KEY POINTS:
Any doubts Sherry Roberts has about commuting between work in Auckland City and her home at Piha never last beyond that first tantalising glimpse of the ocean. "Sometimes you leave town and you really don't want to face the drive out here and for a moment you think, 'Why do I do this?' But when I get to the Piha hill and I get the first glimpse of the view, I just go 'aahh' every time," says Roberts.
"I turn the music off, wind the windows down, get the sight and sound and the sea air." Roberts is a convert from part-time to full-time resident of the West Coast beach. Six years after buying a bach with her late husband, Neil Roberts, the founder of television and film production company Communicado, she moved there permanently. She loved her bach, but when a faded cedar house closer to the beach came on the market, she relished the chance for a change and a challenge.
The three-level house had breathtaking views along the beach but the interior, with its sickly peach walls and peach pleated blinds framed by patterned curtains, wasn't her cup of tea. Painting the interior white and staining the outside black has given the place a more modern feel and made it the perfect backdrop for her eclectic style.
As the owner of Grey Lynn's vintage furniture and homeware store Ruby & Sol, Roberts' personal style mirrors what she has in the store. "Really, what it is," she says about her style, "is a whole lot of stuff that I love. I believe in recycling, rather than rampant consumerism. So many shops you walk into just have more stuff that people don't need.
It drives me crazy. I'll buy a new object only if I can't find an old one." Which is why you'll find a vintage yellow, floral and fringed swing seat sitting alongside an old French basin that, while not plumbed in, makes the perfect ice bucket for serving champagne. It's all about giving new life to old treasures. So it's not surprising that Roberts' favourite thing about her home is its atmosphere, rather than an object.
"I love the way it's so accommodating - it's not a precious house. It wouldn't be any good to me, a house like that. I like houses to be easy and comfortable."
STEAL SHERRY'S STYLE
The sights and smells of Piha make Sherry Roberts' home a true haven, filled with cherished second-hand treasures
Scene setting: Setting a table is so much more fun if you mix vintage tableware and glassware.
Clash of symbols: A contemporary room setting will always look more interesting if you throw even just one stunning vintage piece into the mix. A clash of codes can be a good thing.
Maxi-minimalism: Minimalist versus maximalist doesn't need to end in divorce. A cluttered bookshelf of interesting objects will not ruin a minimalist room.
Stuff it: Look for vintage, retro, recycled - whatever you want to call it. It has history and a personality - and it makes for less "stuff" in the world and that's a very good thing.
Beach retro: They seemed to have a lot of fun with design in the 1950s. The stripes, the colours an d even the shapes are humorous. And it really suits beach houses - because they are for fun.
Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. For more on Sherry Roberts' home, see the issue on sale now, or visit www.yourhomeandgarden.co.nz.
