Harry McNaughton might be only 21 years old, but the successful actor has already realised the great Kiwi dream of owning property.

‘I think I'm fundamentally Scottish. I don't like the idea of paying someone else's mortgage for them,' he says with a laugh. ‘Plus I love the feeling of coming back to my own house, especially after a day on set. It takes me 10 minutes to get to the CBD and it's just 25 minutes from Shortland Street's set [in West Auckland], so it's ideal.'

Nestled in a quiet, leafy inner-city suburb, Harry - who plays asexual receptionist Gerald Tippett on the popular TV2 soap - owns a 1940s brick and tile ex-state house with his partner. They live there with Um and Ah, their two identical tabby cats, and over the past year, they've been immersed in renovating their ‘little oasis'.

‘The idea of having a place we could put our stamp on appealed. We looked at another house we loved, but it had been done up and the thought of moving into a home somebody else finished didn't inspire us,' the born and bred Aucklander says. ‘We were definitely keen to get stuck in. Bunnings Warehouse is now my favourite store. It's ridiculous!'

The pair felt the home was their ideal ‘blank canvas'. Spurred on by Harry's love
of DIY, it now boasts a new bathroom, polished floors and a freshly painted interior, complemented by sophisticated furnishings.

Renovation experts always warn DIY-ers not to rush when it comes to doing up their home, and that any work should be well-planned before a paintbrush even touches
a wall. However, Harry isn't one to stick with convention and his eyes sparkle with enthusiasm as he explains his workmanship.

Speaking exclusively to New Idea, the star is straight off set and still dressed in his character's customary smart black suit, shirt and tie. It's hard to imagine Harry with a sledgehammer, overalls and boots, but it's actually the big demolition jobs he loves most.

‘Everyone said, "Wait six months before you do anything." But on the first night, I couldn't deal with it. I pulled up the kitchen lino, tore wallpaper from the bedroom walls and ripped off the sliding door that separates the living area and the hallway. An ugly rail hung from the wall, so I took a saw to it,' he says. ‘There's something so exciting about owning your own home. I remember sitting in the living room thinking, "If I want to punch a hole in one of these walls, no one can stop me. This is my house and I can do what I want."'

Reaping rewards

Indeed, one year on, Harry's handiwork has certainly paid off. A cosy yet stylish ambience greets visitors the minute they step through the door. The combination of edgy vintage collectables, such as Harry's 1960s desk and dining room set, with contemporary furnishings gives the home a modern vibe with a hint of retro styling - it's well suited to the mid-century house.

The interior has been painted in a light and neutral palette, providing a fresh, upbeat feel that complements the home's original features, including matai floors and doors.
It also provides a great backdrop to the couple's impressive collection of New Zealand-made modern art.

‘My interest in modern art is relatively recent. Having a partner who's an artist helps. The more you see of it, the more you go "Wow, that's really cool,"' the actor explains.

Personal treasures pack the living-room shelves, including family snaps and Harry's prized dictionary set, which was a gift for his 21st. But if the house caught fire, Harry admits the one thing he'd save would be his Erica van Zon 3D material skateboard.

‘God, I love it. What a cool idea,' he says, adding that he's also quite taken with the painting that hangs above the loo.

 ‘It's a crazy story as I don't think it was ever meant to be displayed. It was found in
a dumpster. You can't really see much of the detail but there's this bird flying over the trees doing a poo over everything. I really like that it's placed on top of the toilet,' he laughs.

The bathroom makeover is Harry's piece de resistance. A sleek and stylish square porcelain sink is set into a wooden vanity and a white-tiled bath and shower now stand where once a ‘hideous' melamine booth and aluminium catch pan dominated.

‘I was having a shower when one of the taps fell off. I thought, "This is a sign to redo the bathroom." We got a hammer and bashed the inside of the wall and physically ripped the shower out. I absolutely loved it. The plumbing and tiling were left to the experts.

‘It's easy to do the fun demolition stuff but it's the maintenance things I don't like,'
he admits. ‘I wish I were more like Gerald. He's fussy about cleaning and getting things done to perfection. The house is generally messy until someone comes around.'

Sprucing up the kitchen is next on Harry's DIY to-do list, and he hopes his home improvements pay dividends for years to come.

‘Whatever happens, I think we'll hold onto this house for as long as we can,' he
says. ‘I want to go overseas someday. By then the rent will hopefully cover the mortgage.'

For now though, Harry's efforts are being concentrated on the outdoors. The self-confessed greenie is a big fan of sustainable living, which is what has inspired him to work on his lush vegetable patch. The fruits of his labours include crisp winter greens such as cabbages, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and spinach. Beetroot, onions and garlic are also thriving.

And with the star's plans to build an A-frame chicken coop underway, soon a small flock of hens will call the yard home.

‘As soon as we fence the property I'm getting chickens. I'm excited but I'm not sure how the cats are going to react,' he says with a cheeky grin. ‘I can't wait to have fresh eggs for breakfast and a few chicken dinners.'

BY CAROLINE BOTTING

More from New Idea