Tracy revives a kiwi icon

One kiwi icon met another when Tracy Murphy transformed her ex Lockwood showhome with Resene paint. Both Lockwood and Resene are New Zealand companies born mid last century… and both are still going strong.

Lockwood houses are a kiwi legacy. They’ve been part of the residential landscape since the 1950s when two Dutch immigrants designed the prefabricated timber houses with interlocking components, which could be assembled quickly and efficiently.

The houses were characterised by their timber-walled interiors, but as fashions come and go, the look of varnished pine with its yellow-orange undertone, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

For Tracy, who works as a kitchen designer, giving the Lockwood a new look was an exciting and exacting project. The house had been relocated to its current site in Mount Maunganui 18 years ago and was in its original state – with dark timber interiors, a beige exterior cladding and light green roof.

How did the transformation begin?

The house needed to fit with its beach environment. We were originally going to leave the timber walls and ceiling in timber but then decided to lighten the interiors for a more beachy feel, and paint the timber.

It was critical to find the right white to work with the existing cream-coloured aluminium joinery and be warm enough to use throughout the house. I settled on Resene Quarter Merino for the walls and ceilings. The internal doors were then painted in Resene Double Stack, a deep grey, for contrast.

I also painted the kitchen cabinetry in Resene Black for contrast, in a glossy finish to give it reflectiveness and maximise the feeling of space.

What part of the house are you most happy with?

The best part of the house is the lounge, kitchen and dining which doubles as my office – it’s warm, sunny and every part of space has been utilised.

Aside from the black cabinets, I used the bright sunshine yellow Resene Spotlight on the island bench. I love the yellow. It brightens up the whole space and makes the room so inviting. It’s also used on wall-mounted cabinets beside the kitchen window.

By replacing a window in the kitchen with French doors, it gave me enough space to extend the island bench with a long overhang to use for dining.

Tracy’s dramatic yellow and black kitchen features in the latest habitat magazine. 

The new exterior also gets a lot of comment – random people pop their heads over the fence or call in to say how much they love this house. It’s amazing what an effective colour scheme can achieve. We used Resene Ironsand on the weatherboards and Resene Quarter Sisal for the roof and trims.

Published: 14 Dec 2015

Do you have a home full of wonderful Resene paint and colour? Send us some snaps by emailing [email protected].

The Resene Spotlight and Resene Black kitchen is a vibrant centrepiece to the new-look Lockwood.

pictures

Chris Parker

The timber walls and ceilings were painted in Resene Quarter Merino, a colour carefully chosen by Tracy to match the existing cream aluminium joinery. 

Tracy loves her office space beside the kitchen – it’s light and sunny. The kitchen is in Resene Black and Resene Spotlight with walls in Resene Quarter Merino. 

A bedroom is given a beachy vibe with sea-green bedlinen.

The eye-catching colour combo of white, black and yellow is continued in this bedroom.

This feature wall is actually acoustic panels, carrying on the yellow, grey and black scheme set in the living areas.

Upper walls and a ceiling in Resene Quarter Merino contrast with charcoal tiles in the bathroom. 

The exterior was given new life with Resene Ironsand weatherboards, and Resene Quarter Sisal roof and trims, a colour that complements the existing cream aluminium joinery.

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Resene Quarter Sisal

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Resene Double Stack

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Resene Quarter Merino

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