Park View on King

Park View on King

 Words: Kim Newth                                                                 Photos: Dorothy McLennan

 With its secluded garden and location near Victoria Park, it’s easy to see why Kiki and Steve Mitchell were attracted to their architecturally-designed home on King St. The former Christchurch couple purchased the property some 14 months ago. It was a case of love at first sight: from the moment they walked down the drive to view it for the first time, they knew it would be their future home.

The fact that this three-bedroom retreat also came with a studio was the icing on the cake for Kiki, whose passion is upcycling and revitalizing vintage and retro furniture and accessories, (see www.kiki.net.nz). She first started reworking furniture pieces in 1992. “It was the moment I spilled a two litre tin of paint in the dining room of our Christchurch townhouse that we knew we needed to find a house with a studio!” While they loved the house and its location next to the park, Kiki and Steve were less enthusiastic about the décor of Spanish white walls coupled with thick pink carpet. Since moving in, they have completely redecorated, except for the bathrooms. They chose to repaint with Resene Bianca – a tasteful neutral – adding additional lift with a wallpapered feature wall in each of the bedrooms. They have also re-carpeted throughout, put in new drapes and laid new tiles in the kitchen. Kiki also had an internal sliding door wallpapered a beautiful berry red. This door lies between the dining room and family living room, allowing for open plan living – or separate spaces for when guests come to dinner. The couple has installed a heat pump for added comfort in this living area and recently put in HRV home ventilation. Local carpenter Grant Shadbolt assisted with fixing old windows and fitting doors with the new carpet. Many of the funky retro furnishings within this home are for sale. Kiki is always finding new pieces to work on and so doesn’t mind parting with gorgeous chairs, stools, dressers, drawers and desks that bear the stamp of her creative endeavour.

She first started experimenting with furniture after retiring from her job as an importer’s agent. It began with a decision to repaint a chair and progressed from there. Completing an upholstery course extended her skills; at first she used to sell just to family and friends, but now her work is available online.

“The nice part of it is that if I do a piece, and nobody buys it, then it is just incorporated into the house until it finds a new home.

“My furniture is inspired by French style and design. I enjoy working with older pieces and re-working them into stylish, beautiful, functional designer items.”

Distinctive features of this home are the high stud heights in the living areas and bedrooms, floor to ceiling windows in the dining room, a large formal lounge and a long verandah that extends from the dining room to the master bedroom.

A dramatic touch in the formal lounge is the fireplace: originally in white plaster, Kiki painted this a striking black, adding a complementary mirror above for added impact.

In the garden, Kiki and Steve have squared off the home’s flower beds and planted roses and box hedges. Contemporary trellis has been added by the front entrance, as well as wrought iron fencing.

Both inside and out, this King St property is simply entrancing, its good looks due in no small part to the hard work put in by Kiki and Steve, who adore their new home.

 House Facts

Location: King St.

Age: 40 years

House area: 210m²

Land area: 1421m²

Bedrooms: three, including main plus ensuite

Exterior: painted brick, aluminium roof.

What’s next? Kiki and Steve plan to redo the bathrooms and would also like to create a woodland area in the garden.