Photography by: Rachael McKenna.
Talk about a memorable Christmas present! Four-year-old Addie Gittoes loves her brand-new playground, which is now the perfect addition to the playhouse that is already in the backyard.
“We had built a play area for Addie under the house a few years ago with a fairy garden, playhouse and climbing wall,” says her mum Natalie Langley.
“As she has grown, we have adapted the area to suit and the playground was the next step. We couldn’t find anything which would fit the space, so we designed it ourselves and had our trusted builder Stu build it.
“It was designed to be able to change as she grows, with multiple attachments, and it’s strong enough for the adults to use too. We would have loved a bigger area to add a slide but had to work within the space we had.”
Natalie admits they weren’t able to keep Addie’s Christmas present a secret, but the preschooler enjoyed helping the builders construct her fun zone.
“She helped with digging the holes, holding the tools and coming to Resene with me to pick paint,” says Natalie with a smile. “The attachments, like the Gobaplay swing tent, were however kept as a surprise!”
The pair picked the colours together, which resemble a soft sunset. “We already had Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen in Resene Paper Doll and Resene Galliano as those colours were used on her current play area,” tells Natalie.
The additions of Resene Sunrise and Resene Pattens Blue helped create a stunning gradient that resembled the sky on a clear Dunedin evening. It was also a reference to the colour they used in their home.
“We used yellows, pinks and blues previously around the house,” explains Natalie. “The playground was always planned to match, but we decided to blend all the colours to make it more fun.”
Natalie enjoys the creativity of finding the perfect colours for every part of her home.
“I’ve always collected art, so I like being able to add colour around the house. When the house was first built, everything was painted Resene Triple Black White and over time, we’ve been adding special features to each room.”
Natalie’s favourite part of the process?
“How easy it is to dramatically change something using colour,” she says. “That and the knowledge that when we get bored of it, it only takes a few hours of your time to change it!”
Now Addie gets to swing long into the evenings, knowing that her trusty gift will be ready to provide fun for many years – and sunsets – to come!
