HOME PITCH

The refresh of 1930s stucco beauty in Auckland had a lot of input from two young creatives

- Fiona Barber

The words "family home" have a special meaning for Melissa and Scott Cossey. The creative DIY dynamos have been hands-on during the revamp and refresh of their 1930s house in Epsom, Auckland. "We did the demolition work, painting, insulation and Gibbing," explains Melissa. "We recently finished painting the exterior of the house as well."

They aren't the only family members who've contributed to 150sqm stucco house with three bedrooms and two living rooms, plus a five-star treehouse. Sons Olson and Beaudan have also been involved in indoor and outdoor projects. The treehouse, for example, was a Covid-lockdown challenge for Scott and the boys. "They [the boys] learned how to use a spray gun to paint the walls, use drills and hammers, help design the layout and they chipped in with plenty of sanding."

Melissa describes the work as much more than a way to keep everyone occupied. It was also a "real memory maker with family over the lockdown period".

The brothers have made more contributions. Art adorns the house and when they moved into their bedrooms, they turned into design directors. "Until just over a year ago the boys shared a bedroom so we surprised them one weekend and put them in their rooms, which allowed for a fun weekend of changing things around," she says. "We kept the rooms simple, added art and let them add their favourite items to add their own character to the rooms."

Of course, it involved no small amount of parental input. The couple stayed up late getting things right - Melissa sewing a duvet cover set and Scott crafting a desk from a side table found on Marketplace, painting it green and topping it with a timber benchtop.

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