Initial alteration plans for Clare and Scott Walklin’s 1950s bungalow in Somerfield, Christchurch were fairly modest. They certainly didn’t predict ending up with a full renovation, but that’s how these things invariably go.
Kate Claridge/NZ House & Garden
The Walklins like their accessories big and bold – the clock has been a feature since they moved in, and the street-name artwork is a nod to the places they’ve lived.
Their most pressing need was for more space, which they thought would be resolved by a bathroom extension and a garage with a room above it. Then a builder friend suggested the house had much more potential than that. Enough said.
The pressures of owning a successful signage and branding business in the CBD, as well as bringing up two young boys, Riley and Cooper, had left the Walklins little time to question whether their home environment was working for them.
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“Though once we’d had that initial conversation we realised it could do with bringing up to date,” says Clare. Moving wasn’t an option: the drive to work is just six minutes, the neighbours have become great friends, and they enjoy the area and the casual, friendly community vibe.
Having creative minds and a good grasp of space, Clare and Scott weren’t short of ideas. In fact, they came thick and fast. Advances in design and technology have made today’s homes infinitely more practical to live in than they were 70 years ago when the house was built. The trick was to retain some of its character, but make it far more functional.
Kate Claridge/NZ House & Garden
Like the kitchen island bench, the dining room table is made to welcome guests – and often; it’s from Java Furniture & Giftware while the chairs are from Freedom; Clare was keen to include the barn door (there’s another one leading to the laundry); its industrial look contrasts with the gauzy curtains.
It wasn’t an easy project, however, and the whole design process took two years, with the Walklins and their builder mulling over possibilities and going back to the drawing board more than once. “The section is angular, and the house has quirky lines so decisions were challenging,” says Scott. “You wouldn’t build it today, but we just had to work with what we had.”
The couple’s brief to interior designer Anna Dick was “contemporary chic industrial for family living and entertaining”. But there was a budget to keep. “We don’t have expensive tastes,” says Scott, “but we do know what we like.” He particularly wanted to keep to the footprint of the original house.
It became clear however that they’d have to be flexible. “Nevertheless I can still feel exactly where the original house is. We’ve kind of wrapped the new house around the old one, which I think is quite cool,” says Scott.
The main bedroom, for instance, is where it always was, with the spa pool outside next to the large deck. Similarly, the front door is in the same position and the original sitting room is still at the front of the house, virtually unchanged, apart from the addition of some dramatic paint. “It has a slightly different use now as a TV and media room,” explains Scott.
“The boys spend a lot of time in there with their games, and it’s a great place to watch a movie together. As it’s very close to the kitchen and dining area, we can have friends over for dinner and the boys can have their own cave, too.”
Good resources and features were retained where possible. The original floorboards from the hallway were reconditioned and creatively repurposed around the house.
New insulation, double-glazing and underfloor heating keep the open-plan living space warm – even with its high ceiling – and there’s a log-burner just for ambience when it’s miserable outside.
The new sitting room (“such a sun-trap”, says Clare) has huge ranch-sliders which run its full length and open to the deck.
“We love that the kitchen’s central island is on wheels so it can be moved to wherever we like,” enthuses Clare.
The Walklins’ home has always been a sociable place. “We love having people round, so now that we’ve more than doubled the footprint of the house, we can have a good number here and it doesn’t feel overwhelming. We load the island with delicious food, people get stuck in, and the party just takes care of itself,” says Clare.
True to their creative personalities, Clare and Scott have built in a couple of inventive surprises: a door in the living area, hidden by the dramatic full-length curtains, reveals a room with a pool table. And from there, yet another secret door takes you through a passage leading into the back of an original cupboard in the interior hallway and bedroom area, where Riley and Cooper each have their own bedrooms. There’s a guest room too, so their space issue has been fully resolved.
“We wanted this house to be a reflection of us,” says Clare. “And, the day we moved in, a great friend came round and exclaimed: ‘This is SO you and Scott!’ That’s all we needed to hear. Job done.” ■
Stuff
September 21, 2020
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Christchurch reno goes from simple to super sophisticated - Stuff.co.nz
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