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Jen and Jules Kolk’s 1920s farmhouse in Redwood Pass keeps them busy with endless jobs and work to do in the garden to keep their little slice of paradise looking beautiful, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sarah Brown

Where is your home and how long have you lived here?

Our home is in Redwood Pass, just south of Blenheim. We are only fifteen minutes from Blenheim but we have a secret oasis here of established trees, a menagerie of animals and a quirky old house. The property was planted by the previous owners with a mixture of New Zealand natives, exotics and fruit trees. We also have a variety of nut trees which led to our name - The Nut Farm. During our four years here my husband, Jules has become a jack of all lifestyleblock trades and is super handy with everything from irrigation, plumbing, building fences and house renovations to name a few! Our boys, Jayden and Jack, are thriving and spend their days building huts, making dams, bike riding and hunting for duck nests in the bushes. What inspired your home’s style?

The original house is a 1920s farmhouse with rimu-kahikatea floors, big windows, and beautiful wooden detailing. When it was moved here in 2002 extra rooms were added along with the sunroom and deck. We are continuing the farmhouse style which gives us a comfortable, welcoming, cozy home that is perfect for our growing family and entertaining. What is your favourite room?

My favourite room has always been my sewing room where my creative passions thrive. I sew, quilt and craft, so it’s a space I can work on projects away from the busy house. It’s my hideaway from work, family and housework. It’s always a mess and I have a big stash of fabric, but it’s my space and I cherish it.

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What’s your favourite spot in the house?

Our beautiful deck and pool which Jules has built for the family. Since adding these it’s like having two extra rooms. The kids spend hours in the pool in the summer while the deck is bathed in sunlight and sheltered from most of the prevailing wind. It is wonderful to sit and enjoy the quiet of the trees with birds singing and bees busy, a glass of wine, homegrown food, the company of friends and views of Cloudy Bay.

Have you done any renovations?

Slowly we are renovating the house, doing one room at a time between working our day jobs and maintaining the property. Most rooms have only needed painting and it’s been a great, quick way to freshen up rooms and put our mark on the place. The guest bedroom was the first room we completed, and this is a fabulous, intimate room our visitors can enjoy. The most recent room is our open plan kitchen-lounge which is now a lovely bright space. It’s the room we live in most during the summer and most of my time is spent here cooking, preserving, and baking so I love the new look.

When it comes to homeware, do you save or splurge?

Mostly we save. Spending money on quality items is worth it but finishing the project is most important. Spend when you need to, but bargain hunt and repurpose where you can. This is when the fun really begins. There is nothing like the feeling of a great deal, so I love second-hand shopping and a good sale! At this time in our lives, we need homewares that are hard-wearing and will stand up to boisterous boys and big dogs.

1. The pool and deck, that Jules built, is the families favourite spot. 2. Jenn is enjoying their recent renovation of making the kitchen open plan through to the living area. 3. The family have renovated the home room-by-room.

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If money was no object, what would you get for your home?

We have so many plans! The list is endless and if we had endless money and time we would finish the house renovations, put in more fences, plant trees, and keep developing the gardens. I could spend all my days working away here in our wee paradise. What should every home have?

I would say a dog but that’s not everyone's cup of tea! Probably a vege garden is something that would enhance every home and you don’t need heaps of room to have a few lettuces or broccoli plants. I get so much joy making meals for my family and friends from our homegrown produce. What do you love about the neighbourhood where you live?

Our neighbourhood is friendly, we look out for each other, and we have regular get-togethers. But I love that we can’t see any houses out our windows! It would be hard to live in town again after the space and privacy of The Nut Farm. Best memory in your home?

Absolutely the best memory so far has got to be our wedding. We got married here in March this year and it was the best day ever. Sharing our slice of paradise with all our friends and family was the best feeling, although it was a lot of work doing most things ourselves and working around covid restrictions, having it here where we have built our lives and love together was worth every second. It was a fabulous celebration of everything we have achieved here so far and the beginning of the next chapter. I was able to put together a lot of the elements myself with my sewing and craft expertise which truly made it our day. We even served our homegrown ducks which were delicious!

ABOVE: The home is decorated with second-hand treasures and artwork. 2. Views of the nut farm and Cloudy Bay are enjoyed from the veranda and pool.