NZRenoTok: The Current Place come out on top

Damien and Chanelle (aka The Current Place) were the joint winners of NZRenoTok for their inspired woolshed renovation.

Season one of NZRenoTok kicked off with a bang as four teams undertook a six-week challenge to completely transform their homes. A variety of content creators became renovators for the duration, all bringing vastly different skill levels and properties to the table.

Often challenging but always intensely rewarding, the journey entailed many ups, downs and sleepless nights as the teams worked tirelessly to refresh different spaces, focusing on a different area each week. Adding to the task at hand, they were also responsible for filming and editing their progress and sharing it on TikTok.

The public were seriously invested in this unique renovation reality show format, and they didn’t hold back with feedback in the comments! With more than 24 million views over the course of the series, NZRenoTok quickly became the most popular local digital DIY platform.

Resene helped the teams out, not only with paint and painting products, but often saving the day with invaluable advice from the team at Resene ColorShops.

MasterStroke by Resene regulars Damien Nikora and Chanelle Taylor (aka The Current Place) were the joint winners of the series, taking out the title with Shiray and Gillies Kaka. Damien and Chanelle are transforming their 400sqm woolshed space by space into a beautifully inviting retreat to live and work in and are not afraid to use colour to bring a room to life.

Can you tell us a little about yourselves and what you do?

We’re a model and photographer couple (yes, slightly cliché!), but we like to think we’re doing things a little differently. Lately, we’ve been shifting our focus toward a more sustainable approach to fashion and creativity. That’s why we’ve taken on the challenge of renovating an old woolshed into our new studio space. We’re doing our best to use repurposed materials and alternative options wherever possible, giving old things a new life while building something uniquely ours.

How would you describe your home before?

Well technically it wasn’t a home at all! Just a 400sqm woolshed with sheep slats for floors, shearing machines and gates everywhere. For the past two years we’ve been slowly chipping away at turning it into something liveable, but it’s been a massive project. There was a lot to tackle before NZRenoTok came knocking!

The couple pair old-school farm charm with antique-style pieces and rich dark colours, like the Resene Persian Red painted on the walls of their lounge nook.

Resene paint, stain and priming products have been a staple throughout their entire journey.

How would you describe your home now?

It’s come a long way! Since NZRenoTok, we’ve pushed ourselves harder than ever and we’re honestly amazed at what we’ve managed to pull off. We now have five finished spaces in the woolshed, and while some parts still scream ‘farm life’, it’s finally starting to feel like ours. It’s rough around the edges but that’s part of its charm, and each project gets us one step closer to bringing our full vision to life.

How would you describe your renovating style?

We’re definitely on the cowboy end of the scale – most of the time we’re learning as we go, with YouTube tutorials and Pinterest boards guiding the way. But we’ve really leaned into that old-school farm charm. We love rich, dark colours, antique-style pieces and anything with a bit of history or character. It’s been chaotic at times, but there’s heart in every corner and that’s what makes it feel special.

What did you enjoy most about the NZRenoTok experience?

We honestly loved the competition side of it – the weekly challenges, the other contestants, and all the supporters watching along. There’s nothing more motivating than wanting to win (just quietly!), and that drive kept us going through those wild 3am finishes and early starts. Without that push, we’re not sure we would’ve pulled off everything we did!

We also felt incredibly grateful for the support from the suppliers involved. Having them on board made the whole process smoother and gave us the chance to dream a little bigger than we usually would. It was such a full-on experience, but one we’ll never forget.

All the 3am finishes and deadlines were worth it in the end to take out the top spot.

Huge congratulations on your win! How did it feel to take out the joint title?

Thank you! We’re so stoked to share the win. It’s been such an incredible journey. The competition between us and the Kakas was seriously yo-yoing the whole way, so it feels amazing for both of us to come out on top. They created some truly awesome spaces, so sharing the title feels like the perfect finish to an amazing competition.

What was the biggest lesson you learnt along the way?

Flexibility is key – things never went quite as planned! Finding out your challenge and then scrambling to order everything you needed that same week was like trying to do a last-minute grocery run during a blackout. Add in tight deadlines, non-stop renovating, filming and the occasional debate with your partner, and you quickly realise patience and teamwork are less optional and more essential.

What was the biggest challenge of the journey?

Not arguing! Nah jokes, we actually lasted five weeks and four days without arguing – almost until the end of the show!

But the greenhouse was definitely the biggest challenge. Building an entire structure in just four days was a massive task. Then on a bit of a whim we decided to add a fire pit area outside – because why not? On top of that, we still had to do all the garden beds and fill them in. It was a wild few days to say the least.

What was the most hilarious part of the process?

Hands down playing around with filming ads and having the chance to mock some other contestants!

The couple have cited their Resene ‘Spa-th Room’ as the space they’re most proud of, with its bespoke, built-in furniture and luscious combination of Resene Aubergine paint and Resene Hey Poppit wallpaper in Juliette.

What are your favourite Resene colours and why?

It’s tough to pick just one from all the amazing colours we used on the show, but we’d have to go with Resene Aubergine. It’s such a unique shade and not something you see in every home, but it made the room feel really special. Plus it matched the wallpaper perfectly, which just brought everything together beautifully.

Which Resene product did you enjoy working with the most and why?

The wallpaper was quite fun! It’s something we’ve both never done before but it was super easy and satisfying.

What did you enjoy most about working with ReseneColorShop staff?

Oh man, we’re massive fans of the team at Resene ColorShop Pukekohe – apparently we’re inviting them to our wedding when D finally wants to ask! That’s how close we’ve become with them down there. But they’re awesome. They’re always keen to help, encourage and go along with our crazy ideas.

Did they share any valuable painting advice and if so, what was it?

Yes, to wash our paintbrushes straight away after we’ve finished – it’s a bad habit! But also to wrap our brushes in plastic wrap if we haven’t quite finished the job yet.

What space were you most proud of and why?

Definitely the Spa-th Room! It was everything we had envisioned and we were so excited to put up that Resene wallpaper. It just really made the space feel so relaxing and calm.

What are your three best tips/hacks for any budding DIYers out there?

1. Just go for it! We had no experience and so literally anyone can learn – it just takes trial and error.

2. Spend the money on the tools! Don’t waste time on hammers and nails like we did.

3. Film everything! You never know what kind of experiences may come your way, we never knew the extent of what we could get out of posting our journey online and we’ve grown such an awesome community who help us in so many ways! So don’t be shy to film and put it out there, mistakes and all!