Wendy Thompson and Greg Pain swear that their two-year transformation of a dated 1950s house is their first home renovation.
The pair's day jobs - she runs a social media agency, he specialises in bio-mechanics with top athletes - certainly don't hint at architecture or design leanings, but they certainly have the eye for a great makeover.
And they so loved this project they are about to do it all again on a new home.
"This is our first house, but we totally got the bug, we found it totally relaxing," says Wendy.
The couple were smart enough to enlist good professionals to help them realise their vision ("the direction was copper and brass" says Wendy), working with house doctor Nadia Sakey and Suburban Solutions builders on finishes, layout and build.
The house had everything the first timers wanted - a good layout and orientation to the sun, a salt-water swimming pool in a garden that melds with the bush, with the bonus of a self-contained flat and a large studio downstairs Greg could use for his clinic.
Secluded down a right-of-way, the property had plenty of off-street parking for clients, as well as a workshop and a three-car covered garage.
But the house was ready for a complete makeover. Fortunately the arrangement of rooms was logical, ceilings were high and original crown mouldings were still intact in the principal living rooms.
With Nadia's help, Greg and Wendy opened up the closed-off kitchen, dining and living rooms to make one generous space, thoughtfully divided into zones.
Tiny windows on all three sides facing views and sun were opened up with floor-to-ceiling windows to the east and enormous bi-fold doors to north and west.
They didn't need to change the existing deck, with stairs leading to the pool, and much of the garden landscaping was good, so they simply tidied and planted new beds with the mixture of low-care tropicals that complemented neighbouring Kepa Reserve.
The existing cedar exterior took weeks of careful cleaning and re-staining, but has come up beautifully.
The car pergola and old front door were left from the old house, while the former parking pad is now used as a gorgeous vine-covered spot for outdoor dining.
Then Wendy and Nadia got to work with colours and finishes. Out went dire tiles and carpets, in came a wide-plank pale oak floor, complemented by beautifully handcrafted stair banisters in the same oak.
8a Colenso Place, Mission Bay, Auckland, home of Wendy Thompson and Greg Pain. Photo / Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
They went for gallery-white walls in the public spaces, but then had fun with colour in the private spaces: pale and moody pastels in the master bedroom and the two girls' rooms.
The rich, inviting navy in the media room took multiple attempts to achieve the perfect shade. DJ Greg got his say in the LED lights that wrap the ceiling.
Lighting became one of Wendy's obsessions, with months spent combing the internet for the perfect fixtures for each room. The living room pendants are classic mid-century George Nelson, their bedroom night lights a cut crystals-and-brass bulb.
Greg is the family cook, so he worked with Kitchen Studio to detail the textured black-and-white kitchen. Removing a door to the hallway freed up space for wrap-around storage and a sleek, galley-style island.
The Bosch oven and six-burner gas hob, Smeg double fridge and Vintec wine fridge, as well as more LED lighting make this the set-up they'd hoped for: a great party house, but efficient and orderly for busy families too.
Wendy laughs that her theme became cribbing space off other rooms: the expanded master bathroom borrowed from the adjoining closet space, she detailed Boston wardrobe fit outs of the his and hers walk-in closets, paying the same attention to their daughters' rooms and the generous closets and utility space in the hallway.
The family bathroom was re-done by Nadia as a wet room, with a shower beside the bath, a generous window for bush views and a sleek vanity.
Wendy also upped the luxe factor with brass: she hunted for door handles and taps, having pieces dipped to achieve the consistent soft colour she was after.
In the downstairs entry lobby she went all out with a brass wall, perfect foil to the David Thuebridge pendant. The couple added a portico and smart front door to highlight the new main entrance at ground level.
Also downstairs, the existing two-bedroom flat just needed a fresh bathroom and a kitchen fit out and cosmetic updates to walls and floors.
Currently it is a popular stopping point for guests, and one of the bedrooms doubles as Wendy's office, but it could easily be put to work as an income, granny or nanny flat.
Next door the giant rumpus room became the perfect rooms for Greg's business, complete with built-in storage.
