A home where history is not just preserved but felt — in the quiet strength of stone walls, the warmth of reused timber, and the soft light that moves through each carefully reimagined space. Featured in Season 8 of Grand Designs New Zealand, Walnut Cottage is a heritage renovation that honours the past while creating a warm, modern family home. Read our clients’ own story below.
Walnut Cottage
You might relate to this project if…
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You have a villa, bungalow or stone cottage with deep family or farm history
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You want modern comfort, warmth and functionality, but don’t want to lose the character that makes it special
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Your home has become a “patchwork” of past additions and quick fixes, and you’d like it to feel consistent and well planned
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You live outside Christchurch or in a rural area and need architects who can work seamlessly at a distance
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You’re thinking about your home not just for yourselves, but for the next generation (or two) as well
Renovating Walnut Cottage was a very special project for Olivia and Mike.
“Walnut Cottage is a 150-year-old stone cottage on the farm that has stood the test of time and spanned across many generations. As we are the fourth generation to farm here, and we hope there are more to come, it was important to be sympathetic to the history and hero some of the unique features that make the house so special.”
That history was part of the appeal — but also part of the challenge. Like many heritage homes, Walnut Cottage had weathered decades of add-ons and make-do solutions.
“The cottage was a patchwork quilt of many years of additions, patch-ups, and maintenance. We wanted to create a home that had consistency, flow, modern heating, double glazing and functionality for a busy family. We wanted to ensure the foundations were strong to carry the home into future generations and hopefully stand for another 150 years.”
The vision was to create a cohesive, comfortable and durable home for a busy family, while strengthening the cottage for future generations and keeping its unique character front and centre.
Taking a Leap of Faith
The couple didn’t know any architects and were understandably nervous about taking on such a complex project with someone from outside the area.
“Anyone we engaged to undertake this challenging project was going to be a risk. We were very nervous about getting this right and finding someone who would be able to understand our vision for our home.”
A recommendation from a friend in the building industry led them to Christchurch architect Greg Miller of Chaplin Crooks Architects.
“It was Greg’s work on a church restoration just prior to us reaching out that cemented to us he wasn’t unfamiliar with working with challenging historical projects. After only one site visit and lengthy conversation around our vision for Walnut Cottage Greg came back to us with a plan that absolutely wowed us. We knew at that point that we were in trustworthy hands.”
Despite living three hours away, distance proved no barrier.
“The distance was not an issue, with modern technology what couldn’t be discussed or solved via a site visit was able to be sorted over a phone call, via photos, videos, updates and direct communication with our builder. There were even a few freehand drawings emailed in amongst that! When there is a will there is a way and overall we found the process very easy.”
Making the Design Real
For Olivia, one of the biggest hurdles was simply imagining how the renewed Walnut Cottage would look and feel.
“As I struggle with reading plans, gauging measurements and sizes of spaces, the animation was a game changer for me. It was invaluable and also such an incredible way to bring the vision to life prior to any hammer hitting nails! It was fantastic to be able to share with friends and family and be able to visualise various amendments or options that presented themselves throughout the build.”
Using 3D animations and digital models meant the design wasn’t an abstract set of lines on paper. It became something the family could virtually walk through, share with others and refine, giving them confidence in the decisions they were making before work started on site.
Old Bones, New Life
A key part of the brief was to retain the historic character of the cottage while extending and adapting it for modern living.
“The most important thing to us was to have the frontage of the cottage as close to existing as possible. We wanted to avoid the modern addition to be as obscured as possible from the front view, so the cottage continued to keep its historic charm that makes it so iconic.”
From the entrance gate, Walnut Cottage still looks like the stone homestead it has always been.
“It’s the magic that lies behind that which makes it quite exceptional. From the front it continues to look like the 150-year-old cottage it always has been, but out the back is a large modern space that is often a surprise to those who walk in the door.”
Original features were carefully retained and reinterpreted.
“The windows, although now modern and draft-free, are in keeping with the original window design, and the exposed stone walls in various spaces throughout the home remind us of the bones of the cottage. We retained some of the ceiling angles and original timber flooring and reused some of the salvaged timber from the house to create new window sills and bathroom vanities. We had a very clever joiner who believed wholeheartedly in our project!”
Materials from the land itself add another layer of meaning.
“The timber was used in different ways throughout the house, the rocks off our own farm hill were crafted into the amazing open fireplace surround, the huge boulders also taken off the farm, used as a retaining wall as part of the landscaping. We love our natural stone benches and splashback.”
The result is a home that feels deeply rooted in its place, both visually and emotionally.
Living in the New Walnut Cottage
The performance of the home today is worlds away from the drafty cottage that came before.
“The modern heating, being underfloor throughout, has achieved a warm ambient temperature, and the two-sided log fireplace gives that extra boost when required. The double glazing has meant that heat does not escape as it used to.”
Summer comfort has also improved significantly.
“With the advancements in glass technology we were able to choose a glass that holds the heat in in winter and keeps out the heat in summer, so the large use of glass in the living and hall spaces does not create uncomfortable heat.”
Even sound has been transformed.
“We live on a main highway, but very rarely notice the traffic noise, especially on the other side of the house. Guests have commented on this also.”
Outside, a network of outdoor spaces has turned the surrounding landscape into part of the living environment.
“We love the various outdoor spaces that have been created, and often move depending on where the sun is or if we are hiding from the sun! It’s so lovely to have the covered outdoor area that seamlessly extends from our inside living space.”
A Story Worth Sharing
The project even caught the attention of Grand Designs New Zealand.
“Featuring on Grand Designs was awesome!We were really happy they were so keen to hear our story and always brought with them an energy and excitement for our build.It was great validation that outsiders also believed that what we were doing here was special and could inspire others to undertake challenging restorations of old buildings.”
Looking back, the Pavletichs feel proud of what has been achieved.
“We adore our home, and feel so privileged to be living in it. It makes us happy every day! Anyone can build a home with simple bricks and mortar but I feel we have created something really incredible here that merges the old with the new, has kept the historical character of the home, whilst at the same time using architecturally designed wow factors that really make our home unique to any others. It’s very heartwarming knowing we have preserved something special for the future.”
Preserving Heritage, Designing for the Future
Walnut Cottage is just one example of how thoughtful design can transform a historic home into a warm, modern, and functional family space. For the team at Chaplin Crooks Architects in Christchurch, projects like this highlight the balance between respecting heritage and embracing contemporary living. Whether working locally or further afield, the focus is always on listening to clients, solving complex challenges, and creating homes that feel deeply personal and built to last.
Working with an older or character home can feel daunting, especially when you’re trying to modernise or extend without losing its charm. Our guide to the first steps of working with a character home explains how we approach these projects — respecting heritage while improving performance, comfort, and layout. You might also like to explore our Character Homes & Villas page for more examples like Walnut Cottage.
You can also book a free consultation to talk through what’s possible for your home and how we can help you plan the best way forward.
Photographer: Chloe Lodge (Photo 16)
Structural Engineers: Pocket Structural Engineers Christchurch
