For horticulturalist and gardening coach Haidi Spence, home is a place to grow. She and her husband Dallas, along with their daughter Maisey, have spent the past decade transforming a 1940s Victory bungalow into a colourful, creative family home, where every room and garden bed reflects a love of growing, creating and breathing new life into old things.
Photos: Tessa Claus
The story
We moved back to Nelson after nine years in Australia and had an eye out for a doer-upper. We saw this 1940s bungalow advertised as a private sale, and it was a classic Nelson moment when we turned up for the viewing to discover that it was being sold by someone who Dallas had gone to school with. I’m not one to play it cool at an open home. I was openly excited by the potential of the garden and the delightful little magnolia tree in the backyard. I was also pretty taken with the gorgeous front windows that slide all the way open and overlook the open field across the road. It was just oozing potential. Dallas doesn’t have quite the same passion for home and garden projects as I do. Thank goodness he’s a very patient man and trusts my vision (most of the time…). Ten years, a few good renos and multiple garden makeovers later, and here we are.
In four words
Colourful, fun, warm, us.
Decorating style
I guess you’d say it’s a little bit vintage, a little bit boho, a little bit retro, a little bit rustic. It’s A LOT. We love so many design styles from so many different eras. How could anyone possibly stick to just one!
Where we shop
Mostly at op shops and other second-hand stores. I really love handcrafted items too. Dallas isn’t much of a shopper so leaves most of it to me, but he does like to find a nice trinket or two when we travel.
Save or splurge?
We do both. We’ve splurged on some key items, like our new couch and some bespoke built-in cabinetry from Matthew Holland Woodworking. He’s brilliant to work with. I’ve drawn him many sketches of what I’m imagining for extra storage or shelving units, and then, voilà, he builds it! But then I’m also a total sucker for retro knick-knacks and pre-loved furniture items too. I really enjoy making things for our home as well – from sewing cushions to weaving baskets, or refurbishing found furniture pieces. I’ve learned a lot of handy skills from my textile artist mum and other makers. Skills and crafts that have helped me to make our house a home. I don’t think of making as a way to save though. Sure, that’s definitely a bonus, but not the key driver. It’s such a joy and a privilege to be able to make beautiful things for your own home. My latest handicraft obsession is greenwood carving. I simply can’t get enough of it! One can never have too many wooden spoons.
The renovations
We’ve worked closely with Matt Holland, to tackle various renovations. He helped us to incorporate a patched-on sunroom at the back of house into our main living area back in 2020. That was a real game changer for us in terms of how we live in the space. He’s also done the bathroom and laundry areas, and minor renovations in our bedrooms and living areas to help create some better storage options. Our most recent renovation was the kitchen. Poor Dallas waited nine years for this kitchen! I was worried that going with stainless steel would make it all feel a bit too industrial, but Matt incorporated a beautiful combination of salvaged timbers which has given us the warmth we love, with the practical bench space that we only once dreamt of. We love it!
Next on the interiors list
We like to boogie in this house, so we’re putting the dining table on a wall-mounted slider so that we can easily push it in over the dining booth seat to make more space for dancing (as and when needed). I’ve been talking about doing it for quite some time!
Favourite spot in the house
I really love my little office nook. It looks out over our garden, and it has a really fun wall mural that Maisey and I painted together years ago.
If money was no object…
I’d have a studio space in the back garden to get some of my DIY and craft projects out of the house, with an attached sleepout for family visits. I would have a lot of fun setting those spaces up!
Every home should have…
Some dopamine décor. Nothing fancy, or big, or expensive – just a little piece of well-framed art or a trinket here and there that makes your heart sing.
Given a day to refresh…
I would paint our bedroom and install some beautiful lamps either side of the bed. Or… maybe I’d just spend the day filling all the holes I’ve made in various walls from moving artworks around.
In the neighbourhood
We love the cultural diversity in Victory. We’ve met such great people from all over the world living in this neighbourhood.
Best thing about the garden
Having flowers to pick all year round. Sure, there aren’t as many to choose from at this time of year compared to the cacophony of colour in spring through autumn, but there’s always a little something beautiful to gather for the dining table, or for a friend’s birthday posy. I really love that.
Advice for new gardeners
Keep things simple to start with and expand as your confidence grows. Time in the garden shouldn’t feel like a chore, it should be a joy, so don’t overwhelm yourself by biting off more than you can chew.
Favourite place in the garden
In the outdoor bath under the magnolia. The tree has quadrupled in size since we’ve been here and is now a dominant feature of our backyard. Taking a hot bubble bath when it’s in full bloom is a pretty special experience. It’s beautiful in summer too, under a full canopy of rich green, leathery leaves, and then in autumn when the leaves fall and you can see the stars through the bare branches. It’s such a dreamy spot.
