Devonport Exterior Painting: Restoring a 1910 Villa
Devonport exterior painting on a 1910 villa: what The House Painters did
The House Painters, a Registered Master Painters business, repainted a 1910 weatherboard villa in Devonport. The exterior was high-pressure cleaned to remove salt and chalk, the failing paint was scraped and sanded, and bare timber was primed with Resene Wood Primer. The weatherboards are finished in Resene Sonyx 101 in Periglacial Blue, with Double Alabaster trim and a Paprika red front door. The House Painters plans the next recoat in 7 to 10 years.
This Devonport exterior painting project took a 1910 weatherboard villa from faded, peeling paint to a clean, protected finish that shows off its period detail. The aim was to remove the coating failures across the whole exterior and choose a colour scheme that suits the villa’s heritage. The House Painters did all of the work, from scaffolding to final inspection.
Scaffolding up on the Devonport villa before the repaint
The finished villa: Periglacial Blue weatherboards, Double Alabaster trim, Paprika door
Devonport Exterior Painting: Before and After
Before: salt, sun and peeling paint
Before the repaint, the villa’s weatherboards carried extensive peeling paint and fading. The decorative filigree, window frames and fascia had lost their definition under the tired coating. The house sits in Devonport on the Waitematā Harbour, and years of coastal exposure had taken their toll.
After: a colour scheme that suits the villa
The weatherboards are now Periglacial Blue, a soft grey-blue. Double Alabaster picks out the trim and period detail, and the front door is Paprika red. The filigree and window frames read clearly again, and the exterior is protected for the next cycle.
Peeling paint on the fascia and eaves before the repaint
Fascia during preparation, with bare timber showing
The fascia after repainting
The Challenge
Coastal exposure
Devonport sits on the Waitematā Harbour, and its houses take salt air, strong UV and marine humidity. Those conditions break paint down faster than they do inland. The result is chalking, fading and coatings that let go of the timber.
Paint failure
The 1910 villa showed the typical signs of an old paint system on an exposed site:
- Extensive peeling paint on the weatherboards, particularly on harbour-facing elevations, where moisture had got under the old layers
- Severe fading from UV and salt, to the point where the original colour scheme could no longer be made out
- Lost detail, as the filigree, window trim and other period features disappeared under failing paint
- Weakened timber protection, because the old coating no longer kept moisture out of the weatherboards
Why painting over it would fail again
The coating had broken down across the whole exterior. A fresh coat over peeling paint would trap salt and moisture underneath and let go again, so the failing paint had to come off first.
That meant full preparation on every surface, then a Resene paint system suited to a coastal site. A cosmetic repaint would not have lasted.
Project Overview
Project Type: Villa exterior house painting
Location: Devonport, Auckland
Property Style: Weatherboard timber villa (1910)
Scope of Work:
- Exterior timber weatherboards
- Windows, doors and exterior joinery
- Fascia and soffits
- Decorative filigree and period features
- Front deck and balustrades
- Full exterior colour refresh with a colour scheme that suits the villa
Project Results
Completed Outcomes:
- Approx. 140 m² total exterior area painted
- 12 windows
- 1 front door, changed to Paprika red
- Front deck and balustrades
- Decorative filigree and architectural detailing
- Full surface preparation, including house wash, scraping, sanding and filling
- Failing paint removed and replaced with a Resene exterior paint system
- Client satisfaction: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Front door during preparation, with filler and primer on the panels
The front door after repainting in Paprika red
The 5 Steps Behind This Devonport Exterior Painting
Assessment
The House Painters inspected the whole exterior for paint breakdown, timber condition and whether the old paint would take a new system. Peeling, fading and salt build-up were checked on every surface, with extra attention on the harbour-facing sides and the places moisture gets in: window frames, door jambs and the edges of the weatherboards.
Conclusion: The old coating had to come off. Nothing less would give a lasting result on an exposed Devonport house.
Porch and filigree at the assessment stage, before preparation began
Preparation
Preparation aimed for a clean, sound surface that a new paint system could hold onto.
Scaffolding
Scaffolding went up around the whole villa for safe access to the weatherboards, fascia and filigree.
House wash
High-pressure cleaning removed salt, chalk and surface dirt. The harbour-facing sides got extra wash cycles.
Property protection
Plantings, decking, paths and boundaries were covered with drop sheets and masking.
Scraping and sanding
All peeling and failing paint was scraped back to sound surface across the exterior. The weatherboards, window frames, door joinery and filigree were then sanded so the primer would key in. Window sills, corner junctions and horizontal surfaces, where water and salt collect, got extra time.
Peeling paint on the filigree before stripping and sanding
Priming & Filling
Timber primer
Bare timber and prepared weatherboards were sealed with Resene Wood Primer, an oil-modified alkyd primer that penetrates timber well. It seals bare timber, blocks tannin bleed and gives the topcoat an even base.
Filling and sanding
Nail holes, joinery gaps and weatherboard joints were filled with exterior-grade filler, then sanded flush. Window frames and decorative trim got particular attention for crisp paint lines.
Spot priming
Filled areas were spot-primed so the surface had even absorbency before the topcoat went on.
The front door after filling and priming, ready for topcoat
Topcoat Application
Resene Sonyx 101 went on the weatherboards. Resene Lustacryl, a semi-gloss enamel, went on the windows and the front door. Double Alabaster trim against the Periglacial Blue weatherboards gives the villa’s detail plenty of contrast.
The front door with its Paprika topcoat
Final Detailing
Final inspection
Every painted surface was checked for missed areas, runs, masking lines and finish consistency. The filigree and window trim got the closest look, since they carry the villa’s period detail.
Site clean
Scaffolding came down, drop sheets were collected and the site was left clean.
Next recoat
The House Painters plans the next recoat 7 to 10 years after the job. The actual interval depends on exposure, the paint system and upkeep.
The finished Devonport villa exterior
Products Used
Fascia, Soffits, Weatherboards & Filigree
Product: Resene Sonyx 101
Benefits: Acrylic exterior paint for exposed coastal sites. Resists salt air and UV, with a flexible film that moves with the timber.
Learn more: Resene Sonyx 101
Windows
Product: Resene Lustacryl
Benefits: Semi-gloss enamel finish that resists moisture on windows and doors. Non-yellowing and chip-resistant.
Learn more: Resene Lustacryl
Deck
Product: Resene Walk-On
Benefits: Resene Walk-On is based on tough acrylic resins to give maximum abrasion resistance in a single pack satin finish. The surface finish of Resene Walk-on is designed to reduce the hazard of slipping.
Learn more: Resene Walk-On
Periglacial Blue
Area Used: Weatherboards
Product: Resene Sonyx 101
Code: [#ACB6B2]
[View on Resene Website →]
Why chosen: A soft grey-blue that suits Devonport’s harbour setting and stays neutral enough to sit well with the villa’s heritage character. It works in both strong harbour light and overcast conditions.
Double Alabaster
Area Used: Fascia, soffits, handrails, pergola, windows
Product: Resene Sonyx 101 & Resene Lustacryl®
Code: [#F4F3EF]
[View on Resene Website →]
Why chosen: A warm, creamy white that gives crisp contrast against Periglacial Blue without the harshness of pure white in coastal light. It brings back the definition of the filigree, window frames and fascia that the old coating had lost.
Paprika
Area Used: Front Door
Product: Resene Lustacryl®
Code: [#7C2D37]
[View on Resene Website →]
Why chosen: A deep red that makes the front door the focal point. It suits the blue-grey weatherboards and warm white trim.
1/4 New Denim Blue
Area Used: Deck
Product: Resene Walk-On
Code: [#65717B]
[View on Resene Website →]
Why chosen: A deeper blue-grey that grounds the colour scheme and hides foot traffic on the deck. It sits comfortably with the weatherboard colour.
The Result
This Devonport exterior painting job took a tired, faded villa to a clean, protected exterior with a colour scheme that suits its 1910 character: Periglacial Blue weatherboards, Double Alabaster trim and a Paprika red door.
The House Painters removed the failing paint instead of painting over it, then finished the job with a Resene exterior system chosen for a salt-exposed site. The next recoat is planned for 7 to 10 years out, depending on exposure and upkeep.
Registered Master Painters with 25+ years of experience did the work. The House Painters received a Master Painters Gold Award in 2021 for a heritage home restoration in Takapuna.
Frequently Asked Questions
Service area
The House Painters handles Devonport exterior painting and villa restoration across Auckland’s North Shore, including Takapuna, Bayswater, Birkenhead, Northcote, Hauraki Corner, Belmont and Narrow Neck.
Service areas: Devonport, Takapuna, Bayswater, Birkenhead, Northcote, Hauraki Corner, Belmont, Narrow Neck
Get a Free Quote for Your Devonport Villa
The House Painters gives fixed-price, itemised quotes. Call 022 657 3215 or ask for a free quote to talk through your villa.
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