b'green thumblightfastness on exterior surfaces. Given the urban environment, where surfaces get dirty quickly, Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen ended up being a good choice from a maintenance perspective. We used Resene AquaShield mineral effect finish tinted to Resene Triple Blanc to give a more heritage appropriate look to the house and studio faades. Sonia says her favourite thing about the new coloured courtyard walls is how they are seen from inside the house and how they produce interesting views and colour effects within it while amplifying the indoor-outdoor connection. The colour shines and spills, changing with weather, time of day and season. It has the effect of making the interior of the house feel larger even though the site boundary is explicit. I think it works because the eye is drawn outside by the unexpectedly rich colour, somehow giving the impression that the boundary of the room is not the walls of the house but the walls of the courtyard beyond.It was a curious reversal of what you may expect, she adds. Warm colours advance and cold colours recede, right? The way colour acts on a building, the way it can emphasise or de-emphasise a particular aspect of architectural form is something I study and think about a great deal. And generally speaking, Im confident in saying that cool colours produce a more spacious feeling than warm colours. However, when colour is applied in three-dimensional environments such as architecture, there are multiple factors and complexities affecting the behaviour of those colours. Simplistic rules of thumb can be useful starting points, but they are not always correct as decision-making tools. In this instance, the warm colours have expanded the perception of the space.As with all Lymesmith projects, the thought that Sonia puts into her colour selection is fundamental to their success. Her considered approach and commitment to getting just the right hues that would lend the courtyard complete cohesion within the greater renovation design caught the attention of the judges at this years Resene Total Colour Awards,andtheprojecttookhometheReseneTotalColourLandscapeColour Maestro Award. For Sue, the finished design brings to mind a similarly vibrant paradise in Marrakesh. The use of colour on the perimeter walls enlivened the garden and made a wonderful backdrop for an eclectic mix of plantsmuch in the same way Jardin Majorelle is transformed with colour.For Sonia, the courtyard has offered new ways of thinking that shell be able to apply to petite projects in the future. Ive learned there is huge potential to play with colour in these small urban spaces to make pockets of outdoor space into extensions of the interior space and really make them more appealing to be in. When colours selected for the exterior relate to the interior, it opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities that are ripe for exploration. courtyard mural design Lymesmith, www.lymesmith.com.au architectural design Sam Crawford Architects, www.samcrawfordarchitects.com.au landscape design Sue Barnsleybuild SQ Projects, www.sqprojects.com.au painting Top Touch Painting Services, www.toptouch.com.au images Brett Boardman, www.brettboardman.com blackwhitemag.com 51'