Photography by: Babiche Martens
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Meet and greet: Liam Messam (athlete development coach), Monique Corbett (clinical psychologist), and his sons Jai, 15, and Bodie, nine.
The property: Three-bedroom character bungalow in Hamilton.
After a career playing blindside flanker for the All Blacks, Liam Messam is no stranger to setting goals and coping with pressure – but even for him, 2025 has been a busy year.
Now living in Hamilton and working as an athlete development coach for the Chiefs, he has knocked it out of the park on two major goals for the year – his wedding to clinical psychologist Monique Corbett in March and a major two-stage renovation of the character bungalow they share with Liam’s sons, Jai and Bodie.
But the renovation hasn’t been a walkover. What started as a hankering for a spare bedroom for visiting whānau blew out to a major makeover, including a new bedroom, ensuite and garage wing, a total kitchen and bathroom overhaul, and transformation of the former garage into a two-bedroom sleepout.
The couple split the ambitious project into two parts – aiming to complete the sleepout, extension and kitchen before the hard deadline of their autumn wedding, then tackle the bathroom, laundry, living areas and new deck later.
“Trying to budget for the renovation and the wedding was the most stressful part,” says Liam. “There were so many invoices coming in and out.”
An eight-week delay caused by needing to move an underground pipe didn’t help, then they got a nasty surprise when they ripped up the carpet in the dining area. “We were hoping there were rimu floors underneath, like in the hallway and the bedrooms,” says Liam. “But unfortunately, it was chipboard, so we had to come up with a new plan. Luckily, I have a wonderful big sister who works at The Tile People, so we got some beautiful big tiles from them.”
With the renovation now complete, he couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. “It’s turned out really, really nice. I’m really happy and proud of what we’ve created. It’s such an awesome place to call home.”
And although the budget has come in way above the original estimate, Liam wouldn’t change a thing. “I want it to be perfect for my wife and family. It’s our home and we’re going to be here for a while.”
After six months of living in a building site, the family is enjoying the warmth and quiet that comes with having installed an energy-efficient Panasonic ducted air conditioning and heating system and replaced the draughty wooden joinery with double-glazed APL windows and doors from DuCo. “I’ve already forgotten a lot about what the place used to look like,” says Liam, “but I can remember that it was draughty and cold.”
Being on a busy road in Hamilton East, it was also loud. “When I bought the house, I came to an open day on a Sunday and it was very quiet,” says Liam. “When I moved in, I got the shock of my life. I was like, ‘What the hell’s all that noise?’ So we’re very lucky the new windows have changed that.”
He did have a few pangs of guilt about removing the original rimu joinery, including a bay window in the dining area, but he’s happy with his choice of white PVC joinery with sash bars to replicate the bungalow vibe. “I reckon it makes the whole difference,” he says. “It just keeps the old-school look.”
The family is also loving the extra space in the sophisticated, all-white kitchen, which hosts a suite of new Haier appliances, including a built-under dishwasher, built-in oven, induction cooktop, integrated rangehood and quad door fridge-freezer. “We’re pretty time-poor but we get into the kitchen as much as we can and my younger son is really into cooking and baking,” says Liam.
A new butler’s pantry hides the clutter of busy family life, leaving the stone benchtops clear and clean. “We love hosting and feeding people, so having a big new kitchen to do that in has been lovely,” says Liam.
But the most transformational change has probably been the two sets of new bifold doors along the rear wall of the house, which open the dining room and lounge to the north-facing deck, salt-water pool and garden – complete with a sauna and cute outdoor bar they’ve named The Quick Rinse Tavern.
A new doorway from the laundry also provides direct access between the pool and the bathroom. “The kids used to walk through the carpet in their wet togs, but now they can come in through the laundry,” says Liam.
The main bathroom has been completely reconfigured and redecorated, with large-format, sand-toned tiles paired with a freestanding bath and black tapware and fittings for a sharp, modern look. In a nod to the home’s bungalow heritage, the couple have repurposed one of the rimu units from the original bathroom as open shelving in their ensuite.
The high-contrast neutral-and-black colour scheme prevails throughout the home, with a clean backdrop of Resene Alabaster inside and out, complemented by black in the tapware, accessories and exterior detailing.
To move things along and help with the spiralling budget, Liam did the majority of the prep work on the outside of the house. “I’ve had an apprenticeship in painting,” he laughs. “The crew from my painting company have been great, teaching me little tips and tricks to make it easier on myself.”
Liam rates his builder for getting the mahi done around the family’s busy lives. “He loves doing old homes like this, and he’s enjoyed teaching some of his younger builders how things were built to last in the old days.
“I’ve been lucky – I’ve had great people around me. All the tradies have been really good.”
Now the house is complete, Liam’s last task is to rebuild the back deck. “Because we’ve gone way, way over budget, I’m going to have to trick my mates by inviting them over for a barbecue,” he jokes. “I’ll have the wood ready and get them to help me build it.”
Then they’ll open the shutters on the outdoor bar and pour a drink to celebrate ticking off another goal. “We can’t wait until summertime comes around so we can invite people over to enjoy it all with us.”
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