The Huis House project is Peter Wolfkamp’s own home renovation in the Auckland seaside suburb of Devonport. You might know Peter as the Resident Builder on New Zealand’s The Block – he’s used to keeping others in line, however this time it’s his turn.
Peter and his wife Debbie came across the run-down cottage with the intention of renovating to rent out. The home wasn’t in great condition, but they both recognized the potential it had. The cottage was full of charm and character, plus it had great street appeal. With Peter and Debbie’s combined skillset – Peter would work his building magic while Debbie would add style and flair – the home was ripe for renovation and ready for the Wolfkamp’s to stamp their mark on this appealing Devonport street.
Peter had one very simple but important goal, which was to "make it everything that kiwi homes are not – warm, dry and comfortable." This goal would form the foundations of the home, ensuring each and every decision complied and aligned with this concept. To reach Peter’s goal, he set about seeing to all the behind-the-scenes work that’s not always visible to potential tenants or homeowners. Peter re-lined the walls, fully insulated the home, installed underfloor heating and completely re-wired the electrics. It’s Peter’s thorough work ethic, professionalism and hands-on approach that will make this home appeal to the market and outlast typical Kiwi homes.
When it came to the fireplace, his intentions were no different. Although Peter says he "loves a traditional wood fire, they’re not always practical for everyday living." He continues: "Heat also escapes up the chimney, and they create annoying draughts." Instead, he was looking for something with "practicality and ease of use." It had to be energy efficient and ideally heat the whole home. It was for these reasons that he decided to choose gas.
Peter initially considered ripping out the entire "old, bulky and kind of annoying fireplace," but once they removed the timber cladding and exposed the original brickwork, they had a change of heart. While it bugged him that the surround wasn’t perfectly symmetrical, he decided to embrace this as he felt it added to the history and authenticity of the cottage. To modernize, they decided to 'bag' the bricks with Resene Rockcoat – a type of raw brick render. The finished look allowed the fireplace surround to be a focus point, without dominating the entire living space.
After working with Escea on several of his previous projects, he got in touch to see which fireplace would be suitable to fit into the existing fireplace surround. It needed to tick all of his boxes when it came to heating, efficiency and staying true to the cottage’s character features. The Escea DF Series was designed with renovations in mind, and the latest DF990 would be the perfect choice.
