Out of the box

Finalist 2 – Colour Home Awards Competition

A colourful Nelson home stands out on a character-filled street.

When Bonnie Slade and Jason Callister moved into their “1980s fibre cement board box” home on a heritage street in Nelson, they knew they couldn’t match the character features of the other homes in their neighbourhood. “So, we went with an architecturally designed ‘complete opposite’ to fit in by being so different,” says Bonnie.

A bright and colourful home interior

A bright and colourful floating staircase

Homeowners Bonnie Slade, Jason Callister and daughter Willa on their bright and colourful floating staircase.

That decision led to a bold, brilliant renovation of fearlessness that “extended to the inside where we have used a lot of colour to add personality”. Using a mix of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss, the couple set about transforming their home, with the help of Jason’s company, Callister Builders.

In the living room, the floorboards are painted in Resene Spinnaker with Resene Aquamarine used as a green feature wall, adding brightness and warmth to the home. In the bathroom, a custom vanity in Resene Hive acts as a playful burst of yellow next to the concrete top and was also used on the back door. The white walls throughout the home are painted Resene Sea Fog.

Home exterior painted with Chalkboard paint

Vibrant yellow cabinetry features in this bathroom

But the piece de resistance belongs to the floating staircase painted in Resene Spinnaker and balustrade in Resene Foundry, which pairs perfectly with a Sara Hughes installation that covers the two-storey walls and huge picture window. “It was designed for this space.” The colours complement the blue floating staircase and custom-made black balustrade. On the exterior, Resene Foundry is perfectly placed on the bottom half of the building. Colourful chalk illustrations by their children, Willa and Finn, adorn the black paint.

The Nelson family love relaxing in their colourful abode. “We’re very comfortable in our home and it gets well used with our two school-aged kids, two cats and busy life with family and friends.”