Home for good An unexpected return to home turf resulted in a life-affirming renovation for this Bay of Plenty family
Returning to Tauranga after a spell in the city wasn’t in this homeowner’s plan. But now, after a fresh renovation, being back in the Bay just feels right
1 | PROVINCIAL CHARM
Keri Welham was loving life in Wellington and had no intention of ever leaving. However, when husband Dave received an appealing job offer in Tauranga she agreed to return to her old hometown – but only under protest.
“It was hard to imagine my life could be as full and vibrant outside Wellington,” she says. “I hadn’t really updated my view of Tauranga since living there in the 1970s and ’80s.”
The family moved in 2011 and, as a trial, rented a house at Mount Maunganui, a 10-minute drive from Keri’s parents’ house in suburban Maungatapu. After a few days of summer barbecues and early evening beach walks, the Welhams were hooked on coastal living and decided to buy a house by the sea.
Fate intervened one Christmas night when Dave took an after-dinner stroll around the Maungatapu peninsula with his father-in-law and spotted a ‘for sale’ sign. Dave was certain this was The One but Keri clung to her dream of living by the beach. Eight steps inside the door, she was sold, too.
“In Wellington, our whole section was 400 square metres. We couldn’t believe we could buy this for similar money and have a pool, a view and more than twice the land,” she says.
2 | READY FOR RENO
Three years later, in 2015, the family were feeling a little restless. They yearned for more light, better connection with outdoor living spaces, a new kitchen and bathroom and far more storage. After “real-estate stalker” Keri considered and rejected a series of alternative abodes, the couple found themselves embarking on a major renovation. This was no quick DIY do-up, though; they wanted high quality finishes that would last the distance.
“We kept working and got professionals in to do it. It was hard in the beginning because that decision comes with a much bigger price tag, but we had this great collection of mates working on the reno who helped us make smart decisions as we went,” says Keri.
3 | TAKING TRADIE ADVICE
Once the walls and ceiling were all stripped back, the inevitable extras started popping up. The Welhams seized the chance to install a wired security system and double-gibbed the lounge walls so raucous rugby-watching wouldn’t wake sleeping kids. Giant cavity sliders were selected in place of the standard ones they had budgeted for. Swanny, the plumber, suggested they forget about a filtered-water tap and instead prioritise replacing a power-guzzling water heater. And, having ripped off some external cladding, Jazz the builder sensibly proposed replacing all the weatherboard sections with new boards.
“Jazz told me when he thought certain features were a waste of money and was equally direct when he could see we were in danger of cutting corners – like with the weatherboards. He didn’t want us spending all this money and then dropping the ball at the end. He was right, but unforeseen expenses like that sure hurt at the time,” Keri says.
4 | OPENING UP
New bifold windows, which throw the dining room open to the garden, evolved into the home’s most expensive feature. Bricks had to be removed, steel beams installed and the switchboard relocated. “But that window has made such a difference to how we live,” says Keri. “Light and sun stream in here and we never used to use the space. Now we sit at the table all the time.”
A stacked sliding door opens onto the pool area and the “prison cell-type” fencing that hugged the water’s edge has been replaced and the perimeter expanded, to create lounging areas within the enclosure. Outside the kitchen window, an offcut from the kitchen benchtop has been turned into a poolside bar leaner.
5 | STAY OR GO?
Tempting as it may be for a realestate junkie like Keri to move and renovate another home, she’s fairly certain the garden at this property will keep her occupied for years. With the pergola up, the hedging trimmed and a vegetable garden under way, she’s now focused on annihilating the rampant bamboo that’s killing off the native bush on the bank that runs along the edge of their waterside property.
“The best thing we did was eradicate the agapanthus on the bank and put in a retaining wall and sunken lounge. On a beautiful night, it’s an awesome spot to sit into the wee small hours,” she says. “This whole place is also kidtopia for Lyla, her mates – and her bunny.”
HONESTY BOX
> Name one of the things you love about your renovated home. Keri: The sunken lounge cut into the bank by the waterfront. I drew many, many scribbly drawings of the ‘infinity lawn’ and sunken lounge I wanted – I had a firm vision of a nook dug into the earth where we could sit and watch the tides roll in and out. Sitting there with a fire going as the sun goes down is amazing.
PROBLEM SOLVING
> I was stumped by the super-comfy, golden brown couch in the small lounge. I didn’t want to spend thousands getting it re-covered but loathed the colour. In the end, I got in stylist Kim Farrant from Tilly & Tiffen and she came up with a solution that met all our parameters (okay for kids, uncluttered, understated and not too pricey). The plan: upholster two of the seat cushions and buy a handful of items to create a den-like feel in a palette of gold, black, ruddy brown and indigo. Her fee and all the items cost a fraction of reupholstering.
>I hated the size of the lounge before. It felt as though the room was too big and the furniture was crouching round the edges. By scaling it back to make a cosier space, we gained a vast amount of storage which is accessed from the hallway.
SAVES AND SPLURGES
> I bought a rumpty old couch off Trade Me for
$100 and then spent a small fortune re-covering it. I also spent hours deciding exactly which shade of yellow to use on which cushion, and which colour buttons and piping would go where. But the result is unique and the colours make me smile.
> The drinks trolley, which I load up with candles and plants, was given to me by a friend. I covered the Formica with $2.99 Warehouse Stationery wrapping paper and it’s still going strong three years later.
RESEARCH
> For months before and during the reno, I spent two hours every night doing research. One week it was wardrobe layouts, another week benchtops or ovens or curtains. I scoured magazines, Instagram and the websites of local suppliers. Then I’d visit as many outlets as possible and pick up samples.
> I carried around a wee box and as I landed on each piece of the puzzle, I’d add it to the box: half a tile, a scrap of carpet, a Caesarstone offcut, an acacia jar lid, aluminium samples, cardboard paint swatches, a white bowl, and my yellow clock to make sure everything I chose would work with bright colours.
> At every shop I’d ask the owners what lamps, benchtops etc they had in their own homes, and why they’d made those choices.
> For big-ticket items, like lighting, I convinced retailers to come on site to do free consultations. Then I just picked the options I liked best.
> I paid a brilliant colour consultant to spend one hour checking my paint choices because I just didn’t want to get that wrong.