A cherished family home for three generations, these homeowners managed to pull of a sympathetic, modern update. Here’s what they learnt whilst renovating
Meet + greet
Michelle Wilson, 46 (part-time accounts manager), and Brent Smith, 48 (sales manager), plus Monty the cavoodle.
Michelle & Brent’s top tips for renovating
Wait and live in the space before you renovate.
Measure each space and the furniture you want to fit into it – we made changes after doing this.
Be flexible. We had to make a few changes along the way.
Have a great builder.
Be confident in your choices.
Honesty box
Best lesson learned? Wait and plan.
What would you never do again? A renovation in winter!
Most memorable experience in your home so far? Cooking in our kitchen wearing puffer jackets and hats with only a tarpaulin covering the removed wall.
Budget
How much did the renovation cost? About $220,000.
What did you splurge on? We splurged in the kitchen with our white stone benchtops.
Where did you save money? We reused the existing doors downstairs.
How did you manage your budget? We had an idea of what it would cost. We were pretty conservative with our choices so there was no budget blowout. We got what we wanted.
See more of the Christchurch home below
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The renovation included adding a skylight in the kitchen – “It has made a huge difference,” says Michelle. Laminate flooring (Quick-Step Largo in Long Island oak light) was chosen for its fresh look and scratch-resistance – “which is good when you have a dog who likes to run through”.
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Michelle’s love of black and white extends throughout most of her home – as does her love of a bargain find. The sofa and dining chairs from Freedom are teamed with a secondhand table and shelving unit simply painted white.
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The black lamp and round mirror are from Kmart.
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The black butterfly chair is from Container Door.
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The front living room is painted in Dulux Franz Josef; the white locker is from IKEA.
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Grey bedlinen from Nest and a cushion from Penney + Bennett are paired with more of Michelle’s handiwork: she removed the top of this side table from The Warehouse and replaced it with a floor tile.
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The white locker is from Kmart.
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The black and white artwork in the study is a Michelle Wilson original.
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Vanity from Plumbing World. Wall painted in Resene Blackjack.
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The Juliet balcony in the new upper storey looks out to the Port Hills and over the garden where a double-width path gives a lovely, spacious feel. “Everyone likes that we kept the house in the family. It’s a big section and it’s nice that the house wasn’t knocked down and replaced with three townhouses,” says Michelle.
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Floor plan.
Suppliers
Flooring Quick-Step Largo laminate in Long Island from Flooring Xtra
Carpet Feltex Okiwi Bay carpet in coal mine from Carpet Plus
Skylights Velux
Black sliding doors to the deck Canterbury Aluminium,
Words by: Monique Balvert-O’Connor. Photography by: Kate Claridge.
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