A HAPPY ENDING

A house flipper and his rom-com loving parter find a home straight out of a Nancy Meyers movie

- Debbie Harrison

Christina Dellar is a devotee of rom-coms - the kind where the heroine finds herself in a beautifully designed home and the perfect happy ending. So, when she and her husband Tyge stumbled across their dream house in Stillwater, Auckland, and it felt like stepping into a scene straight from a Nancy Meyers film, she was all in.

With its sprawling grounds, classic charm and hint of potential, this was the house that Christina had always imagined for her family. Cue a little makeover magic from the seasoned renovators and they've created their own fairytale ending.

Almost two years ago, the Dellars' house hunt led them to this 327sqm homestead set on two hectares of park-like grounds, which came with weeping willows and a pond. The six-bedroom home, which had two lounges and a home gym, wasn't perfect, but Christina and Tyge saw beyond the tired decor and orange-stained wood.

"We instantly fell in love. The house had great bones, but it felt a little dated. We knew that with some fresh paint and thoughtful updates, we could bring it back to life and create a home that felt fresh, homey and bright," Christina recalls. "It felt right the minute we drove down the long, tree-lined driveway; it felt like we were being transported somewhere special."

Love at first sight

The house itself had a distinctly American feel, something that resonated with Christina, who hails from the US. And then there was the expansive kitchen, which doesn't take much imagination to picture it being the centrepiece of a heartwarming bustling family scene of a chick flick.

"It was love at first sight with the kitchen.