A 1950s Queenstown home's Airbnb renovation

When Refresh Renovations customer Savannah Jackson decided to renovate her Queenstown property into an Airbnb, she knew that renovation specialist David Dolphin could handle the job - she had worked with him before on a previous home renovation. This time, she wanted to renovate her 1950s holiday home into a standout choice for travellers. The home already had “incredible views over Queenstown”, and had a lot of potential. 

House renovation design

Savannah was primarily interested in giving the home a cosmetic upgrade. However, she also asked the Queenstown team to create a new design, converting the rumpus room into two bedrooms, a living/dining area and a wet-room for skiers. From there, David provided Savannah with a project timeline and fixed-quote before bringing his large team on board to begin the project. This included a builder, plumber, gasfitter, electrician, waterproofer, plasterer, painter, flooring installer and heat pump engineer!

House renovation

Wherever possible and aesthetically attractive, David’s team retained the home’s original features - focusing on freshening up the space rather than completely changing its function and appearance. As is the case with many older homes, there were a range of ages and moisture-related issues which needed to be resolved before the team could move forward with the upgrade.  
“Upon stripping the downstairs area to prepare it for the conversion, water seepage issues were discovered, which were addressed with remedial plastering work, flashings, and a new waterproof membrane to the concrete patio roof above”, explains David.
Once these problems were resolved, the team focused on the downstairs conversion and the finer details of the home’s interior and exterior.

David Dolphin and Refresh Renovations did another outstanding job on our second renovation with him
“The kitchen and bathrooms were freshened up with new tapware and appliances but were otherwise kept in their original state to reflect the style of the house”, tells David. “Heating, flooring, lighting and electrics were upgraded throughout the entire property. Outside, remedial work was done to some of the cladding, before the entire house and roof were repainted. New compliant balustrades were installed around an upper patio and lower courtyard area to make them safer for use by Airbnb guests.”

Final thoughts

The result of this work is an eye-catching home which provides a careful balance of spaciousness, cosiness and class. A white and grey colour scheme with wooden accents complements the surrounding environment while every room makes the most of the property's stunning views over Lake Wakatipu.
“The renovation retained many of the character features of the original property but brought the decor right up to date and improved the home’s comfort levels, with space heating and cooling solutions throughout”, notes David.
“David Dolphin and Refresh Renovations did another outstanding job on our second renovation with him”, enthuses Savannah. “Our second house was twice the size of the first house, so a much bigger job. David and his team handled it without any issues. We are very satisfied with the professionalism he and his team continued to display. I highly recommend him and his service.”

Get in touch

If you would like to discuss your home renovation with a local specialist, please get in touch to schedule a free consultation. 

David Dolphin is an independent franchisee of Refresh Renovations.