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If you're renovating a house, it's easy for your to-do list to get out of hand. But these days, going green has to be pretty close to the top when it comes to priorities. And Starfish fashion designer Laurie Foon and her partner Tim Parkin have found an environmentally-friendly renovation brings plenty of its own rewards. They installed solar heating panels on their roof as part of a major renovation of their 1950s-built Wellington home and were rewarded with dramatically lower power bills.
"It's a great feeling having a hot shower, knowing the water has been warmed by the sun," says Laurie. "It feels good knowing you're doing something that's helpful on a global level but it's also really great when you see the personal benefits on your power bill."
They thought green on smaller projects, too. The deck is built from sustainable timber and there's a vegetable patch in the garden. Young Lily-Mai, 5, and Miriana, 2, love eating the results of their hard work.
In a way it's harking back to the era the house was built in. When the couple began house-hunting, Foon was on the look-out for "a good old Kiwi house". She freely admits to being over her "villa phase". Instead, she wanted something solid, spacious and practical - perhaps reminiscent of the place her dad built for the family back in her childhood days in Wainuiomata.
They didn't have to look far. Their new home was just a few blocks away in a family-friendly cul-de-sac. It had been neglected for a while, but had the basic structure they wanted.
"At the open home everyone was walking around saying, 'gross', while Tim and I were saying, 'dream home, dream home'," she says.
The family didn't move in until after renovations were completed. The rabbit warren of small rooms and ill-considered add-ons were pared back to create a welcoming family home with an open-plan living, dining and kitchen. The large area is perfect for the way the family likes to live and entertain.
"I love it when people come to hang out here because the layout means we can carry on with what we need to do while chatting with our guests," says Foon. "Entertaining at our place usually involves friends and their kids. A barbecue-style meal cooked by Tim, lots of wine and, if we're lucky, some dancing."
Open-plan living
Breaking down the walls between the spaces used for lounging, eating and cooking makes for a more relaxed and inclusive lifestyle. But open-plan living does have challenges. Plan your space wisely and you'll find less is definitely more.
Together alone: Even if you have no structural divides, it's good to create a few different zones using floor coverings or colour themes to differentiate areas.
Store it: The fewer walls you have, the fewer options you have for storage. Open plan areas can quickly become cluttered so try and give everything a dual purpose where possible - such as storage under window seats.
