims are in Resene White to match the rest of the home.
The home’s upper exterior cladding is cedar oiled in Wood-X Damper, available from your local Resene ColorShop, while the Shadowclad paneling is stained in Resene Woodsman Pitch Black timber stain.
This cool exterior living space is the perfect hideaway. Exterior cladding is cedar oiled in Wood-X Damper available from Resene ColorShops. The Shadowclad is stained in Resene Woodsman Pitch Black timber stain. Above, the soffits feature grooved plywood painted in Resene White.
The lounge is painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog with trims, ceilings and doors in Resene White. For a similar look, bring in accessories in a deep navy like Resene Coast, a caramel like Resene Hot Toddy, an icy blue like Resene Frozen and a soft pink like Resene Ebb.
The lounge is painted in Resene Triple Sea Fog, with trims, ceilings and doors in Resene White. The feature wall behind the TV is painted in Resene Double Cod Grey.
The lounge’s feature wall (behind TV) stands out amongst the room’s lighter tones in Resene Double Cod Grey.
builder Byrne Homes
images Emma MacDonald, FotographicNZ
Resene Frozen
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Ebb
Resene Hot Toddy
Resene Hot Toddy
Resene Coast
Resene White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.
Resene Frozen
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pot Pourri
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Pitch Black
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Gauntlet
Resene Ebb
Resene Hot Toddy
Resene Hot Toddy
Resene Coast
Resene White
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Triple Sea Fog
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Half Baltic Sea
Resene Ironsand
Resene Ironsand
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Half Tasman
Resene Double Cod Grey
Resene Double Cod Grey
the look
If you're stuck on what
colour to use or need colour
advice, try out the Resene
Ask a Colour Expert service.