Interiors: From bachelor pad to family bach

Extensive use of glass makes the indoor and outdoor flow seamless. Photo / Your Home & Garden

Back in 2003, John Eady had an eventful day. Within 12 short hours, he found some land overlooking the Kaipara Harbour on which to build his dream holiday home, and later met his future wife, now Kelley Eady Loveridge, at a friend's birthday party.

The couple ended up building twice on the 4ha site, selling the first home when it became too small for their family. The first house had two bedrooms and an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area.

"The design pre-dated my marriage to Kelley. It was quite a bit smaller and was designed perhaps more as a bachelor's pad," says Eady, who is in the music business.

"I already had a well-developed idea of what I would like to build and the block suited my ideas perfectly.

"When Kelley and I got engaged we decided that we would like to get married at the house, which we did. When Hugo [now aged 4] came along, and with two daughters from my previous marriage [Stephanie, 17, and Natasha, 12], we realised that it was too small."

Not wanting to mess with what they thought was a perfectly formed design, the couple decided to subdivide and build a larger house.

The new, bigger holiday home was built in 2007 on a southeast-facing site on the remaining 1.8ha.

"Basically, it is steel, glass and concrete and not a lot more, just good structural products," says Eady.

The design also meant the couple could use a lot of glass to maximise the harbour views. "We wanted to merge indoor and outdoor living, making the two seamless," he says.

While John worked on the structural and design aspects of the home, Kelley, who is a photographer, did the interior design and chose the colours.

The couple have worked to a strict budget, doing their own lining, plastering, painting and tiling as well as designing and making beds and other furniture.

But when they are at the bach, they also factor in family time.

Says Eady: "Our weekends and summer holidays are split between visiting beaches, local markets and restaurants and applying finishing touches to the house."

Style tips

Little fuss: A minimalist holiday home would not be to everybody's taste but it's a good fit for the Eadys' lifestyle.

Soft touch: Just because your house has simple lines doesn't mean it has to look stark inside. Indoor plants are used to good effect to soften the angular look of the Eady home.

Reading matter: The couple derived a lot of inspiration from magazines and design books.

Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. See the latest issue for the full story on this home.