These homeowners had a complete renovation of their Northcote Point villa planned, and enlisted my help with design choices to transform it from damp and dated to classic and chic. With three boys and a busy lifestyle, they needed practical design choices and hardwearing materials, but were also craving luxe little moments for that all important adult time. Read on to see how this was achieved…

Kitchen, scullery & bar

A kitchen of contrasts! Superwhite granite is teamed with dark cabinetry as the focal point at the front and on the splashback. We then teamed white lacquered cabinetry with more cost effective Silestone Statuario stone at the rear - I like the contrast (and cost saving) this creates. The half shutters installed on the insides of the windows are also super handy for light control, privacy and continuing the Hamptons-style feel throughout the home, and note how stopping the splashback at the same height appears to widen the room nicely.

The dark and moody ebony stained cabinetry features vertical planks and a woodgrain texture. It extends all the way from the floor to ceiling and around into the hallway. This the appearance of cladding the entire back corner of the room creating a dramatic backdrop and focal point. It also conceals a Fisher & Paykel integrated fridge and slides open to reveal a sneaky scullery. This house is all about the storage!

A true natural masterpiece, Super White Dolomite stone features both light and dark elements, and makes a statement without taking over. Because it’s a natural marble it also comes with a higher price tag than engineered stone though. To balance the cost, we used Super White as a splashback material only along the back kitchen wall.

The cabinetry is made from wood veneer featuring grooves to give it a panel effect. The wood veneer panels are stained in a half black wash - this appears softer than full black and allows the lovely woodgrain patterns to be seen.

I do love a built-in bar. This one is tucked away in the hallway off the kitchen. We wrapped the same panelling from the kitchen around the corner to make it look like an extension of the space. It’s finished off with smoky grey mirror and a Super White marble benchtop to link the design to the kitchen, and make it look like a luxe space. When I am space planning for a project I always check the house plans to see how much depth exists in the wall cavities in a home, as concealed dead space is an opportunity for little design moments that make a space seem much more special.

Living Room

Is it a wall, or is it a media cabinet? The addition of a clever pocket slider means it can be either. This wall was actually added into the home design - previously the front door entered directly into the living space. By adding a part wall, the clients gained a dedicated entrance space where shoes, jackets etc could be left, then a more intimate living area that’s still technically open plan with the dining area and kitchen. There were no other full walls in the space because of all the windows, so an additional wall provided a valuable full height opportunity to create a cabinetry wall integrating a fireplace, hearth, shelving and a TV/entertainment area. The living room cabinetry is made in the same panelled wood veneer as the kitchen, as they are viewed in the same eyeline. The hearth is made from Super White marble just like the kitchen island, and the fireplace has a black powdercoated steel surround to make it seem larger.

Guest Bathroom

Well hello there, dark and moody guest bathroom! Guest bathrooms and powder rooms are a great opportunity to add more drama to the design. Ironically clients are more confident pushing the boundaries with powder room design more than with their everyday bathroom, then they often end up loving the powder room more. This guest bathroom was a rectangular shape, but by adding a dividing wall a wetroom was achieved with a bath and shower tucked around the back. This also means the vanity area is directly opposite the door which looks very cool when you first enter. A floor to ceiling towel rail leads your eye up, emphasising the room height and creating more hanging storage. If there is one thing I would change about this room it would be to paint the ceiling dark grey!

The vanity was custom made by the cabinetmaker in Half Blackwash stained timber veneer, with a Dekton Sirius benchtop. The tapware is the Buddy range from Plumbline, the basin is Concrete Nation, and the towels are from Adairs.

Master & ensuite

The master bedroom sits high on the second floor with a view back to the city. We kept the paint white to simplify all the ceiling lines, but added visual interest with white plantation shutters across the entire front of the room. The shutters provide privacy, control light and breeze, and open in different ways to enjoy different viewpoints.

If you have enough length across your bathroom, a double shower is a luxurious addition. It means you can also create a central entrance with the glass either side, making the room look more bespoke than with the traditional shower glass options. We adding black steel framing to the shower glass and mirror, dark cabinetry, and a black steel shower shelf. The large format grey tile keeps a lightness to the room while the dark elements reference the living spaces downstairs.

This vanity top looks thick and solid but is two slim pieces mitre cut and cleverly joined at the corners. The height contains the entire undermount basin height, keeping the drawers fully dedicated to storage.

We used ebony painted stairs, black steel railings and a custom carpet runner from Artisan to carry the dark features on the lower level of this home upwards.

Exterior

The clever owner of this home I worked on is also an architect who transformed the little old bungalow into a three-level Hamptons style retreat. We chose one of my favourite greys, Resene Quarter Silver Chalice for the exterior with white frames and ColorSteel in Grey Friars for the roofing.

It’s always tricky deciding whether to paint over cedar shingles, but in this case there are so many roof gables we wanted to lose some brown while keeping the character and texture and I absolutely love how it has turned out! This home was a pleasure to work on, and I think the result is still a homage to the original design, with an updated design, layout and atmosphere that allows the owners to live the lifestyle they love.

Walls Resene Quarter Silver Chalice
Trims Resene Half Black White
Garage and front door Resene Mineshaft
Porch floor Resene Double Silver Chalice

There was an original brick fireplace inside that we loved, and the decision to remove it was difficult. However now I look at what has been created with the new living room fireplace, and it all just tells a better design story with the rest of the interior, and adds far more value to the house. So the bricks could be kept and appreciated, an outdoor fireplace using them was built.