Let there be light

Photo / Supplied

The freedom to renovate your home is something of a birthright in New Zealand, but it can't be taken for granted in Britain, as Sharon Menzies and her Scottish husband Ian Morton discovered.

Before the couple settled in New Zealand, they were living in a 200-year-old converted stable in the English countryside, where they were forbidden from making major alterations. "Our last house was a Grade II listed building, so we were restricted with what we could do," says Ian, who comes from Edinburgh. "Coming to New Zealand and being able to renovate to our hearts' content has been fantastic."

The couple had been in the country barely two weeks when they found their new home, a 1920s art deco cottage at Plimmerton, near the Wellington coast. "We wanted a view, a character house, lots of space and privacy, somewhere close to the beach and a big garden, because I love gardening," says Gisborne-born Menzies.

An architect helped them turn the two-storey brick building into an open, light-filled home reflecting its seaside location. The couple also wanted to change the way the previous owners had used the home, choosing to live upstairs and move their bedroom downstairs to what had served as a large laundry and storage space. And by extending the house out, they were able to build a deck with views to Mana Island.

To create more light and space in the living room they removed a dividing wall and remodelled a former entranceway into a 3.6m-wide arched window to frame the view. The small kitchen was also enlarged by knocking out a wall.

When they ripped up the old carpets, the couple discovered matai floorboards that they then lime-washed. "The builders almost had a heart attack, but I wanted a light, beachhouse-type feel." says Menzies.

After the major structural matters were taken care of, the colour scheme received attention. "It was extremely bright in here," recalls Morton. "Not only was there yellow and green on the outside, several of the internal walls were also bright yellow.

The downstairs bathroom was bright blue and there were pink and white tiles in the kitchen." White paint was used through most of the house, although Menzies chose a patterned black and white wallpaper to replace the yellow striped paper which had previously decorated the upstairs hall.

Deer antlers add an extra element to this wall. But there was no chance of white being used in the formal dining room, which the previous owners had used as the master bedroom.

Menzies chose a rich brown wall colour and has used furniture such as her great-grandmother's piano and lampshades to create a unique space.

Style tips

Free rein: Don't let your ideas be limited by convention. Menzies and Morton converted the previously unused area downstairs into a bedroom so the upstairs living area could be expanded.

Mix and mingle: Don't restrict yourself to one theme. Most of this home has a casual, bachy feel reflecting its coastal location, but the formal dining room has a different ambience that still sits comfortably with the home as a whole.
Recycle: Using everyday objects for different purposes adds interest to a home. An old copper the couple found in the roof space now serves as a woodbox for the woodburner.