Photography: Helen Bankers
For online child safety advocate Holly Brooker, finding the right home for her young family felt a little like striking gold. After renting in a seaside Auckland suburb for two years while they searched for the right house, she and husband Rico, a civil engineer, finally found a character-filled two-storey, four-bedroom bungalow that answered the brief beautifully. It’s within walking distance of the beach and sits in a family‑friendly neighbourhood. The spacious backyard gives the kids plenty of room to run around. A property like this is a rare gem so close to Auckland’s CBD.
“It had potential and ticked all the boxes in terms of a young family,” Holly says.
“The large section gave our children a place to run around, room to grow and we loved the community feel.”
Although the home offers plenty of space to roam, there’s no shortage of destinations down the surrounding streets. The local park at the end of the peninsula gives the kids a playground, along with access to the nearby beach. From there, they can take in views of the city and those glowing sunsets. Here, the Brookers like to wander the beach while the kids climb the sand cliffs and hunt for crabs as the sun goes down.
Home profile
Meet and greet: Holly (online child safety advocate) and Rico Brooker (civil engineer) and their children Hudson, 14, and Billie, 10, and Sushi the cat.
The property: A four-bedroom bungalow at a seaside location close to Auckland’s CBD.
Work to do
The family home wasn’t always the welcoming haven it is today, though. When the Brookers bought the 100-year-old dwelling, they found a worn, tired home in dire need of attention. They loved the two‑storey structure and it had served them well, but they decided it was time to rework the interiors. They took on much of the revamp themselves.
“We had three days before moving in,” says Holly.
“In that time, we ripped up the old rotten carpet, sanded all the wooden floorboards and taped up all the windows before spray-painting everything white, just to make it liveable.”
Holly and Rico gradually worked on the home, replacing rotten window frames and reconfiguring the internal layout throughout. They renovated the upstairs bathroom and relined the main bedrooms, replacing the softboard over the sarking walls. They also fixed cracked ceilings and re‑roofed the house. In the kitchen, they refreshed the layout by removing a wall from the cramped space, opening it up to the dining area and the French doors leading to the courtyard. A new bathroom was installed upstairs. It replaced three side‑by‑side rooms: a bathroom, a separate toilet and a separate shower room that also housed the laundry.
“It was such a weird hodge-podge layout,” Holly says.
“I love having a dedicated laundry downstairs now.”
“Our main bedroom was originally a dining room with French doors to the existing front lounge,” Holly says.
“We turned the dining room into our bedroom as we needed a large space, so we removed the doors and closed it off. Now we have a smaller kitchen/dining and separate lounge that we like as, being a busy family, it’s nice to have the separate spaces. Downstairs, our second lounge provides a place for the kids to hang out and play with their instruments and Lego.”
The biggest transformation was the lower level. Once a bare concrete basement, it now has a lounge, bedroom, laundry, office and double garage.
“It was literally just a massive concrete room,” Holly says.
With waterproofing, lining and new joinery, it has become a versatile, much-used part of the family’s home. Builder Brendon Beattie from Origin Build came on board with the work on this downstairs space.
“Brendon was amazing,” Holly says.
“He took care to build to a high standard with his team and honour the era of the home with the lower addition.”
Scandinavian makes sense
The mismatched floorboards were painted white out of necessity, but this sparked the soft, Scandinavian aesthetic that flows through the house today. Once the carpet was pulled up, the couple painted the mismatched floorboards in Resene Sea Fog to unite the interior. It was a no-brainer to follow that with neutral walls: Resene Karen Walker Wan White was used in the main and Hudson’s bedrooms, the kitchen and lounge; Resene Quarter Periglacial Blue was used in Billie’s bedroom and the downstairs lounge and bathroom; and Resene Half Napa coats the laundry walls.
“We used Resene Silver Chalice on the exterior as we liked the idea of a coastal bungalow look and it felt classic – we didn’t want white,” Holly says.
To blend in with the calming paint palette on the floors and walls, the couple used a comforting, neutral wool loop-pile Bremworth carpet in the bedrooms and downstairs living space. Uplifting and easy touches of soft timber added to the Scandinavian aesthetic, which suits its coastal location. Tying in with the beach theme, a large photograph of Hudson and Billie playing in the ocean waves hangs on the dining room wall. The photo, taken by Sashi Hesson — a friend of Holly’s — pays homage to Hudson’s roots and the memory of a special family trip.
“Hudson was born in Western Australia and we went there on holiday just before the first lockdown. Hudson hadn’t been back since he was a baby and we wanted to show him where he lived. My friend Sashi is a photographer and she took beautiful family photos.”
What’s noticeable about this interior is how the natural light filters into each room through the expansive windows and French doors. The reworked layout creates clean, uncluttered spaces throughout the home. Each room feels easy to live in and welcoming the moment you step through the front door.
“It’s not a precious home,” Holly says.
“We want the kids running in and out, we host parties and the house needs to work hard for that. The white floors make everything feel fresh.”
Outdoor gatherings
The generous backyard was one of the key features that first appealed to Rico and Holly and still resonates with the family. The French doors in the dining room now open onto a new deck the couple installed. The change creates an easy, seamless flow to the outdoors. They removed an old pergola and grapevine that never grew edible grapes and cleared overgrown boundary plantings. They also reshaped the space into an alfresco area centred around the existing outdoor fireplace. It’s become a natural gathering spot for relaxed evening get‑togethers.
“We light it a few nights a week in the summer months. Dinner outside by the fire – it’s the best.”
Across the lawn is the former shed‑turned‑playhouse. It’s become a hub of imaginary fun for the kids, from games to messy painting sessions.
Home improvement
Holly and Rico completed most of the work themselves. They painted and reworked spaces, bringing the flooring to life. However, they knew to leave the major work for the experts. Together, their work has transformed a tired, dated bungalow into a bright, easy-living family home that speaks to what’s important in life: room to be with loved ones, space for children to play and grow together.
“We always wanted to live in this area and when we found the worst house on a great street, we just made it work.”
Home truths
What areas of your renovation did you save on? Splurge on? Spend: We chose Cavalier Bremworth wool carpet in all of the bedrooms and the downstairs living. Save: We chose a concrete-look lino in the bathroom.
Best lessons learned? I can get away with painting external walls and floors and windows, but internal walls and ceilings are not for me. The imperfections are too obvious, so I’ve had to accept getting painters in.
What would you never do again? Undertake a renovation while working and studying.
Any renovation or DIY disasters? Our basins were installed unevenly, by about 3mm. It doesn’t sound like much, but I had them removed and reinstalled to get them perfect.
What’s one thing you would change about your home if you could? I’d get consent to open up the side of the house to enlarge the kitchen and dining area. I’d also add another bathroom, plus an ensuite and a walk‑in wardrobe in the main bedroom.
Most memorable experience you’ve had in your home (good or bad)? Rico and I have spent many hours painting this house, inside and out, and generally, we’ve had a great time doing it. There’s definitely been days when we’ve been tired and crabby that I’ve said, ‘I’m so glad we’re not on The Block; we’d be the couple everyone hates.’ We loved finding 50-year-old newspapers in the basement when we were renovating. I also love lighting the fire at night and hanging out with the family, with the kids roasting marshmallows.
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