BEST COLOUR
Getting secondhand cabinetry professionally spray-painted in a beautiful powder blue has created a stunning centrepiece for a once-dingy cottage
We originally met interior designer Thandi Tipene back in 2016 when she gave us a tour of her stunning New Plymouth home. The original house was a small, dark cottage with limited sun but Thandi and husband Bachelor viewed it as a golden opportunity and embarked on a thoroughgoing renovation which saw the interior layout and style change dramatically.
“We bought this as an original 1930s bungalow on a small site with no sun,” Thandi says. “Maintaining the character of the home was really important to us but, ultimately, light and layout were the most important aspects to tackle.”
The clever couple rolled up their sleeves and got stuck into the project with the help of family and friends. The bungalow was renovated in three stages, enabling the family to live on site throughout most of the process.
“The success of a small home is dependent not only on a successful spatial plan, but also a balance between neutral tones and colourful hues,” Thandi says.
THE KITCHEN
Thandi made a bold colour choice in the kitchen and had their secondhand cabinetry spray-painted in a custom colour – a striking, yet soft, powdery blue – by Nickel Blast and Paint 2013. A marble splashback helps break up the rest of the all-white scheme. We especially love the white tapware and the white wire bar stools from Ico Traders. Whitewashed matai floorboards, which continue through the living spaces and hallways, warm everything up and link the spaces together.
COLOUR STORY
Embarking on a colour story of their own meant that Thandi and Bachelor had to ask themselves questions as clients rather than looking at the project from the perspective of a designer. Taking cues from different aspects of their lives was a starting point for the design.
“Our home is inspired by the tropics and personal travel experiences in places like Bali, Hawaii and Panama, where our background in surfing has taken us,” Thandi says. “But we also wanted our home to reflect a subtle 1970s aesthetic. These elements helped shape the colour palette throughout the project, and we constantly referred back to these notions for inspiration.”
An intuitive love of bold colour, as well as an understanding of space and light, gave Thandi the tools needed to transform a tiny, dark cottage into a bright, light family home.
“If you are unsure about bright blocks of colour, use testpots to paint boards or canvases and see how the light affects it in the intended space before committing to it – and remember, it can always be painted over!” says Thandi.