Renovating power couple Alice and Caleb Pearson are embarking on their latest project, which they’ve dubbed ‘That 70s Reno.’
Over the past 13 years, Alice and Caleb have renovated 11 of their own properties, as well as houses on The Block NZ in 2013 and The Ultimate Reno in 2018.
This time, with their four children in tow, it’s their first family home that’s getting a makeover. Having previously lived in small houses with the intention to renovate and sell, the couple finally decided they needed to find a forever home to fit the family. Their house on the Hibiscus Coast in north Auckland ticked all the boxes, and still left scope for them to personalise with their signature touch.
Alice explains, “It was built 50 years ago for a family of six too. The layout is perfect, the location is a dream and it is a renovation. To make the whole situation even better, there’s a minor dwelling for my parents, so we get to raise our kids with grandparents close by. We’ve called that the ‘Parental Pad.’
“In three to five years we plan to do a big-scale renovation, but while we wait we are using paint to tackle some problems and make the house our own,” she says.
So the concept of this renovation is that it will be a purely cosmetic makeover, with no structural, electrical or plumbing changes made. “It means we have to be creative, problem solve and consider how to give outdated and tired elements of our house a brand new look. The kitchen was the biggest challenge with this concept – but also provides the biggest transformation,” says Alice.