In 2021, as Aucklander Catalina and her husband Charles watched a virus spread across the globe, they decided the time was right to embark on an ambitious house restoration.
With international travel a near impossibility at the time, they were among a swathe of Kiwis who invested heavily in their houses, with a nationwide survey finding one in three homeowners had made major or structural renovations to their home in an 18-month period across 2020 and 2021.
But Catalina and Charles' project was a little more intimidating than most.
They weren't just extending their bathroom or refitting their kitchen - they were relocating a century-old bungalow from the inner suburb of Mt Albert to rural Mangatāwhiri, and giving the whole thing a makeover that would bring into the modern era while retaining its historic charm.
Such is the scale of the project that a year and a half later, the renovation still isn't finished - though they are now on the home straight, with just the laundry, some painting and landscaping to go.
Of course, Catalina and Charles could've made their lives easier by buying a more modern house somewhere else or building new. But for this style-conscious couple, the classical design elements of the villa meant it was the only option that really appealed.
"Both of us have lived in a lot of old houses and loved all the features of the bungalow - the high ceilings, the panelling, the wooden windows, the beautiful doors and real timber floors," Catalina said.
"We looked at a lot of new developments and a lot of showrooms, but we just didn't think we could achieve the aesthetic and the character we wanted for our budget. So, we thought it was a nice opportunity to give an old home a second chance."
Beyond the look and feel of the home itself, Catalina's strong design sense has even extended to the appliances. They can't just be high-quality and durable - they need to be easy on the eye, too.
For Catalina, nothing fits this brief quite like her LG CordZero® Auto Emptying Handstick and Power Mop (A9T-MAX) Vacuum, part of the LG All-In-One Tower™ vacuum range.
As part of LG ObjetTM Collection, the A9T-MAX is a vacuum created with consumers like Catalina in mind - people who want top-of-the-range functionality but aren't willing to compromise on style.
"It's so sleek, and comes in different colours, so you can work it in with your decor," she says.
"With the bungalow, we don't have a lot of storage and our laundry is open, so having something that is OK to be out is really important. It has to look good!"
Catalina describes the aesthetic of the newly retrofitted villa as 'country modern', a style that reflects her and Charles' shared appreciation for a neutral colour palette and durable, long-lasting natural materials.
This aesthetic integrates seamlessly with the A9T-MAX's slender profile and sophisticated forest green colourway, which creates a captivating contrast against the pristine white and rich browns of the villa's interior.
"From a looks point of view, the colours are a lot more pleasing than many other vacuums, which tend towards brighter primary colours. The A9T-MAX just looks beautiful in the home," says Catalina.
The beauty of the A9T-MAX’s design extends beyond its aesthetic appeal, though. Catalina also loves all the way it "takes the admin out of vacuuming", thanks to its various time and effort-saving features.
One of the key benefits of this model is the Power Drive Hot Mop functionality, which gives you the option of mopping at the same time as you’re vacuuming, effectively halving the amount of time it takes to give your floors a deep clean.
Powered by an automatic water supply system that keeps the spinning mop head wet, the Power Mop attachment works in tandem with the vacuum to ensure a more hygienic clean, picking up not just larger debris but the fine dust and stubborn stains that tend to accumulate on floors over time.
The Power Mop attachment can be used in a normal wet mop mode, for everyday cleaning, or a Hot Mop mode, which is activated by inserting the A9T-MAX's second battery pack into the mop head and helps combat the tougher stains.
That second battery was introduced across the LG range of All-in-One Tower™ and cordless handstick vacuums and surveys conducted by LG revealed it was the number one improvement consumers would make to their current cordless vacuum.
The reason an interchangeable battery system is so sought-after is that it allows for dual charging, enabling you to clean with your A9T-MAX while you charge, ensuring one battery is always ready to go when you need it.
LG also asked consumers what features are most important to them in a cordless vacuum, with an easy and clean bin emptying mechanism as one of their top priorities.
As part of the All-In-One Tower™ vacuum range, the A9T-MAX fulfils this wish with its Auto Empty Dust Bin, which hygienically empties the contents of the handstick dust bin into the replaceable dust storage bag when it's docked in its tower.
For Catalina, who as a mother of a baby has "no time on her hands", this feature is another huge drawcard, alongside the various attachments that fit snugly inside the All-In-One Tower™.
"The no-touch setting of the waste compartment is really helpful. I'm quite lazy and never seem to empty the vacuum, so just having that done for me is really useful," she said.
"I've really enjoyed all the attachments as we've been renovating, because we've had a lot of things from the hardware store come in and out of our cars, which tend to make a mess in the boot. So, the attachments have made it really easy for cleaning up the car and hard-to-reach spots."
Apart from the Power Drive™ Hot Mop vacuum head, these attachments include the Wide Slim Nozzle with LED light; the Power Drive™ Mini Nozzle, for getting pet hair off fabric surfaces; the Crevice Tool, which is great for cleaning cars; and the 2-in-1 Combination Tool, to clean narrow gaps such as bookcase or frame gaps.
"When you're trying to clean up after a baby who's on the floor all the time, he's got a really good pincer grip and likes to pick up dirt off the ground – so getting to that before he does is great!"
The vacuum also comes with all the other features that make the LG All-In-One Tower™ A9T series such a popular range, such as the ability to empty, store and charge in one slick, free-standing tower, and LG KOMPRESSOR® technology, which fits up to 2.4 times more in your vacuum's bin by compressing dust and hair.*
It also comes with removable and washable filters that stop dirt building up inside your vacuum, a 5-Step Filtration System that cleans surfaces and captures dust, and integration with the ThinQ® app**, which enables you to monitor and maintain your vacuum more efficiently.
Reliability is also a major consideration, and LG has committed to this by offering a 10-year parts warranty^ on the Smart Inverter Motor™. This motor spins at a rapid speed driving the fan to generate an internal cyclonic airflow that helps separate and filter dust particles.
"It's just a very good all-round cordless vacuum - really practical without taking away from the style of the home," says Catalina.
"The no touch emptying is a great function, the different attachments are fantastic, it's not too noisy, and it's really portable. And of course, it's aesthetically pleasing - so it ticks a lot of boxes."
*Based on LG internal testing results observed by Intertek. A9 Kompressor™ receptacle capacity was tested on Turbo mode. Cat hair (Maine Coon) was suctioned and compressed by the manual compression function repeatedly until it reached the receptacle capacity. Compression efficiency "2.4x" was calculated by comparing the weight of compressed cat hair with the weight of non-compressed cat hair (both with the same volume). Actual receptacle capacity (compression efficiency) may vary depending on operating environment.
**LG ThinQ® app available on compatible Android or iOS smartphone. Phone and Home Wi-Fi Data connection and product registration the LG ThinQ® required. Visit lg.com/nz/lg-thinq for features, system compatibility and service availability which may vary by country and model.
^2 years parts and labour warranty on product and additional 8 years parts only warranty on motor.
Independent research survey commissioned in July 2023 by LGE NZ.
Article created in partnership with LG.
