Sitting on the street unassumingly, this weatherboard home is filled with vintage treasures collected over a lifetime by its creative owners
Meet and greet
Christine Collaine (interior designer), Todd Brady (electrician), Henri, 18, Emma, 20, and Molly, 19.
The plain facade of this Auckland home hides a vintage inspired interior
How much did you spend on your home?
Christine: Around $150,000-$200,000. We’ve never added up what we’ve spent because that wasn’t what was important. We are really resourceful and did a lot of the work ourselves. At the end of the day, it cost what it cost to do the alterations. We had the basic design sketched out, then engaged architectural designer Jo-Anne Hitchcock who did the calculations to get that light right into the middle of the house.
What did you splurge on?
The Andy Warhol tiles that make the bathroom fun. Plus a couple of little follies such as the floating stairs, the fabulous light in the stairwell, the vintage plumbing in the ensuite. The pressed-tin wall (in the dining area) we could have done without, but then the house would have been like everyone else’s. These are the things that make a house special. Really, Todd’s folly was me! I pushed his limits, but I’d run things by him and we worked it out together and he indulged me.
What did you save on?
Our fabulous saves have been the demolition materials we used, plus our market finds and Todd’s collections – lights, cameras, timber etc. All the treasures that lay around the house just waiting to be given a new life.
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Style tips
- Be spontaneous. Try out a new wall treatment, wallpaper or paint colour. Live with it for a few weeks and if it annoys you, change it.
- If you want to do something, learn how to do it yourself. Christine learned how to wallpaper using an online instruction video. Would she do it again? “Absolutely! There’s nothing here I would not do again.”
- When redecorating, complete one room at a time to keep the task manageable. “It gives you time in between to reflect,” says Christine.
- Be yourself. Christine loved op-shop gear as a teenager and that fostered her appreciation of items with integrity. “I’m quite comfortable with old, threadbare things,” she says.
- Edit your collections with a fresh eye. Todd loves his vintage light fittings and Christine helped him pick out the best ones for their home. Rotate your arrangements for the sheer pleasure of giving something else new value.
Hunter-gatherers or hoarders and collectors? Call them what you will, this team of two have repurposed old items found in, around and under the Torbay house Todd bought 14 years ago.
The homes warm, welcoming vibe combines Christine’s creativity with Todd’s practical know-how and each room is filled with cherished found and secondhand items of beauty and integrity.
Throughout the house, a balance between old and new has been carefully struck.
Architectural designer Jo-Anne Hitchcock was called in to finesse the layout. She moved the front door and added a sunny afternoon deck that has also improved entry into the lounge.
Working with the knowledge that the sun angle varies between 30 degrees in the winter and 77 degrees in the summer, the stairwell was carefully designed for maximum benefit.
Decorating the TV room was something of a litmus test for the couple’s relationship and Christine’s Sanderson wallpaper choice has been beloved ever since.
Style it: Think about common elements, including colour tones, when combining painted and wallpapered surfaces.
“Every piece has its story. They are things that make the house authentic. It becomes special and about who you are”
Todd’s ivy covered shed.
The remaining wall was papered with pages from decades-old Popular Mechanics magazines found at the local Browns Bay market.
In the lounge at the back of Todd’s ivy-covered shed, planks of rough-sawn salvaged timber line the lean-to ceiling.
Todd’s man cave shines new light on precious objects from the past.
Todd’s man cave shines new light on precious objects from the past.
Christine and Todd have worked hard to retain the best of their home’s history while rejigging its layout to incorporate a light-filled stairwell to the new master bedroom, dressing room and ensuite.
Try it: The fine detail of a beautiful model boat is an ideal starting point for putting a display together.
Style it: Don’t disguise your shower. Give it the star treatment with stunning tapware, a towel hook and tile grouting to suit.
The soft tones of the sea come ashore in this master ensuite with a buoy Todd’s mother found years ago and nautical wall art that was once part of an old firescreen found underneath the house.
The pair still have plenty of vintage treasures hidden away.
Created by: Robyn Welsh. Photography by: Helen Bankers.
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