From unliveable to Airbnb

Over a three year period, they extensively renovated the cottage while trying to leave all its original features intact.

Sarah and James’ cute and cosy cottage is an original worker's cottage from the kauri-logging days of the early 1900s, perched near the top of a valley. They purchased the cottage and its 10 hectares after a long search for a piece of paradise. While someone had been living in the cottage, many would have described it as unliveable. In fact, while they aren't ones for using chemicals, they sprayed all the walls using backpack sprayers full of bleach before moving in just to get rid of the copious amounts of black mould. One whole corner of the house was rotten and open to the rain!

Over a three year period, they extensively renovated the cottage while trying to leave all its original features intact. They moved rooms around to take advantage of views, did window swaps and literally shed blood, sweat and tears. Both look back now with pride now.

The cottage has a soft washed palette of colours, with Resene Half Washed Green, Resene Powder Blue, Resene Quarter Crisp Green, neutrals in Resene Alabaster, Resene Half Alabaster, Resene Sea Fog and Grey Friars, with bold accents in Resene Weathered Yellow, Resene Blaze and Resene Smalt Blue to brighten it.

They recently finished building their forever home, a passive home made from all natural materials some 100m from the cottage. They moved in a few months ago and now the cottage is on Airbnb – a perfect part time job now they have a new addition in the family.