HOMES
Homes
50 Higher love
62 Head over heels
74 As luck would have it
86 Then again
On page 62, meet a couple
whose plans to do up and
sell up flew out the window
when they realised they
could have it all right here.
homestyle 49
HOMES
Join us at a spectacular
new property where you
can almost touch the sky.
Higher
Love
WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY
Philippa Prentice Duncan Innes
50 homestyle
HOMES
homestyle 51
HOMES
High on a hill in Te Arai, just south of couple and their children (Ryder, Daisy ABOVE & OPPOSITE The pool
Northland’s Mangawhai, sits a home that and Amos) together, while smaller kids’ area is all about people, says
James. “We wanted to have
has views as far as the eye can see. With bedrooms encourage outdoor play. Bifold a place to party! Barbecue on,
the tinkle of a yet-to-be-explored waterfall doors unzip key areas front and back for cold bevvies, all kids in the
dancing on the breeze and plenty of room flow-through access to lawns, outdoor pool and the mums relaxing in
the fire pit.” The children love
to roam, if you ask Melanie and James Sax, dining, an infinity pool and a conversation toasting marshmallows out here
heaven is this place on earth. pit that offer adaptable living whatever and the pool is a manageable
Then owners of two Auckland cafés, the weather. size. Having it cantilevered out
they were renting in the city while building, “We wanted to create a place built on love over the grass means part of it
can safely remain unobstructed
decorating and staging homes for James’s and peace for our family and others to enjoy, by a fence, and when the garden
family’s 550-acre Te Arai Farm Estate when where the children can run free and we can by Rochford Landscapes has
it got under their skin. The gated development, be uplifted by the natural beauty of the land,” grown up around it, it’ll blend
in with the environment even
which includes Aotearoa’s largest truffle says James of the home aptly built on Aroha more. PREVIOUS PAGE From
farm, “is just amazing,” says Melanie. “We Road. “We like the design of the ’70s, so left: Wyatt stool by Coco
were like, ‘We need to live here! Why don’t Fraser really chased that look for us.” Republic, vase by Shiho Hayashi
and container by Shuhei Narita
we move up?’” Forming a visual vernacular that unites from Astute Assembly, tonal
Their “northern migration” signed and inside and out, the material and colour palette cushions by Klay (round) and
sealed, the couple collaborated with friend is succinct: white, wood and concrete. With Città (rectangular), and chair
custom-made in Bali.
and architectural designer Fraser Horton views like this often comes wind, so the
to deliver a robust, family-friendly dream exterior of the south side is protected by
dwelling. Constructed by 3D Builders, it has engineered concrete blocks. Leading
a simple, boxy geometry, the strong lines decisively from the arrival courtyard to the
of the flat roof juxtaposing the rolling hills. entrance and out to the first glimpse of the
Large open-plan living spaces bring the framed view beyond, all 197 of the 430kg >
52 homestyle
HOMES
THE
PROJECT
Interior designer Melanie Sax
and her property developer
husband James built this
four-bedroom home in Te Arai
for themselves and their children
Ryder (7), Daisy (5) and baby Amos.
homestyle 53
HOMES
DINING Sandblasted in-situ
concrete blocks by Terrazzo &
Stoneworks form the backbone
of the home, continuing through
from the exterior to define
the living areas. The 3m stud
height of the ceiling here
creates a sense of lightness
that’s tempered by the full-
height drapes from Lahood
that surround the room. Hidden
in the timber that extends past
the pendant lights bought in
Bali is a recessed latch that
opens the wall to reveal a
self-contained guest wing/
home office.
54 homestyle
HOMES
ABOVE LEFT Calming colours blocks lend the house a weight that can caffeine in the blood, and then it’s like, ‘Oh hi,
team with texture to create sometimes be lacking in a new build. Siberian mate!’ — it’s great camaraderie. I’m in the office
an enhanced simplicity that
complements the world larch provides a textural and colour contrast. by 6am, then out of there at about 3.30pm. I get
outside. Pieces seen here Having lived life in the fast lane for the best of both worlds —the balance of lifestyle
include a bolster cushion by years, when the plans for the house were and the hustle of the city. I’m more relaxed at
Sunday x You’re Welcome,
a Bellevue lamp by &tradition in motion, the family decamped to Bali home and more productive at work.”
from Dawson & Co, a rug by for three months to reboot. It put interior On the remaining weekdays, he beavers
Nodi and a vase by Shiho designer Melanie in the right headspace away in the home office/guest room — a
Hayashi from Astute Assembly
on a timber table bought in Bali. to visualise the interior and work with wing with its own bathroom and kitchenette
The fireplace by Escea is set in Bali locals to design and have custom-made accessed through a secret panel in the wall
Tundra marble from Artedomus. virtually everything she needed to style beside the front door.
ABOVE RIGHT Terrazzo &
Stoneworks also created the it. “I had a clear idea for a simple, calm and For all its enviable breathing space, the
home’s subtly marbled flooring, clean look achieved using quality materials house is only a few minutes from the township
which is so hardy that Ryder that are timeless and wear well,” she says. and beach. Extended family members visit
can happily skateboard on it
without Melanie and James “My thing was using texture rather than often, close friends with kids of similar ages
batting an eyelid. The dining bold colour.” live right next door, and Melanie and James
table and chairs were also The family’s urban-to-rural transition has are steadily recruiting others to join them
custom-made in Bali.
proved equally uncomplicated. James, who in this special spot.
works in commercial property, commutes “Te Arai from sunrise to sunset is surreal
to Auckland three days a week, carpooling — the vista is constantly changing,” says
with mates he meets at the end of the road Melanie. “For us, life is so much easier. It’s
at 4.40am. “We get a coffee and chuck on the perfect mix of retreating, entertaining
a podcast, and everyone’s a bit silent till we and adventure. It’s better than I could ever
get to State Highway 1 and we’ve got a bit of have imagined.”
homestyle 55
HOMES
“We feel so grateful that we
can live with so much beauty
around us, from the scenery
to the local community.”
KITCHEN The smooth-as-silk
yet easy-to-maintain Corian
benchtop contrasts with
the grooved cabinetry by Sharp
& Page and the island’s textural
bagged bricks — the latter a
cost-effective solution that
echoes an exterior wall in the
outdoor dining area beyond,
where there’s also a raised
vege bed and a trampoline
sunk into the ground.
56 homestyle
HOMES
ABOVE LEFT & BELOW RIGHT
Melanie had several sofas made
in Bali. “Everyone thought I was
crazy getting a white couch for
a country house with three kids,
but I think you’ve just gotta go
with it,” she says of this one.
“The kids know they can do
whatever they want with the
playroom couch, but you don’t
jump on Mummy’s white couch
that she’s wanted for a long
time!” The bar stools were a
local find from Williams Road.
ABOVE RIGHT An integrated
rangehood and fridge by Fisher
& Paykel create a streamlined
effect in the kitchen, punctuated
by a cooktop and ovens by Smeg.
homestyle 57
HOMES
ABOVE RIGHT & BELOW LEFT
The master bedroom is divided
by a part wall, behind which sits
an ensuite with a mirror from
OneWorld Collection and a
floating vanity the whole family
helped Terrazzo & Stoneworks
to make, heading down to Te
Arai Beach to select shells to
mix into the concrete. Next to
the bed beautified by cushions
from Penney & Bennett, stacked
timber ‘pebbles’ made in Bali
form a bedside table and are
also used for all sorts by the
kids; they like to separate them
to stand on while brushing
their teeth. OPPOSITE Less
expensive but no less appealing
than the couple’s first-choice
cedar (which they opted to
use only for the battens on the
garage), the Siberian larch
timber that features inside and
out is a hard-wearing hardwood.
Outside, the couple softened
the look with whitewash.
58 homestyle
HOMES
ABOVE LEFT Being rural,
pool
it was important to have a
deck
well-functioning laundry with
outdoor access that stops mud
being trekked inside. A stacked
washer and dryer by Whirlpool
make good use of the available
deck deck
space. ABOVE RIGHT The
couple kept the kids’ bedrooms
bed
dining bed bed small and simple to encourage
them to play outside. Melanie
living
office/bed doesn’t like clutter, so was
set on having good storage
kitchenette
ensuite
bath bath throughout the house. An entire
kitchen robe
wall of Ryder and Daisy’s room
is devoted to this with a built-in
wardrobe and drawers, and
laundry
Amos’s sleep space is its mirror
deck
image. These fun bunks are by
Magic of Wood.
media
garage
60 homestyle
HOMES
EXTERIOR Between the gas
brazier made from a planter,
the oversized umbrella from
Shade7 that can be swung
out over the pool and the
comfortable squabs by Hanox
Upholstery, the family can
really maximise their time
out here. Daisy likes to use
the pine deck as a stage on
which to perform for the
cows, which come right up
to the house. “Saves on lawn
mowing,” quips James.
HOMES
The last thing the owners of
this one-time little blue cottage
expected was to develop a crush.
Head
over
heels
WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY
Claire McCall Simon Wilson
62 homestyle
THE
PROJECT
Architect Maria Hosking and
her builder husband James
renovated this three-bedroom
home in Auckland’s Avondale for
themselves and their son George (1).
HOMES
ABOVE With towering totara and rimu on the neighbouring land on one side and a gorgeous maple on the other, outside the scene was set for greatness. Everything has grown
like mad in soil that was formerly part of a market garden, including the olive and citrus trees along the front fence. OPPOSITE Cedar sliders open onto a courtyard where the
garapa steps are intended to double as seating. The exterior of the home is painted Resene Double Black White. PREVIOUS PAGE The dried display above the built-in cabinet
in the dining area was created by Mark Antonia for the couple’s wedding. The blue vessel below it is by Neil Castle and the bowl is by Dinosaur Designs.
One-year-old George Hosking may not be an architect like 65m home before they settled by private sale. When she finally
2
his mum or a builder like his dad, but he’s a hands-on judge saw it, she was confronted with a cottage painted baby blue.
of form-follows-function design. Now that he’s getting around It’d been moved onto the site in the 1970s and there was no flow
a bit more, he can vouch for many elements in the Avondale, between its spaces or connection to the generous backyard.
Auckland home he shares with his parents Maria and James: She was unfazed. “We thought we’d just do it up and sell,”
the built-in daybed in the dining area where he likes to she says. “We didn’t intend to stay.”
snooze in the morning light; the low-silled window in the With Maria’s eye for spatial synchronicity and James’s
olds’ bedroom that means he can be busy in the garden and resources (he owns building company JR Hosking Carpenters
still keep one eye on Mum; the way the winter sun warms up & Co), they had what could be called the best-laid plans. They
the concrete floor, keeping his toes toasty while he zooms his didn’t count on falling for the charms of this area close to town,
wooden crane up and down the corridor; and the custom-made in a quiet street with a backdrop of mature trees. Within a year,
mobile kitchen unit filled with pots and pans at just the right six groups of friends had moved into the suburb. The renovations
height to make a convenient play station. took on new meaning.
Yes, life is pretty good in the Hosking household, yet when With James and some of his team on the job, they relocated
the couple bought here five years ago, they considered it a for five months while the work took place. Walls were removed
temporary move. Maria, an associate at Strachan Group to achieve a visual link from the front deck, past the kitchen
Architects, was working full-time and completing her Master’s and centralised dining area to the rear courtyard, and the
thesis at night, so she put her complete trust in James to seek remaining walls were lined with grooved ply to give the
out a property they could afford, never even laying eyes on the unremarkable bones a characterful lift. >
homestyle 65
HOMES
ABOVE In the kitchen — off which a small scullery contains appliances and a coffee machine — a stainless steel shelf holds a Japanese teapot and cups the couple received
as a gift, a basket by Ruth Castle, and a mortar and pestle and rice bowls from Everyday Needs. The custom-designed mobile island unit can be moved around as the occasion
requires; the artwork beside it is by the couple’s friend James Tolich.
“We put negative detail top and bottom to make it more that tucks in beneath the roofline at a right angle to the
modern,” says Maria, whose design focus was also on creating original home. It effectively doubles the footprint and wraps
that missing flow and crafting a bedroom wing. The bathroom the courtyard garden into the architecture. A glazed corridor
and kitchen were kept in the same place to take advantage of running its length allows a connection to the outdoors rain
the existing plumbing, and a toilet and hot water cupboard in or shine. On summer days, American walnut sliders with
a lean-to were transformed into a scullery off the new kitchen. a pelmet detail close over the doorways to the bedrooms
The couple invested for maximum impact while economising so they become like a furniture cabinet within the form; in
with their own labour and clever design choices. The kitchen is winter, glass doors maintain the outlook to the garden while
a case in point, with its richly coloured American walnut cabinet passive solar gain warms up the sleep spaces.
fronts and slender stainless steel top. “I drew up the design and In the extreme north-east corner of the property, a concrete
had the timber CNC cut, then James and I put it together and ‘bookend’ creates an entertainment zone that draws the eye.
glued and clamped the benchtop,” says Maria. Poured in-situ, the seating is akin to a brutalist bus stop but
Because there was no space for an island, a custom-made softened with squabs that tone in with the trees. A fire bowl
mobile unit is a flexible stand-in. The large-format slate tiles placed on crazy paving made of Northland stone is a catalyst
that form its counter were another huge saving. “They were for companionable times.
an eighth of the cost of a single slab of slate,” says Maria. The With Oscar the bordoodle waiting patiently nearby for love
cedar slats used for the shelving were repurposed offcuts and leftovers, the scene could be straight out of a storybook.
from a pergola the couple built over the front deck. The Hoskings have fashioned the perfect family home. George,
The bedroom-wing extension is a long, skinny rectangle for one, approves.
66 homestyle
DINING Highlights in this space
include Bush Forms artworks
by Maria’s mum Kieran Taylor,
a stoneware pendant light by
Adam Cornish from Cult and
a set of stackable Bo chairs
by Philippe Starck that’ll be
bulletproof during George’s
toddler years.
homestyle 67
HOMES
LIVING Maria’s parents’ old
leather sofa has become a
viewing platform for George.
“He likes to sit here and watch
the comings and goings on the
street,” she says. The modular
Arcade sofa by Simon James
was an investment purchase.
Above it hangs New Moon to
Waxing Gibbous by Kate van
der Drift from Sanderson.
68 homestyle
HOMES
ABOVE LEFT A Studio wood burner by Peter Haythornthwaite for Warmington is all that’s needed to keep the compact original part of the home warm. A green-velvet Isabella
chair by Simon James adds a shot of colour here. ABOVE RIGHT The Lundia shelves in George’s bedroom were customised with Resene Tiara and the Akari light sculpture by
Noguchi was a fortunate find on eBay. BELOW With the sliding doors to the bedrooms closed and those to the courtyard open, the indoor-outdoor connection is extended.
homestyle 69
HOMES
ABOVE LEFT Woven works by Ruth Castle and an AJ table lamp by Arne Jacobsen from Derlook contrast with neutral bed linen from Città in the master bedroom, which has
a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite. ABOVE RIGHT Beyond the floating tawa stairs between the original home and the extension is the renovated main bathroom, in which a
wall-hung sink was used to maximise space. Maria designed the bathrooms’ mirror units: half is a cabinet, while in the other half the mirror is recessed to form a walnut shelf.
garage
stairs
The couple invested
living for maximum impact
stairs
courtyard
while economising
dining
with their own
deck
kitchen bed
labour and clever
deck bath stairs
stairs
bed robe
laundry design choices.
bed
robe ensuite
robe
stairs
70 homestyle
MAIN BATHROOM Late-
afternoon light floods into
the ensuite, making the Appiani
mosaic tiles from Artedomus
glow, while the decked floor
lends this space a holiday feel.
Also seen here is M&Z Sanremo
tapware from Franklins and
towels by Baina.
EXTERIOR Bungalow Upholstery
finished the squabs in this
concrete entertainment zone
located near the flowering cherry
trees at the extreme edge of the
property. A gift from a friend,
the fire bowl gets regular use
all year round.
HOMES
ABOVE LEFT From the inside, the master bedroom window frames this forest pansy like an artwork. ABOVE RIGHT The couple designed this pergola (along with an almost
invisible steel beam support) to provide shade for the kitchen. The Arizona lounge chairs are from Cintesi. BELOW A Japanese maple and star jasmine cleverly disguise the garage.
homestyle 73
HOMES
On this renovation project,
a bit of a disaster ended up
being a stroke of good fortune.
As luck
would
have it
WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY
Philippa Prentice Jessica Chloe Gernat
74 homestyle
HOMES
No one wants to hear a bump in the night, and when it’s
accompanied by shakes, rattles and having to roll out of
bed, it’s even less of a good sign. For the owners of this home,
the adrenaline-pumping action turned a straight-forward
renovation into a multi-year, two-stage one — but it wasn’t
entirely unlucky.
High-school sweethearts Hannah and Steve Crump
bought their Forrest Hill home on Auckland’s North Shore
in 2011, taking a fortuitously timed risk and stepping onto
the property ladder just after graduating from university.
Built in 1989, the house boasted many hallmarks of the decade
interior-style forgot, including pink carpets and a burgundy
and lemon kitchen. Steve says youth, naiveté and stupidity
allowed them to excitedly follow their big ideas, employing
architect Mark Charleston of Buildology and builders
Create Renovations to extend the footprint to allow for
a statement entryway; pull down walls to create an open-
plan kitchen/dining/living space connected to a new deck;
reconfigure the bedrooms and bathrooms; and excavate
underneath the home to make way for a living room,
bedroom, bathroom, office, internal-access garage and
lots of storage downstairs.
When the renovation began, the couple were living on
site in the house supported on poles while the ground >
TOP Steve and Hannah in their dining area, where Sky planters by Boskke combine with a thriving Monstera deliciosa to form a living vignette. ABOVE The new entryway
features a double-height ceiling, Venture Plank engineered oak flooring by Floorex and polished concrete from Atlas Concrete. To further maximise the light in the formerly
dark home, the couple installed a Velux skylight here plus two domed lightwells — one in the upstairs hallway and one in their walk-in wardrobe. “If you don’t have to turn
lights on, why would you?” says Hannah. The pair are also big fans of Dr Seuss art; these framed works are part of their growing collection.
76 homestyle
HOMES
THE
PROJECT
Buyer Hannah Crump and
her safety consultant husband
Steven renovated this four-
bedroom home in Auckland’s
Forrest Hill.
KITCHEN When it came to
the kitchen, the couple got
by with a little help from their
cabinetmaker friend Roy Lee
of Finework Design, who helped
them cut costs, effectively
enabling them to pay for the
Super White granite from PSP
Stonecraft they had their hearts
set on. They chose appliances
by Fisher & Paykel and installed
a corner Versatap by Schwan
for hot and filtered cold water.
homestyle 77
HOMES
DINING Although shopping for
homeware has become a regular
pastime, Hannah and Steve are
willing to hold off until they find
the right piece, as they did with
this Soul table by Nonn from Simon
James, which they took more than
a year to settle on. It’s teamed
with Maki chairs by St Clements
(one is pictured centre) and
Aspen chairs by Città. The corner
windows were part of the original
home, but the couple replaced
the existing configuration with
two uninterrupted Nebulite panes
with louvres on either side.
HOMES
was dug out beneath it. Apart from claggy clay ending up
in every nook and cranny, it was all going to plan, until…
A replacement for the old retaining wall at the side of
the house was an essential part of the overhaul, but it was
winter, and when the rains came, the mid-construction
structure went slip-slidin’ away. “We woke up one night
to a big bang,” says Hannah. “The whole house was rocking.”
Evacuating at midnight to Steve’s parents’ place, they were
forced to abandon ship for the rest of the renovation — and
relocate their unimpressed moggies, Temperance and Solomon.
“It all became very stressful at that point, but there was
a little bit of luck involved,” says Hannah, who works as a
buyer for footwear brands Mi Piaci and Merchant 1948.
“It could have all collapsed and the whole house would
have rolled down the hill,” explains Steve.
The mudslide was a disaster in many respects; however,
the other upside was that the extra expense and time spent
undoing the damage meant the project had to be broken
into two phases. “At the time it was a big call to suspend
the renovation, but it worked out to be a bit of a gem because
we learned from the first stage and got to start again,” says
safety consultant Steve, owner of Integrated Safety.
“We probably spent twice what we originally planned to,
most of it going into that wall, so we ended up not finishing >
TOP Making a strong statement on the dining table is a Spin candelabra by Tom Dixon from Simon James. The granite island in the kitchen opposite is lit by a Lucca light
from Light Plan. The Enzo bar stools are by Danske Møbler and the tap is by KWC. ABOVE This fiery landscape by Graeme Brinsley was spotted by the couple on a trip to
Queenstown in the middle of phase one, when they weren’t in a position to buy it. They eventually headed back to find it again and make it theirs. Below it sits a sideboard
from Freedom dotted with a selection of curios, including a Layers vase from Città, a matching vase and dome from Kikki.K, and heirloom figures carved from bone.
homestyle 79
HOMES
the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms because we ran out
of money,” says Hannah. “If we had continued at that point,
though, we would have ended up with a very different result,
so it was actually quite good!”
Beginning again with builders Built Spaces after two years’
regrouping and saving up, the couple felt emboldened to be
braver with colour for a striking, personalised finish in the
remaining first-floor spaces. “We made more interesting
choices in the second stage,” says Hannah. “In phase one,
we’d never renovated before and were scared things were
going to date. Then we realised that if we like something,
it doesn’t really matter, and once we’d painted downstairs
ourselves, we discovered it’s not that hard to paint over
something if we decide we don’t like it anymore.”
Today, there’s no drama in this house, only delight. “Every
part of it is something we made a decision on together, and
that’s awesome,” says Steve.
“The house very much suits our style and the way we live,”
says Hannah. “We really enjoy sitting in the living area in
the sun and being out on the deck in the summer, and love
having friends over. We’ve always said we want to build a grand
design one day, but I’d find it really hard to leave this now.”
The moral of the story? “Don’t dig under your house! Don’t
dig in winter! Just the basic fundamentals,” laughs Steve.
TOP Hannah and Steve sought to make their home more comfortable and functional, and the living area ticks both boxes. It captures the sun that now streams in all day,
and is great for entertaining, allowing the cook to stay connected to guests hanging out in this adjacent space. The couple designed the built-in shelving and bench seat
themselves to make a feature of the wall surrounding the Samsung TV and Regency gas fireplace. A Parallel Chair by Simon James in mustard Raf Simons fabric hints at the
colour to come in the bedrooms off the hallway behind it.
80 homestyle
HOMES
MAIN BATHROOM Carrara
fish-scale mosaic tiles make
a statement on two walls
in the main bathroom (also
pictured opposite), and are
complemented by matte
white Silk tiles on the others
and Marvel Grey Fleury tiles on
the floor — all from Tile Space.
The luxurious freestanding
Niagra Ellipse 1680 bath is
from Plumbline, as is the
Stanza Legno vanity.
homestyle 81
HOMES
MASTER BEDROOM Resene
Indian Ink beautifies the walls
in the couple’s bedroom, along
with a dried floral arrangement
by Mark Antonia. Diffused light
filters through linen curtains
from Freedom, a copper Melt
light by Tom Dixon from ECC
casts a warm glow overhead,
and the bedside Bari spotlights
are from Lighting Plus. Bedding
from A&C Homestore teams with
a bedspread and cushion from
Città, while Materialism stone
candles by Tom Dixon from Simon
James decorate the ledge.
HOMES
ABOVE Never mind the underfloor heating — the his-and-hers Niagra Round vessel basins, Buddy tapware (all from Plumbline) and in-ceiling rain heads by Hot Bath are the
couple’s favourite things in their ensuite, making getting ready together in the mornings ultra-easy. The Tabiano vanity lights throughout the house are from Lighting Direct.
homestyle 83
HOMES
ensuite robe
“We wanted to bath bed bed
create a warm, robe bath bed
friendly feeling. store living/office patio bed
That’s how we pick laundry living deck
our art and other
pieces — they have stairs garage stairs dining
to create happiness.” void kitchen
GROUND FLOOR FIRST FLOOR
TOP LEFT Pink herringbone Brooklyn tiles from Jacobsen make the ensuite extra sweet. “Steve was the one who suggested we go for blush,” says Hannah. “I was like, ‘Woo!
Good on ya. Yes, we should.’” TOP RIGHT This upstairs guest room features walls in Dulux Waitara Beach, industrial-style lights from Lighting Plus, bedside tables from Flux
Boutique, a headboard from Freedom and a duvet cover set from Città.
84 homestyle
HOMES
Don’t be misled by its au courant
appeal — this apartment was revitalised
with mostly pre-loved pieces.
Then
again
WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY
Amandine Berthon Julien Fernandez
86 homestyle
HOMES
HOMES
LIVING Highlights in the living area include the new parquet
flooring and built-in shelves. The sofa (reupholstered with old
bed linen), coffee table and armchairs were all second-hand
finds. The Quinconces fleamarket was a regular haunt for
unique objects, and the sideboard comes from a market in
Saint-Michel. On the right wall, a black canvas creates a chic
backdrop for arrangements of dried flowers.
HOMES
THE
PROJECT
Interior designer Delly Marton
was charged with renovating
this three-bedroom apartment
in Bordeaux, France.
HOMES
French interior designer Delly Marton was
given carte blanche to renovate this apartment
in the centre of Bordeaux, France. The white
tiling and roughcast now done away with,
the interior emanates an elegant and refined
ambience, from the hammam down in the
basement right up to the roof terrace.
Located just a few steps from Bordeaux
Cathedral, the home’s calm atmosphere
makes it difficult to imagine the state it
was in before. “The house was habitable but
had absolutely no charm to it,” says Delly
(pictured opposite). “There were white tiles
on the floor and plaster on the walls — it
was very ordinary. We [barely kept] any
of it. Even the chimneys were removed.”
TOP RIGHT & OPPOSITE Beneath pendant lights bought in Morocco, the dining To bring character back to the 1900s
area revolves around a second-hand table and an assortment of mid-century dwelling, Delly sought out loads of vintage
chairs by designers including Marcel Breuer, Arne Jacobsen, Friso Kramer and and second-hand items. She roamed the
Eero Saarinen. The kitchen is accessed from this space through sliding glass
doors made from second-hand panels welded by a local locksmith. ABOVE region for months, not hesitating to drive
Hanging on this living room wall are a Moroccan rug and an African skirt. hundreds of kilometres to get her hands on >
homestyle 91
HOMES
an old staircase from a farm in Charente
or a vintage radiator in Dordogne. In fact,
17 cast-iron radiators were located through
various Leboncoin (similar to Trade Me)
advertisements to replace the unattractive
electric models that were previously
installed in the house.
In contrast, the parquet flooring and
cement tiles were bought new; the oak
floorboards in the living room, laid
Hungarian point-style, were found at a
Belgian sawmill and many of the tiles were
made to measure in Morocco. Cornices
and skirting boards crafted by a carpenter
were added to make the living room look
more Haussmannian, while the stairwell’s
plastering was removed to expose the
stonework; in too bad a condition to be
preserved, the stone steps were then
replaced with timber.
Delly has maximised every inch of the
2
apartment’s 220m spread over five levels,
from the ground up. The former cellar
was transformed into a small hammam
(Turkish bath) and home cinema, while
on the ground floor, the study has a view ABOVE Delly designed the kitchen around the marble island built using Ikea
through a repurposed window into a restful cabinetry teamed with custom-made wooden doors. On the wall behind it,
library. On the light-filled first floor is a solid oak shelves fixed on vertical supports manufactured locally store
and display essential utensils, most of which are vintage. OPPOSITE The
kitchen that connects to an open-plan living natty wall lamps over the bench are by Wo & Wé and the appliances are
and dining space, and the second floor > by Siemens.
92 homestyle
MASTER BEDROOM The second
floor’s low bedroom ceilings with
charming exposed beams were
raised to gain access to the attic
height. On the wall here are a
Berber rug and a light from the
Selency fleamarket. The ornate
detail of a balustrade is visible
through the window.
HOMES
is home to three bedrooms, each with its
own bathroom and dressing room. To top
it all off, a staircase leads up to a lovely
terrace overlooking the city’s roofs and
the cathedral spire.
Delly teamed up with architect François
Moreau to create this staircase, the most
difficult part of the renovation. “We had
to change our plans four times before
being given planning permission — the
whole process took 18 months,” she says.
“Meanwhile, the house remained gutted
for six months, preventing any other work
from being done. It rained in the house…
I bought 30 buckets in to collect all the
rainwater. It was a real nightmare!”
An 11m-tall atrium capped with a glass
roof links the home’s different levels and is
decorated with 1960s Rotaflex pendant lights
hung at different heights to enhance their
sculptural silhouettes. “In the evening, the
globes diffuse a beautiful light,” says Delly.
They’re the most expensive homeware
items in the house, which was renovated >
TOP Personality is brought into this bedroom via a quirky
collection of old Chinese brushes hung artfully on the wall.
On either side of them are more wall lights from the Selency
fleamarket. ABOVE A few steps up from this bedroom, a
small bathroom filled with vintage fixtures is lit by a skylight.
A shelf built into the wall provides a little extra storage in the
absence of a vanity drawer.
homestyle 95
HOMES
stairs
bath
media
BASEMENT
bed
entry
stairs
garage stairs bed
stairs ensuite
bath
office library stairs bed
bath stairs
ensuite
GROUND FLOOR SECOND FLOOR
terrace
dining living
stairs
office
kitchen stairs ROOFTOP
FIRST FLOOR
on a relatively limited budget. “One has to
be creative when under financial constraints,”
says Delly, who bought most of the furniture
second-hand.
This didn’t bother her at all. “In my opinion,
it doesn’t make any sense to buy new when
bargaining is good for the wallet, the style
and the environment,” she says. “Goods
manufactured in the ’60s and ’70s [can be
better quality] than goods produced today.
We have everything to gain from buying
second-hand.”
She also incorporated into her scheme
some pretty objects from her travels, mainly
to Marrakech and London, to further
personalise the apartment. “Decoration
is like fashion — the most important thing
is contrast,” she says. “When wearing a
short outfit, you have to compensate with ABOVE In this sleep space, a blue cube houses a wardrobe on one side
something long, and it’s the same in terms and a bathroom on the other. The original wooden floor was painted white
to lighten things up. The macramé wall hanging is by Maison Léone. TOP The
of [interiors]. One mustn’t hesitate to blue room’s bathroom features a vintage mirror and washbasin, and tiles by
combine sources, fabrics and styles.” Italian brand Piastrelle.
96 homestyle
HOMES
ENSUITE Pale and zellige tiles
from Morocco complement the
painted wooden floors in the
master bedroom’s bathroom.
The vintage bath and mirror from
a charity store look just right
alongside the basins affixed
to a piece of furniture found in
Eastern Europe and tapware
Delly designed herself.
HOMES
“Decoration is like
fashion — the most
important thing is
contrast. One must
Combine sources,
fabrics and styles.”
TOP This cosy corner on the ground floor features an interior
window once housed in a workshop. ABOVE Made-to-
measure zelliges decorate the first-floor landing, going
well with the green Tamegroute ceramics. The sculpture
was crafted from found wood. LEFT The rooftop terrace is
complete with a vintage camp bed used as a sofa, tables from
Ikea and a pair of rustic timber chairs made in Morocco.
98 homestyle
The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
homestyle is New Zealand’s freshest home and lifestyle magazine. With a focus on clever ideas and intelligent
spending, homestyle offers a mix of accessible luxury and practical inspiration giving you the confidence to
create your own living environment with a personal touch. From new homes, to renovations and even rentals, homestyle is the magazine for anyone looking to transform their house into a home.
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search