Charming Character Home

She’s just waiting on her new fence, but isn’t she looking a lot more fresh than the old tired gal she was! Restoring an older home is not for the faint of heart. It doesn’t just require skilled tradespeople, it requires passion and stamina something my lovely clients had in spades.

This bathroom was one of those rooms that came out exactly as I envisioned it. My client was brave enough to let me run their floor tile up the back wall to make this small space feel much larger than it is and draw you into the room. I stopped these tiles deliberately at 2.7m so that the tile didn’t align with the window fram which would have created a straight cut off line across the room.

Curves are featured throughout the home all centred off a curved archway that was an original feature of the home. We’ve ecchoed these curved in this space with the arch tiles from Tile Haus, the curved recessed mirror from The Custom Creative and the arch of the shower glass. The basin adds a beautiful pop of colour to contrast the sage of the tiles and the brushed brass tapware brings warmth alongside the beautiful timber vanity from Primo Bathroomware.

Adding wainscotting was another way to restore some charm and elevate what could have been a simple boring hallway. As a homeowner it can be so scary to see your home gutted esp when it’s old and you feel like you’re loosing all of the character. So when you see it all put back together, with those stately architraves and dado restored, it just feels magic.

We also introduced it to the back wall of the master bedroom. All of the bedrooms in this house are what I call cosy, and these isn’t a distinct size difference between this room and the two kids bedrooms. Adding wainscotting to the back wall instantly makes this room feel grand, elevating it above the other bedrooms.

Update! I finally managed to get down to Invercargill and see this beautiful home in person! Have a flick through the gallery below to see her for yourself.

If you’re interested in working with me on your new build or reno but aren’t based in New Plymouth never fear, with the wonders of modern technology I’m able to work remotely with clients all around New Zealand.

To see the paint colours check out this feature of the villa from the lovely team at Habitat by Resene!