United Vision

Cool, quirky and customised, this Auckland home provides space for a family to come together and let their true colours shine

- Tina Stephen

For Jenny Joblin and Ben Dundas, their search for a home started as a long list of ideals. But that list was swiftly cut down to size by a booming Auckland property market. Compromises had to be made in order to purchase a home in their preferred area on Auckland’s North Shore, and while the couple’s top boxes were ultimately ticked, their shared creative talents were required to fill in the rest of the gaps, resulting in a perfectly imperfect home.

“It’s located 10 minutes from work and right in the hub of easy access for the kids’ schools – all three of them,” Jenny says of the home in Castor Bay. “It’s also a nice walk down to the local centre and beach.”

Confronted by an out-of-date colour scheme, yellowing carpet and a rabbit warren of small, dark living areas, the pair set about planning a fresh, white interior accented with feature colours in each bedroom. Prior to moving in, the living area was opened up and the outdated peach tones banished. The house was made over into a contemporary family home in record time.

“I think that because we’ve been in fashion for so long and are familiar with the design process, the management of producing ranges and getting things done to a timeline are skills that translate well to the renovation and building realm,” says Jenny, who, along with Ben, runs streetwear brand Federation.

Their creative and make-it-work approach can be seen throughout the home, which is a mix of considered design and fun improvisation. For instance, when the couple discovered a discrepancy in ceiling heights while removing walls in the living and kitchen spaces, they decided to make a feature of the quirk rather than spending precious dollars correcting it.

“We put an LED colour-changing strip along it, and now it’s a feature we all love,” says Jenny.