Northern Light
Your Home and Garden|April 2019

Clean white surfaces and natural timber provide the perfect backdrop for this couple’s love of Scandinavian design

Tina Stephen
Northern Light

Where is the home and when did you move in?

Onehunga, Auckland; mid 2016.

Why did you decide to buy it?

Haley: After renting for many years, we decided it was time to have a place of our own. We had been collecting our favourite furniture pieces from our Scandinavian furniture store, The Vintage Shop, for a few years and were ready to set up home and properly enjoy them. We were also very keen to undertake a renovation project and make something our own.

What did you love about the house?

Its location (close to our store in Mt Eden) and the land size – it is large enough to extend if we decide to. It is also a very light-filled home, which is a must for me. The layout was ideal, too. We’d visited many open homes where we were disappointed with the layout, and for our first renovation we really only wanted to make cosmetic changes, which this home allowed us to do. It was the water views that really sold us on the place, though.

What did you not like about it?

Nothing. We fell in love with it the moment we stepped inside. We even loved the dated kitchen and bathroom as it meant we could change them to exactly what we wanted. The 1970s spa pool out the back was probably the least desirable feature; this got removed promptly after moving in.

What was the house like before you renovated?

The home was in very good overall condition as the previous family had owned it for many years – he was a carpenter and kept it well-maintained. You could tell it was a very beloved family home. It appeared to have had a renovation in the 1960s, so everything was old-fashioned and just needed an update, which was exactly what we had been searching for.

How did you go about renovating the bathroom?

Esta historia es de la edición April 2019 de Your Home and Garden.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición April 2019 de Your Home and Garden.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE YOUR HOME AND GARDENVer todo
GET MERRY
Your Home and Garden

GET MERRY

Everyone will go crackers about these festive dinner favourites and the delicious trimmings

time-read
8 minutos  |
December 2024
A brief history of...The Lips sofa
Your Home and Garden

A brief history of...The Lips sofa

How to straighten up and free yourself from negative behaviour patterns

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 2024
BREAKING BAD HABITS
Your Home and Garden

BREAKING BAD HABITS

How to straighten up and free yourself from negative behaviour patterns

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 2024
MOMENTS of JOY
Your Home and Garden

MOMENTS of JOY

Sue Pat's whimsical stationery cleverly captures the wonders of Christmas

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 2024
GIFTS of the EARTH
Your Home and Garden

GIFTS of the EARTH

An excerpt from garden and interior designer Michael Mansvelt's longawaited book Everyday Opulence

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 2024
All WHITE NOW
Your Home and Garden

All WHITE NOW

A fresh, coastal take on the classic white Christmas starts with a backdrop of relaxed vintage style. On top, layer shades of white from rich cream to crisp snow, offset by foraged shells and coastal flora also spray painted in white, then worked into wreaths and other essential festive decor elements.

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 2024
COASTAL CHRISTMAS
Your Home and Garden

COASTAL CHRISTMAS

A writer is all about enjoying a cruisy, coastal celebration with family and friends

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 2024
Happy place
Your Home and Garden

Happy place

A shed on the garden's edge became healing renovation project

time-read
1 min  |
December 2024
ALL IS BRIGHT
Your Home and Garden

ALL IS BRIGHT

Colour is key in Kip&Co co-founder Alex McCabe's vibrant home over the holidays

time-read
1 min  |
December 2024
BOLD & ECLECTIC
Your Home and Garden

BOLD & ECLECTIC

In an excerpt from The Makers, writer Pandora Sykes' home is a cosy and chic statement in fearlessness with colour and patterns

time-read
1 min  |
December 2024