Tauranga painters among national winners

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Tauranga painters are among 24 commercial and residential category winners at New Zealand's premier painting awards, Master Painters Awards 2015.

Winners in the 24 commercial and residential categories included painters in Tauranga, Invercargill, Waikato, Christchurch and Gore, with multiple award wins in Central Otago.

The awards sponsored by Dulux are now in their seventh year, and were presented at a black-tie dinner and gala ceremony at the St James Theatre in Wellington on June 21.

Family-owned business Paul Schirnack Decorating Ltd was declared the overall winners for New Zealand Master Painter of the Year for its "outstanding" work on a character villa in the leafy Auckland suburb of Remuera.

The firm won five other awards across the residential sections, but Master Painters NZ CEO Brian Miller says it was the company's detailed rework of the Remuera villa that really caught the judges' eyes.

"This was one of the finest projects I've seen in my nearly 20 years in the industry. The restoration of the timber on the staircase and the general painting work was absolutely exquisite and the home owner was thrilled with the result."

Mr Miller said the residential section was particularly competitive in 2015.

"The standard has always been high but we have a seen a number of high quality new entries this year. Some categories were won by half a point."

John Bisset Ltd of Auckland picked up the Residential Master Painter of the Year Award, alongside Paul Schiranck Decorating Ltd, for its restoration project on an old Devonport homestead.

Auckland painters shone in the home renovation stakes while Wellington firms were supreme in the commercial section at the 2015 New Zealand Master Painters Awards.

A number of first-time entry applicants picked up awards, including Central Otago firms Think Painting Ltd, Wellington firm, Freear Phillip, GP Painting & Decorating Ltd and Fineline Decorator Ltd which impressed the judges with its top quality work on a Wanaka home.

In the commercial section Wellington's Freear Philip Ltd took out the small to medium new interior section, Precision Decorating Ltd the large new interior title, and Paul reddish Decorators 2009 Ltd scooped the award for best contemporary interior rework.

The painters were judged on a raft of technical factors including the degree of project difficulty, evenness of surface coatings, detail of finishing, colour phases and overlays and evidence that the contractor had taken extra care when completing the project.

Paul Reddish Decorating 2009 Ltd Wellington was awarded the Commercial Master Painter of the Year for its work on the high-profile Clyde Quay project in the capital, which Mr Miller says was executed in a challenging coastal environment.

"The technicality requirement was high and they had a very high enviro-standard to meet. Considering the size and the number of kilometres of timber they needed to stain, it was executed extraordinarily well."

In the Members Awards section, which sees Master Painter New Zealand members vote, Dulux won Product of the Year for its Wash and Wear Plus.