Cart 
Colour is crucial in creating a family home with character.
Not only can the right hues help create a desired energy or atmosphere, but a fresh colour palette is one of the more cost-effective ways to refresh any home. And this renovated 1940s bungalow in Mount Albert, Auckland, is proof of exactly that.
It’s the family home of landscape architect Claire O’Shaughnessy and urban designer Nick McKay, who tasked Pac Studio with transforming the humble residence on a budget of $300,000 NZD ($256,000 in AUD).
‘The home’s greatest strength was the wonderful orientation of its private and lush garden,’ Pac Studio director Dr Sarosh Mulla says of the modest bungalow before its renovation.
‘However, almost every room was in the wrong place, with the bathroom and laundry occupying the sunniest corner of the home.’
The challenge was finding ways to reconfigure this deeply flawed floor plan, without impinging on the garden, or blowing what Sarosh describes as a ‘tight budget’.
‘These constraints were addressed by retaining the existing envelope, minimising demolition where possible, and prioritising reorganisation over expansion. The strategic use of colour, new joinery, and multi-functional built-in elements allowed the design to achieve maximum impact within modest means,’ he adds.
Much of the existing building fabric was also retained and restored, including the native Tawa floorboards and the kitchen fit-out, while almost every other space inside was altered. The external cladding was repainted a playful sky blue, with a buttery yellow now features on the window frames and pergola.
In place of major (and costly) structural changes, colour played a pivotal role: ‘The clients embraced a bold palette from the outset and worked closely with our team to refine a scheme that is both joyful and nostalgic.’
Inside, the living space showcases a red ochre-stained library wall of joinery with a built-in bench seat — designed in response to the family’s love of reading, relaxing and their record collection.
Walls lined in green mosaic tiles and a deep bath bring a little bit of luxury to the everyday activities in the bathroom, complete with a ledge for a book or glass of wine.
‘The renovation fundamentally transformed how the house is lived in,’ Sarosh says of the inspiring final result.
‘What was once frustrating and compromised is now joyful and deeply connected to daily family life.’
