2007 December finalist

From the Resene/Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards Competition - Dec 2007 finalist

When the couple came across an ex-rental in “appalling condition”, their DIY skills kicked in, and they began its transformation.

After selling their beloved family home, Warren and Michelle Nolan couldn’t imagine finding anything that would come close to replacing it. But when the couple came across an ex-rental in “appalling condition”, their DIY skills kicked in, and they began its transformation. The first port of call was Resene for a can of Resene Pohutukawa, a rich red that the family painted onto a section of fence outside their living area. “We didn’t want to see brown when we looked out the window,” says Michelle.

Left: The living and dining areas, with the Anna D chair sitting next to the Resene Oilskin feature wall it inspired. Splashes of red in accessories match the Resene Pohutukawa fence outside.

Dining and exterior
Right: The home after its much needed new coat of paint. Center: Michelle and Makenna in the sun.

Next, with paint peeling off the exterior, Michelle and Warren set about finding a colour for the outside. They drove around nearby suburbs knocking on doors and buying endless test pots, until a neighbour proposed the perfect colours, Resene Friar Grey for the feature weatherboards and Resene Cloud as the main house colour. The house was then painted using two coats of Resene X-200 acrylic waterproofing membrane.

With the exterior done, it was time to go inside. Resene Sea Fog was the base colour, and Michelle matched a feature wall of Resene Oilskin to her Anna D chair. Next on the painting plan is pink for daughters Libby and Makenna’s room and red for the master bedroom. “The house was a complete tip when we bought it,” says Michelle, “but we really like it now.”

Tip

Ever thought twice about painting a house a sleek, dark colour in case the building got unbearably hot? Try Resene Cool Colour, paints that can be used on all sorts of exterior materials and applications, from weatherboards and concrete to windowsills. A Resene Cool Colour looks the same as normal, but is designed to reflect the sun’s energy, keeping the paint, substrate and building cooler. Available from Resene ColorShops nationwide.