Home Tours

Pink decor was like the icing on the cake for this creative Auckland home

Discover how full-blown florals, fun-loving pink outbursts and decorative skulls were the icing for this creative Auckland home

Meet and greet

Trudy Nicholls, caker and co-owner of Cherry Cake Company, Alaric Nicholls, 42 teacher, Reon, 9, and Parker, 6, plus Cocoa the chihuahua.

Pink decor was like the icing on the cake for this creative Auckland home

Best lesson learned? 
Stick to your own style and embrace it. I love admiring other homes and sometimes get caught up in coveting what they have. But at the end of the day, within our budget, we have made a home that we love and that our family and friends feel welcome in.

What would you never do again? 
Tile the bathroom walls – some have cracked over time and it bugs me every time I’m in there.

One thing you’d change if you could? 
More space and better flow from the deck to the garden.

Best memory in your home so far?
The boys chasing each other round and round the kitchen island in the nudie rudie after their baths!

Budget 

What did you spend on your reno in total? 
Around $100K all up over a few years.

What did you splurge or save on?
We saved by buying things secondhand (thanks Junk & Disorderly and the Birkenhead Sallies!) and having wonderful artistic friends and family who provided decor and art. We chose cheaper decor options for the kids’ rooms and kitchen units from PlaceMakers. We splurged on amazing tradies (worth every cent), a high-end oven and appliances, replacing the dining-room floor with recycled rimu, and fixtures like bifolds and lights.

How did your budget compare to your actual spend? 
We stuck within our budget as we assessed it constantly and made decisions (like sourcing our own kitchen handles) to cut costs where needed.

Words by: Annick Larkin. Photography by: Emma MacDonald.

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