DESIGNER STYLE ON A BUDGET

Although Pip’s family is well represented in scientific fields (she studied engineering, her father is a surgeon, her mother was a nurse, one sister is a doctor, another a physiotherapist, and her brother is a vet), Pip says they also inherited the creative gene. In fact, there isn’t much of this house that hasn’t been touched by Pip’s artistic flair.

This includes the many lampshades and chairs sourced from Trade Me and op-shops that she’s reupholstered. Even her father’s old naval trunk wasn’t safe: it now sits next to the front door and holds shoes.

“Dad’s an orthopaedic surgeon and used his trunk to store skeletons. I sandblasted and painted it, lined it with fabric and built in some shelves,” explains Pip.

The surface of the dining table has also undergone a makeover, with Pip covering it in a patterned oilcloth found on Etsy. The chairs, all op-shop finds, were painted to match a framed tea towel by Australian artist Rachel Castle, who is a family favourite.

The photographs hanging above the dining table capture moments from the couple’s trip to India and are showcased in a frame Pip upcycled from a window.