The Deets

That’s us. And that’s the lot.
  • And here’s what the garage will look like when it’s built. Oh, and the house.
  • Elevations and side view.
  • Front view. Complete with orange front door!

So who did what?

The Shelf

The shelf has a lot to answer for. It’s been the driving force of the build and is the main focal point of the house. Running the length of the living area, she’s a beast. It took the best part of six months for the design team to work out how to build it and pretty soon we’ll see the results. Now we just have to find some stuff to fill it.

Colour Scheme

After a good deal of online research into Mid Century colour schemes, we decided it might be best to leave this one to the experts. The Karen Walker Paints collection is inspired by the Bauhaus School of the 1920s and combines colours from an emotional point of view rather than a technical one, to group colours in a way that tells a story rather than simply matching them tonally. Perfect for our little retro home. And we’re safe in the knowledge that everything works together! Top tip: Order A4 samples and leave them lying around in places at home you’re likely to see them everyday. Making a decision over a few weeks means you’re way more likely to make one that will stand the test of time! Find out more about the Resene Karen Walker range here.

Wallpaper

In the desire for authenticity, wallpaper was always going to play its part. And what could be more Mid Century than a bit of Grass Cloth? We grabbed a sample book and took it home. Top tip: Always a good idea to leave your choices lying around to see what they look like in different lights and to see which you prefer over a longer time period. It’s not always your first choice that wins out! Our winner? Pattern number 22126, from the GRASS CLOTH 2015 range. See the full range here.

Floor Covering

Big decisions to be made here. To carpet or not to carpet? When your cat rules the roost, there’s only really one choice for the main living area – vinyl! We wanted something with a bit of personality, a bit of warmth and a bit of feline resistance. After a bit of hunting around we settled on a Karndean LooseLay slate look stone tile. This will run the length of the main living area from the kitchen right through to the ensuite. Top Tip: Again, grab those samples and bring them home. Feel free to hang onto them for a while too. At least until the suppliers start to chase you! Check out the full Karndean range here.

Joinery

We knew from the outset that we wanted to steer clear of anything that looked too ‘modern’ so powder coated anything was out. Instead we opted for the much more traditional ‘anodised’ finish. Deets of all windows and doors below! Find out more by talking to the team at Alitech.

  • Anodised joinery: APL Frostultra Medium Bronze
  • Window tint: Bronze
  • Window hardware: Urbo range
  • Door: Longlite painted in Resene ‘clockwork orange’
  • Handle: Icon Large
  • Sliding doors handles: Urbo flush pull

We wanted the outside of the house to be just as unique as the inside will be, so it was over to James Hardie to come up with some fantastic ideas. The external claddings are Linea Oblique (the blue walls). On the back walls we’ve opted for EasyLap with battens that will be painted Ironsand to match the roof. The Soffits (underside of the roofy bits) are all Hardigroove. Thanks team. We love it!