Page 78 - homestyle New Zealand (February - March 2020)

HOMES

No one wants to hear a bump in the night, and when it’s
accompanied by shakes, rattles and having to roll out of
bed, it’s even less of a good sign. For the owners of this home,
the adrenaline-pumping action turned a straight-forward
renovation into a multi-year, two-stage one — but it wasn’t
entirely unlucky.
High-school sweethearts Hannah and Steve Crump
bought their Forrest Hill home on Auckland’s North Shore
in 2011, taking a fortuitously timed risk and stepping onto
the property ladder just after graduating from university.
Built in 1989, the house boasted many hallmarks of the decade
interior-style forgot, including pink carpets and a burgundy
and lemon kitchen. Steve says youth, naiveté and stupidity
allowed them to excitedly follow their big ideas, employing
architect Mark Charleston of Buildology and builders
Create Renovations to extend the footprint to allow for
a statement entryway; pull down walls to create an open-
plan kitchen/dining/living space connected to a new deck;
reconfigure the bedrooms and bathrooms; and excavate
underneath the home to make way for a living room,
bedroom, bathroom, office, internal-access garage and
lots of storage downstairs.
When the renovation began, the couple were living on
site in the house supported on poles while the ground >

TOP Steve and Hannah in their dining area, where Sky planters by Boskke combine with a thriving Monstera deliciosa to form a living vignette. ABOVE The new entryway
features a double-height ceiling, Venture Plank engineered oak flooring by Floorex and polished concrete from Atlas Concrete. To further maximise the light in the formerly
dark home, the couple installed a Velux skylight here plus two domed lightwells — one in the upstairs hallway and one in their walk-in wardrobe. “If you don’t have to turn
lights on, why would you?” says Hannah. The pair are also big fans of Dr Seuss art; these framed works are part of their growing collection.

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