A house destined to be a rental becomes a colourful family home

Article by Your Home and Garden

What was supposed to be a renovation-turned-rental will be home for this colourful stylist and her family for a little while longer yet

A house destined to be a rental becomes a colourful family home

In 2013, Andrew and Lulu Wilcox were on the hunt for an investment property, focusing their search on the fringes of Auckland’s city centre.

A few months in, they viewed a property in Grey Lynn – a small, run-down bungalow with a large, flat, sunny back section with potential for subdivision. This immediately caught property developer Andrew’s attention (the site would eventually accommodate eight homes). For Lulu, though, the bungalow was less alluring.

She could see the potential of the section and was happy to go ahead with the purchase, but knew it would be a challenge to get the house habitable. “We would be living here for a couple of years, so I wanted to create as much space as possible without spending too much money on the interior,” she explains.

Problem

No indoor-outdoor flow.
A dark and dated interior.
The home lacked colour and texture.

Solution

Lulu and Andrew adjusted the home’s layout. The original master bedroom which overlooked the back garden has become the living room. A large rear deck was built and bifold doors installed to create a seamless flow from the living area to the outdoors.
The ceilings were raised to expose some of the original wooden trusses, and the floors throughout were painted white. The tired bathroom and kitchen were replaced.
Feature wallpaper and paint in fresh white, sophisticated pink and delicate blue have dramatically brightened the interior, while a ceiling-to-floor shelving unit filled with interesting objects and trailing plants provides plenty of interest in the living room.

Expert Q&A with Gemma Yeoman from Flora n Fauna

Why did Lulu enlist your help?
We got talking one day at an event. Lulu said she wanted to introduce living plants into her home but really needed guidance on how to keep the plants looking their best as she tended to kill them!

What were you hoping to achieve with the project?
To add plants as another layer of texture in the amazing, colourful decor that Lulu is famous for. I also wanted to help her understand what plants work where and how to look after them. I think the greenery allows the inside of the house to have a connection with the outside, and creates a feeling of freshness among Lulu’s collection of beautiful things.

What is your number-one tip for keeping indoor plants alive?
Don’t over-water. Have a watering schedule and give your plants a drink once a week at the same time, then let the soil dry out before their next drink.

Click here to view the full story on this creative and colourful home.

Words by: Annick Larkin. Photography by: Helen Bankers.

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The entry features makes a great first impression with this stunning wallpaper from Paper Room.

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The luxe master bedroom flows seamlessly off the hallway.

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Dressed in contrasting shades of blue and pink, and with Lulu’s signature layers of texture, this is an elegant and sophisticated retreat.

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Lulu enlisted the help of Gemma Yeoman from Flora N Fauna to help her add another layer of texture to her home using plants.

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The original master bedroom which overlooked the back garden has become the living room.

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As a fashion stylist, Lulu works on the theory that interiors and fashion are interconnected.

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She believes interiors and fashion both require texture, colour and coordination to create a polished and balanced look.

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Lulu loves to gather items of different shapes and sizes to generate interest in a room.

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A swing chair for the girls adds whimsy to the living room, while built-in shelving is beautiful and practical.

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Pastel tones flow into the kitchen through accessories displayed on open shelving.

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The newly installed family bathroom hasn’t escaped an injection of colour, with pink vinyl wall dots and potted greenery bringing texture and personality to the space.

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“Your home is your home so don’t stage it to appeal to others,” she says. “It absolutely needs to be comfortable, restful and functional – and, most of all, it needs to reflect the personalities of those who live there.”

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The rear deck was built and bifold doors installed to create a seamless flow from the living area to the outdoors.

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Lulu’s decorating advice is simple: don’t be afraid to express yourself.

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The rear section sees all-day sun and the extra room for the girls to play was a huge draw card for Lulu and Andrew.

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The large lawn has space for a slide, treehouse and swing.

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In Julia and Suzi-Lou’s rooms, mixing not matching was key to the rooms’ decor, as well as old mixed with new, pattern layering and, of course, loads of colour and texture.

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Lulu handmade Julia’s headboard, upholstering it with $2-a-metre fabric from Spotlight.

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“It’s not how much you spend, but how you style it that makes a space look polished,” explains Lulu.

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Lulu has combined her love of religious objects, treasures from her travels and a mix of white, bolds and pastels to create an interior that is as quirky and eclectic as it is stylish.