A major DIY project opened this Nelson home out to the sun and sea views

Article by Your Home and Garden

DIY and second-hand style was the name of the game for this determined couple who have created an open, sun-filled home for their family

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A major DIY project opened this Nelson home out to the sun and sea views

Sam Williams, builder at Insideout Builders, Poppy MacPhedran, hair and makeup artist at Poppy Makeup Artist and founder of online store Yukiyo Natural Beauty, Jett, 7, and Nova, 5, plus cat Shima.

Problem

The kitchen was small and dated with hardly any storage.
The small patio did not take advantage of views over Nelson and did not allow enough outdoor living space.
The bathroom was grimy and needed modernising.

Solution

An open-plan kitchen and living area was created by removing two interior walls. New cabinetry was installed to make the space more modern and functional.
A large, multi-level deck was built to replace the old patio. The wrought-iron balustrade was retained and repainted to preserve the 1950s look of the house.
The 1970s colour palette was updated and new fittings were installed to create a fresh space.

Gallery | 10 Photos
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Budget

Poppy: We spent around $50,000 but this was only because we did hundreds of hours of labour ourselves and enlisted our amazing friends and family to help us. We got great deals and shopped around a lot for kitchen appliances. It is good to have a budget and to price everything out. Also, shop around; don’t just get one quote, get multiple quotes – it makes a big difference.

Deck and landscaping – $15,000
Kitchen including appliances and insulation – $25,000
Bathroom – $10,000

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Poppy and Sam designed and built almost everything in the home they share with children Jett and Nova. Renovating is “a labour of love”, says Poppy, who can’t imagine living in a home with nothing to build, fix or perfect.

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Although the site and structure ticked their boxes, the decor left a lot to be desired. “It was yellow and purple,” laughs Poppy. “It was hideous.” She didn’t like yellow back then, she explains, but somehow ended up adding a bright yellow front door and yellow bar stools. “I absolutely love that we have bright yellow in our lives now!”

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They saved up for each stage of the renovation, keeping costs low by doing most of the work themselves with the help of some generous friends and family. The key stages were the deck and landscaping, followed by the bathroom and then the kitchen.

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The 1970s colour palette was updated and new fittings were installed to create a fresh space.

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Poppy and Sam designed a large deck to capitalise on sunshine and views over the city. A table made by Sam and repainted, child-size Cape Cod chairs complete the space.

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Crafty details are scattered throughout the home, from wall-mounted box shelves in Jett’s room to a unique entranceway display built by Sam to house some of Poppy’s treasures.

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Nova and Jett enjoy hanging out in Nova’s open wardrobe, which was designed to maximise space and storage in her room.

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Poppy says, “We absolutely love it and love our location. Even though the house is little, it’s quite nice when you’ve got little kids because they’re always close to you, so it makes it easy.”

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Renovating is “a labour of love”, says Poppy, who can’t imagine living in a home with nothing to build, fix or perfect.

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Jett chose the colour of his bedroom when he was just two. The box shelves are homemade and can be moved around to change the mood of the room.

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The colour is Dulux ‘Gonville’.

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“Most of our stuff is from Trade Me or the op-shop,” Poppy says. “That’s our style.”

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The deck Poppy and Sam built looks over the large backyard, which was levelled to create a space where Jett and Nova can play.

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At the same time the couple landscaped the backyard to make it more child-friendly, using pieces of the original patio as a barrier between the garden and driveway.