Apartment transformed into artwork

A grey apartment building in central Hamilton has been hit with 50 shades of street art.

Donna Hawkins commissioned an Auckland graffiti artist to turn her home into a grand-scale installation.

At three storeys high, it can be seen from the city’s main street.

‘‘I like things that are different. I fly flags outside my house, I was into mosaics for a while... I appreciate people that are different,’’ Hawkins said.

She has lived in the Rostrevor St home for two years and when it came time for redecoration, she opted to step outside of the box.

Now her building is laden with natural floral and fauna, monarch butterflies and, in the distance, Fairfield Bridge.

‘‘The idea came about because my house needed repainting,’’ she said.

‘‘It was looking very shabby and it’s quite an industrial looking place with a grey colour... it’s quite boring.

‘‘So I thought it would be nice to have an explosion of colour.’’

The artwork took four days to complete and cost around $5000.

The man behind the mural was Jonny 4 Higher - an artist specialising in murals and graffiti.

‘‘He’s a very mysterious dude - I don’t know his last name,’’ Hawkins said.

‘‘He came from Auckland and stayed in the apartment while he painted it.’’

On his second day in the building, Jonny pulled open a window to see a person in the carpark below taking photos of the mural.

Hawkins said the artwork has also received a good response from neighbours, as well as Waikato River Authority next door.

‘‘What I wanted was something peaceful, green, with native birds. I love the tui right on the front and the shot of Fairfield Bridge,’’ Hawkins said.

‘‘It’s lovely to come home to. If I had painted it plain grey again there would be nothing that interesting about living here.’’

She encouraged other homeowners to spruce up their own environment.

‘‘We can never have enough street art. The more the better,’’ Hawkins said. ‘‘It adds character and vibrancy to where we live.’’