Meet the Team: Rachael Devine, Resene New South Wales State Manager

08 Nov 2022

What do you at Resene?

I am the New South Wales State Manager of Resene based in Sydney where we have two Resene ColorShop stores and an awesome passionate team. My role encompasses many things including colour advice, specifier and applicator support and consultation. I’ve now been with Resene for 16 years and no two days are the same which always makes it interesting. The best part of my role is I get to meet so many diverse clients. I love helping clients fall in love with our range. Watching our brand become so embraced by our Sydney clients is such wonderful motivation.

The Waterview Workshops are one of Rachael’s favourite projects. The heritage buildings are brought to life with Resene Awol,  Resene Clockwork Orange, Resene Biscay,  Resene Silver Aluminium, Resene Galliano and Resene White trims.

What is one of your favourite projects using Resene products?

Definitely a fabulous project for me is one of the most vibrant and inspiring projects called Waterview Wharf Workshop. This project won a Resene Total Colour Master Nightingale Award and Resene Total Colour Commercial Exterior Award. The Workshops boldly line the waterfront at Balmain in Sydney and are such a happy and joyful example of our gorgeous colours and products.

Eight years on, the quality and colour stability and integrity of our Resene Hi-Glo waterborne gloss paint still looks impressive which is outstanding in such an exposed seaside environment.

The Workshops have become an iconic architectural drawcard that can be seen from great distances across Sydney due to their colour intensity and composition. When you see them you can’t help but smile the colours are so joyous.  The project came about when our client David Ashton approached us wanting to transform the buildings in a way that was bold and had gusto. He loves to experiment trying many different samples to get just the right colour and thinks of each building as a large canvas. His courage and process has definitely been an inspiration for me.

The colour scheme of the Waterview Wharf Workshop has become an icon in Sydney. The Workshops are painted in Resene Biscay (stormy blue), Resene Clockwork Orange (bold orange), Resene Awol (willow green), Resene Silver Aluminium (sliver metallic), Resene Galliano (sweet yellow) and Resene White trims.

What is your biggest design or product tip?

My biggest design tip would be never compromise on quality especially with paint.

Resene is about providing products that will last and perform as they are designed to do.

The painting scope seems to always be the one trade that is compromised, substituted or downgraded when funds run dry towards the end of a project yet paint coatings are one of the most important product choices of a design and build to provide protection and longevity. They usually cover the most surface area they deserve to be the hero too!

The use of quality products and professional applicators who won’t substitute on quality or colour paramount. We see many unhappy clients who have been pressured perhaps by the builder or a non Resene decorator to apply a substitute for our beautiful colour ranges into another paint. But the colours and quality will never be the same and you will end up repainting a lot sooner then you had hoped. This is a costly mistake.

What are your favourite Resene colours? 

Gosh there are too many to list! Of course, I love Resene Black White, Resene Alabaster and Resene Sea Fog - you can’t go wrong with these beautiful whites, they are timeless and sophisticated. Resene Truffle and Resene Pravda would have to be my favourite mid tones greys with warm mushroom undertones these are simply gorgeous for exteriors. For charcoals it’s a classic from the Karen Walker Range: Resene Fuscous Grey and paired with Resene Foggy Grey. For some colour I really love to recommend so many options from the Karen Walker Paints collection - this palette is so easy to work with especially Resene Beryl Green, Resene Washed Green and Resene Periglacial Blue. For a delicious dusky pink Resene Blanched Pink is so pretty!

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

Sydney has so many things to do, we are so blessed to live in a city with so many beautiful beaches.

I love to travel two hours South to Kiama a lovely seaside town and spend time with family.  There are also so many beaches and walking tracks. I also love to decompress and chill I tend to keep things really simple as the weekends are always way too short, right? Big walks and paddleboarding are some of my favourite things and I love anything that gets me out in the sunshine fills up my cup.

If you’re in NSW, get in touch with Rachael: rachaeld@resene.com.au

Or meet the Resene specifier team in your region: www.resene.com/meet-the-team.

Published: 08 Nov 2022