A grand family lodge redesign with PDL Wiser

A new life for a former lodge

In the countryside north of Christchurch sits a former lodge that has found a new life as a stunning family home.

Clever electric home design coupled with an inspired interior renovation have transformed the once tired property into a beautiful estate that the owners can control from anywhere at the tap of a screen.

A home transformation

The three-storey home sits on a sprawling 8ha site complete with sweeping tree-lined driveway, a lake, and rural views.

The main house and connecting wing have six bedrooms, four bathrooms, an indoor pool, spa, and a sauna. Nearby, a ‘shed’ contains a home theatre, games room and gym. An outdoor kitchen and entertaining area will complete the renovation.

Built in 2000, the house had a dated interior and basic electrics when the new owners bought it in 2022. They wanted a fresh look while staying true to its classic architecture, and to create a space that was easy and enjoyable for family life.

Classic meets smart

Interior designer Lacey Exton of Christchurch firm Comber and Comber laughs as she recalls that the initial plan was a simple make-over with an interior repaint, some new carpet, window treatments and furniture, and an electrical “tidy-up”.

But as work got underway with the owners living on-site, their ideas about how their new home could look and what it could do started to evolve.

“The scope just kept growing,” says Lacey, “and we ended up giving most of the house an overhaul.” Tom Waugh of Lumos Automation also joined the project as the expansive home was a perfect candidate for smart home automation.

PDL Wiser — the ideal solution

The owners had decided on PDL Wiser for their smart home system, having done their own research. A huge fan of the Wiser system already, Tom says it was ideal for the project as no special wiring is required and the home’s concrete walls and floors meant access was tricky.

PDL Wiser links devices through a Wiser Hub, which connects to a home’s WiFi. As Tom added lights and other features to the Hub, the owners could control each linked item on their smartphones using the Wiser by SE app.

He says they could quickly see the potential for managing such a large property, as Wiser also allows for elements to be added easily over time. “Because they were already living in the house, they were getting a sense each day of what they wanted it to be able to do for them,” says Tom.

Comprehensive control

The Wiser system now controls all the lighting throughout the house as well as under-tile heating in bathrooms, a gas fireplace and more besides.

The family can also use the app to create ‘Moments’, which link different actions. A ‘Family Time’ Moment could turn off the downlights in the living room, set side lamps to low and start the fireplace for a cosy evening.

A ‘Pool Party’ Moment would activate the rainbow LED strip lights around the indoor pool and spa area, while an ‘Away’ Moment could turn everything off around the property as they lock-up and leave.

Elegance and luxury

Lighting and switches were integral to Lacey’s elegant interior design vision. “We wanted that luxe look, but also keep it quite simple and understated,” she explains. “Having pops of colour here and there and layers of texture.”

She achieved this with features like velvet armchairs, textured wallpaper, imposing feature lights and finishes in marble and brushed bronze.

Lacey chose Iconic switches in Vivid White for the home. “It works seamlessly with the style in each room and looks good on slightly darker colours to give a little contrast, as well as on the plain white walls.” The owners can also easily change the switch plates for any other designs or colours in the Iconic range.

Effortless lighting control for every room

Lacey designed feature and mood lighting to set the scene in each room, all of which the owners can adjust using the app. “It flows now and there’s a lovely ambience, whereas before it was all a bit stark,” she says. “It works for how the clients live and want their home to function. PDL Wiser has enabled us to really tailor the home to them. Even as they come up the driveway they can just flick all the lights on!”

The easy living is enhanced by motion-activated lights on staircases, in hallways and in walk-in wardrobes too.

A showpiece sauna

The home’s showpiece is the new sauna in the master wing. This area had called for a major makeover as it was one big space with a bed, living area and a bathroom that had such varying roof heights the new owners couldn’t use it comfortably.

“I saw an opportunity to give them a retreat,” says Lacey. “They’re very much gym people and into their saunas so we decided to make that corner of the home all for them.”

The new design features a relocated bathroom with a marble herringbone floor, under-tile heating, a sumptuous freestanding bath, and a beautiful timbered sauna with recessed LED strip lighting linked to PDL Wiser.

Plan for great electric home design

When it comes to creating your own dream home, Tom and Lacey recommend spending time planning how you’ll use each room.

“Start thinking about what you want your home to do and how you want to control that,” says Tom. He says curating Moments with PDL Wiser can add so much to a client’s enjoyment of their home, and being able to add features later on is a huge benefit.

Lacey points out that factoring elements like feature and mood lighting and even motorised blinds into your plans is key to great electric home design. “I like to meet people when they’re still concepting with an architect. There could be really relevant little tweaks and changes that make the home flow and work interior-wise, and for how the client wants to live in the space.”

As this project evolved, PDL Wiser has worked alongside the owners’ desires, with Tom expanding the smart home system along the way.

He says whether it’s a major renovation or a three-bedroom new build, PDL Wiser can be tailored to create what you want. “You get to decide how you want your home to work. It’s really only limited to your imagination.”