Inside a chic New Plymouth home filled with stylish bargain buys

Article by Your Home and Garden

A nose for a good deal combined with DIY skills has given this couple’s New Plymouth new-build plenty of soul — without breaking the bank

Meet + greet

Jane Murray, 37 (stay-at-home mum), Marc Murray, 37 (engineer), Arlo, 6, and Herbie, 3, plus Buddy the Labrador.

If there were a crown for New Zealand’s Best Bargain Hunter, it would belong on Jane Murray’s head. Not only is this stay-at-home mum an expert at upcycling and recycling, she’s also got a knack for finding super-stylish items on sale.

It’s a skill that came in handy when Jane and husband Marc built their house in Whalers Gate, a new subdivision in New Plymouth. “When you’re on a limited budget, you have to get clever about doing things,” says Jane

Gallery | 11 Photos
Read more about this home here

Honesty box

Best lessons learned? Jane: Stay on top of the budget (and your building team) to make sure you’re on track with finances and the time frame.

What would you never do again? I wouldn’t install heated towel rails. They’re not something we ever use and we really only put them in for resale value. If I did it again, I’d use the towel holders from Made of Tomorrow.

Any DIY disasters? To save money we chose not to install a wire wardrobe system in our wardrobes as I’m not a huge fan. Instead, we hung IKEA rails, most of which have stayed up, but the ones in our bedroom fell down, leaving big holes in the wall which now needs re-plasterboarding. For now, I’ve ‘installed’ a floral arrangement in the wall. In hindsight, we should have gone with what we are currently using: IKEA floor racks.

Anything else you’d change about your house if you could? The kitchen splashback. Initially, we used smaller, whiter square tiles but, once they were in place, they showed up major defects and cracks so I had to quickly choose another tile. Because the new tiles were much greyer I changed the grout to a light grey, rather than the black I wanted. It’s a small thing but it always annoys me.

Most memorable experience in your home so far? Moving-in day. We feel so lucky to have been able to design and build a home for ourselves and our family.

Shopping

Jane: We rented while the house was being built and, in those months, I sold most of our old furniture and started buying new items. When it came time to move in, unpacking it all felt like Christmas.

Spend

Land purchase $195,000
Build contract $378,000 including blinds and partial landscaping (we spent $14,000 on landscaping but it wasn’t enough to finish it).
Total $573,000

See more of the New Plymouth home’s interior style below

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This homeowner had always dreamed of a statement front door but when she was quoted $2000 for a powder-coated pink front door, she took the plain aluminium door to a local panelbeater who spray-painted it for $500.

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Bespoke touches to this inexpensive kitchen have given it a subtle heritage feel. The pendants were a steal at just $40 each and are cleverly echoed in the glassware on the bench, while the barn door in muddy green was made by the builders to Jane’s specifications.

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The chunky Prime laminate benchtops (from Kitchen Designz) have an exposed birch ply edge which links in with other wooden details such as the stools bought for just $15 each at The Warehouse. “I talked them down from $25 as they had a few scuffs,” says Jane.

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Jane’s styling has added a layer of country character to the brand-new house. Her home-dried flowers feature in vignettes around the home and even the kitchen peg rack is a nostalgic treat.

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The headboard was spotted at The Importer in Mount Maunganui and the bedside tables were on clearance for $69 each at Wallace Cotton (“When they arrived the stain was a bit orange for my liking so I stripped them back and left them natural,” says Jane).

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The decoration in the master bedroom is simple yet thoughtfully done. The cane headboard ties in with the Olli Ella mini hampers (“borrowed” from the kids and used to hide charger cords), woven pendant and easy chair.