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Christine and Naz’s nursery transformation

Content creators and young parents-of-three Naz Nikora and Christine Phillippa are renovating their home in rural Northland, in collaboration with Resene. So far, they have transformed their living space and media room and are now creating a gorgeous nursery for their baby boy, Tide. “We were pretty over him being in our bedroom,” Christine laughs.

So they set about planning their theme, picking up a paintbrush and bringing it all together to reimagine the very basic space into a soothing, calm and restful sanctuary that will grow with Tide.

Family first

The couple have a huge following – well over one million across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – and have been creating content full-time since 2020. They’re living 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 original room was looking rather worse for wear, so needed the couple’s signature creative touch and some Resene paint and stain to bring it back to life.

Christine and Naz attached timber panels to the main wall to add extra interest to the room.

Room with a blue

Deciding on a scheme is generally the first step in planning a nursery, and Christine explains the vision for the room was to “create a space that was really cute for our baby as a nursery but I wanted it to grow with him and with the house as well.”

The room was in very basic condition, with damaged walls and lots of holes that needed repairing. As the couple also wanted to create a feature wall, they headed into their local Resene ColorShop to talk through options for prep and colour with paint expert Trevor Apeldoorn.

Christine found herself flummoxed when deciding on a colour scheme, so put it to her followers to help make a final call. “I headed to Instagram and did a poll with my audience on whether we would do maybe a rust, a green or a blue,” she says. The people responded and it was decided that they would create a blue wall with panelling, going with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in the colour Resene Bounty, a light steely blue.

Sleep tight

Naz and Christine got to work, starting by filling holes and nailing on the timber slats for their wall panelling. They wiped everything down with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner before priming all the walls with Resene Quick Dry. They then applied Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Bounty to the feature wall, Quarter Black White to the rest of the walls and Resene Colorwood in Resene Bark to the beams to match the rest of their house.

They completed the nursery by filling it with gorgeous new furniture to bring it the room together.

“Tide might not be able to talk but I can tell he absolutely loves this space,” says Christine.

Naz and Christine created a cosy and timeless nursery for their son Tide. Feature wall painted in Resene Bounty, other walls in Quarter Black White and timber beams stained in Colorwood Bark.

Tips for nurseries

Resene offers a range of Eco Choice-approved paints, stains and coatings that meet strict VOC standards, so you can pick safer options for nurseries that are better for indoor air.
Use low sheen or flat finishes on walls like Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen Zero for walls. They hide minor imperfections and don’t glare too much.
For trims and joinery use waterborne enamel like Resene Lustacryl or Resene Enamacryl. These are good for surfaces that will take wear, because they’re more washable and durable.
For the ceiling, use a flat finish like Resene SpaceCote Flat or Resene Ceiling Paint to help minimise reflection and give a soft look. If painting toys, use paints that are toy-safe.
Ventilation and curing time are important. Even ‘safer’ paints need time to settle. Keep windows open, use fans and avoid reoccupying the room too soon.
As with any room, paint looks different in morning, afternoon and evening. Use Resene testpots and A4 drawdowns around the room to see how it reads in various lights.
Try adding something unique and fun for children as they grow, such as a patch of wall painted with Resene FX Chalkboard Paint or Resene FX Magnetic Magic.

With Resene’s extensive range of paints and wallpapers, you can create a kids’ room that’s both functional and full of personality. Check out these kids’ bedroom decorating ideas and head to your local Resene ColorShop for advice and to view your favourite paint colours and wallpapers in person.