Inspired by Nature with Resene

“Trust me, you’ll love it.” Those were the encouraging words from Queensland designer Di Henshall when making over the country home of her clients Jane and Stan.

Her words proved true, particularly when it comes to the warm and vibrant green kitchen. One of the standout features of the kitchen is the custom cabinetry painted in the olive-leaf shade of Resene Easy Rider. The walls are painted in fresh Resene Half Lemon Grass with a ceiling in Resene Ceiling tinted to Resene White.

Di says the brief for the project was wide open. “They just wanted to see what I could do with their existing outdated, burgundy and cream kitchen which was long past its use-by date.” 

The choice to use verdant greens as the hero of a new colour scheme was obvious, given the home’s country location, and the fact that [husband’s name] is a world-leading authority on bromeliads and palms.

“They are surrounded by rolling green hills and beautiful tropical landscaping.  My intention was to bring the beauty and serenity of the outside into the kitchen, reflecting much of what can be seen immediately outside the windows,” Di says. 

The lush colour scheme is accentuated by an eye-catching mosaic splashback which Di designed to emulate falling leaves in a contemporary way, further connecting the kitchen to its surroundings. The kitchen was widened as part of the renovation, allowing for the addition of a central kitchen island which as well as adding more bench space, allowed space for a second oven.

“Di did a great job designing my kitchen,” Jane says. “I do a lot of cooking and I cook for a lot of people.  It’s nothing for us to have 15 to 20 people over, so my only brief to her was that it had to ‘work’.

“My previous kitchen did not work. It was large and quite pretty, but it simply didn’t work.  Power points were placed nowhere useful, and there weren’t many of them, so part of the brief to Di was ‘power points, power points, power points’. 

“I have a lot of things happening in the kitchen at any one time. The cooktop was too close to the wall so I couldn’t put large pots on the stove - useless! And though there appeared to be plenty of counter space it was wasted. Now, with the kitchen island, every time I take something from the ovens I have somewhere to put it.

“The colour evolved from the rest of the interior of the house.  The green goes right through the common rooms of the interior and blends in with the gardens outside.”

IN JANE'S WORDS:

Describe your cooking style
“Anything, really. No particular style. It just depends on the weather, the time of year, the guests…”

What is your favourite part of this kitchen?
The kitchen island. 

Which recipe from this issue of dish would you like to cook and why?
Jane: All of them! They all sound amazing, but if I had to choose, I might go with the Dark and Stormy Sticky Ginger and Oaty Cake.

TOP TIP: Take a photo of your colour inspiration and upload it to the Resene ColourMatch tool at www.resene.com/colourmatchonline to find a similar Resene shade.

For more decorating inspiration, visit your Resene ColorShop, resene.com/colorshops