Photography by: Babiche Martens
A yellow kitchen would not be the immediate first choice for most. It certainly wasn’t for Andrew Faulkner and Elizabeth Philip when they set out to renovate their 1930s home in the Auckland suburb of Takapuna. They knew they wanted colour, but felt hesitant.
Andrew says that they had two choices: “To play safe and adopt a neutral colour palette or to be bold and seek a colour scheme that best reflects the spirit of the house and acknowledges the more adventurous colour-loving attributes of the owners.”
They went with the latter, and computerised modelling helped them land on Resene AquaLAQ in Resene Hot Toddy. When their kitchen designer completed the space, Andrew says that any feeling of doubt was put to rest and “it is better than we ever dreamed”.
Resene Hot Toddy, which is described as an exotic whiskey and rum gold, paired neatly alongside the vibrant furniture and art the pair had acquired throughout their long international careers. Andrew loves it and says, “Resene Hot Toddy is a perfect example of how a colour can create a warm, uplifting and dramatic vibe.”
And then there was the second makeover. The wine cellar was a passion project that Andrew was delighted to embark on. Having “long been fascinated by the history, geography and geology of wine”, when the opportunity presented itself to craft a cellar in their forever home, he leapt upon it. They had a small room available, sourced suitable wine racks and a marble-topped cabinet. While their colour choice was eventually blindingly obvious, it wasn’t a simple process.
“Following much perusing of Resene colour charts and trialling a variety of swatches on the walls, we came down to Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Aubergine,” Andrew says. But once it was selected and applied to the walls, they realised how perfectly the colour married with the burgundy hues of their wine collection.
With the golden yellow kitchen and the red cellar, it’s a symphony of colour that reflects their zest for the important things in life. “I visit the room often during the day,” Andrew says. “Not to drink wine. But to drink in the atmosphere of a dream come true.”
How to enter
Email photos and a 200-word or more description of your space to [email protected] with your last name and ‘Resene Colour Home’ in the subject line. Please include your name, home address, email address, daytime phone number, the names of the Resene colours used, and details of when your space was painted. Please credit anyone who assisted you in choosing your colours.
The finalists will each appear in Your Home and Garden. Every finalist will receive a $250 Resene voucher and a feature in the magazine, with the winner taking out the Resene Colour Home Awards and $5000 cash. An extended story on the winning home will feature in the March 2025 issue.
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