Worth the wait

Ten years after moving in, this interior designer gutted her Auckland villa to transform it into her dream family home

- Fiona Ralph

Problems & solutions

1 LIMITED STORAGE

A ventilated attic was installed in the roof cavity, space under the stairs was turned into a wine cellar, and cupboards were added above the children’s wardrobes.

2 NOT ENOUGH BATHROOM SPACE

An ensuite extension was built off the master bedroom and the little-used downstairs bathroom was remodelled.

3 POOR FLOW

The floor plan was reconfigured so that all the bedrooms opened off the central hallway, allowing space for an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area.

Annick and Tim Larkin hunted for a new house for nine months before realising it would be better to renovate their current home to better fit their family’s needs.

Although Annick is an interior designer, it was the first renovation she’d tackled for her own home. “I knew that I’d eventually want to change things down the track, so I tried to keep things really simple to allow for that,” she says.

The end result, with its mix of simple tones and striking finishes, is the perfect blend of fun and functional and offers plenty of space for the couple and their three children. Here, Annick walks us through the project, and shares what she’s learned.

1 THE DECISION

Why did you renovate?

Annick: When we purchased our Remuera, Auckland, home in 2009, we only had Lottie, who was six months old at the time. It suited the needs of our small family, but by 2012 our family had grown, with the arrival of Esther and Tom. The house worked okay while the kids were little, but once they were all at school and more independent, it didn’t function so well.