Recycled Character

Nikki Gribble and Brad Speir's house. Photo / Supplied

Niki Gribble and Brad Speir had only one major requirement when hunting for their first home: they wanted a house with character. This meant looking at everything from villas to 1960s homes, but luckily they already knew which Auckland suburb they wanted to live in. They'd rented in Onehunga for several years and were keen to stay in the area when they bought their own place four years ago.

"We really like Onehunga; it still has that small community feel to it," says Speir. "There are some amazing character homes, great cafes, and everything we need is just a small walk away. Also both our families live close by, which has been a bonus, especially since Luca [aged 4 months] was born."

Because it was their first home they didn't feel up to tackling a major renovation, so when they found a place that had been modernised by a developer a few years earlier they decided it was perfect. The home had a nice flow and Gribble and Speir loved the feel of it, although the interior was bland with the occasional outlandish feature thrown in.

"There were some scary bits — a bright red feature wall in the lounge and a room painted half yellow and half green," says Gribble, a freelance textile designer. "I can't believe we lived with it for over a year. It gave me a headache if I sat in there too long."

With no money for renovations and little DIY knowledge, the couple had to learn as they tackled each project.

"Luckily we haven't had to make any major changes," says Speir. "Apart from painting out those hideous walls we have really just added our furniture and personality. This house is our opportunity to experiment and practise."

Their passion for restoring and adapting vintage furniture has helped them create a home with its own quirky style on a small budget. Some pieces that had worked in their small flat didn't fit with the new home, so they have been replacing them gradually in line with their philosophy of achieving a stylish look without splashing out.

"There are some amazing modern designs available if you can afford to pay the prices," says Gribble. "But we have found that you can usually replicate the feel, it just takes a bit of thought."

TradeMe has been a huge help in their quest, although she says it's easy to get addicted to going online just to see what's on offer. "Of course for hoarders like ourselves that almost always leads to a must-have purchase.

"My best bargain would have to be a George Nelson lightshade that I got for $1. I really couldn't believe my luck."

The online auction site is not the only source of inspiration, as Gribble also has good scavenging instincts. Not long after buying a tripod lamp base at auction, she was driving past an inorganic collection when she spotted a lampshade on the kerb. It had a good shape but was covered in hideous fabric. She grabbed that and a little further down the road saw an old bed base covered with a fantastic retro print. "The fabric was in unbelievably perfect condition so here we were cutting it off the bed base on the side of the road," she says. "I have recently used the fabric to recover the shade and it looks amazing."

Gribble says she and Speir usually part with their treasures only when they can't fit anything else into the house or have found something they love even more as a replacement. "Some things get sold on TradeMe and we donate some things to charity shops, which is a bit of a homecoming because they usually started out from there."

STYLE TIPS
Grow your style: Allow a look to develop organically. "Our house will always be a work in progress," says Gribble, "but that's okay with us. That way you can't get anything wrong."
Seek inspiration: Gribble and Speir love art and design from the 1950s to 1970s, especially the Scandinavian approach to materials and colour.
New coat: Spraypainting an object with a glossy and unexpected colour can completely change its look. Gribble is experimenting with brass ornaments and old photo frames.