Renovated Villa Provides Inspiration for Open-plan Living in Island Bay, Wellington

Location, location, location… right? When it comes to location, Polly’s home in the capital’s coastal suburb of Island Bay certainly ticks the box. Design-wise? Not so much. The property certainly had good bones, but it was tired inside and out, and time had come to do something about it. 
Polly had heard about Refresh Renovations through a friend who had previously worked with local Renovation Partner Steve Wang to renovate their own home. So, when it came time to renovate her single-storey villa in Island Bay, she knew who to contact.
Renovation Partner Steve Wang was on hand to speak with Polly. She wanted to extend her villa to include a new kitchen and bathroom and transform the interior décor. To get the project started, Steve introduced Polly to Rosie Reid, who would manage the villa renovation from start to finish.

Breaking Down the Budget

Polly had already obtained working drawings before contacting Steve. All that was left to do was determine the cost. Rosie worked with Polly to understand her vision and expectations for the quality of the finished project. These discussions considered all elements of the renovation, including the new kitchen, bathroom, open-plan living area, and the more modern interior design to feature throughout.
“Polly had a list for essentials and "nice to haves", which helped us develop the scope of work and organise suppliers for selections. The final quote was slightly over Polly’s initial budget, but we provided a breakdown and explained how we'd arrived at the final quote,” said Steve. “Polly understood all the details and was happy to proceed on that basis.”

The Project Begins

With the quote signed off and building consent approved, the wheels were in motion. Rosie’s team of builders, plumbers, electricians, and painters were at the ready, and she comprehensively managed each stage of the project. In total, the villa renovation took six months to finish the transformation.
“We did have some challenges with the scheduling as some trades couldn't deliver what we'd planned for them and gave us short notice,” explains Steve. “We also had to move things around quite a lot to minimise those impacts, but we kept Polly informed the entire time and offered her solutions, which she appreciated.”
It’s with this vigilant project management and problem-solving that Rosie was able to avoid project complications. Instead, she kept the process running smoothly and saw the renovation completed to excellent quality.

The Open-Plan Living Area

With a reconfigured layout for open-plan living, extended space for a larger kitchen, a new bathroom, and fresh interiors, this Island Bay home is a sight to behold.
The kitchen is particularly stunning. Gone are the pale lemon walls, limited storage, and confined space. The new kitchen has been entirely opened up and refreshed with a crisp white colour scheme, handleless cabinets, and a beautiful central island, providing excellent storage and creating a hub for friends and family to gather around. And for a bit more personality, the sea-green tiled splashback makes a statement. The mosaic tiling adds a splash of vibrancy that nicely softens the stainless steel benchtop’s industrial look, all the while tying in with the greenery outside.
French doors now open from the kitchen and dining area onto the new deck, enhancing the indoor-outdoor flow and establishing a comfortable space for outdoor living. Large windows allow plentiful natural light to filter inside, creating a sun trap for brighter interiors.

Unique Yet Tasteful Bathroom Designs

The existing bathroom and additional bathroom have unique interiors that provide something to talk about, yet flair doesn’t compromise the refined finish.
Both bathrooms have dark wood flooring, matte black floating vanities, and circular mirrors with LED lighting, all of which combine to create an elegant atmosphere. Meanwhile, character finds its way across the walls; one room features wood panelling painted light grey, and the other is brightened up with soft pink.
Rosie helped Polly with the selections of bathroomware to ensure the interiors achieved the look she had envisaged. And most notable of all the new fixtures is undoubtedly the striking clawfoot bath which fits seamlessly into the modern bathroom, complemented by the vintage pendant light hanging above.

A Great Result

This Island Bay villa hasn’t just undergone an upgrade; it’s experienced a transformation. Materials used in this fantastic villa renovation include wall lining from GIB, paint from Resene, general building supplies from Mitre10, and tapware from Robertson Bathware.
Gone is the tired, run-down property with wasted backyard space, and in its place is a beautifully renovated villa with improved functionality that Polly can call home.

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