They either had to be embraced as such or concealed. The designer, Ella Rasmussen of Creative Spaces, chose the former.

“By painting the steel framework and the air-conditioning units in Resene Cinder and contrasting this colour against Resene Bianca walls, the industrial elements of the space become key features,” she says.

The steel makes dark stripes on the clean, white walls, forming a bold grid pattern. This, combined with the blue of the harbour views, provides the backdrop for the colourful furniture. McConnell’s own pieces in blue, yellow and purple provide splashes of colour throughout.

“Resene Cinder also tones well with the other metallic elements in the space, such as the steel pin-up boards and the joinery,” says Rasmussen.

Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen was used on all the painted surfaces. Resene marketing manager Karen Warman describes it as a low-odour, waterborne enamel which is well-suited to broadwall areas found in offices. Under critical light its reduced side sheen minimises surface imperfections.

“Combined with a skim coating of Resene Broadwall Surface Prep, or 3 in 1, a great finish is easy to achieve,” she says.