September 2005 finalist

From the Resene/Your Home and Garden Colour Home Awards Competition - Sep 2005 finalist

Fresh new exterior colours have made this 138-year-old heritage registered home this month’s Your Home & Garden Resene Colour Home Awards winner

The renowned Nelson homestead known as Sparrow House is now an even more eye-catching talking point for locals and tourists thanks to the exterior colour palette that Angela and Steve Chase have chosen with heritage styling in mind.

Sparrow house Nelson

Angela’s inspiration initially came from the traditional dark green, yellows and reds from the Resene Heritage paint chart that has been relaunched this year, but she decided – with input from local Resene staff – to go with softer tones from other Resene palettes for a fresh twist.

Gone is the dour faded grey and yellow exterior of the old house, even if there was very little paint left to sand back. In its place is the dramatic Resene ‘Red Oxide’, Resene ‘Colonial White’ on the weatherboards and the soft green of Resene ‘Cabbage Pont’ on the sills, with white used for soffits and architraves.

Angela and Steve salvaged and rebuilt the old picket fence and gate from elsewhere on their 10-hectare property that was once the site of a historic marble quarry. They kept the aged patina of the uneven pickets, adding a cheeky touch with a lick of red paint to the gate.

Says Angela “This is a homestead, not just a house, and it’s even more of a landmark now. Everyone loves it.”