The owners of this Dunedin house wanted to honour the 1970s architecture while adding their personal touches. Kim Dungey reports.
When two artists bought their first home together, it was only a matter of time before they introduced bold colour and pattern.
Matt Smith and Meg Gallagher are former flatmates who went their separate ways following university. After living overseas for many years, in 2022 they both returned to their home town of Dunedin and got together a short time later.
The couple rented in St Clair and, as Ms Gallagher’s son Murphy and Mr Smith are both avid surfers, they were keen to stay in the beach suburb when it came to buying their own property.
Fortunately, they soon found their ideal home, a 1970s split-level design that had been listed privately.
The owners were selling the house following the death of their mother - who had lived there for 28 years - and were keen for it to go to a family, not to developers.
A new kitchen had recently been installed, there were high ceilings with exposed beams, and two of the three bedrooms opened directly to the garden.
‘‘It just felt really welcoming and open ... It had good energy,’’ Mr Smith says, who grew up only five doors away.
One of the first changes they made was swapping the 1970s light fittings for colourful Shibui pendants, which are inspired by the minimalist beauty of Japanese design.
They also stripped baby-blue wallpaper from the bathroom and painted the walls a rich mustard colour.
Late one night, Mr Smith fetched the left-over paint and a ladder and began painting his signature linear patterns directly on to the tallest wall in the living room. They then hung one of Ms Gallagher’s early nude paintings over the top.
This collaborative approach is seen throughout the house, with their art, furniture and finds from their travels happily sitting side by side.
The retro dining table was found at a second-hand shop in Sydney and the large tapestry that hangs in their bedroom was found on the top floor of Hubber’s Emporium in Invercargill: ‘‘It was above a 1980s motorcycle advertisement,’’ Ms Gallagher says.
‘‘I think it had been sitting there for years.’’
In the living area, a green velvet sofa backs on to a brown leather couch - creating different zones for relaxing - and expansive windows allow them to watch the world go by.
‘‘We have a lot of people come and stop in. Matt’s constantly making coffees in the weekends.’’
The house was designed to capture sun year-round, which makes a ‘‘huge difference’’ to their morale, and its high ceilings and generous wall space make it the perfect blank canvas for art.
Ms Gallagher produces large-scale landscapes by applying textured treatments to denim while her partner creates drawings, linocut prints and paintings under the name Matt John Smith.
Coming from a property with little storage, they were also excited about having a double garage.
With a backgammon board painted on the floor and a darts board on one wall, it is a favourite spot to hang out with friends.
‘‘We painted the walls and the floor and put some curtains up’’, Ms Gallagher says. ‘‘It functions as another living space and as Matt’s workshop and studio.’’
‘‘When we were looking at the house and we were manifesting getting it. Meg mocked it up in multiple colours on Photoshop.’’
‘‘I just liked the idea of something bolder and brighter. I’d travelled to Central and Latin America and they have such bright, fun house colours, where so often [in New Zealand] we get stuck on greys.’’
The pair still have some projects they want to complete, such as creating more wardrobe space and extending the rear deck, but they love that the house feels relaxed and welcoming.
Luckily, they have similar styles, Ms Gallagher adds.
‘‘Not too matchy-matchy, making things work, not being afraid to try things out.
‘‘We just like pops of colour and keeping it fun.’’
