A magical place

Photo / Supplied

Cynthia Baur and her then-partner Heinz fell in love with their Golden Bay property, despite its rundown cottage. They bought the 4.2ha property from a potter who had used its old shearing shed as a studio. On an established arts trail, it was ideal for their candle business.

"We'd been chatting to the owner in his studio," recalls Baur. "As he was working, he told us to go up on our own and look at the house. We walked through an orchard and over a swing bridge that crosses the river. It was on the bridge, before even reaching the house, that we were both captured by the magic of the place."

The cottage, however, was another story, with its brown weatherboard exterior and exposed beams inside. But the couple saw that the place could become as magical as the surrounding bush. Baur, who immigrated to New Zealand from the United States 28 years ago, has found her nirvana in Golden Bay, she says. "It really is a special place. There's nothing like waking up to the sound of the river and the song of tuis and robins in the garden. I even have birds nesting in the roof, but who cares? It's just wonderful."

Renovations began in earnest, with the house being extended as the bathroom and living area were made bigger and a glasshouse, sewing room and laundry added. To anchor the home within its surroundings, Heinz built a veranda around it and infused it with a European aesthetic by including furniture from his Swiss homeland and putting archways in the place of doorways.

The carpet was removed, exposing the original macrocarpa floorboards, and the kitchen was given a country feel with repainted cupboards and a rimu bench. Because Baur loves soaking in a bath, the bathroom was transformed to create a luxurious escape with a large bath enjoying views of the bush through a beautiful bay window with lead lights from a Victorian house.

The sink was salvaged from an old castle in Switzerland. The finishing touch was plastering and painting the house white inside and out using sand and milk, a special technique from Switzerland. This gives the walls a textured plaster finish.

Although the pair separated in 2007, Baur has stayed on to enjoy a comfortable, peaceful haven inhabited by an eclectic mix of furniture, artwork and textiles. "I'm particularly fond of pieces from Bali and India; the reds, oranges and golds. I'm a little Bohemian in my style," she says.

"I look out on a lush, green landscape with tantalising glimpses of the ocean. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Style tips

Spa light: Create the feeling of a luxurious spa by using candles infused with a blend of essential and fragrant oils in the bathroom or around your hot tub.
Centre of attention: Beautiful dining table displays can be created by floating candles and flower heads in a glass bowl partially filled with water.
Into the night: Add romance to the evening by lighting long-burning, richly coloured candles.

* Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. See the latest issue, on sale now, for more achievable home ideas.