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After a long spell of renovating houses and having to deal with countless separate suppliers, the relief of finding a one-stop shop in Guthrie Bowron was so great that Allie Jones and Tony Froude decided to go one stage further, and bought the Mill Lane business.
“We’d just done a whole lot of renovations and it was difficult finding places that could do everything – you have to go to so many different places for made-to-measure curtains, blinds and shutters, paint and wallpaper, flooring, the lot,” Allie says.
“But this place does everything. I always liked the windows, they always drew me in with the curtains and blinds, and we liked the feel of it – it’s like a family shop, and we want to keep that relaxed local store feel.”
Although the Sandspit couple have spent time restoring and updating several properties, and Allie has a diploma in interior design, it is a long way from their previous life in Hong Kong, where UK national newspaper journalist Allie wrote for the South China Morning Post and Auckland-born Tony was an airline pilot with Cathay Pacific.
They moved to New Zealand six years ago for a quieter lifestyle. Since then Allie has done a Master’s degree in creative writing and written two books, and Tony has gradually cut back on his flying duties.
They are now looking forward to helping locals improve their homes with a full range of wall, floor and window coverings. They will also be bringing the sought-after Porter’s Paints range to Warkworth for the first time.
“The fun part is going to people’s houses and taking people through all the options,” Allie says. “We’re happy to visit people’s homes, measure up, give colour advice and give them a quote, that’s all free.”
They are also keeping on the current Guthrie Bowrie team, not least paint guru Peter Hudson, who has been passing on his expertise for around 30 years.
