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At first glance it looks like your typical rock'n'roller's pad. Red walls, velvet cushions, musical instruments scattered around the lounge and knick-knacks collected when on the road with the band. It's a little bit messy, a little bit glamorous - any appropriately debauched guitar player would be proud to call this place home. But closer inspection reveals that all is not as it initially seems in the home of Milan Borich, the lead singer of Pluto, and his wife, actress Kate Elliott.
"These are from my grandmother. I was born Catholic and they've been in our family for nearly 28 years," Borich gestures to the Jesus and Mary plaster statues, complete with patina, that stand guard at his hearth. "And this," he points out an aged book that looks a bit like an antique Bible sitting amid the trinkets on his mantelpiece, "is a Croatian book of prayers, that's also from my grandmother. I'm quite fascinated by all that Catholic stuff. And that's the toy robot I had when I was a kid, and that tambourine."
On the same shelf, among other treasures, you'll also find the box in which he gave Elliott her engagement ring, a carving from Argentina that Borich's brother gave him, and the figure of a bride and groom from the couple's wedding cake that Elliott's mother painted to resemble the pair.
In the corner sits an antique snare drum Borich is particularly proud of - he found it while touring with Pluto in Levin. "It's 1930s, definitely pre-war. I managed to get it for about $60."
On the walls are various examples of art from friends and family, including a Mexican painting by another musician friend, now resident in the United States, which was a wedding gift.
So basically, although it might look like the casual remnants of a rock'n'roll lifestyle, most of the things the average visitor to this Pt England house can see, say more about the importance that the couple place on friendships and family than anything else.
Anyway, as Borich says, both he and his wife are "hoarders".
"We're not very good at decluttering and we actually built the shelves [in the living room] so we'd have more room but that didn't really work because neither of us can chuck anything out," Borich says, laughing.
Borich bought this house three years ago and has done most of the work himself and with the help of friends and relatives. The price was right on the relatively limited budget of a musician and actress, plus it was near the water, Tamaki Inlet.
After purchasing the house, the money left over was used to fence the yard for the sake of Borich's dog. A driveway was put in, and the back of the house was opened up with French doors and a large deck, which recently gained a brand new red canopy in time for summer.
Decorating the interiors happened "by instinct", the couple say.
Both of them like red - it's their favourite colour - which is why half of the living room is dominated by crimson walls. And most of the furnishings are lucky finds, musical memorabilia or happily received hand-me-downs from their family.
For instance, the outdoor chairs come from Borich's family home - he painted them red - while the large black-and-white poster of a girl's face came from a junk shop; Elliott coloured her lips red.
"It's also an escape from the city life," Borich explains.
"I grew up on a farm, and although I moved to London when I was 18, I'm still a southern Auckland boy at heart. I like the people around here, too - it's a real family neighbourhood. This is also where I like to get away to write songs," he adds. "I've written a lot of stuff here over the past three years, including some of the songs on the latest album [the recently released Sunken Water]."
Inspiration for his music, says Borich - whose band are currently on tour and about to play at the Big Day Out this coming Friday - comes from whatever is around him.
"It happens all the time, it's pretty random - it could be the fireplace, it could be a painting or it could be my dog," he confesses.
"I kind of like my mind being full of clutter," he laughs.
