From muddy rugby boots to Lego sprawled across the bedroom floor, everyday life in Aimee and Pat’s rural New Zealand home is busy, creative and constantly evolving. After relocating and renovating a 1930s bungalow for the second time, the couple wanted a home that felt warm, relaxed and truly practical for family life — without constantly worrying about spills, stains or everyday wear and tear.
We spoke with Aimee about choosing carpet and why Rhino ultimately became the perfect fit for their home. From red wine spills to muddy footprints and everything in between, here’s why Rhino has proven to be the perfect fit for their rural family life.
Rhino Collection: Original
Carpet style: Rhino Memphis
Colour: Heathery Tint
Household: Family of 4
Biggest test for the carpet so far: Clay, highly pigmented lipstick, felt-tip pens, muddy boots and even sheep poo
Tell us about your family and what everyday life looks like in your home
I am married to Pat and together we have two children, Gordon (12) and Ellis (8). We’ve always lived rurally as a family and it truly is our happy place. We’re real homebodies and love the lifestyle that comes with country living. Rugby is a huge part of our lives, so winter weekends are usually spent on the sidelines supporting Gordon, while Ellis loves spending as much time as possible crafting and creating. Pat spends most of his time outdoors while I tackle the never-ending renovation projects around the house. He’s the strength and I’m definitely the creative.
What inspired you to relocate and renovate a 1930s bungalow in rural New Zealand?
This is our second time relocating a bungalow and honestly, I’m not sure if it’s too early to say it, but I think we’d do it a third time. There’s something incredibly special about giving an old home a second chance at life. We absolutely adore the character older homes bring and to us they feel far more personal and meaningful than a standard new build.
Relocating homes has allowed us to make rural living affordable for our family and this second time around we came into the process with so much more knowledge and confidence. At times it can feel like an enormous mountain to climb — and sometimes it genuinely is — but where we’ve been able to save money, we’ve also been able to invest more into the areas that matter most to us. Having a much smaller mortgage while still creating a home with more space and functionality than our previous property has been a huge motivator for us.
How does your family actually use the floor in your home?
As a family, we try to keep life as stress-free as possible, especially within our home itself. We wanted to choose materials that allowed us to actually live in our home comfortably without constantly worrying about damage or upkeep. Our home isn’t large, so every space is high traffic and definitely gets put to the test. Between ongoing renovations, exterior projects, muddy shoes and everyday family life, the carpet truly has to handle it all. Ellis spends hours in her room drawing and creating, while Gordon is constantly moving between inside and outside.
Did you find choosing carpet harder than you expected?
Choosing carpet this time around felt completely different from our previous home. Last time, we installed carpet to prepare the house for sale. This time, we were choosing carpet to actually live with long-term. We debated heavily between nylon and wool carpet — Pat was firmly team wool while I was leaning toward practicality, and I think it’s fair to say I won that debate.
What ultimately made Rhino carpet the right choice for your home and lifestyle?
One of our rooms receives a lot of natural light while another doesn’t, so I really wanted a lighter tone to help brighten the spaces and keep them feeling fresh. Originally, I assumed Rhino carpet would be completely outside our budget, and at that stage we were still undecided on exactly what direction to go in. However, after some amazing help from the team at Carpet Court, they introduced us to some Rhino samples and I was immediately impressed by the stain resistance technology. In that moment I knew if we wanted a lighter carpet without constantly stressing about it, Rhino was absolutely the right fit for our family and lifestyle.
How did you land on the colour of carpet?
In the end, we chose Rhino Memphis in the colour Heathery Tint. We had been going back and forth between a slightly darker and lighter option, so meeting in the middle felt like the perfect balance — practical enough to hide everyday life while still keeping those soft earthy tones we loved.
You mentioned going back and forth on colour. When did you realise you had made the right choice?
The moment the carpet was installed, we couldn’t get over how luxurious and warm it made the bedrooms feel. It instantly transformed the spaces. I did have a brief moment of panic wondering if we’d gone too light for such high traffic rooms and whether it would still look this good after a few weeks of family life.
Real life test – what has your Rhino carpet already survived so far?
That fear disappeared pretty quickly after our very first accident — a full glass of red wine spilled directly onto the carpet. I followed the cleaning instructions and honestly could not believe how easily it came out. Since then, we’ve dealt with clay, highly pigmented lipstick, felt-tip pens, muddy boots and even sheep poo, and every single time the carpet has cleaned up incredibly well.
Do you find yourself worrying less about spills, mess and everyday life now?
I sometimes think I’ve become almost too relaxed about our carpet now because the results truly speak for themselves.
We’re able to enjoy the brightness and warmth of a lighter carpet without constantly feeling anxious about keeping it perfect, and somehow it still manages to look freshly installed.
What was the first thing you noticed once the carpet went down?
One of the very first things we noticed was just how soft and luxurious it felt underfoot. The kids instantly grabbed their Lego and sprawled out on the floor, which probably says everything you need to know.
What advice would you give to other families trying to choose carpet?
My advice to anyone choosing carpet is to really think about what your home looks like when it’s truly lived in. Are you the kind of family who doesn’t want to stress every time muddy shoes walk through the door or accidents happen? If so, Rhino is absolutely worth considering as an investment. For us, it’s allowed us to have the lighter, brighter look we wanted while still feeling practical and realistic for everyday family life.
