From the Resene/Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards Competition - fourth finalist
Sticking to a tight budget didn't stop this clever homeowner from giving two bedrooms a brand new look

When Billie Birrell purchased her home, it needed “a lot of love”. She started with the bedrooms, which were previously lifeless, fatigued and lacking in colour. Her vision was to bring life and personality into the spaces, and to combine texture with colour in the form of a feature wall – or two.
With a very strict budget to adhere to, she looked around for something to panel the walls with, and while renovating the lounge, she found some old blinds.
“As we were tearing down the old furnishings, I had the idea to use the old blinds from the second lounge to create the panel feature on Jackson’s wall,” she explains. “It turned out better than I imagined, especially having no renovation experience.”
When it came to colours, she chose Resene Conch to feature in Jackson’s room, alongside Resene Black White on the rest of the walls. For her own room, Resene Coriander fit the bill. The soft, subtle hues add just the right amount of colour, and when combined with the wall details, delivers the character and personality Billie was looking for at her Auckland home.


Text by Bea Taylor. Photography by Kate Battersby. Colour Home Awards 2022