KEY POINTS:
When Erin and Mario Santoro spotted their Auckland bungalow just minutes after a for sale sign was nailed to its front fence, they knew they could restore its dignity while creating a warm and welcoming family home for their 3-year-old son, Marco.
"I thought the house looked and felt a bit sad, as though it needed to be brought back to life," says Erin. And that's exactly what she and her husband did, even though it threw their own lives into turmoil for five months. The back of the house was begging for a major renovation to return an awkward, ill-conceived 1970s renovation (including lowered ceilings) back to a more cohesive, family-friendly floor plan.
During the renovation they moved to Erin's mother's property on the Awhitu Peninsula, about 80km away, so they could assign all available funds to the rebuild. "It took us two hours to commute in peak-hour traffic, but there was no way we were moving back until everything was finished," says Erin.
The inconvenience was worth it. The character front entrance remains, leading to a new kitchen, living and dining area at the back. The couple chose aluminium joinery instead of wooden, relating it to the original joinery profiles with matching architraves.
"Everywhere except the two front bedrooms has aluminium joinery, but you can't see it from the street and that is why it works," says Erin. "We love it. It's great and it makes the house feel new." The kitchen, with its black, slim-profile granite benchtop and white Melteca cabinetry, was designed around two must-have features.
Mario wanted a double oven and Erin wanted a double-sized fridge. The two fit perfectly. The walls throughout the house are painted in a soft grey.
"I was so over the beige thing and everyone else is doing some form of white at the moment. I wanted a colour that was warm but still reflected the light."
SANTORO STYLE
Break the rules: Mixing aluminium and timber joinery is usually a no-no to avoid compromising the integrity of a home. Erin and Mario installed aluminium joinery in the new part of the house that is not visible from the street. The front of the house maintains its wooden joinery.
Enhance the basics: Get clever with unpainted cabinetry. Erin bought a TV cabinet from Target furniture and spray-painted it white.
Update your accessories: A large mirror that hangs in the Santoro's living room had a gold frame in their previous home. Erin spray-painted it black to fit in with her neutral palette of black, white, grey and silver, rather than yellow-based colours.
Keep it simple: "My style is about not having too much stuff around me," says Erin. "It's nice to come home to minimal clutter, especially when I'm around lots of accessories and colour all day."
* Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. For more on the Santoros' home, see the issue on sale now, or visit www.yourhomeandgarden.co.nz.
