You would be right in thinking you have seen these faces before, but in the context of an old cottage renovation a few years ago which I shared as part of Christchurch Cottage Renovation Vol 1. and Vol. 2!

Simon and Caroline Curtis (my sister) displayed incredible vision when they purchased a dilapidated two bed cottage with a large section in Addington, Christchurch in 2015.

Over three years they plugged away at bringing brightness and character back to the little charmer which included a new kitchen, full exterior re paint and landscaping to boot amongst everything else.

Always in the back of their mind was the final BIG project to deliver their dream of more space and maximum flexibility to their lifestyle and family goals. And this was in the form of a replacement for the tiny “sleep out” (more like shed!) to make way for additional accommodation, living space, bathroom, storage and their much lusted after, covered outdoor living space.

And with the completion of “The Saddler’s Shed” just this month, the goal has been realised… AND it is a space that can be enjoyed by visitors to Christchurch via Air Bnb !

This new build truly reflects their aesthetic that softly and casually floats around clean lines, colour, natural materials and an attraction to dashes of quirk. The use of corrugated iron cladding and the honest, pitched roof profile nods at the simple structures of rural New Zealand. As outdoor people they have connected the “insides to the outsides” without losing cosy spaces to massive open plan living. Handmade details and tactile objects add warmth to the “newness” of it all, supported by the use of grooved ply for all interior cladding.

It’s a thoughtful, modern but simple design offsetting the character of the cottage, not trying to match, just trying to be friends. The outdoor spaces, both covered and open air are scopey and incredibly user friendly, offering an unrivaled welcoming vibe to any visitor.

This was a big investment and undertaking to complete the vision of their property and I firmly believe it couldn’t have been done better!

Read below for Caroline’s rundown of the project

KITCHENETTE AREA FEATURING WALL LIGHTING AND ORIGINAL ARTWORKS BY HANNAH JENSEN AND WENDY MATENGA

CUTE STEPS LEADING TO THE LOFT AND LIMITED EDITION PRINT "WILDFLOWERS" BY STACEY WEAVER - AVAILABLE ONLINE FROM STUDIO HOME ART

TILES FROM TILE DIRECT, MIRROR (HUNG SIDEWAYS) FROM KMART, TAP FITTINGS FROM TRADE DEPOT AND BASIN SECONDHAND FROM THE PUMP HOUSE. HANDMADE WOODEN STOOL MADE BY CAROLINE CURTIS

“We bought the house in 2015 in need of attention and slowly renovated it completing in early 2018. We had a year off before starting this last push. We’d always intended to rebuild the existing outbuilding which was beyond saving to provide some extra space.”

A year or so ago Rosemary; a long term Addington local, peeped through the fence and over a cup of tea and a few visits she shared her family’s connection with the house. Rosemary’s great uncle Len; a local saddler, raised his family in the house from the 1910’s and on her visit she shared that his youngest daughter; Thelma was still alive. Thelma was in her 90’s but remembered her childhood home well and especially remembered her father building the shed behind the house.

Rosemary shared some fabulous old photos of the house and its original family.

We had written ourselves a brief which seemed ambitious – adding a space that took our wee house to 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and another living space that could be used as our family grows as well as for visiting friends and family. This was important with Simon’s family all living in Tasmania.

The cottage really feels its size when it rains so I really wanted an undercover area to take off jackets, leave prams and sit outside even if rainy and I wanted to be able to walk between the two spaces in my slippers. We needed storage desperately as there is no garage and we have quite a bit of gear for hobbies. Lastly, this was an opportunity to create a place that could help with the bills when not needed for all of the above! It needed to be versatile.

We stalled for ages thinking maybe we could design it ourselves or with the help of drafts person as it was such a small footprint, but eventually enlisted the help of architect; Jessica Glen.
Jessica really got the ball moving, made the footprint a bit bigger, and before we knew it we had miraculously met all those needs.

GUESTS RECEIVE LOVELY HOMEMADE BREAKFAST OPTIONS ALL MADE BY CAROLINE. HONEY HERE IS HARVESTED FROM THEIR OWN HIVES!

We managed the project ourselves with the expertise of Hillview Construction to call on.

Including breaks along the way to save up money and source second hand materials, we completed the project from demo of the old shed to completion in 12 months. Not having a complete quote for everything was challenging, especially as this was our first experience with building something new but by all accounts doing it in this hodgepodge way saved us money.

As with the main house, we researched options extensively, deciding the places we could afford and where we needed to compromise. Again, second hand or clearance stock has been our friend.

I CAN VOUCH FOR CAROLINES MAP MAKING SKILLS EVEN AS A CHILD! HERE IS A MAP FOR VISITORS TO HARVEST THEIR OWN HERBS TO INFUSE THEIR TEA.

THIS IS A TRUE URBAN OASIS IN ADDINGTON - ONLY 5 MIN DRIVE TO CITY CENTRE.

CUSTOM BENCH TOP MADE BY SIMON FROM LEFT OVER FLOORING, ON TOP OF KABOODLE CABINESTS WITH HANDMADE PULLS FROM FRANCES NATION. STOOLS ARE A TRADE ME FIND AND RECOVERED BY CAROLINE.

MODULAR SOFA FITTED PERFECTLY USING OPTIONS FROM NOOD.

Some sources….

PAINT : Dulux Mt Aspiring for the internal white. The stairs and floor in loft are Dulux Misty Green which is also a coloursteel colour – allowing us to powder coat the stair railing to match.
TILES : Tile Direct
BATHROOM FIXTURES: Trade Depot
BASIN: secondhand from The Pump House
HOOKS + CABINETRY HANDLES : locally crafted purchased from Frances Nation in the Christchurch Arts Centre
LIGHTS : After a lot of research and contemplation they were purchased directly from China via the Light in a Box online store. This is the purchase that doesn’t quite sit comfortably and was certainly a risk.
CABINETRY: Kaboodle from Bunnings (produced in Hamilton interestingly).
FLOORING : American oak purchased from Trade Me (someone’s left overs). Faded/discoloured in spots but we love the grain and also used it to create the herringbone counter top.
SOFA : Nood.
OUTDOOR SQUABS AND CUSHIONS: Ezibuy