Photography by: Babiche Martens
A yellow kitchen would not be the immediate first choice for most people. 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 they had two choices: “To play it safe and adopt a neutral colour palette, or be bold and seek a colour scheme that best reflects the spirit of the house, and acknowledges the more adventurous attributes of the owners.”
The couple tried countless testpots and canvassed friends’ opinions before finally landing on Resene Hot Toddy.
“We picked it for its warm, cosy feel, its vibrancy in daily sunlight and its match with the wooden flooring, art and furniture,” tells Andrew.
He admits that once the decision was made, there were “periods of doubts, nerves and ‘what were we thinking?’ recriminations while we travelled and left the renovators to it”.
However, when their kitchen designer completed the space, Andrew says any feeling of doubt was put to rest. “It’s 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 artwork the pair had acquired throughout their long international careers.
Andrew says, “Resene Hot Toddy is the 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,” tells Andrew.
But once it was selected and then applied to the walls, they realised just 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 life.
Both colours were such a success that Andrew predicts there will be even more redecorating in their very near future.
“I sense we’re just getting started,” grins Andrew. “High on the agenda is a colourful front door, possibly Resene Pohutukawa and a feature wall in our bedroom. After that, who knows? We’re not ruling out the use of dramatic wallpaper either!”
