A few of my favourite things: Jenefer Bilkey

Jenefer Bilkey makes the most of outside living

Jenefer Bilkey and her family have set up home temporarily in Remuera, Auckland, while their dream home is built nearby.

Bilkey, of Bilkey & Co Jewellers and Browns clothing and homeware stores, her engineer husband Dan Alderson, and their two children - MacKenzie, 4, and Monty, 2 - have filled the house with their favourite things.

"We are in the process of demolishing our house and rebuilding and while we are doing this we are living right next door to my parents - very handy for babysitting and morning coffees."

Bilkey is adept at finding new ways to present old things, whether it's a collection of glass Coke bottles for flower arrangements, or an antique washtub as a pot-plant holder.

She and her sister, Kirsten, are avid collectors, always hunting for vintage pieces.

"Because this place is temporary we have made very few changes, other than adding all our things to make it feel like home."

Bilkey and her family will be moving to a simple L-shaped home, with three walls opening to a courtyard designed to create a beach resort feel.

This will be further enhanced by white wooden shutters on all the windows and floor-to-ceiling doors.

How would you describe your interior design style?

Simple, clean and easy to live in. I love white - our new house will have white walls, white floors and a white kitchen. I think of it as a blank canvas that you can change with colourful art, flowers, lighting and accessories.

Our new kitchen will have hot-pink lighting under the benchtop, and the colour can be altered by just changing the bulbs.

I am also crazy about symmetry and proportion, everything has to be in pairs or in sets of three - both in the shops and at home.

What is your favourite designer piece?

I don't really have designer pieces - I prefer things that no one else has. The house we are building is very simple and modern because I like to create character with eclectic pieces.

What influences do you draw on when putting together the look of your home?

Lots of things influence me, I read a lot of magazines, I love the Hip Hotels series, and Paul Bangay's books on symmetrical gardens. Florence Broadhurst is an inspiration - her metallic wallpapers seem so ahead of their time. I am always inspired by nature and how colours never clash. When I'm at the beach I look at all the colours and how well they go together. I love the simple nautical look of homes like those of India Hicks and Ralph Lauren.

What is your most treasured possession?

I love my candelabra that Kirsten had at her wedding, and also a collection of beautiful Kate Spade red and white spotty plates that she gave me.

What is the favourite room in your home?

At the moment I love being outside. Because the style of the house we are in at the moment is not me, we are always using our outdoor table for entertaining. We treat our outdoors as another room in the house.

On Christmas Day we moved everything outside and had a beautiful family breakfast. I also love the kids' rooms as they are easy to make look cute and fun to decorate.

As a collector, what do you look for?

I seem to collect certain pieces, like antique cheeseboards and pre-loved French teatowels that we use all the time. One of my favourite pieces of furniture is my son Monty's Cath Kidston bed settee. It reminds me of childhood holidays at a 1950s bach.

What is your best buy?

A set of cut-crystal glasses. I found them in an antique shop and couldn't believe they were still in a set of 12. They are a great proportion - tall, chunky tumblers, and we use them every night.

Do you entertain much?

Entertaining is very casual. With two small kids and busy stores, life is somewhat crazy. Entertaining is generally a barbecue - lots of kids, chaos, wine and good food. I'd love to have afternoon teas with all my pretty teacups and antique plates but at the moment, between kindy and work, this is still a dream.