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Lofty ambitions: The Current Place’s epic woolshed reno

For photographer Damien Nikora (Ngāti Kahungunu) and model Chanelle Taylor (Tainui), discovering the negative impact the fashion industry has on the planet compelled them to start a revolution. So they moved to the countryside with their dog Georgie and are immersing themselves in the process of learning more about sustainable living through their fashion shoots, gardening, growing kai (food) and converting their woolshed into a sustainable space for others to come and learn – and documenting their progress along the way on their social media account The Current Place.

“We made an exciting change to turn our careers and lives sustainable, with the aim to use our talents and influence through fashion, food and lifestyle,” says Chanelle.

Despite being complete beginners, it was through helping Chanelle’s parents renovate their rural home that they realised how much satisfaction they got from the DIY process. When Chanelle’s parents offered them the woolshed located at the back of their 10ha property, they leapt at the chance to make it their own. So zone by zone, the creative couple have been breathing new life into the different areas.

“The woolshed is a big project – around 400sqm – that we went into with very little knowledge on how to execute, but a whole heap of excitement and passion,” says Chanelle. “Our vision is to create a super unique, multi-use space – not only just enjoying the space, but also using it as a studio for Damien’s photography and for myself to one day do my dream cooking show in! And to do all of this using as many recycled or ethical products as we can.”

Chanelle and Damien have refocused their lives with a sustainable slant and are currently transforming an old woodshed into an inspired multi-use space for living, working and sharing.

As Chanelle recalls, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. “At first it was super slow going! All we had was a hammer and nails. But as we have upgraded our skills, tools and industry friends like Resene, it has helped boost our confidence and make progress move quicker.”

One of the larger zones to be transformed was the loft bedroom area. Although the space is a standard room size, the low sloping ceiling makes it feel extra small.

Going to the dark side

“Like the rest of the shed we wanted to bend the standard rules,” says Chanelle. “We knew we wanted a cosy, cave-like nook, so with a bit of apprehension we decided to paint the room dark – walls, ceiling and beams – which worried a lot of people.”

But it was a visit to their local Resene ColorShop that gave them the confidence to trust their instincts and ideas. Resene Expert Stacey not only affirmed their paint and stain colour choices – Resene Carpe Noctem and Resene English Walnut wood stain – she took the couple through exactly what they needed to do to prepare each different surface.

Before they started on the bedroom, Damien and Chanelle first practiced using some of their new products on their mid-century timber furniture. After a thorough sanding, they painstakingly added some beautiful dotted designs, which were inspired by Damien’s Māori culture. Applying Resene Colorwood natural wood stain over these designs, they were able to allow the natural beauty of the timber to shine through, while imparting it with deep luscious colour.

After sanding and carving Māori-inspired designs into this mid-century furniture, Damien and Chanelle coated it with Resene Colorwood natural wood stain in Resene English Walnut and finished it with Resene Aquaclear. Wall painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to Resene Carpe Noctem.

Afterwards they sealed the furniture with Resene Aquaclear waterborne urethane varnish to keep it protected and then thought outside the square and maximised their floor space by countersinking the furniture into the wall.

They then set about preparing each of the surfaces for paint – the concrete render was primed with Resene Concrete Primer and for the timber surfaces they used Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat. Once that was dry, it was time to apply Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in Resene Carpe Noctem.

Sustainable style

There were a few considerations when dressing the room. “Because we had gone dark on the walls, ceiling and beams, we opted for lighter tones for the bedding and finishing so it didn’t turn into the bat cave – much to Damien’s disappointment!” laughs Chanelle. “We’ve always been inspired by beautiful second-hand goods, particularly New Zealand made and those that we can repurpose, like our giant vase we scored for $20. We gave it a brand new look with Resene Sandtex that fits the tone of our room with ease.”

As always, help from the team at Resene proved to be an invaluable part of the process.

“We were confident in going dark in our colour choices but as you can imagine there were a lot of people who thought it was going to be a big mistake! What we really loved about the staff at our local Resene ColorShop is that they rolled with our idea,” says Chanelle. “They didn’t try to persuade us to do anything that didn’t fit what we wanted to achieve, and in fact they helped us with tips, tricks and products in order to get the best outcome and eliminated what concerns we did have. Thanks to the staff at Resene ColorShop Pukekohe!”

Damien and Chanelle’s advice to budding DIYers

Even though your enthusiasm might be high at the beginning, don’t try to complete your entire build with just a hand saw, hammer and nails. Get a nail gun.
Trust your instincts.
Mistakes can be fixed and don’t be afraid to sound or look silly – seek advice from professionals and just go for it!

Top tip: Continuing your wall colour onto your ceiling will help you create a cosy cocoon, perfect for a sleeping space like this one. It can also help to hide awkward wall and ceiling areas.

To balance the dark hues, the couple furnished the room with light bedding and accessories. Walls and ceiling painted in Resene Carpe Noctem and beams and furniture stained in Resene Colorwood English Walnut.

The cosy loft bedroom sits tucked up top of the shed – a cosy, intimate space that’s been made even more comfortable with its inspired makeover. Walls and ceiling painted in Resene Carpe Noctem and beams stained in Resene Colorwood English Walnut.