2019-05-01 Your Home and Garden

(Joyce) #1

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Theinteriorwas“drowning”
inthe1980s.> Datedceilings
andarchitraveswereremoved
andthemulticolouredpalette
swapped for soothing white.

Nosecondbathroom. > Space
wasshavedfromthebathroom
inordertoadda toiletand
shower to the laundry.

Thekitchenwasstuckinthe
past.> A newsplashback,paint
job,doorpullsandmodernised
islandhavebroughtit intothe
correct century.

MEET+GREET
JessSingh, 34(photographerand
stylist),SanjaySingh, 36(police
officer),Méa, 13,Leila, 11,andNala, 9,
plus Arlo the chocolate Lab.

PROBLEMS
& SOLUTIONS

AFTER BEFORE

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BACKGROUND
Youmighthaveheardthatsaying:lifeis
whathappenstoyouwhileyou’rebusy
makingotherplans.ForJessandSanjaySingh,
thiscouldbetweakeda little– theyfoundthe
homeoftheirdreamswhiletheywerebusy
lookingfor...well,thehomeoftheirdreams.
HavingsoldtheirpreviousNewPlymouth
homemorequicklythanexpected,andwith
nowheretoliveinthemeantime,thecouple
chancedupona two-storeyhousethathad
barelybeentouchedsinceit wasbuiltinthe
1980s.“Wedidn’twanttobehomelesssowe
boughtthishouse,thinkingit wouldbeokay
untilwefoundoneweliked,”saysJess.
Thatwasnearlythreeyearsagoand,since
then,thecouplehavenotonlytransformedthe
210-square-metrespaceintoa comfortable,
stylishhome,they’vealsofalleninlovewithit.
“It’sgrownwithusandourchildren and it’s
such an easy house to live in.”

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DIYJOBS
Whilethehousehada reasonablygood
layout,it was“drowninginthe1980s”,
laughsJess.Thatincludedbrightgreen,blue
andyellowwalls,orangelinoanda mint-green
carpetthatwassodusty,Jess’eyesswelled
shutduetoallergies.Fortunately,onlya few
big,butnon-structural,changesneededtobe
made,includingmovinga wallintheupstairs
bathroomandborrowingspacetotucka
showerintothelaundry/secondbathroom.
Evenmorefortuitously,Sanjayusedtobea
gib-stopperbeforebecominga policeofficer,so
hewasabletotacklejobssuchasremovingthe
datedarchitravesandtiledceilings.“Thatsaved
usmoneyandimmediatelymadethehouselook
morestreamlinedandmodern,”saysJess.
Litresofwhitepaintdealttothecolourful
wallsandvinylplankflooringwaslaidinthe
entranceandopen-plankitchenarea, bringing
the house into the 21st century.

yhg| 83

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