Spouting Colour

Copper home design trends 2017

11 July, 2017 by

All that glitters is not gold. Copper became the design trend de jour in 2016. Showing no signs of slowing down in 2017, copper in and around the home has now grown up, becoming more relaxed, natural and inclusive, moving away from 2016’s statement ‘look at me’ approach.

From interior design, to architecture and home exteriors, copper is a luxe accent colour that lifts your home inside and out.

Get inspired for your new home build or renovation, or just add the finishing touches to your home’s interior, with these home design trend ideas from cosy bedrooms and inviting bathrooms, to copper accented exteriors.

Copper in the kitchen

Interior designers made the call early in 2017; this is the year of the minimal kitchen.

Trends see clutter being hidden away, push and pull cabinetry without handles, pots, pans and appliances neatly stowed out of view, hidden storage areas, and slimline benchtops.

Although white will always be popular for kitchens, 2017 sees designers and homeowners favouring softer, more muted colours like greys, greens and blues, and more natural textures and materials, such as wood and marble, moving away from glossy monochrome surfaces.

Instead of last year’s statement copper pendants and accessories boldly contrasted against stark white, copper now blends in to the kitchen, highlighting natural materials.

Like this kitchen above, with its pale wood-grain cabinetry, charcoal tile splashback and copper tapware with exposed pipes over a generous butler sink.

Copper brings a soft warmth to the kitchen compared to the industrial black metal trend, or highly reflective silver, making it easy to achieve a warm and inviting space.

Like this elegant kitchen below. A copper-lovers dream with polished copper cabinets and clever use of black negative space creating instant wow factor. The natural wood parquet floor is complemented by copper tapware and a slim, pale-grey marble benchtop and dove-grey walls.

Copper bathroom trends

With kitchens and bathrooms both being key selling points for a home, cohesion between the two is easily achieved when using copper, from tapware to handles and small accessories, to the entire bath.

2017 sees bathroom colour and material trends echoing the kitchen, turning away from stark white towards more luxurious, darker shades to create a haven – an escape from the hectic outside world.

Like this soothing bathroom below with its inviting copper bath reflecting the natural wood floors, and relaxing sage-green walls.

For budgets that don’t quite extend to the scale of a copper bath or full bathroom renovation, a change to copper tapware, basin, light fittings or accessories can instantly update your bathroom.

If you have painted bathroom walls it’s even easier to affordably embrace the latest bathroom colour trends with dark colours warmed by touches of copper. Like these two deliciously dark bathrooms, with inky wall colours paired with copper accessories, mirrors, tapware and lighting.

Bedroom trends

Bedrooms aren’t missing out on the copper design trend this year either.

Designers are seeing the same muted colour palette, from moody blues through to lighter, yet still muted pastels – washed pinks, soothing greys and nature-inspired greens. These all are perfect colours for warm copper metallic accents. Bedroom fabrics are also showing the same trends, from natural fabrics like linen to lush, textured choices like rich velvets.

Like this Norwegian inspired bedroom with linen bedding in dusky pink and dove grey, natural, pale wood floorboards, and clever copper accents in the lighting, bedside table and accessories.

Copper exterior design trends

Last on the list – but number one for that essential curb-side appeal – is copper’s popularity in home exteriors.

Copper spouting and downpipes add the finishing touch of luxe to your home.

Copper spouting blends beautifully with natural wood cladding and brick exteriors, or makes a design statement against New Zealand’s ever-popular white weatherboard Villas and Bungalows, or newer trend of grey home exteriors.

So even if you’re not building new, or doing a full renovation, it’s obvious why copper is such a popular choice when your guttering needs replacing. No need to change your home or roof colour.

Like this unique Nelson stunner by Bruce Design & Build using Marley Typhoon:

These Ellerslie apartments got the high-end finish with Marley Typhoon also:

This home by Bella Homes in Whangarei blends the classic with the modern:

Marley Typhoon spouting in copper beautifully highlights this cedar clad home in New Plymouth:

Not surprisingly, copper is one of Marley’s most popular colours in the Stratus Design Series^® range, and the perfect finishing touch to achieve that on-trend yet classic copper look that won’t date – without the cost or risk of theft that usual metal guttering has.

Get the look

Marley’s uPVC copper spouting and downpipes are available in Marley Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® 80mm round downpipe, making copper not only affordable but also extremely hard-wearing.

Since it’s the copper look you want, you can trust Marley’s uPVC copper spouting to handle NZ’s harsh sun to protect from discolouring or tarnishing with age over time. Marley’s uPVC spouting also mean coastal NZ homes can put copper spouting back on your wishlist without corrosion concerns.

Marley is available from leading plumbing and building supply merchants nationwide.

Beachlands facelift

12 June, 2017 by

With the arrival of baby number two, Neil and Marsha were in need of more space. Having sold their St Heliers unit, the pressure was on to find their new family home.

After searching for months but losing out at numerous auctions, they finally spotted their future. A 1960’s state house in Beachlands.

“It was far from perfect and was literally a house dropped onto an undeveloped section,” says Neil, “but we weren’t afraid of rolling up our sleeves and knew with some hard work we could create something special. We prepared ourselves for a battle at the auction and we won!”

The house was relocated by the previous owner. Although they’d completed interior renovations and added a concrete driveway, the exterior needed a lot of work to transform it into the family home Neil and Marsha saw the potential for.

How the house looked before the work started:

How the same area looks now:

Outdoors magnified

“We spent a lot of time planning the outdoor areas,” says Neil, “Because our house is small compared to most new builds, we wanted to really optimise the flow between structures and spaces, thinking about play space and entertaining space for the kids, and creating an outdoor extension of our open plan living.”

Neil and Marsha have amassed an impressive list of exterior improvements since purchasing the property in 2015, including building the garage, adding a rear fence, completing extensive landscaping, adding retaining walls, 65 square metres of decking, and repointing and painting the roof.

The biggest challenge along the way was dealing with the weather. The soil is predominately clay and was hard work wet or dry.

New space from nowhere

The substantial retaining wall built along one boundary of the section gained an additional 2 metres of decking and garden space. The newly built garage was positioned close to the house and given a complementary colour scheme to match.

The extra-large 65 square metre decking area in hardwood wide board Vitex was positioned to maximise privacy, shelter and sun, and the new addition of the pergola added sun and rain protection for use as an ‘outdoor lounge’ all-year round.

“We intentionally planted mostly in natives,” says Neil. “We engaged with a landscape designer before getting started to get another perspective and adopt best practices in landscape design.”

The outdoor decking area with integrated gardens and retaining wall is now their favourite part of the house: “We just love sitting on our outdoor sofa and being surrounded by so much lush planting and earthly colours.” says Neil.

Funds permitting, Neil and Marsha plan to install new bi-fold joinery off the dining space to connect to the covered deck area.

Hidden surprises

After moving in, the discovery of massive roof space was put to great use for storage by installing attic stairs for ease of access.

Neil and Marsha were also delighted to find just how well positioned the house was: “Our living spaces are really light and sunny,” says Neil. “Two of the three bedrooms get all day sun, and the sunsets are incredible.”

Cool colours

Attracted to the modern colour scheme of greys with white joinery, Neil and Marsha chose to continue the striking monochromatic colour scheme for the exterior landscaping, combining Resene Grey Friars and black for the fencing.

This matched the existing charcoal grey, concrete tile roof and timber weatherboards in Dulux Whakarewarewa. Framing the house are white eaves and stained black baseboards.

The perfect finish

The recent addition of the brand new Marley Stormcloud^® spouting in glossy black, makes their home one of the first in the country to have Marley’s latest colour addition to the Stratus Design Series^® range. Black is now available in Marley Stormcloud^® and Typhoon^® spouting, and RP80^® downpipes.

Our old spouting and downpipes were white which made the home feel a bit dated. We believe the black has truly transformed the modern look and style of our home.

“With rainwater our only supply of water and water safety imperative for our family, we went with Marley uPVC because it was certified to potable water standards. Being only 700 metres to the coast durability was really important also as we didn’t want to risk corrosion or rusting over time from metal spouting.”

Stormcloud’s quarter-round profile was chosen to suit the architectural style of the 1960s home, with the added bonus of being the perfect solution to the constraint of the house’s short fascia boards.

Lessons learned

When asked what advice Neil would give others looking to undertake a similar project, he said: “Plan, plan, plan but have plenty of fun in the process. Be open to new ideas and where possible prioritise good building materials, quality plants and great tradespeople.”

A special mention goes to James Hall, from Halls Contracting Limited. James built the deck and pergola and Neil and Marsha were particularly impressed with his workmanship.

The biggest lesson of all? “Always listen to your wife,” says Neil.

Whangaparaoa stunner

26 May, 2017 by

Spouting: Typhoon^®
Colour: Ironsand
Bracket Type: External
Downpipe: RP80^® 80mm Round Downpipe
Location: Whangaparaoa, Auckland

Black home design trends 2017

2 May, 2017 by

No other country in the world loves black as much as New Zealand does. Some might say we’re obsessed with it. It’s one colour that’s never gone out of fashion in clothing, cars, and sports teams.
And now it’s the turn of architecture and interior design.

Black design inspiration

From statement street-appeal to stylish, sleek interiors, black is a stand-out colour trend in 2017.

It’s the architecture and interior designer’s equivalent of fashion’s little black dress, instantly transforming your home and adding a touch of glamour.

Get inspired for your new home build or next renovation with these black home design ideas, from stand-out exteriors, to sleek interiors.

Black street appeal

The strong black timber cladding exterior of this beach house is balanced with lighter wood decking and pale grey cobblestones. Monochrome outdoor furniture echoes the house’s modern shape and colour scheme.

Mid-century modern gets moody

Black is also making its mark on the Mid-Century Modern trend this year. This trend shows no signs of slowing down in 2017. Taking cues from the 1930’s to 1960’s, this minimalist movement combines grid-like elements and a ‘less is more’ philosophy.

Black in the kitchen

The kitchen above takes direction from the Mid-Century Modern trend, using black to bridge man-made with organic. The black and natural wood cabinetry and island delineate this open-plan kitchen, contrasting against the grid wall of concrete tiles. The paler-wood floorboards direct the eye to the view, with black steel framing the picture window.

Add a touch of industrial

All white and bright at home but missing a bit of drama? Adding black accessories anchors your space without the cost of a full makeover. This kitchen’s industrial-style black pendant lights, black metal stools, and black tapware, provide an affordable way to reflect the trend.

Black bedrooms

A light, bright bedroom like this scandi-inspired haven make black interior walls an inspired choice. The soft, matte black walls make a perfect back-drop for the gold side-table and ornate mirror. Glossy white cabinetry, white-washed floorboards and clean white ceilings and windows frame the black beautifully.

Black spouting for the perfect finish

From modern to traditional, residential and commercial roofing can now be stylishly defined, and underlined, in rich, glossy black.

An innovative design statement from Marley, black is the latest addition to the Marley Stratus Design Series^® range of uPVC spouting and downpipe systems.

Gloss Black is available in Marley Typhoon^®, Stormcloud^® and RP80^® 80mm Round Downpipe systems.

Available from leading plumbing and building supply merchants nationwide.

Oakura, Taranaki

24 January, 2017 by

From Taranaki to the Tasman Sea

You’d be forgiven for missing Nigel and Linda Barbour’s 2016 Taranaki Regional Supreme Renovation Award winner, down a driveway off the main road to Oakura Beach. Once you see the unobstructed views, soaring out across the Tasman Sea, this Master Builders winning house won’t be one you’ll forget.

For a decade prior, Nigel and Linda lived in the adjacent street-front house. When their friends next door decided to downsize, they took their chance to buy it.

Architect Glenn Brebner and Builder David Fabish transformed the house, reshaping a bitsy exterior and boxy interior.

Subtle rather than stand-out, the exterior combines a Sto plaster system finished in Resene Wan White, concrete block and tiles finished in Resene Double Foundry, natural Kwila rain screens and cedar clad carport. Typhoon^® spouting and RP80^® 80mm round downpipe from the Marley Stratus Design Series^® finish the look. Nigel and Linda wanted copper-coloured spouting to match the wood used.

We chose Marley Typhoon^® for the durability and ability to handle heavy rain, which we sometimes get in the Naki. For ease of cleaning we went with the exterior brackets so no interior brackets get in the way

The unusual double staircases were retained. The interior was opened up with skylights added, walls removed, increased door heights and a widened hallway to funnel the eye towards that spectacular view. Yellow-white Resene Rice Cake was used to complement the warm cedar and cool grey tones inside.

To achieve a similar look, Nigel advises “Engage a good architect, designer and builder and involve them early in the process. The greatest amount of value is added at the front end.”

Jo & Richard’s rejuvenation of a 100-year-old beauty

1 November, 2016 by

When Richard purchased this run down Ponsonby villa 14 years ago he knew it needed some serious love (and money) to get it back to its former glory. Jo totally agreed when she moved in a couple of years later but was happy to wait for the right time to get started. After the arrival of two children, Olivia and Luke, that time has finally arrived.

The whole house was in a real state of disrepair with rotting floors, broken spouting, crumbling front steps and more. Over the past six months, the home has been fully restored from the foundations up. Every room has been taken back to framing and rebuilt with a focus on a warm, quiet, safe and energy efficient home – a far cry for how it was built and renovated over the past 100 years!

The family wanted a simple classic colour for the base so vibrancy could be added on top ensuring the décor wouldn’t date too quickly. Resene Black White and Triple Black White was the perfect choice and used throughout. The overall style of the home is modern with a bit of retro thrown in.

Jo and Richard knew what they wanted from a practical and functional perspective, based on how they live, but received some help on the finishing touches from Kate Alexander (Interior Designer) and Nikki from Resene.

Talk to the experts. Tell them what you want to achieve and make decisions based on the information they supply – they know what they are talking about. Also, trust your style and taste as you are the ones that will live with it

Colour has been added to a feature wall in the lounge and Luke’s bedroom with the gorgeous Resene Fuscious Grey from the Karen Walker Series. Olivia’s room also has a feature colour with Resene Frozen from the Designer Series – a soft blue, perfect to offset the natural timber and hot pink used throughout the room.

The exterior of the villa has also been fully renovated with a thorough lick of paint in Resene Quarter Delta, new roof in Grey Friars and matching spouting and downpipes from the Marley Stratus Design Series^® (Marley Stormcloud^® and RP80^® in Grey Friars). Stormcloud^® features internal brackets for a streamline look, stunning on the front square fronted villa with veranda. Overall, the natural choice to match the roof and stand the test of time as the old gem starts the next 100 years.

If you’d like to watch this beauty come to life, check it out on Creative Living – episodes available on 3Now or www.creativeliving.tv

What part of the house are you most happy with?

It is hard to pick one but I think the living and kitchen area flowing out to the backyard is our favourite part.

What was the biggest decorating, renovating or building challenge for this project?

The costs – it always costs more than you expect and you can always make it better. Try and make a plan and stick to it. It is hard because a lot of what you spend goes into things you can’t see and you don’t usually have much left in the end for the things you can see.

Do you have a favourite colour, and if so why is it your favourite?

We’ve gone with a warm grey as the base for the house and it works well so we can bring through some of the amazing colours from my favourite painting – the greens, oranges and greys.