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Art deco reigns supreme in this exceptional Palmerston North home

Bold colour, distinct spaces and a thrifty approach to decorating have set this exceptional 1920s Palmerston North art deco house firmly apart from the pack 

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Who lives here? 

Julie Atwell Roberts, 43 (florist), Anthony Roberts, 46 (pharmacy owner), Jackson, 17, and Julie’s mother, Joan, plus Penny the Staffy, cats Timmy, Goose and Stella, and four chickens.

The homeowner’s style secrets

  • Be prepared to stick to your guns about the things, spaces or finishes you have your heart set on. You may, of course, have to come up with more budget or resources for those non-negotiables. If something’s super important to you, then it’s worth splurging on.
  • Economise, or think outside the square, to bring other areas under budget and make up for the splurges. This could be through having ‘big box’ store items crafted to fit, by not moving plumbing and utilities or by furnishing your rooms with collected pieces from vintage stores.
  • When you renovate a space keep in mind the overall feeling of your home and pay attention to getting the details right, such as door frames, architraves, skirting boards and ceiling heights. Do you want these to be consistent throughout or do you want to create distinct zones?

Words by: Sharon Stephenson. Photography by: Nicola Edmonds.

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Julie believes the house colour, Resene ‘Parsley’, accentuates the clean lines of the art deco detailing.

Julie once painted the walls of an Irish garden centre where she was working, in a vibrant green, so she was determined to recreate the effect.

“It’s such a happy colour and makes the garden planting stand out more,” says Julie.

Gold spray paint is a favourite of Julie’s and she’s given several items a gilding so far, including the flamingo in the front garden.

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Julie chose this bold shade to complement the garden.

The white ceramic gun vase was a gift from the couple’s builder, and the yacht was made by Julie’s son at school. The clock was a wedding gift to Julie’s parents and has a very special place in her heart, she says.

“It’s so dramatic that it hits you as soon as you walk in the front door. In a practical sense, it also provides a great backdrop for the many treasures I’ve collected over the years,” says Julie of the black paint on the living room’s west wall.

The red leather chesterfield sofa in the sun room is a family heirloom and was shipped back from the UK.

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The old scales in the entrance hall were discovered in a back room at Anthony’s pharmacy.

A custom-built cabinet housing the cooktop, oven and microwave was built in the same timber at a fraction of the price Julie was quoted for a bespoke kitchen.

“I’m not a fan of big, open spaces,” says Julie. “My preference is for distinct rooms that allow each of us to have our own space.”

Being addicted to op shops and Trade Me has allowed Julie to furnish the house well within budget.

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The pendant lights hanging above the dining room table were a fortuitous find, swapped at a secondhand store for an old leather chair.

The fan was a present to Julie’s grandparents in 1956 and still earns its keep in the main bedroom.

Julie deliberately hung the botanical wallpaper opposite the bed rather than behind it, so she’d have something to look at. Six years later, she says she’s still finding interesting new details in it.

Julie made the headboard and changes the look with different fabric whenever the mood strikes.

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Moving a door and a wall by 20cm in the main bathroom enlarged the neighbouring toilet and made for a more efficient use of space.

The bathroom features a clawfoot bath Julie painted black.

Photography by Nicola Edmonds.

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