HONESTY BOX

+ How do you view the investment you’ve made in your home? We didn’t make any changes to the property for financial gain. We have such mad, busy lives that the only investment we wanted to make was into making our house feel like a home for the first time.

+ How did your actual decorating spend compare to your budget? We’re very lucky in this respect – I’m married to a builder and own an interiors company so our spend was really small comparatively. We never had a budget as such on this property – we just make changes when we can afford to.

+ Do you tend to purchase high-end homeware or seek out a bargain? A little bit of both. We splurged on the Sanderson wallpaper, kitchen splashback and art because I loved them! But we always pare it back with cheaper finds. Our dining chairs were a Trade Me purchase, the kitchen stools are from Mocka, the wine cabinet was an old medicine cabinet we brought up from Christchurch, and our drapes were very price-point conscious.

+ What are your top three style tips? Don’t be afraid to mix colours and patterns. Be eclectic with your design choices – mix old with new. And always use Scotchgard!