Living the dream retirement life
After a bold reno created their dream home in Sumner, Darrell and Lee Latham set to work transforming the garden. Kim Newth reports.
Darrell and Lee Latham were living and working in Dunedin at the time of the Canterbury earthquakes. In spite of the upheavals, their dream was to retire to Sumner.
Friends told them they’d be crazy to move to Christchurch. Instead, they went ahead with an ambitious home renovation.
Remember what Sumner was like after the earthquakes with its broken roads and utilities, roadside shipping containers, and cracked homes and businesses? No wonder Darrell and Lee’s Otago friends warned them not to make a future there.
Yet, move there they did, back to a house they’d bought in 1991 but had only lived in for nine months before being lured away by work, first to Alexandra for
15 years, then to Dunedin.
The 1978 house, which had been a rental, required months of repair and renovation to bring it up to scratch for the couple’s retirement. Their renovation was one of the first to get under way in Sumner after the earthquakes.
‘‘My colleagues at the University of Otago couldn’t understand why we’d want to go back to Christchurch; they basically said ‘you’re nuts’ but both of us were really keen to make a contribution to Christchurch,’’ Darrell says.
They chose Sumner as it holds special memories for them, and they say the surrounding hills also evoke the landscape of Central Otago. Long before the earthquakes, Darrell had worked in Sumner as a teacher and the couple’s three adult daughters started their schooling there.
‘‘There’s really no place like home – we have very strong ties to this area,’’ says Lee.
Their home renovation, designed by Vincent Sanders of Bespoke Architecture, harmoniously blends original
1970s style with the needs of modern living.
The exterior was re-clad in tasteful western red cedar, and a frameless glass balcony was added to the upstairs bedrooms. Rimu beams and ceilings were retained in the downstairs sitting room and study, complementing a contemporary new open-plan kitchen, dining and living extension.
The entrance foyer was expanded and an adjacent area closed off to create the master bedroom, with the former kitchen converted into a downstairs bathroom.
John Garlick Builders completed the work in 2013-14 while Darrell and Lee shuttled to and from Dunedin and Christchurch.
‘‘I remember it was like driving to a ghost town – everyone else seemed to be going the other way,’’ Lee says.
They finally retired to Sumner in July 2015, then spent nine months landscaping and developing the garden, guided by a concept plan by Erik Ellis. The shape of the section changed, with a level north-facing outdoor dining area having to be dug out.
Darrell brushed off 5th form woodwork skills and consulted Dr Google to build timber retaining walls and steps to a backyard seating area with a vegetable garden and fruit trees.
Prominent garden plants include colourful canna lilies interspersed with camellias and magnolia ‘Genie’.
The main border is softened with blue Felicia daisies and Hostas. Hebe Black Panther is another garden star. Prunus Shirotae (Mt Fuji Cherry) will eventually grow to shade the outdoor dining area.
‘‘It’s a spring, summer and autumn garden, but come July things are closing down until everything takes off again,’’ Darrell says.
This year, a hedge on one side of the house has been replaced by fencing in an area where the couple plan to grow grapes and raspberries.
Five years on from their big move, the Lathams have absolutely no regrets and both are actively involved in their local community. Darrell is a member of the local community board, while Lee volunteers at the Nurse Maude Hospice.
‘‘We’re thrilled at Sumner’s revitalisation,’’ Darrell says. ‘‘The community has been going from strength to strength with a new library and a new surf club. We love the village atmosphere here.’’
Passersby often stop to admire their home and garden, and their hard work has been rewarded with local garden awards every year since 2016.
Their home is spacious and welcoming for visiting family and grandchildren.
They enjoy living close to the coast and getting out on their bikes or for walks.
‘‘It really is like being on holiday at home. It’s a great place to live, and very relaxing.’’