The lowdown on Clubhouse Rescue with Catherine Portland

14 Feb 2023

The reality series Clubhouse Rescue, on Bravo, shows rugby legends coming together helping grassroots sport clubs around Aotearoa desperate for a makeover. Interior designer, Catherine Portland, is part of the expert makeover team on the show helping to revive much loved clubs with plenty of Resene paint, and we’ve asked her some questions.   

Tell us about being involved in the show - how does it differ to normal interior design jobs? 

Being involved in Clubhouse Rescue was a real privilege and coming from a small community myself, it took me back to my own roots and reminded me of the importance that these sports clubs play within our communities.  

To help make a difference and give back with a hands-on approach was so fulfilling, as many of the facilities we tackled were severely run down and in desperate need of attention. We wanted to bring them back to their former glory, so members could feel proud to be a part of their clubs for the generations to come.  

The vast array of sports clubs we renovated meant I could have fun with colours that represented each individual club and do some things a little differently and outside of the box to my usual residential projects.  

How were Israel Dagg and Stephen Donald to work with? 

Izzy and ‘Beaver’ are both genuine top blokes and were on the show for all the right reasons. They both have big hearts and it was clear to me that being able to give back to the community was important to them. Their banter was great and they don’t take themselves too seriously, often joking about, and usually at the expense of one another which added an element of fun to the show.  

What challenges did you face while working on the clubs? 

As it is, there never seems to be enough hours in the day but throw in extremely run-down facilities (some without running water or electricity) along with tight time frames, it meant we had to be particularly organised.  

The initial planning stages and being able to determine the scope of works prior to each makeover week meant we were prepared. And of course, working alongside the right people and having the volunteers turn up each day meant things generally ran smoothly and without too many major interruptions.  

What was your favourite club transformation on the show - can you tell us some details about the Resene colours used? 

Opuawhanga Tennis Club north of Whangarei has a special place in my heart. The clubhouse was over 80 years old and had a certain quintessential Kiwi charm about it that I wanted to uphold.  It exuded the good vibes of all that summer sport is and so I went in with Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue to the weatherboards of the main body of the building and injected accents of tangerine with Resene Guggenheim, blue with Resene Escape and yellow with Resene Quarter Turbo to the exterior scheme, to reflect the fun and upbeat nature of the club.  

A new deck was built along the front of the building and a new shade sail was installed so that long slow summer afternoons could be enjoyed viewing the rivalry on the new tennis courts for years to come. Not only was it an incredible transformation the club members were so humbled, and the community spirit was unreal.   

What renovation lessons can homeowners learn from this show? 

With a little bit of love, power tools, and paint, anything can be transformed. There is something incredibly rewarding about bringing something old back to life, whether it be a building, a space, or an item of furniture. The Resene paint systems available to us these days can really set individual projects apart and can make for very satisfying outcomes.   

Make sure to watch Clubhouse Rescue, Fridays at 7.30pm on Bravo.  

Published: 14 Feb 2023