Renovation Diaries: Carpenter Tony Calder On Renovating His 1920s Dunedin Villa & What He Learned
Homeowners share their renovation journey with Leanne Moore, talking about the highlights, the challenges and the amazing results. This week, carpenter and designer Tony Calder on transforming his 1920s Dunedin villa.
Tony Calder and Julia Smith bought their 1920s Dunedin villa seven years ago while living in Amsterdam.
“I could see from the photos online that it was a character home with good bones and took a punt that we’d be able to do something special with it,” says Calder, who began the renovation when they moved back to Dunedin in 2019.
The result is a well-designed mix of rad and trad, keeping the heritage villa aesthetic at the front and adding a sleek and modern extension at the rear. The project addressed the importance of heritage preservation, while bringing the house up to a standard fit for contemporary life and future generations.
Who lives here?
Tony and his partner, Julia Smith.
Best money spent?
The inbuilt joinery and new windows completely transformed the home, not just visually but experientially. Opening the house to its surrounding landscape and capturing the sun’s warmth reconnected the interior with the environment it sits within. The result is both aesthetic and functional. Spaces now feel brighter, calmer, and thermally comfortable throughout the seasons. It’s a simple reminder that good design is about how a place feels to live in, not just how it looks.
What would you never do again?
We made the mistake of choosing “brass” tapware without checking the quality of the finish. Within months, the coating wore off and left a patchy, tired look. It’s a small detail, but it taught us something bigger. Invest once, properly. We’ve since replaced the tapware with fittings that will last.
What do you wish you had done?
If the budget had allowed, we would have installed solar panels from the outset. The idea of the home generating its own power and becoming truly self-sufficient fits perfectly with the way we live and work. It’s something we’ll likely revisit in future. As energy prices rise and technology evolves, it feels like one of the most impactful long-term investments any household can make.
Where did you make savings?
A major saving came from taking on the dual role of designer and builder. That’s both a blessing and a curse. The labour cost disappears, but so do weekends and holidays. It demanded patience, problem-solving, and a lot of endurance, but there’s deep satisfaction in knowing every detail was shaped by hand.
Where did you splurge?
We hadn’t planned on a new roof, but it became a non-negotiable once the restoration began. There’s a point in any renovation where it makes sense to commit fully to ensure longevity rather than patchwork. Replacing the roof brought coherence and security to the whole project.
Favourite room?
The lounge, without question. It’s where the architecture slows down. Sitting in the window seat, you can watch the light move across the valley and the weather roll in from the hills. It’s become a place to pause, to reconnect with the rhythms outside.
What was your budget?
Our initial budget was $250,000, focused on key improvements such as joinery, insulation, and internal finishes that would lift the home’s performance without overextending financially.
Did you go over that?
Yes. The final spend landed just over $300,000. The extra costs came from the roof replacement and full landscaping, which weren’t in the original plan but felt essential to complete the project properly. It’s a common renovation story. You start with priorities, then uncover the hidden layers that need care too.
Best advice for someone about to renovate?
Expect the unexpected and embrace it. Every old house holds a few surprises behind its walls or beneath its floors. Budget for the unknown. Renovating is an act of stewardship. It’s about extending the life of what already exists rather than starting over. From a sustainability perspective, that’s one of the most powerful contributions any homeowner can make. By reusing, restoring, and upgrading, you’re not just creating a beautiful home, you’re reducing waste, conserving embodied carbon, and leaving the planet a little better than you found it. This approach is a core aspiration of our work at ahha.
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