My Dream Green Home S01E03 (2024)
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TVTranscript
00:00Going green, eco-friendly, slow-living, buzzwords that you're probably hearing more and more
00:17of as Kiwis grow increasingly mindful of sustainability.
00:23But how do we get there?
00:29Welcome to My Dream Green Home, the show helping everyday Kiwis like you and me go
00:37greener.
00:38I feel like we're ready, we just don't really know where to start.
00:43Each week we'll be meeting with Kiwis from Flatties, we tend to throw a lot of food away,
00:49to families who all want to do their bit for the planet.
00:53That's what we want to do because it's about sustainability.
00:56Pretty heavy conscience, we need to make it livable for these little ones.
01:06They'll come here, to our beautiful HQ.
01:10We just bought our first home.
01:12What is your dream for it?
01:14Where our team of experts and I will give them a budget.
01:18We've allocated you 45k total.
01:20It's going to be amazing.
01:23A plan.
01:24Go bigger, utilise the whole space.
01:27It's so cool to see it in 3D and come to life.
01:32And some inspiration.
01:33This is actually food, isn't it?
01:36Yeah.
01:37Then, our homeowners will do some serious mahi.
01:43That'll do it.
01:46To transform their green dreams into reality.
01:51Holy moly.
01:54Oh my goodness, what a transformation.
01:59It feels like a slice of barley or something, doesn't it?
02:03So they've used it in such a creative way.
02:06Nothing was wasted.
02:09They're living my dream.
02:12And you might be inspired to live your green dreams too.
02:17Hoping to make some big changes and future-proof their family home,
02:22our West Auckland couple, Sam and Kate.
02:25Welcome, Sam and Kate, to our beautiful green HQ.
02:30What do you think of the place?
02:33It's gorgeous.
02:34I love all the plants.
02:35Kind of want to take some elements to our place.
02:38Yeah.
02:39Just rip some off.
02:40No one will notice.
02:42Now, you both work in healthcare, right?
02:44Yep.
02:45Kind of high-pressure jobs.
02:46It is.
02:47Yeah.
02:48Yeah, it's pretty full-on.
02:49I am a nurse at Auckland Hospital.
02:52And I'm a lecturer at AUT.
02:55And I work on the road with St John,
02:58and also a cardiac physiologist.
03:01OK, put more on there.
03:03COVID came along, and we moved in together.
03:05That was a big deal.
03:06Yeah.
03:07It was a big deal.
03:08Put more on there.
03:09COVID came along, and we moved in together.
03:11Yeah.
03:12We were one of those couples.
03:13And then we were like, why don't we have a baby?
03:17Oh, good job.
03:19We have a little 2-year-old, Charlotte,
03:21who's a little terror, but she's awesome.
03:23She's super cute.
03:24Yeah, and we've got a little boy called Jack,
03:26who's 5 months old.
03:27Big yawn.
03:29Quite a full-on life, eh?
03:30Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:31It's busy.
03:32Home for the past two years
03:34has been this 100-year-old bungalow
03:37nestled in the West Auckland suburb of Henderson.
03:41Can you paint the wall?
03:43Sam's done a lot of the external work.
03:45He's taken down the pagola.
03:46You've got the recycled wood.
03:47You've fixed the deck.
03:49I tell you, you are a definite handyman.
03:53And what about the kainga?
03:55Is your house working for you?
03:57Our kitchen is quite compact, you could say, I guess.
04:00It's functional, and it works,
04:03if you're the only person in the kitchen.
04:05I'm working here.
04:06It's always the dads.
04:07Like, he needs to come in here, and I'm like,
04:09oh, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
04:11All four of us in the kitchen, it's pretty hectic.
04:14It's pretty busy.
04:16And what about the storage in the kitchen?
04:18Oh.
04:19Have I touched it?
04:21Oh, no.
04:22I mean, we've got a little bit of storage.
04:24Yeah.
04:25But we have a bit of storage in the kitchen
04:27It doesn't work that well, eh?
04:28It's quite dated.
04:29No, it's not really fit for purpose.
04:31I'd love a pantry.
04:32I think a re-jig would be really useful.
04:34How's the mata?
04:35Are you guys growing veggies out there?
04:37Oh, not yet.
04:38Both our kids love being outside.
04:40So if we can make that productive,
04:42then I think that would be really cool.
04:44So our current garden, at the moment,
04:46we have a little bit of storage,
04:48but we have a big wooden dresser
04:50that we've sort of turned into storage
04:52for the kitchen.
04:53It doesn't work that well, eh?
04:55It's quite dated.
04:56And then, at the moment, we have a big lawn.
04:58As summer comes, we use it every day,
05:00a lot of the time.
05:01The garden alongside the driveway
05:03doesn't really get used.
05:05So I think we've started with some lemon
05:07and lime trees,
05:09and they haven't really done that well.
05:11They're not very happy with all the ivy.
05:13And then this is...
05:14Yeah.
05:15These are some banana palms
05:16that I found on the side of the road
05:18that I kind of had visions of them
05:20growing nice and big, but they haven't.
05:22I'd love to have a big veggie garden.
05:24Well, not a big one.
05:26I just thought of all the work
05:28that's established
05:30and up and running.
05:32And it's also quite kid-friendly.
05:34It's quite nice to be able to...
05:36The kids can kind of see
05:37where fruit and veggies come from.
05:39We both grew up with veggie gardens,
05:41and so it'd be really nice to have that.
05:43We've seen how things have changed.
05:45We don't want that for Charlotte and Jack.
05:47We want them to be able to do as much as we did.
05:49I think it's about giving back
05:51to the environment as well.
05:53It sounds like there are a few things
05:55that need to be worked on.
05:56Yes, definitely.
05:58So, with that in mind,
06:00we've allocated you a total budget
06:02of $30,000 for a kitchen reno
06:04and a bit of a garden makeover as well.
06:06I like the idea
06:08that we have got a 100-year-old house,
06:10and we're just updating it
06:12so that it can last another 50 years.
06:14And tell me about future plans
06:16for your kainga, for your whānau.
06:18We would really like to be able
06:20to put solar panels on the roof
06:22and create some more energy
06:24to make the house more efficient.
06:26But we'd also really love, at some point,
06:28to get an EV.
06:30So you want to talk the talk and walk the walk.
06:32Absolutely.
06:34Or drive the drive.
06:36That's the dream.
06:38It would be really nice
06:40if we could take that next step forward
06:42in reducing our impact on the environment.
06:44Having an EV would be really great.
06:46Well, it sounds like you've got some awesome dreams.
06:48We're thinking present.
06:50We're thinking future.
06:52Tackling their kitchen
06:54is our queen of sustainable DIY,
06:56reno expert, Jen Jones.
06:58I'm particularly passionate
07:00about sustainable design.
07:02I'm so excited to help these families.
07:04I feel like we have a lot in common
07:06in terms of the things that are important to us.
07:08And for home organisation
07:10and veggie garden inspo
07:12is food and lifestyle expert
07:14and one half of the two raw sisters,
07:16Margot Flanagan.
07:18My area of expertise
07:20is pantry, all things food,
07:22how we can make the most of the spaces
07:24we do have.
07:26Alrighty.
07:28Here we are.
07:30First impressions?
07:32For a reasonably big room,
07:34it feels really tight.
07:36There's a lot of dust in here.
07:38I also noticed that there
07:40isn't really a pantry
07:42and what they've got instead
07:44is a cabinet and a shelf
07:46and a couple of other cupboards on the wall
07:48with glass and
07:50the one common thing between all of them
07:52is that you can see what's inside.
07:54What else do you think is making this space cluttered?
07:56This washing machine.
07:58I'm imagining that
08:00when that's open
08:02she's toit.
08:04This just kind of feels like
08:06it's in the way, if I'm honest.
08:08The circulation space around the island is not
08:10great and then to add to those
08:12pinch points, you've got a
08:14washing machine, a kids learning tower
08:17on the end of the island and then you've got a fridge door
08:19that opens into the kitchen rather than
08:21against the wall, so it's a lot.
08:25There's kind of this conception that
08:27the kitchen is the heart of the home, right?
08:29But I actually think
08:31the dining table should be the heart of the home
08:33because that's where you sit
08:35with your family every day for meals,
08:37you sit there on weekends and do crafts.
08:39For Sam and Kate, there are a few priorities
08:41for their kitchen dining area and one is to
08:43create better connection between the two areas.
08:45It's quite segregated by the island, particularly
08:47with the high bench top.
08:49Ooh, windows!
08:51They've replaced them in the house at some point.
08:53Yeah, that's a little upcycler's dream.
08:55We can 100% use these
08:57for some sort of glass house
08:59to grow some plants that need a bit
09:01more TLC.
09:03They've already got
09:05a planter box. Perfect!
09:07Growing your own greens and herbs is
09:09such a great way to save money and be sustainable,
09:11reduce your plastic in the supermarket
09:13so it would be really cool
09:15to plant some greens.
09:17Everything
09:19they need is here.
09:21This house is absolutely
09:23beautiful, it's got so much going for it
09:25and I feel if we can nail this area and the kitchen
09:27and dining area, the house is going to be done.
09:29It's going to be a completely different house.
09:31Absolutely. It's going to be amazing.
09:35Kia ora! Hi.
09:37After her deep dive
09:39into Sam and Kate's kitchen,
09:41Jen has some crafty functionality
09:43ideas to share.
09:45Where do we start?
09:47Ah!
09:49Look familiar?
09:51There's a lot
09:53going on in that space. Absolutely.
09:55We walk sideways a lot.
09:57A lot.
09:59It's really good having fresh eyes.
10:01We've worked with what we've got
10:03for so long that we kind of can't
10:05see it anymore.
10:07Look, it's a great space. I think it's just
10:09not functioning as well as it could
10:11with that connectedness between kitchen and dining.
10:13But I do have some ideas
10:15I'd like to show you for how we can improve on that.
10:17I can't wait to see them.
10:25Shall we dig in?
10:27Please.
10:29Keen DIY enthusiast Sam
10:31and his wife Kate
10:33are amped to hear Renault expert Jen's
10:35ideas for their sustainable kitchen
10:37Take over.
10:47So in this scenario
10:49I've actually completely taken out the island.
10:51And I know that might be a bit scary
10:53because it's like, you know, storage is already
10:55premium and I'm taking away a third of it.
10:57But what it
10:59does do is it opens the space up
11:01and it creates an opportunity to actually pull
11:03that dining table in a little bit.
11:06And that helps with that circulation
11:08issue as well because we're taking out
11:10the obstruction. The blocker.
11:12I do really, really love the solid piece of
11:14timber on your island
11:16and I have proposed a couple of places
11:18where it could be repurposed.
11:20Cut down,
11:22give it a sand, give it a wax or an oil
11:24and put it back on the wall.
11:26That would be right up your alley, right Sam?
11:28I've got a skill saw ready for chipping it up.
11:30Let me at it.
11:32It'd be nice to
11:34repurpose or sort of upcycle
11:36what we've got already. I do have a few ideas about
11:38potentially where your washing machine could move to.
11:40Moving it to the
11:42back to the dining area,
11:44we can make it work in that location.
11:46It would be really nice if
11:48we could not stub our toes on the washing machine.
11:50I also noticed quite a lot
11:52of visible storage.
11:54Oh yes.
11:56That really tells me everything I need to know.
11:58Definitely think there's an opportunity
12:00to close these cupboards in as well.
12:02That's great.
12:04The good thing about your kitchen is that
12:06structurally, the carcasses which is the
12:08insides of all your cabinets,
12:10they're actually pretty fine and for the most part
12:12the cabinetry fronts and the kickboards
12:14are usable.
12:16That whole kitchen doesn't need to come out.
12:18There is absolutely no need for it to go to landfill.
12:20There are so many ways that we could actually
12:22utilise what's there and create a
12:24really good solution for this family.
12:26This is the other option.
12:28This keeps for the most part everything the same
12:30including leaving the island where it is.
12:32But in this scenario,
12:34we do still take that high shelf off
12:36the island, extend it out so you
12:38can have guests there or
12:40the breakfast bench for when your kids are a little bit older
12:42or the high chair potentially could even reach.
12:44Yeah, that would be really good.
12:46She's got some really, really good ideas.
12:48They've given us a lot to think about
12:50in terms of we didn't even think about
12:52a couple of the options.
12:54Some of the stuff was like, oh yeah, I hadn't thought of that.
12:56Other stuff was like, oh
12:58but what about that?
13:00I did notice some mould and mildew issues
13:02around your Belfast sink.
13:04So we would look to
13:06potentially replace that with an undermount
13:08sink. That would require a new benchtop
13:10but your benchtop is probably at the end of its life.
13:12Anyway, often with kitchens
13:14the areas that get a bit of
13:16a hiding in terms of wear and tear are
13:18obviously the doors and the benchtop.
13:20Whereas the carcasses, which are the inside parts of the
13:22cabinets, are generally fine.
13:24So if the layout is working for them and
13:26they're happy to repurpose that, then
13:28the best way to save money on a kitchen is to actually
13:30leave it as is and then just replace
13:32or repaint the doors, replace the benchtop.
13:34So Neolith
13:36make 100% natural stone
13:38benchtops. It's sintered.
13:40The stone is essentially ground down,
13:42compressed and then sintered under a really,
13:44really high heat. So I'm not allowed
13:46to say it's indestructible but it's basically
13:48indestructible.
13:50What do you think? I think it's beautiful.
13:52Yeah, I really like it.
13:54You've also actually replaced your
13:56gas hob for induction.
13:58It also opens up
14:00an opportunity to consider solar down
14:02the line because anything that we can do to create
14:04a more energy efficient home
14:06now is going to make the investment in solar
14:08power later on more feasible.
14:10This is the Noel Leeming website
14:12and you can see there are a range of induction
14:14hob options here. There are a lot of
14:16reasons to love induction and
14:18I'm yet to meet anyone who hasn't been
14:20a convert after using one.
14:22Lots of options to suit
14:24the way that you cook.
14:26They're about three times more energy efficient
14:28than other options just
14:30simply because they're so fast. They're not using much power.
14:32It's great for mum slash dad
14:34life.
14:36Can you play with this?
14:38That's good. One of the
14:40pillars of sustainability is the social
14:42aspect. Protecting and enhancing
14:44the well-being of the occupants of the space.
14:46In particular, that can be done by
14:48decluttering and making it easier
14:50to think and move around
14:52and live in this space and also
14:54minimise food waste.
14:56This website
14:58has a lot of options for making
15:00a pantry much
15:02less anxiety inducing when you open it.
15:04Much less cluttered.
15:06Calm and chill. That's what we want in a kitchen.
15:08Super excited.
15:10Who doesn't want a new kitchen?
15:12We can't wait to get started.
15:14We're sort of chomping at the bit to get stuck into it.
15:16Plenty
15:18to ponder from Jen.
15:20Now what's Margot
15:22got in store? Kia ora guys.
15:24Hi. To kick start
15:26Sam and Kate's Greenfinger journey.
15:28You've already got this
15:30raised garden bed. Yes.
15:32Which I thought, perfect, we can use
15:34this. However,
15:36as I was sleeping last night
15:38at 3am, I thought
15:40lightbulb moment. Two young
15:42kids, driveway,
15:44hazard.
15:46It is also quite far away from the house
15:48and when it's dark at night
15:50or it's raining, no one wants to go and
15:52pick some greens do they?
15:54It's hard enough to just get to the bins.
15:56Exactly, so
15:58I've changed my mind on this
16:00and I'm thinking one where
16:02it's easy access by the kitchen
16:06and then another kind of
16:08out in the front yard where we can
16:10grow some more long term things.
16:12If you guys are open to it, let's
16:14move the veggie garden near the
16:16kitchen. Great. There's two
16:18things to look for when it comes to
16:20veggie gardens, where to plant
16:22it. One, sun, very important
16:24obviously your veggies aren't going to grow without
16:26sun and two is convenience
16:28how close is it to the house?
16:30So,
16:32backyard. I've noticed you have a hose
16:34here. Yes. So if we
16:36put it round here, very easy
16:38to water. You've also got existing
16:40pathways. We can utilise
16:42those pathways to kind of
16:44frame the garden.
16:46I saw your awesome
16:48recycled window frames.
16:50Yeah, Sam found them. Yeah, that was a
16:52key find under the house. How cool.
16:54How long do you reckon they've been sitting there for? Probably
16:5670 years. Wow, really?
16:58I think it's about time we
17:00reuse those then.
17:02Upcycling doesn't just have to be furniture.
17:04I think we can put these
17:06windows that they found into
17:08a glass house. It's such a great way
17:10to utilise something that
17:12can't otherwise be used.
17:14Start here.
17:18With those window frames
17:20we're best to do a
17:22open situation rather than like
17:24a door because
17:26this way will allow
17:28us to get the air ventilation
17:30throughout the day and then at night
17:32you can close them so it contains the heat.
17:34Maybe let's start small.
17:36I think small and manageable. One garden bed.
17:38I'd rather do one and do one really well.
17:40At the moment we don't have
17:42the time for a full on veggie garden.
17:44I'm a little bit daunted to be honest.
17:46I think it'll be a challenge.
17:58Hello.
18:00Yes, I am driving an electric vehicle.
18:02That's correct. Yeah, I know. You're surprised
18:04to see me. You didn't hear me coming in the CV.
18:06That's alright.
18:12I'm rocking up to
18:14Salmon Cakes in West Auckland
18:16with a big treat.
18:18Kia ora.
18:20I heard that you guys are interested in
18:22trying out an EV. Yes.
18:24Very much so.
18:26What do you think of this one?
18:28This is the Ioniq 5
18:30from Hyundai.
18:32So
18:34over the next six months you and your
18:36whānau are going to get to drive this EV.
18:38So, so cool.
18:40We've never driven an EV before. This is so
18:42nice. I might even cry.
18:44What do you think
18:46Charlotte? Good?
18:48So one of the great things about
18:50this car is that it's on an 800
18:52volt battery system. What that
18:54means is that if you have a fast charger
18:56it takes less than half an hour
18:58to get it to like 80%.
19:00That's going to be such a great summer car.
19:02Yeah, we do quite a few trips down to
19:04the central North Island and if
19:06we can get 450km out of it
19:08for one trip, that would be great
19:10because stopping with these guys is
19:12not fun.
19:14So something really cool about
19:16this car is it moves forwards and backwards
19:18on its own. What? No way.
19:20So if you're having trouble parking
19:22the car goes with no one
19:24inside it. Wow.
19:26Wow.
19:28Here are the keys.
19:34This is beyond what we could have
19:36ever imagined.
19:38It's like we're in some kind of spaceship.
19:40Wow. It's so amazing.
19:44And it's so quiet and so smooth
19:46and it smells really nice, like a new car.
19:48We don't have any kids with us.
19:50What is that about?
19:52I honestly cannot believe it. I cannot believe that we get it
19:54for the summer. You guys are just going to take this away now, right?
19:56Yeah. You can thank me later.
19:58Meanwhile, that kitchen
20:00to upcycle, chop chop.
20:02Following on
20:04from our chat with Jen,
20:06is I think what would
20:08work better for us is if we
20:10leave the island where it is.
20:12As much as moving the island and
20:14making room for a double fridge is good,
20:16I think we really need the island
20:18with a little breakfast bar. Yeah.
20:20I think we can repurpose
20:22some of the benchtops for
20:24our laundry that we're going to create.
20:26It was good to get some perspective
20:28from the experts because we couldn't
20:30see past what we'd thought of.
20:32They really gave us a really good idea of what our
20:34kitchen could be like.
20:36Now that he can see the wood
20:38for the trees, time to tackle
20:40that extraneous timber shelf.
20:42The idea is to try and get it off
20:44as clean as possible so that we can reuse it
20:46because we're going to be replacing
20:48this bench. So we're going
20:50to leave the island where it is.
20:52The washing machine is leaving
20:54the kitchen. Hallelujah.
20:56Some more storage in the kitchen.
20:58New sink, new benchtops
21:00and new cabinets. Just replacing the cupboard
21:02doors and keeping the carcass so
21:04we're kind of trying to reuse as much as we can.
21:08That'll do it.
21:12Look at that. Wow.
21:14This is amazing. It feels like it's
21:16opened up everything so much more.
21:18It has. And like the line of sight and everything
21:20through the kitchen is so much better.
21:22Yeah, it's really good. So the idea
21:24is that the breakfast bar is going to come out about that far.
21:26So that'll give us
21:28quite a bit of space. That'll be good.
21:30Yeah. Upcycling
21:32and recycling is something we can
21:34all do to help reduce the load
21:36on the planet.
21:38And this
21:40neat little off-grid retreat
21:42is an amazing example of just
21:44what can be achieved.
21:46Jean Jones,
21:48this is so cute.
21:50Welcome to the Arahanui
21:52off-grid cabins.
21:54And you already know about off-grid.
21:56Yes, I do. It means that it doesn't
21:58rely on mains power. It's got its own power.
22:00This is
22:02another beautiful example of
22:04how you can create something totally
22:06functional and practical
22:08and stunning that's still got a
22:10sustainability ethos as well.
22:12So we've got this beautiful cabin here. This is the kitchen
22:14living, dining, open plan.
22:16And it's
22:18totally made out of recycled materials from an old villa.
22:20The whole thing? The whole thing,
22:22yep. Which I thought
22:24was quite a good little nod to
22:26what Sam and Kate are doing with their kitchen.
22:34Ooh.
22:36She's cosy, isn't she? She is cosy.
22:38Yep. Upcycling and
22:40reuse is important because it stops things from going
22:42to landfill. There are a lot of
22:44examples in these cabins of how you can
22:46maintain a beautiful, functional home
22:48but still emphasise the upcycling
22:50and reuse of materials.
22:52The recycled timber, the window
22:54joinery, the corrugated tin
22:56on the roof and the walls,
22:58it's all been upcycled.
23:00But it's also been kitted out
23:02with second-hand finds.
23:04So the owners have scoured
23:06online marketplaces, second-hand stores
23:08for decor, everything that actually goes
23:10into the space.
23:12I'm personally quite a big fan of that.
23:14I like to find a little bit of balance between old and new
23:16in a home and it's really cool to see
23:18some in here as well.
23:20So why should we go
23:22for second-hand goods? I find quite a lot
23:24of comfort in something that's already lived
23:26for 50 years versus quite
23:28often items of furniture in
23:30today's market that are new are
23:32MDF or their particle board, you know,
23:34their flat pack, and they start to split
23:36at the seams or they swell up if you spill
23:38a drink on them. They don't really last.
23:40So giving something a new home
23:42is both stopping that item from
23:44ending up in landfill, but it's also
23:46preventing a purchase
23:48that might end up in landfill because
23:50it doesn't stand the test of time. So
23:52it's kind of a double win.
23:54So obviously Sam and Kay have got two young children
23:56and it's a big priority for them to make something that is
23:58practical and functional and
24:00beautiful and sustainable.
24:02And this is a really good example of how you can do
24:04just that in a space.
24:06Sam and Kate
24:08are all about standing the test
24:10of time. I've got
24:12some extra bits of wood from
24:14the deck.
24:16As they dream green
24:18in their garden. That looks really
24:20good. I'm really excited to fill that in now.
24:22And their kitchen.
24:24Okay, so we've got
24:26gold grey.
24:28What do you think of that one?
24:30I like that one.
24:32They're repurposing 90%
24:34of their original kitchen
24:36and have chosen to invest
24:38in a set of four new cabinets.
24:40It would have been less
24:42stress to just rip everything out and
24:44put it back in and have no thought about it.
24:46We've started to take the vinyl off the
24:48doors in preparation for reusing
24:50them. But if you take
24:52a little bit of time and go, okay, let's save this
24:54little bit of the kitchen. Let's reuse
24:56that. We don't want to have to take
24:58trips to the tip and just dump it there.
25:00They're also
25:02embracing energy efficiency
25:04with some very exciting
25:06five star appliances.
25:10It's great to see that they're actually
25:12swapping out those old appliances with more
25:14energy efficient ones.
25:16It's like Christmas. It's like adult Christmas.
25:18All of these little incremental changes
25:20overall have a really big impact
25:22on your monthly power bill.
25:24Having these delivered today has just made it
25:26a lot more real.
25:28We're gifting our fridge to
25:30another family, but for the oven and hob
25:32it's actually really nice to know that
25:34Nolan and I actually have a recycling scheme
25:36for all our old appliances.
25:38They're going to do something
25:40sustainable with them, which is
25:42quite a big thing for us.
25:44That's huge.
25:50Every little
25:52bit helps on the sustainability
25:54journey. And that's the whole point, right?
25:56We can all do our part.
26:00It's like backing into the ambulance bay.
26:08Right, one mock-up.
26:12The new EV's making Sam's
26:14life easier. I wish
26:16the same could be said for his better half
26:18back at base.
26:24We might have had a little bit of
26:26a miscommunication with the cabinets.
26:28The
26:30cabinet guy thinks that the cabinet's
26:32coming out to here,
26:34but we're not moving the switches.
26:36It's been a lot harder and a lot more stress
26:38than we thought it was going to be,
26:40especially trying to manage it with two kids.
26:46Let me pull down.
26:52Bonjour. So
26:54we say it's here, then the cabinet guy
26:56says it's to here.
26:58What's that? That's kind of our
27:00first time doing it, so it's been
27:02a lot of trial and error and learning.
27:04So...
27:08We'll figure that out.
27:10It's all go
27:12at Sam and Kate's
27:14kitchen makeover.
27:16We've got the kitchen cabinet guys
27:18who've come in to replace our ones above
27:20the bench.
27:22But there's a wee hiccup
27:24with the new cabinets.
27:26The cabinet guy thinks
27:28that the cabinet's coming out to here,
27:30but we're not moving the switches.
27:32It's all go at
27:34Sam and Kate's kitchen makeover.
27:36We've got the kitchen cabinet guys
27:38who think that the cabinet's coming out to here,
27:40but we're not moving the switches.
27:42They're quite a lot bigger
27:44than I thought they were.
27:46Hopefully it's not going to be annoying.
27:52Change it to smaller doors.
27:54Two smaller doors.
27:56Two smaller doors.
27:58So small, big, big, small.
28:00OK, cool.
28:04Phew!
28:06Crisis averted.
28:08Wow.
28:10Yeah.
28:12And then they're going to put some new doors
28:14on the other bits and pieces
28:16and just shuffle a couple around for us.
28:18It's exciting.
28:22While Sam and Kate are trying to upcycle
28:24where they can,
28:26another piece they've chosen to invest in
28:28is this fabulous new stone benchtop.
28:30I'm so excited.
28:32This is like so epic.
28:36Oh my gosh!
28:38Wow.
28:40That's so,
28:42so nice.
28:46The new benchtop is amazing.
28:48It's so great.
28:50I'm so excited to use it.
28:52You can be over here and I can be here.
28:54And there's no barrier anymore with that thing.
28:56Oh my gosh.
28:58It's just given us so much more space.
29:00Yeah, yeah.
29:02And don't worry, the old bench isn't going to waste.
29:04It will be used in the new
29:06and improved repositioned laundry area.
29:08Reuse the heap of stuff
29:10to make the laundry.
29:12We've actually reused some of the carcass that we couldn't use.
29:14Hey Kate, what are you up to?
29:16Painting the old bench for the laundry.
29:18We've got like minimal waste.
29:20Like we were really surprised
29:22at how little waste we had left over.
29:24Knock, knock!
29:26Hi!
29:28Sam and Kate have nailed
29:30reducing waste in their renovation.
29:32But I get the feeling
29:34lifestyle expert Margot
29:36won't want it to end there.
29:38So how have you found everything so far?
29:40It's been a challenge with no kitchen.
29:42I was just going to say, you've got no cooking facilities.
29:44No, we've learnt how to boil pots on the BBQ.
29:46The pantry looks
29:48way better already.
29:50But I think I can give her some more tips
29:52on how to make their double ups less
29:54so they save money.
29:56So let's get into the pantry stuff then.
29:58Please help me.
30:00And just organise things a bit more.
30:02I think she feels a little bit overwhelmed
30:04with the pantry and doesn't know where to start.
30:06You've got two sesame oils.
30:08Rather than throwing it out
30:10and getting another bottle,
30:12you can just go to your
30:14bulk bin store, take your little
30:16bottle, fill it up
30:18and then you're reducing all this plastic.
30:20Lots of spices.
30:22Do you use all of them?
30:24Yep.
30:262019. Oh good.
30:28Hardly been used.
30:30Well you don't want to throw it away.
30:32Rosa and I, we always say we
30:34have five key spices.
30:36So we personally use
30:38smoked paprika, cumin,
30:40cinnamon, ginger,
30:42coriander.
30:44I do really like the idea of just the five spices.
30:46Just minimalising the amount that we've got
30:48will actually make it a lot more accessible
30:50and a lot more usable.
30:54Our experts
30:56have great plans to recycle
30:58Sam's old windows into the glasshouse.
31:00I really like the idea
31:02of using these windows. They've got a lot of character
31:04to them and a lot of history and
31:06it's nice to be able to reuse them because they're actually
31:08still usable. Knock knock.
31:10Oh hey. Hi, how are you?
31:12However, Jen wants to check one
31:14very important issue first.
31:16I thought it might just be prudent to do a lead
31:18test before you put those over some
31:20veggie gardens. Jen's brought along these
31:22lead testing things and I think it's really important
31:24because we work in healthcare and we
31:26see what asbestos or lead could do
31:28to somebody. You don't really want that flaking
31:30into your veggie patch. That's just something that's
31:32always a consideration, particularly when upcycling
31:34older painted furniture
31:36or joinery or even just painting your house.
31:38I really, really love upcycling and
31:40Sam's attitude towards it, but health and
31:42safety is always first and foremost the top priority
31:44so we've just got to make sure that they are lead
31:46free before we chuck them into the garden.
31:48So if this swab
31:50goes like a pinky reddy colour.
31:52Oh, it's already going pink already. Which it already is.
31:54Yeah, I think there's no
31:56disputing that really. No.
31:58Lead is almost as bad as asbestos in terms of
32:00the risk to your health and safety so it's
32:02actually not something that I recommend you DIY.
32:04It really is better to get entertainment
32:06professionals to come in and actually strip that lead
32:08off for you.
32:10She's pretty bright. Yeah.
32:12So that's a no-go for the windows?
32:14It's maybe a no for the windows.
32:16That's a shame. Pretty gutted.
32:18I've spent quite a lot of time
32:20measuring the windows, making
32:22sure we've got enough wood.
32:24I was so ready.
32:28While Sam ponders
32:30a plan B, Margot
32:32has invited me to a
32:34very special place that leads the
32:36way in sustainability and
32:38upcycling. The
32:40iconic Sherwood Hotel in
32:42Queenstown.
32:44Kia ora Rhi. G'day.
32:46Hey, how you going Marks? Welcome to the
32:48South Island. So you've brought your cowgirl
32:50boots? You're looking good.
32:54The Sherwood is a renovated
32:56old motel. I'm really excited
32:58to show you the inside and the sustainable
33:00initiatives that they've done in there.
33:10How good does this feel?
33:16Let's just enjoy the view
33:18for a second, shall we? Please.
33:20Oh, wow.
33:22Marks, this room
33:24is really nice, but it's not
33:26screaming sustainability. You know,
33:28there's no hanging plants, there's none of that
33:30stuff. There are a lot of hidden
33:32gems in here. This carpet is
33:34made from recycled fishnets.
33:36And these curtains are old
33:38army blankets. Are they? Yeah.
33:40So very thick, durable
33:42and very warm.
33:44There are tiles on the walls.
33:46The really cool thing about this is that
33:48the bark from the tree is
33:50heated and then the natural
33:52sap gets released which
33:54sticks the cork together.
33:56So there's no synthetic glues or anything.
33:58The main thing here with Sam
34:00and Kate is that we can reuse the
34:02bones and make small changes
34:04to make it a more functional, sustainable
34:06kitchen for them.
34:08So the Sherwood
34:10is a restaurant. It's a hotel.
34:12It's a wellness space. All the guests
34:14can come down to the veggie garden here
34:16and have that real
34:18garden-to-table vibe.
34:20Forty percent of the food
34:22is grown in their own veggie gardens.
34:24That's pretty impressive. That's a lot
34:26of kai. You're absolutely
34:28correct. So here is
34:30their greens, their herbs,
34:32tomatoes. Easy
34:34access to the food
34:36So easy access to the
34:38fresh produce that they use daily.
34:40Is
34:42something like this achievable for Sam and Kate?
34:44On a smaller scale, yes.
34:46Start with things that are easy
34:48and take less time.
34:50One thing you'll notice is that there's
34:52lots of flowers planted
34:54around the place. So what Sam
34:56and Kate can do is plant little flowers
34:58in their veggie garden to
35:00encourage bees to pollinate
35:02the plants.
35:04There aren't many veggie gardens
35:06with a view over the lake,
35:08the mountains.
35:10I've got to say, it's really quite
35:12remarkable.
35:20In West Auckland,
35:22Sam's plan B is in full
35:24scope.
35:26E, F, H.
35:28Everything's coloured
35:30or coated. So it makes it
35:32really easy. You just need to know
35:34your alphabet, basically.
35:36I think the glasshouse is probably going to be a really
35:38good alternative option.
35:40Joining the garden base together, step
35:42two. I missed a step. And
35:44it'll be fun putting it together. I might have done this
35:46around the wrong way. I'm supposed to go A, B,
35:48C, D, rather than E,
35:50F, G, H.
35:52So that's actually the bottom and this is the top.
35:54So I don't think it matters
35:56too much. Charlotte's
35:58going to get right into this. It's going to be nice
36:00for her to see all the veggies. That's how
36:02Kate and I got brought up.
36:04We got brought up on farms where we grew
36:06a lot of our own produce. So hopefully
36:08she can have the same kind of experience.
36:10Charlotte will love it and Jack will
36:12probably eat some leaves and be happy.
36:14Yeah.
36:16After a couple of busy weeks,
36:18it's time for our
36:20experts and I to check out
36:22Sam and Kate's sustainable kitchen
36:24and garden makeover.
36:26Here we are.
36:28Oh, I'm a little bit nervous.
36:36Kia ora. Welcome.
36:38How are you two feeling? Relieved.
36:40Pretty good. It's been a process.
36:42Yeah. Some stressful times.
36:44Do you want to have a look? We'd love
36:46to. Please. Go.
36:48Go for it. Thank you. Thanks.
36:58Oh, wow.
37:00How cute.
37:10What was once
37:12an underutilised deck
37:14has been transformed
37:16into a neat mini kitchen garden
37:18the family can enjoy.
37:20Look at this.
37:22It's beautiful.
37:24It's beautiful.
37:26Look at this.
37:28Oh, they took my advice.
37:30They did?
37:32They were planning on putting the veggie garden out
37:34by the driveway. Maybe not
37:36a great idea. Kids' cars
37:38are never a great combination, plus it's
37:40quite far away from the kitchen. Yes.
37:42And I thought this would be a great
37:44utilised space. Very good shelter,
37:46good sun. It's already slightly
37:48raised. It's really, really close to the
37:50kitchen.
37:52I also noticed they've put an apt
37:54garden bed on the front
37:56lawn, which is awesome.
37:58They've got some celery, they've got
38:00broccoli, those things that take
38:02slightly longer to grow.
38:04Whereas in here they've got their quick
38:06picks, their herbs, their greens,
38:08tomatoes, things that they use
38:10day to day. So
38:12convenient. They've done
38:14such a good job with this.
38:16Oh, wow.
38:18Oh, my
38:20goodness. Oh, my
38:22goodness.
38:38The old kitchen lacked
38:40functionality, space, and
38:42was in desperate need of maintenance.
38:46Now
38:48a revamped layout and creative
38:50repurposing has transformed
38:52the space.
38:54Where do I even
38:56start?
38:58The room feels really nice
39:00and big, it feels light, it
39:02feels airy. Very green.
39:04Beautiful artwork as well.
39:06I'm loving this bench top.
39:12That's beautiful. So this is
39:14neolithic-scented stone. It's really
39:16sustainable as well because it's 100% natural
39:18stone. They've
39:20taken the top half of this cabinet off.
39:26What a difference it's made.
39:28Oh, and they've reused the
39:30solid timber that was on the bench top before.
39:34They've swapped out their washing machine
39:36as well.
39:38Much more
39:40efficient use of space. And the laundry,
39:42that's stunning. Who wouldn't want
39:44to do laundry? Hey!
39:46Yeah.
39:48I'd be more inspired.
39:52Jen, could you have imagined
39:54a transformation like this from Salmon Caked?
39:56It's pretty big.
39:58Hard to believe it's the same kitchen.
40:00They've still got the original
40:02cabinets inside.
40:04So it's like a
40:06whole new kitchen. Induction
40:08as well, which is a lot more energy efficient.
40:10And that sink, Jen,
40:12that was causing a lot of problems, wasn't it?
40:16Balfast sinks
40:18are actually really, really hard to seal.
40:20And because the old bench top was
40:22laminate, it was swelling.
40:24Normally when you're replacing a whole bench
40:26top, you'd lose the splash pad just
40:28because it would get damaged when you're removing the
40:30bench top and putting the new one in. But they managed
40:32to salvage it and they only had a couple of little broken
40:34tiles here. And that's great
40:36because that's an entire
40:38half a wall's worth of tiles
40:40that have not had to go to landfill.
40:42I'm jealous. Should we have
40:44a little look in here?
40:46Oh, how
40:48beautiful is that?
40:50They've taken everything from plastic
40:52packets where you can't see
40:54how much is left. You know, we can see
40:56exactly what you've got,
40:58how much. I'm so proud of them.
41:00With mindful, sustainable
41:02choices everywhere, Sam
41:04and Kate have created a kitchen
41:06that's more energy efficient and
41:08will last the test of time.
41:10This is much better. I feel very
41:12connected to you two.
41:14I feel like there's a bench.
41:16But we're here together. You couldn't have
41:18done this a few weeks ago, could you?
41:20Big bloody thing in the way.
41:22We'd be going over like this.
41:24This must have saved them so much
41:26money compared to if they'd ripped everything out
41:28and then they bought all of that new.
41:30Which is what most people tend to do,
41:32right? Kind of a double win, right?
41:34Because they're saving money and they're
41:36saving things from going to landfill.
41:38It just blows my mind
41:40how much they took on board
41:42from that first visit.
41:44And also probably how much
41:46mileage they've got out of that budget
41:48as a result of repurposing what was already here.
41:50Hi.
41:52Hello.
41:54Congratulations
41:56on a stunning renovation.
41:58Thank you. We're absolutely stoked with it.
42:00It's kind of hard to believe that this is basically
42:02the same kitchen, right?
42:04New bench top, new cupboard.
42:06It just looks so different.
42:08Sam, do you feel proud of the job that you've done in here?
42:10Honestly, I didn't realise
42:12how well it would turn out just by
42:14upcycling and just doing the fronts.
42:16Why did you choose to leave things mostly as they are?
42:18Purely because
42:20this is such a good
42:22family-centred area.
42:24And really the only barrier
42:26to creating a practical work area
42:28was removing that.
42:30Yeah, you don't realise how bad it is until you take it away
42:32and you're like, oh.
42:34Just
42:36reusing everything, like not having to
42:38buy new taps, not having to buy new carcass for the
42:40kitchen. We actually came under.
42:42Maybe like a hundred bucks.
42:44Yeah, so pretty good.
42:46Pretty spot on. And not one, but
42:48two veggie gardens.
42:50Oh yeah, they've expanded.
42:52So excited. So good.
42:54Did you get the kids
42:56involved in the veggie garden? Charlotte got
42:58very, very involved in the veggie garden.
43:00She wanted to dig the holes
43:02and put the marigolds in and then like
43:04at the top. Very well worked as well.
43:06Do you have regrets?
43:08It was really stressful. It was really hard.
43:10We tried to do it a lot while Charlotte was in daycare
43:12but it's just really
43:14hard trying to manage her and have
43:16sort of open areas and tradies and stuff around.
43:18But I guess now,
43:20now it's worth it.
43:22I love being in here.
43:24It's turned into my favourite room now.
43:26You've truly done it in the most sustainable way possible
43:28so I hope you feel really proud of yourself.
43:30Good.
43:32They've done such an amazing job.
43:34It's so cool to see the outcome
43:36and how stoked they are.
43:48It's been really nice to see other people's reaction
43:50because then you sort of realise you've done it right.
43:54All four of us can be in the kitchen
43:56now which is really nice.
43:58There's so much more space.
44:02Charlotte's done heaps of stuff in the garden
44:04and she's loving it.
44:06It's worth it. It's been so worth it.
44:08Let's do some watering in the garden, shall we?
44:10Excuse me!
44:12Oh! Okay.
44:14Let's change it, shall we?
44:16Now I'm all wet.
44:20Three months later and Charlotte and Jack
44:22are enjoying spending family time
44:24at the kitchen bench.
44:26Sam and Kate
44:28are loving their EV experience.
44:30And if they want to invest
44:32in their own, finance options
44:34like the ANZ Good Energy Home Loan
44:36offer a special discounted
44:38interest rate for the purchase of
44:40electric and hybrid vehicles.
44:42Next time...
44:44I want to grow as much food as I possibly can.
44:46How to turn
44:48tiny spaces into lush
44:50green dreams.
44:52Along that wall we could grow fruit trees.
44:54We explore the challenges
44:56It's like sitting in a clay pot.
44:58and possibilities.
45:00I feel like you're changing my entire relationship with this advice.
45:02I love it.
45:04When it comes to green urban living.
45:06Margot wants to move in, clearly.
45:08Oh my goodness, look at it!