My Home

During the four years that Jo and Neil Hunt have lived at their Roseneath Lane home, they have completely transformed it, with a full renovation inside and out. The fresh, modern space now suits them perfectly and they look forward to enjoying it for years to come.

Sarah Brown

Who lives here?

We have lived at Roseneath Lane for the past four years. It is just Neil and I here now, our daughter and two boys have flown the nest. We have lived in New Zealand for the last twenty years, having moved here from the United Kingdom. This is our seventh house – and our last!

What four words best describe your home? Solid, warm, homely and comfortable. What inspired this look? The look wasn’t really inspired by any one thing. It evolved as we went along. We do like the Scandinavian look and our furniture reflects that, an interesting feature is that most of our furniture has concealed openers instead of handles. What piece would you never part with? The display unit in the lounge. Although it was made specifically for the room and is fixed in place, I would dismantle it if we ever moved. It was made to our design by Simply Joinery in Picton, and we love it. Have you done any renovations? Yes, the whole house has been renovated. When we moved in four years ago, we moved into a red brick house. The red brick house is still there, but it has been painted black and screened with Abodo battens. Neil’s company, Hunt Construction, did all the work. We added a bedroom extension first, then renovated every room in the rest of the house, finishing with a complete rebuild of the kitchen, living and dining area. What’s your favourite room? The kitchen, living, and dining area. It has gone from a cold and dark area to a wonderful area that is flooded with light and warmth. This area now offers so much space and is wonderful for entertaining. The raked ceilings are a great feature, along with the wooden floors. My favourite spot in the house is the window seat in the kitchen. I love the comfy chairs and the way the light comes in through the windows.

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1. The home was originally red brick that has now been covered with modern Abodo cladding. 2. The second bathroom has a fresh and light aesthetic. 3. Natural timber has been used throughout the home to add warmth. 4. The display unit in the lounge was custom built by Simply Joinery in Picton, it is Jo’s favourite piece. 5. The couple enjoy entertaining in their open-plan living area with raked ceilings and large windows. 6. A double ensuite was a must when planning the renovation.

Where do you shop for homewares? We don’t have a go-to shop for homewares. We usually have an idea of what we would like and then have a look around Blenheim to see if we can find it. So far we have!

When it comes to homeware, do you save or splurge? We used to save, but as we have got older, we have splurged. We definitely splurged in our ensuite bathroom – we picked oversized tiles for the shower, and also extended the shower itself. It is now the width of the ensuite and has three shower heads. One each end of the shower, plus a rain shower head. What should every house have?

Good ventilation, heating and energy-efficient double glazing. What do you love about your neighbourhood? We love the quietness of where we live. The area also feels semi-rural as we are on the edge of town. It is a lovely friendly area as well. Best memory in your house? Living through lockdown last year with no working kitchen. We also had no roof or windows, we had tarpaulins and boards keeping out the rain and wind. To say it was cold is an understatement. My sink was the old laundry tub with a bucket to catch the dirty water. We had camping tables to work on and not much else! It was all worth it in the end.

ABOVE: After using an old laundry tub as a kitchen sink during the renovation, Jo and Neil are loving the newly remodelled kitchen that features natural timber with a Scandinavian aesthetic.