The Wellington birthplace of one of the country's most famous writers is reopening to the public on Sunday.
The Katherine Mansfield House and Garden has been closed for months for renovations. Director Cherie Jacobson says the house is taking on a new direction.
"We wanted to look ahead to when they became more prosperous - her dad became the chairman of BNZ. So this is kind of their first house, their first step on the social ladder."
Jacobson says many aspects of the historic building have been upgraded.
"It does look quite different in some ways, so some people who have been here before will see it in a totally new light, which is really exciting."
She says it has a new appeal for the younger generation.
"People will be surprised by how stylish it is, and I definitely think there are some very Instagrammable objects and corners of the house. It'll be cool to see it starting to circulate on social media."
Mansfield was born in the house on October 14, 1888. It was damaged in the 2016 Kaikoura quake.
"We have worked with Dr William Cottrell, an expert in the furniture and interiors of the colonial period, and used clues from the initial 1980s restoration to further explore the styles that would have appealed to a fashionable colonial family climbing the social ladder," said Jacobson. "Some incredible pieces of historic furniture have been acquired to help illustrate the trends of the late 19th century."
- Katherine Mansfield's bach restored after storm
- Revealed: Katherine Mansfield's hidden children's story
The house - a category 1 historic place - will reopen at 10am.
Newshub.
