by Metropol | March 18, 2026 8:35 am
Architectural designer Stephanie and electrician Peter were well-equipped to renovate what would become their beautiful new home, yet stripping the property back to its bones and starting from scratch was no small task. “I design spaces and that’s my niche,” Stephanie says, “I craft ideas for what can be done in the space we’ve got.”
The pair took possession in September 2020 after purchasing privately from a son-and-daughter duo who had sadly lost their father. “He had lived in this house most of his life and was definitely fond of collecting stuff, but the property was pretty rough and very mouldy,” Stephanie says. While they gutted it back to its studs, they lived in Peter’s house, before moving in March 2021.
Five years on, and with a few less walls, far less mould, and one house renovation later, Stephanie and Peter share their journey with us. “Its been a lot of hard work, time and money – but we’ve done as much as possible ourselves to save money. The end result has turned out far better than I ever imagined,” Steph says. “This house is designed pretty well for how we like to live.”
From re-sanding an entire rimu floor to painting and then re-painting, the project has been a long (emphasis on long) and winding road. “We easily forget what [the grind] was like,” Peter says. “We’ve done so much that we’re going back and upgrading things we’ve already done because it’s been so long.” And when they can’t do it themselves, they’ll call on one of many tradespeople in their friend group – one friend, a painter-decorator, used Stephanie and Peter’s spare bedroom
as a blank canvas to trial a new colour.
Inside the inspiration Stephanie and Peter pulled from a minimalist, black and white palette at the renovation’s beginning. “Now, we’re starting to play around with colour and add our personality,” Stephanie explains. “I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest. The rest comes from what I see day-to-day in the architectural design industry,” Stephanie explains. The pair have become well-schooled on the do’s and don’ts in turning a house into a home. “We’re constantly exposed to it. We see something at work and it excites us for our own home,” Peter adds.
Rinse & repeat
Naturally, the pair have another project ahead. “It’s an investment property that needs some work. Mid-century modern, but we’ll put a different spin on it and give it a freshen up.” It will add to their list of renovation transformations, from Cain Street to an earlier completed Grants Road, Timaru home. “We put in the hard yards now to try to make our 40s and 50s easier,” Peter laughs.
“We’ve carved out our niche and we just love doing it,” the pair say. Follow their journey on Instagram @p.s.renovations.
Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/transforming-a-timaru-home/
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