IN MY ROOM: Three creative Aucklanders explain what makes their homes special

Claudia Zinzan in her favourite room of her Titirangi home. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

IN MY ROOM

"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn."

Gore Vidal

Three creatives talk to Leanne Moore about how they followed their heart to create spaces that soothe their soul

Claudia Zinzan, owner Father Rabbit

It's easy to see why Claudia Zinzan loves where she lives. After a busy day at work in the city, she retreats to her home in the bush-clad hills of Titirangi, Auckland, where a sense of calm descends the moment she walks in the front door. "There's no place I'd rather be," says Zinzan, who launched the highly successful lifestyle brand Father Rabbit with her husband, Nick Hutchinson, 11 years ago.

The home's entrance lobby leads directly to her favourite room, a cosy lounge that flows to the dining room. "This space makes me feel super-comfortable and relaxed. The muted colours imbue a sense of calm and the outlook to the native bush makes the space feel very open." Her designer flair is evident in the neutral backdrop (white walls and floorboards) that act as a blank canvas. The room's decor has evolved over time, with Zinzan adding well-considered layers of texture, colour, pattern and thoughtful, functional design. "It really was a slow and evolving process that relied a lot on my intuition. We were so lucky to bring home display sofas from Father Rabbit that became the anchor pieces, then I've gradually added layers over the years."

For Zinzan, drinking wine and dreaming up ideas for rearranging the living room is a fine way to spend a Friday evening. "The house is a bit like a lab for experimenting with new looks. I have access to lots of art prints and cushions [from Father Rabbit], which I often rotate and change, depending on the season or my mood." Creating a beautiful space is second nature to Zinzan but she also puts comfort high on her list of must-haves when it comes to decor.

"This is where we watch TV, the kids build huts and play with the kitten, while Nick and I warm up in front of the fire in winter with a glass of wine," she says. "I also enjoy hosting family and friends and I want my guests to feel cosy and welcome. I love that the drinks, candles and books are right there, making the house feel like a home. The other thing I always like to do when we're having people over is to fill the living room with fresh flowers."

There are also reminders of special times in their life, such as the recent family holiday in Wellington with children Tony, 11, and Michaela, 7. "It was our first travel adventure to a city with both of them. We visited Zealandia and bought a gorgeous portrait of Sirocco the kākāpō, which is now hanging in our living room." Lighting is the other key to creating a room with a welcoming vibe, says Zinzan. "In fact, I'd say that's the most important thing! I love lamps and candles so much. My favourite scent to burn is our Father Rabbit Jasmine and we've just purchased the Anglepoise Type 75 Mini Desk Lamp by Paul Smith for our living room. It's a modernist design with a playful mix of colour."

Zinzan's talent for display is everywhere but she doesn't get too hung up on it looking perfect all the time. "I like a home to feel and look lived-in, as ultimately that's what it's for."

Tracey Tawhiao at her Piha home. Photo / Dean Purcell

Tracey Tawhiao, artist

The Piha home of artist Tracey Tawhiao embraces a range of styles gathered from a multitude of sources over many years. Tawhiao's taken these threads and woven them together in her unique way, creating a harmonious haven that she rarely wants to leave.

"I'd describe it as a free and easy approach to design," she says. "The design process for me is like cooking. You have a plan but only half the ingredients so you make something up that's even better than anything you could have planned. It's a mixture of knowing what you like and then trusting the cooking process."

What she has created is an environment for the way she wants to live. It's a retreat from the hurly-burly of life, a sanctuary where she can relax, recharge, dream and work. Her favourite room is the living room, which also doubles as her studio. "This room is an everything, anytime room. It's basically an apartment-sized treehouse. It works because I treat it like a moveable feast. Everything can be moved and changed for what I need. That's vital in a small house."

It's a space that promotes feelings of wellbeing and happiness, which is what Tawhiao believes makes a house a home. "I love living a bach life. Big houses are big jobs. At this time in my life, less is definitely more," she says. "The overall feeling I want people to feel when they come into this room is aroha. If people feel the love then everything is inspiring, including all the dust I never seem to get to," she laughs. "This space makes me feel like this is home. For me, home really means you can strip down to less, have less cares in the world, less stress, less pressure and much more peace. Luckily for me, I work mostly from home."

After renting the bach for almost a decade, Tawhiao jumped when the chance to buy it came up last year. "Renting is all care and no responsibility. So now I oscillate between contemplating a full renovation and doing the absolute bare minimum. Besides, it's a bach and all the best living is outside in nature where the design is perfect. This home is all about the 70s and I've always loved mid-century modern design so I easily lean in that direction. Almost everything in my house is preloved, vintage or second-hand."

Just one precious piece has been passed down from whānau. "We aren't a family heirloom kind of family. I don't think people realise how messy colonisation is for Māori in New Zealand. There's not a lot of material wealth hanging around. I have some strands of my great-great-grandmother's piupiu. What inspires me though, is a very very old pōhutukawa tree in my garden, maybe over 1000 years old. That can be our collective heirloom. That and the other million native trees in the Waitākere Forest."

For her, a home shouldn't be too fussy but filled with love, art, great food and good company. "You just open your heart to life and create as much joy and beauty as you can. In a bach nothing's too precious and, if you have art and food, there's nothing more you need. Once you have those essentials and some nice furniture ... and pottery ... and maybe a good set of hollow-stemmed champagne glasses, you're done."

Asha Page in her Kingsland home. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Asha Page, commercial interior designer, Warren and Mahoney

Being part of a thriving architecture practice with projects all over New Zealand, Asha Page is no stranger to devising stunning interiors. Her role at Warren and Mahoney places her at the cutting edge of commercial interior design. With an extensive career in designing interiors for others, Page had a clear idea of what she wanted to achieve in her own kitchen renovation. She's so pleased with the result - she describes it as her favourite room in the Kingsland villa she shares with husband Fraser Webb and children Piper, 11, and Beckett, 9.

Its success showcases her ability to deftly execute a classical vision through a modern lens, creating a kitchen that balances old with new. When it came to drawing up plans for the kitchen, Page applied the same design process she uses with her clients.

"It always starts with a discussion about what they need and want to get out of the space. I work primarily in commercial office fit-outs and it is a different dynamic but essentially it's the same process, whether it's a commercial or residential project. It always starts with a lot of listening, prompting and talking before you can distil it down to a few key drivers."

Before hitting the refresh button, Pagehad long discussions with her husband to ensure he was on board with her vision. "The first thing we considered was how we wanted to use the space," she says. "It had to accommodate the life of a growing family of four but it also had to act as a gathering space at parties. The high leaner can work as well for kids with breakfast as it can for a chat with a glass of wine. And when we have dinner parties you aren't far from the action. One of the best moves was removing the dividing wall between the kitchen and dining room, so they are almost the same space. The open shelving also allows natural light into what was a dark room, yet it doesn't sacrifice storage."

The kitchen is a study in contrast, something that excites Page as a designer. "I have always been attracted by raw, industrial materials along with the warmth of timber. The kitchen is the sum total of all the things that I love: dark with light, softness and warmth with moodiness and texture. I wanted the kitchen to feel welcoming and not too 'precious', as well as being interesting, a space that tells a story of who lives here. Old villas have a lot of character but also lend themselves to modern directions quite easily. We recycled the original timber kitchen bench and added hot-rolled steel for an industrial edge. I like the New York loft-style look it gives the kitchen."

Once Page had the building blocks in place, she layered it with precious pieces that have special meaning to her. One of her favourites is the coffee grinder, a replica of one that her parents had when she was growing up. "I'm a big coffee drinker and so is my father and the smell and sound of grinding the beans always makes me feel good."

Tiles discovered under the house after they moved in have been put to good use as a stovetop splashback.

She's rapt that it still looks good almost a decade on. "The kitchen makes me feel happy and content. I'm pleased that I still love it as much now as I did when it was first completed."