IN THE GROOVE

A couple bought a '70s do-up they intended to fix and flip, little realising they'd lose their hearts in the process

- Fiona Barber

Four pieces of wall art are emblematic of what's been poured into this two-level North Shore, Auckland, home. The vertical series of heart shapes in shades of purple and pink tell a story of a house that will always be special to Sian Godbold, Callum Rawlins and their girls Maisie and Mylah.

"Callum and I have poured our heart into every detail," says Sian of the first house they've ever owned, their first house-renovation project and a place they've brought their girls home to. The New Zealand-crafted glass hearts, from Simon Lewis Ward, are in Maisie's bedroom and they're just a taster of the couple's style choices, which honour the straight-line style of the house, but introduce a freshness and airiness as well as contemporary twists.

Love, eventually

When they were hunting for a home in 2020, Sian and Callum had seen advertisements for the 220sqm house but didn't bother going to the open homes because the CV was outside their budget. After it was passed in at auction, they decided to view the property, fell instantly in love with it and swooped. Yes, it needed a lot of work inside and out, but for Sian, a fan of architecture of the era, it represented an "awesome project". "I love design and Callum has a background as a builder," she says. It also helped that Sian is an avid researcher, so decisions were only made after a thorough investigation.

Once they moved in, the couple decided to live in the house before making any changes, something they recommend others do, too. Then they embarked on a programme of renovations as they could afford them. "We wanted to do it up, but keep it in its original style," says Sian.

They started in the bedrooms, moved to the kitchen, shifted the laundry to the garage, and then began work on the garage itself. Next came the living space, the upstairs bathroom and the downstairs granny flat, which is tenanted.