Damage to their bungalow following the Christchurch earthquakes prompted this family to reconnect with their country roots and rework a cute little cottage
A young Christchurch family find their very own country cottage
Libby Chambers, primary school teacher and artist, Aaron Chambers, aerial and fibre optic technician, Will, 5, and Lachie, 3.
Q&A
What’s next on the redecorating list?
The kitchen needs a makeover. It will be a phased project: replace the pantry and door fronts, extend the benchtop, and extend the dining area.
Is the house warm?
We will probably double glaze the south-facing windows eventually but we have a log burner with a heat transfer kit and that has been amazing.
Do you have any plans to extend the footprint of the home?
We want to continue the veranda – which currently wraps around two sides of the house – for more outdoor living. We will replicate the detail on the front so hopefully it will look as though it has always been there.
What, if any, are the limitations of your home?
Storage has been a bit of a nightmare. We sold all our wardrobes when we moved into our last home as the wardrobes were built in. I am always on the lookout for trunks, chests, boxes or suitcases that look the part and can be useful.
Libby’s top style tips
- In an old home, anything goes. You can mix and match furniture from many eras and in all sorts of styles. Hunt out old pieces and give them a new lease of life. It’s the responsible way to go, plus old things are often better crafted and made to last, and your home will not look the same as everyone else’s.
- Decorate to suit your stage in life. For us, shabby chic works well. We have kids tearing in and out of sandpits, going down their dirt mountain on bikes and scooters, so we’ve filled our home with robust things that can take the knocks without it mattering.
- If you have children, get them involved. Kids love bright colours so let them choose the paint for feature walls or pieces of furniture. The boys are right into yellow at the moment, so we have a yellow hall table, bathroom shelf and even a bright yellow laundry!
- Modify new stuff. We couldn’t find old bunks that had the storage and safety of new ones so Aaron added old rimu to the sides of the new bunks and now they don’t look like they’re from a chain store.
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Libby Chambers, primary school teacher and artist, Aaron Chambers, aerial and fibre optic technician, Will, 5, and Lachie, 3.
The earthquakes dealt a fatal blow to Libby and Aaron’s Christchurch bungalow and the couple had spent almost two years living in a new home in the suburb of Rolleston.
The Hunter Furniture suite is one of the home’s few new pieces.
The Hunter Furniture suite is one of the home’s few new pieces: “As soon as we saw it, we thought, ‘That looks like it will age well and take a real hammering.’”
The artwork above the sewing machine table is ‘Gran’s Garden’ by Libby (for more of her art, see libbychambersart.com).
The dining chairs, mostly gifted from friends, have all been given a colourful makeover.
The old kauri front door is now the back door, but Libby is not looking forward to the day a ball goes through the original leadlights.
A corner is used for shoe storage and to showcase treasures; the table was upcycled during Libby’s extensive yellow phase.
Try it: Start a ‘plate cloud’ using wire plate hangers. Libby laid hers on the floor first and took a photo then began by hanging the central plate.
Libby is an avid fossicker and collector and loves to find old treasures and give them a new lease of life and purpose, usually with a coat of colourful paint.
In the main bedroom the white dresser was found on Trade Me and upcycled with a coat of paint.
The art in the main bedroom is by Libby.
Will and Lachie sharea bedroom; Aaron customised their Harvey Norman storage bunks with rimu trim and blackboard paint.
Libby’s colourful studio is adorned with her art.
A new basin and bath (cheaper than resurfacing an old tub) blend perfectly with an old mirror unearthed in a school shed anda recycled vanity.
They repositioned the main entrance to open into the hallway not the kitchen, and totally revamped the bathroom, adding a clawfoot tub and a unique vanity made from a vintage sideboard.
The children love their new rural life, especially collecting eggs from their five hens each day. “Lachie adores his chooks and likes to carry them about and hug them, sometime a little too enthusiastically,” says Libby.
Words by: Ady Shannon. Photography by: Kate Claridge.
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