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Naz and Christine’s family home gets a fresh new look

Parents-of-three Naz Nikora and Christine Philippa are renovating their family home in rural Northland. The couple have a huge following – well over one million across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – and have been creating full-time since 2020. “We absolutely love the freedom that our social media brings to our whānau. We all get to be hip to hip and doing what we love daily,” says Christine.

The story behind their home transformation is a special one. After living in Australia for two years, the couple returned to Aotearoa New Zealand to be closer to family and are living with their three gorgeous kids in Naz’s family home that was bought and transported to family land in 2007.

“Naz has had a lot of memories originally renovating the home with his whānau (family) as it was in an unliveable state,” Christine explains. “It’s been a place of safety for many people over the years, including myself as a young teen early in our relationship. We wanted to give the house the awhi (embrace) it both needed and deserved and we’re getting it ready for the next generation.”

The couple’s vision is to create a space that is both practical and beautiful for their family. “It’s a small home with a lot of rooms, so we want to open up the space with bright walls, as well as transform basic rooms into practical spaces, such as our walk-in pantry and a media room that doubles as a guest space.”

The dream is that it will be a place for the whānau to all come together for holidays, family events or if they need a sense of safety. “So there is plenty of space for all, plenty of kai (food) inside the whare (house) with plans to create a garden and area to feed whānau too. We’re trying to achieve a style that reflects the rural landscape and lifestyle.”

Naz and Christine say that Naz's DIY-loving dad Damien (left) has been a huge inspiration to them during their home renovation. Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Quarter Black White and timber post in Resene Colorwood wood stain in Resene Bark.

While serious DIY is exhausting at the best of times, Christine was heavily pregnant with the couple’s third child for a good part of the transformation but took it all in her stride. “It’s the most active and happy I’ve been during my pregnancies,” she says. “It’s like nesting on steroids, being able to not only clean and organise the space to welcome our baby but actually completely transform the spaces to raise our family in during these early years.”

A family affair

A passion and skill for renovation runs in the family, as Naz is the son of Damien Nikora, who, with partner Chanelle Taylor, make up The Current Place. They’re undertaking their own unique project with MasterStroke by Resene, reinvigorating an old woodshed and turning it into a home and workspace. So far they have transformed their loft bedroom and cosy lounge.

As also self-confessed beginners, Damien and Chanelle have provided plenty of assistance and advice to Naz and Christine along the way.

“Not only have they been an inspiration for us to get cracking on renovating – with Damien encouraging us to makeover his previous family home and Chanelle helping us connect with Resene whānau – they have also come up and helped get us over the line for our incredible lounge/dining/kitchen makeover and reveal!”

The bright stuff

Naz and Christine had big ideas for the transformation of this social hub, with plans to bring the dark, orange-hued timber of the original Lockwood home into the modern day using Resene paint and stain.

Before they began, they visited their local Resene ColorShop to talk through options, after having a false start with their master bedroom.

“It has layers of paint fails because we impulsively winged it at first and didn’t know about priming wood and blocking tannins, etcetera.”

After talking though exactly what would be required to brighten the plasterboard and Lockwood timber of the walls, they took home some Resene Waterborne Sureseal pigmented sealer and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in Resene Quarter Black White to lighten and brighten. For the ceiling they wanted to retain the natural timber but give it a modern update, so they chose Resene Colorwood natural wood stain tinted to Resene Bark.

As the couple had several different surfaces to deal with, they headed to their local Resene ColorShop to get expert advice on the correct products to use.

After filling all the cracks and holes in the Lockwood walls, Christina applied a coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal pigmented sealer.

Embracing the space

The couple are absolutely thrilled with the final result and were vindicated in their bold, contrasting choices for the space. “I was a little worried about the dark ceiling with the super bright walls, but now that it’s all finished it’s come together really well,” says Christine.

Naz agrees. “It’s been cool for everyone to come and see the change and the flashness that’s come from Resene.”

The Resene Colorwood stain in Resene Bark has been Naz’s favourite product so far. “It’s been super easy to work with. It created an amazing transformation in a previously orange wood home, as well as stained the boys’ bunk bed. It’s super versatile and incredible.”

Christine says her top pick is Resene Zylone Sheen waterborne low sheen paint with no added VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the Resene Cello, which they used in the boys’ bedroom. “We created a really cool striped feature wall which was super easy and fun to create. The low odour of the product worked a treat as I was pregnant and working in a small space. The colour was incredible too.”

Naz and Christine couldn’t have done it without Resene. “They have been awesome to work with. They are super thorough in giving the best advice for both our current projects as well as being excited about our future ones.”

Before

After

The contrasting light and dark hues have completely transformed the space and given it a fresh, modern vibe. Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in Resene Quarter Black White and ceiling stained in Resene Colorwood wood stain in Resene Bark.

Before

After

The original Lockwood home’s lounge/kitchen/dining space was dark and the timber had a dated orange hue. Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in Resene Quarter Black White and ceiling stained in Resene Colorwood wood stain in Resene Bark.

Before

After

Interior stains don’t just rejuvenate and enhance interior timber by showing off the timber grain, they help protect it from UV, water and mould damage, as well as everyday wear and tear. Walls painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in Resene Quarter Black White and ceiling stained in Resene Colorwood wood stain in Resene Bark.

Naz and Christine’s top tips for budding DIYers:

Just do it! Get a start. Be OK to fail. Say to yourself, “That’s pretty good for someone who’s not very good at it!”
Prep work is a must. Drop sheets and taping before you start painting is worth saving the time trying to clean all your mess afterwards. I think we’re still learning that one.
We definitely suggest learning on your parent’s property!
A one-man ladder goes a long way.
Collect a lot of references on Pinterest and give a go.
Ask for people’s opinions and do the opposite!

Top tip: If you want to hide the yellowing of old Lockwood walls and give your home a more modern look, apply Resene Aquaclear mixed with Resene Colour Enhance, which can be applied directly over old sound varnishes – no sanding needed. Or for a more beachwashed look, use Resene Colorwood Whitewash or one of the colours from the Resene We Speak Beach collection.