Fun fact - the blue on the outside of the Whitestone Cheese Diner & Deli is colour-matched to the company’s famous Windsor Blue cheese mould.

Attention to detail like this helped Annabel Berry secure two trophies at the national 2024/25 Resene Total Colour Awards held in Auckland earlier this month.

Annabel Berry Creative Co won the Commercial Exterior Colour Maestro Award and the Commercial Interior Public and Retail Space Award for her work on the diner, which opened in December 2023. 

“I'm proud to get this because . . . I definitely threw my heart and soul into it. It was a massive undertaking,” Annabel says.

Whitestone Cheese is co-owned by Annabel and her husband Simon. The couple continue to build on the business which was founded by Simon’s parents Bob and Sue Berry in 1987 as a way of diversifying their farming operation.

“Being the family business as well added that additional pressure, but good pressure,” Annabel says. “It was nice to work with the family to do something new, and they were just so great at giving me a real broad scope.”

The awards judges' comments describe the diner as “irresistibly charming”.

“The fun, playful and nostalgic colour palette draws you in with a sense of anticipation about what lies within.”

It puts a “refreshing spin” on vintage-inspired hues.

“An exemplary showcase of the power of colour that has turned an overlooked building into a must-visit landmark,” the judges say.

Annabel says she chose the exterior blue - Lynchpin, through Resene’s colour-palette generator.

“So I took a photo of the veining in the Windsor Blue and then put it into the colour-palette generator and it produced a whole list of like 40 different blues . . . and I reviewed those blues and sort of tried to colour match it to the best blue.”

The orange-based colours inside and out were inspired by Sue Berry’s love of sunsets, Annabel says. She dedicated her awards on the night to her mother-in-law.

The blue on the exterior of the building was colour-matched with Whitestone's famous Windsor Blue cheese. Photo: Supplied/Facebook

The interior of the building is praised by judges as a “cosy, welcoming space” which perfectly balances modern aesthetics and timeless charm.

“This interior blends retro with contemporary features, paying homage to nostalgic memories.”

They commend the “painstaking care and attention to detail”.

“No surface has been overlooked . . . The colour use is simply captivating.” 

Annabel says her goal in reviving the Art Deco building, formerly a red brick cafe and hotel, was to ensure it stood out. 

“It had to be that beacon when people were driving past . . . so people could see it from a distance.”

She said the success of the year-long renovation, inside and out, was due to the quality of local tradespeople.

“The people we worked with, none of this would have happened without them. They went above and beyond to get this project done as fast as possible . . . which shows that you can do something that's nationally competitive using local people, and it doesn't matter where you're based, you can actually achieve a world-class finish with the tradespeople that we have. So, I'm incredibly proud of them and all their work.”

Darryn Stewart Painters and Decorators were behind the painting and Annabel says the team is amazing.

“Because clearly this is not a standard project.”

Colour-matching everything was a focus of the interior design, Annabel says. Photo: Supplied/Facebook

Annabel says she was particularly thrilled with the interior award. 

“The one thing they focused on was the fact that we had colour-matched everything.”

“Just every inch of this place was considered from a colour perspective,” she says. “Which the judges picked up on, so it's just having that harmonious tone throughout.”

Although she has closed her mainstreet store, Annabel continues to work on commercial design projects from home.

“There are other residential designers in town and my focus is purely on commercial, because I can bring that branding, marketing and business experience alongside the interior design, and that is where I am at my best, is when I can not only help them with their interior, but also assist with developing their business and getting it to the next level.”

Many commercial clients who want an interior designer know where they want their business to be, but are not sure how to get there, she says.

“So they're kind of just looking for that advice and guidance on how to make a space feel how they want it to feel. 

“A lot of businesses are like, 'why isn't my business working? What's not happening here?' The mood or the feel or the vibe's not right, but interiors can dramatically change that, and that's what I love doing, is looking from an outside perspective at someone's business and just standing beside them and helping them through that process.”

Annabel’s recognition shows “North Otago people can achieve at a high level”, she says.

“I just want to encourage others to keep pushing.”