Previously inhabited by hoarders, this Wellington home was in need of makeover. Luckily colour, pattern and clever upcycling helped to bring it back to life
Meet and greet
Pip Hunter, ESOL teacher, Will Malone, builder and owner of iwillconstruct, Indy, 6, and Bella, 5, plus Marley the cat
DIY skills and a dash of colour helped to renew a drab Wellington home
Wellington-born Pip Hunter and Britt Will Malone returned to New Zealand from living on the Gold Coast after they had their first child and decided they wanted to get on the property ladder. They bought a modest do-up in Tawa, Wellington, which Will, a builder and tiler, renovated in his spare time.
Three years ago they were ready to upgrade and set their sights on a four-bedroom, 190-square-metre house in Broadmeadows, nearer to the city centre. While the location, layout, views and solid construction sealed the deal, the condition of the 1970s home wasn’t a dream come true.
“Nothing had been done to it for 45 years,” says Pip. “It was owned by a hoarder, so there was junk everywhere and it was dark, damp and absolutely freezing.”
Armed with a minuscule budget, a creative eye for upcycling and a few handy DIY skills, Pip and Will took their run down home and created a bright family haven.
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Honesty box
- Pip says: Waking up to a beautiful view, even on a rainy day, makes us feel lucky. We don’t live in an affluent suburb but we have luxury views.
- Choose the right tile the first time before they go up, as it’s too painful to change halfway through tiling. Remember, too, that tiles look different on walls to floors, but a knowledgeable tiler will help pick the right tile for the size of the room.
- Stain a deck properly the first time, with a brush.
- We are planning to double-glaze each room, when budget allows. Windows are expensive!
Pip says, “we don’t live in an affluent suburb but we have luxury views.”
A purist’s palette of white on white is accented with Scandinavian-style blond wood in the light fittings, furniture and flooring.
Windows in the kitchen were enlarged to take advantage of the jaw-dropping views of Wellington Harbour.
Indoor plants help to add texture to otherwise dead space.
A flair for upcycling, combined with some tricks of the trade, has transformed this tired Wellington house into a light, bright family haven.
With living spaces in one wing and bedrooms in the other, this house works well for a growing family.
Pip’s eclectic style and eye for a bargain are on display throughout the home, which is decorated with colourful furniture and artwork.
Concrete pendant lights contrast with whimsical colour and pattern in the couple’s bedding and wall decor.
The house is filled with pre-loved treasures.
Colour is king in Indy and Bella’s rooms, where fun textiles and bursts of blue, pink and orange provide inspiring backdrops for these budding artists.
Pip worked her magic on an old chandelier (which now hangs in Indy’s room) and an abandoned piano (now in the art room) by painting both items blue and adding some clever vintage touches.
Indy’s minimalist teepee.
Bella’s gorgeous upcycled drawers create small touches of magic.
“We relocated the bathroom to the old laundry… and turned the old bathroom into our ensuite by blocking access from the hall”
In both the family bathroom and luxurious ensuite concrete textures are offset with warm plywood and white statement tiles to create clean, calm spaces.
The theme of pattern and colour carries through to Indy and Bella’s wendy house.
Last summer, Will finished building a 40-square-metre deck at the rear of the property, neatly covering over the previously unusable, boggy garden.
Words by: Sharon Stephenson. Photography by: Nicola Edmonds.
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