Born of theearth

Earthy tones and materials suit New Zealand's green interior and coastal fringe. Resene paint finishes can be used to achieve a range of finishes reminiscent of European architecture and the colour range includes lots of inspiration for a warm, nurturing born-of-the-earth theme.

Thecolours used in European destinations such as Tuscany, Spain,Portugal and thecolonial architecture prevalent in places like Mexico can provide inspirationwhen creating anearthypalette.Try theyellowywhite Resene Double Dutch WhiteandResene ColorwoodWhitewashfor woodpanelling. Liventhingsup witha muddy orange suchas ReseneTwisted Sister,tans like ReseneRose Gold andResene Dapper, darkmuted reds like Resene RagingBull, theterracotta-tinged orange,Resene Jailbreak and the pinky brown of ReseneTuscany.

Ifyou areblessedwith plaster,stuccoor mudbrickwalls,you arehalfway there. For a classic Mediterranean look on brick, stone,

Born of the earth

concrete or stuccowalls,gofor aflat finish such asResene Sandtex or Resene AquaShield asa glosspaint will highlightimperfections in uneven surfaces.

Terrificterracotta ‘Terracotta’ is Italian for ‘baked earth’ and describes unglazedearthenware ceramics or bricks. In homedesign, thetermrefersto thecosy ruddy brown-orange colour of the material itself. Thiscolourcombineswell with otherwarm, nature-inspiredtones likecreamy white Resene Half Spanish White andResene Quarter Spanish White, olive greenResene Nourish andResene Green Smoke and tussock goldResene Cleopatra and with natural materials such aswood from light pinetothe golden hue of natives like rimu right through todark mahogany. Thewooden elements could be furniture pieces orwallpanelling stained inResene Colorwood.

Tocreatea terracotta-style tiled floor,all you needto get started isReseneWalk-on, a general-purpose flooring andpavingpaint andpainter maskingtape.Paint on two coats ofReseneWalk-on tintedtoReseneRaven, toserveas the grout. Once dry, measure and mark outeven 250mm increments alongeach wall. Carefully apply widepainter masking tape. Whenyou arehappy withyour grid (try and be as precise as possible)roll on two coats ofReseneWalk-on tintedtoReseneTuscany. Once touch dry removethe maskingtapeto revealyourpainted tile floor.

Grill, then chill.

Take your flame grilling and party hosting to the next level with Escea’s Outdoor Fireplace Kitchen.

FREE SITE APPRAISALS

Emulating limestone Togive your walls a textured, lime washed lookbaked withMediterraneanwarmth,start with two basecoats of Resene Half Canterbury Clay. Once dry, usea wide, softpaintbrush to apply ReseneFXPaint Effectsmedium mixed withResene Eighth Canterbury Clay in loose, criss-crossstrokes.Then, almost immediately, buffyour brushstrokes witha clean, dry cloth tosoftenthe effect andcreatea blended look. Work in small sections no more than1-2m2at a time to manipulatetheeffectbefore itsets. Once your full surfacehas onelayer of the paint effect applied,repeatthe sameprocess using ReseneFXPaint Effectsmedium mixed withResene DoubleSpanish White. If any areas of your paint effect look heavy-handed andstand out too much,daband buffa small amount of ReseneHalf Canterbury Clay into those areas usinga second clean, dry clothto pullbackthe effect.You maydecidetoadd one ormoreadditional layers of your mixed ReseneFXPaint Effectsmediumtobuild up thin layers andenhance the effect.

This samemethod, intonalterracotta shades can be used to replicatetheuneven, handmade look of stucco, mudbrick or adobe. Resene SandtexMediterranean effect canbe usedtoachievea textured plaster-type finish ona flat exteriorwall tintedtoyour chosen Resenecolour oryou can apply ReseneFX Paint Effectsmediumover thetop,using the same process aswith the limestone effect described above. Paving theway A ‘cobblestone’ courtyard,reminiscent of thecobbledstreetsin European cities,can be emulated usingReseneWalk-Onpaving paint. Start with two basecoats in Resene Half Canterbury Clay. Once dry, usea highquality flat angledpaint brush– available from your localResene ColorShop– to handpaint random,rounded shapes usinga variety of colours to replicatethe shade differences in realstone.Try colours such asResene Eighth Canterbury Clay, Resene Double Spanish White, Resene Blanc,ReseneParis White andResene Half Spanish White. Createa mixture of large shapes and small shapesfor authenticity and leave inconsistentgapsfor theResene Half Canterbury Clay‘grout’toshow through.

For more helpful advice and inspiration visit your localResene ColorShop. Or Aska Resene ColourExpert free online,for help withyour project –www.resene.co.nz/colourexpert.

Tips

• Keep things honest and simple with environmentally friendly productsand natural materials such as plywood andrecycled timber finished inResene

Aquaclear andconcrete finished in

Resene Concrete Clear (walls) or

Resene Concrete Wax (floor).

• Accessoriseyour space with natural materials such asa jute rug,wooden or hessian pendant lights andwood and metal furniture.

• Addtotheearthyfeelofthe roombydisplayingearthenware ceramics and dried flower arrangements or branches, flax seed pods or bullrushes.

• Forplants, think aboutgenerous greenery like peacelily, ferns, monstera(cheese plant) or a twisted fig.

• Make a lampstand with driftwood stained inResene Colorwood woodstain or largeriver pebbles tocomplementyour theme. Or use ceramicvasesfor thebase. Choose a linen shade and be sure touse a warmtoned lightbulb.

FOR 20 YEARS WE’VE BEEN PROUDLY BUILDING KIWI HOMES FOR KIWIS USING ALL THE BEST STUFF FROM RIGHT HERE IN GOOD OL’ NZ.

Over the last 20 years the Kiwi dream has come a long way since the elusive quarter acre. That’s why we’re proud to still be able to provide a Kiwi solution for your first home, second home, a home where you need a bit more home, or even your home away from home. We offer a range of plans from 60 to 250 square metres. These can be built straight from the plans, or we can use them as inspiration to create your own Kiwi dream.

Showhome

Cnr Sandford Road and State Highway 1, Ruakaka

Open

Mon to Fri 8:30am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

Contact: Steve Hart

09 433 0200 a1northland@A1homes.co.nz

talk to us Today!

YOUR HOME AT A FIXED PRICE

For 25 years Generation Homes has been supporting our customers by offering a fixed price build. We are pleased to be offering this same fixed price guarantee with our new home and land packages in Stage 2 in Parklands Estate, Whangarei and Stage 5 & 6 in The Landing at One Tree Point. Built using our 14-step build process, we create a warm, dry, modern home that reflects you and your lifestyle.

PARKLANDS ESTATE STAGE 2 Home and Land packages in Stage 2 of this upmarket subdivision are now available. Parklands Estate is a lovely community with many sites offering views of the surrounding bush, parks and walkways throughout the area. Sections range from 559sqm to 1720sqm. THE LANDING STAGE 5 & 6 Surrounded by the clear blue waters of the magnificent Northland east coast, The Landing is a much sought-after location. Home and Land packages are now available in Stages 5 & 6 of this subdivision and sections range from 600sqm to 650sqm.

To find out more about how Generation Homes makes building easy contact our friendly Northland Sales team today: Vynka Short 021 120 1163 Tony Watkins 027 706 6590