Real survivor

In the 1990s this cottage was abandoned and so run-down that the fire brigade were going to set it on fire for practise! Luckily they didn't and the Osborne family eventually bought it.

The cottage needed some serious love, so they spent three years re-flooring, landscaping, fencing, building, re-furbishing and of course painting! They went with hot rich colours to make people smile and distract them from the crookedness of the cottage and the comically out of proportion aluminium windows. They'll never forget rolling the first coat of luscious Resene Afterburner onto the cottage; it was like the whole house began grinning. They have also used the bold Resene Hero.

When they look back at the before and after photos they are pleasantly impressed with what the cottage has become. They love looking at their bright little cottage on a screaming southerly day with the dark grey sky looming behind it and the bright green flax slapping around it. The paint has stood up well considering it gets hammered directly by fierce sou'westers many days a year. The project keeps growing as they get more inspired with every little thing they do to make the cottage a bit nicer. Next they would like to build a shelter/glasshouse out of recycled wooden windows and paint a mural on a side wall, but fixing a few more patches in the floor and painting the roof takes priority first!

Exterior walls	Trims and doors
Resene Afterburner	Resene Hero

Decorating inspiration gallery
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