Easter 2018. A family gathering saw us visiting different areas around the Central Plateau area of New Zealand’s North Island. It made me think about what environment would best replenish me and the facilities I wanted to have nearby. It was then that I went onto Trade Me Property and fell in love with a small wooden church in Ohakune. It would take five months, two real estate agents, six sale processes, six offers, and one auction before I could finally secure the property of my dreams.
Choosing a designer
Over 100 years ago my maternal great-grandfather commissioned architect Alexander Douglas Spiers to design a house for him in Picton. There must be something in the genes, as I’ve always loved good architecture. It was really important to me that I use an architect to design the space – I’ve seen too many rubbish conversions on building renovation shows to attempt it myself.
Developing the brief
One of the advantages of taking five months to buy a specific property is that you have a decent amount of time to think about the design brief and the types of products you want to use. Having multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome and sensory processing disorder means that I have to be very careful about my physical environment. I get enough chemical and sensory bombardment in my work environment that my home environment has to be a sanctuary for me.
theoldkirknz.blog 