Reno Living's Refined Renovation
Nestled in green on the picturesque Bucklands Beach peninsula is where you’ll find the home of marketing manager Skye Turner and builder Jamin Cockroft. Just a stone’s throw from the ocean, this modern family adobe introduces a design-led, elevated edit to the relaxed Bucklands Beach lifestyle. But this wasn’t always the case – when Skye and Jamin acquired the home it was tired and neglected – a testament to bygone days. The house was in bad shape, but the couple recognised its potential and through sheer tenacity, and a mutual passion for design and renovation, were able to transform it into the contemporary, discerning home it is today. Adhering to the “less is more” school of thought, Skye’s love of minimal, sculptural design resonates throughout each room.
What was your journey to buying this home?
After years of house and land hunting, submitting offers and going to auctions where they would blow out way above our budget, we came across this property in our dream location of Bucklands Beach. It was a risky buy, being a plaster exterior and built during the decade of leaky homes, but at this point we were ready to get onto the property ladder and had the peace of mind that with Jamin being a builder, we could repair or rebuild should we uncover water issues. Within ten minutes of taking possession of the home, Jamin had ripped off the wall linings to confirm that the house was bone dry and we collectively let a breath out that we didn’t know we had been holding.
What changes have you made so far and what is next for you?
The previous tenants had been inside smokers, so we tore up and replaced the carpet, sugar soaped the walls and painted everything Dulux Southern Alps, their brightest white. A small wall and door closed in the lounge, pulling these down opened up the house and made it feel less like a rabbit warren. There were dark wooden venetians covering all of the windows, so they were all swapped out for white linen look sheers hung from the ceiling to make the ceiling height feel taller. These cosmetic changes took about two weeks and changed the entire feel (and smell) of our home. We have now removed the hot water cylinder from under the stairs, creating a new standalone laundry hidden behind hallway doors, redone two bathrooms and are about to start demolishing the en suite. To come is the new kitchen, new double-glazed joinery and a full exterior reclad.
How did you come to select the flooring that you did?
In the downstairs entry, living and hallways there was a mix of tile, carpet and timber which felt very busy visually. We replaced it for one continuous timber floor and opted for a beautiful chevron design board which we just love and is the real hero of the space. Controversially we went for dark brown (not for the fainthearted, our vacuum is used almost daily) because in the connecting kitchen, we have existing timber floors which will be sanded and stained to match seamlessly, which is easier to achieve when going dark. All of our bedrooms are carpeted for comfort and warmth. I was probably our worst customer being completely unorganised because of our short settlement date. Luckily Flooring Xtra carry good carpet selections in stock for us to choose from for a quick turn-around. We had the worst case of carpet beetle so opted for a solution dyed nylon to play it safe. The lighter ‘Snowfield’ colour sits perfectly in-between a grey and brown tone, easily matching with everything effortlessly, including dark brown timber flooring, light oak furniture and the kids green and grey bedrooms.
How would you best describe your style?
Someone recently described our home as ‘architectural minimalist’ which might be a bit of a stretch, but I do like the simplicity of a few beautiful pieces and lots of negative space. I am drawn to Nordic homes and brands with their simple, well-crafted, pared-down and tonal designs that feel serene but never boring.
Who are your favourite home or interior accounts to follow?
Sharing similar design taste and always encouraging one another to make homeware purchases is @__hannahwhitehead. For motivation to get cracking with our renovation is @tonesandco_, doing it all themselves at a record pace with great taste to boot. Outside of New Zealand, @zephyr_and_stone have the best tips. They are my go-to account when I need to know the height to place a shower head, taps, tile placement or the height for a pendant light.
