A Palm Springs inspired remodel has turned this villa into an entertaining haven
A Palm Springs-Inspired Remodel Transforms This Villa into an Entertaining Haven
Discover how this globetrotting food lover transformed a disjointed Wellington villa into her seamless forever home.
Finding the Perfect Home
Sarah Meikle isn’t one to hesitate. Just three days after returning to Wellington—following a decade spent in India, London, the Middle East, and South America due to her Tourism New Zealand marketing job—she purchased a house.
“I arrived on a Monday, viewed two properties, and bought this one by Thursday,” she explains, referring to the 1910 villa perched high in the hills of Island Bay.
Although Sarah first moved to Wellington at the age of 10, she had only visited Island Bay a couple of times before. However, she was drawn to the house’s solid structure, its sunlit garden, and the breathtaking views over Cook Strait.
“It’s also sheltered from the northerly winds, and Island Bay is such a lovely, laidback community. It’s a coastal suburb but close to the city, so it’s relaxing to come back to after a hectic day at work.”
Creating an Entertaining Space
Entertaining is a significant part of Sarah’s life. As the director of Wellington’s annual Visa Wellington on a Plate festival, which she co-founded 13 years ago, and the daughter of Simon, who founded iconic Wellington restaurant Dockside and launched the Loaded Hog chain of eateries, Sarah is deeply embedded in the food scene.
“Prior to Covid, I’d spend around two to three months a year flying around the world, meeting chefs, inviting them to come down to the festival, and learning from other festival staff. Even when I’m in Wellington, I’ll still eat out three or four nights a week for work and pleasure.”
When she’s not dining out, Sarah loves to cook. Although her home’s previous kitchen was functional, it was compact and lacked storage. In 2018, she enlisted Wellington architect Clare Bush to design a larger, more accessible kitchen and an open-plan living area.
The Remodel
The remodel involved removing a wall between the existing kitchen and a spare bedroom, relocating the kitchen to the former bedroom, and converting the original kitchen into an airy living space. A support beam was added, and the bedroom windows were replaced with two smaller windows that neatly flank the rangehood, flooding the space with light.
Top of Sarah’s wishlist was a 2m-long kitchen island, built slightly higher to accommodate her tall frame. Second was ample storage.
“As anyone who’s lived in a villa knows, there’s very little storage – and I have every kitchen gadget under the sun! So my brief to Clare was for lots of drawer space.”
Sarah also opted for different materials for the surfaces, choosing Caesarstone quartz for the kitchen island and splashback, and stainless steel for the bench that houses the stovetop.
Personal Touches
The new living space is simply furnished, with couches from The Cotton Store, while some of the cushions came from as far afield as Toronto.
“It might look small but at Christmastime I moved the furniture and managed to fit 24 of my staff in for dinner.”
Another change Sarah made was ripping up the carpet and replacing it with laminate floorboards.
Aside from the flooring and a fresh coat of paint, the only change in the adjacent dining room is the addition of a vintage French table Sarah inherited from her parents.
An art lover, Sarah curated the various pieces in her house from galleries and online sellers. Greenery and retro artworks bring depth and color to the otherwise pale, airy interiors.
In the main bedroom, a colorful flamingo artwork above the bed came courtesy of Sarah’s cousin’s husband, who reproduces vintage posters.
Now that the hard work is over, Sarah and her beloved dog Ruby are enjoying their new space.
“I really can’t see a reason to ever leave this house. I love it!”
For more information on home remodeling, visit Houzz.
