Mission possible

Art is a strong feature in the Harden-Bull's Herne Bay home. Pictures / Carolyn Robertson

Auckland fashion designer Sandra Harden-Bull and her architect husband, Andrew Bull, have transformed the ivy-covered Spanish mission-style home where they've lived for the past five years.

The Chapman-Taylor house, once divided into two residences, is now a family home.

Upstairs are three bedrooms, a generous master suite and a room for Louis, aged 10, and Lydia, 5. Downstairs is the communal space, with the kitchen and casual dining room opening to a formal lounge and dining rooms. The lower floor includes two offices and a family room.

Harden-Bull's signature as a designer - she is passionate about texture and beautiful fabrics - is evident in the home, from the handcrafted cushions on the day-bed to the rich variety of textured floor coverings and window treatments.

"This house had a lot of hard surfaces and windows and was quite cold before we put in the heating, so I wanted to soften it as much as possible," Harden-Bull says.

Like the clothing in her Wallace Rose store - part of Ponsonby Rd's fashion fabric scene for almost 20 years, Harden-Bull's home is a reflection of her highly evolved sense of personal style.

And how does her work as a designer influence the look of her home?

"Let's just say I take my work home and vice versa.

"My style is an intrinsic part of my life, it's impossible to separate the two and it is not something that I can easily define."

What attracted you to your home?

It was a house that we had lived close to for many years and had always admired. It's north facing, has a flat section and it's close to our businesses. The Chapman-Taylor architecture is unique and it's a handsome house - every time we walked by we fell more in love with it.

How would you describe your home?

It is an Arts and Crafts stucco and concrete house built about 1920, with further additions in 1950.

What changes have you made since you moved in?

We have incorporated a two-bedroom apartment into our central living areas. Renovations include a new kitchen and family room and two additional office spaces. Sadly, we had to remove a beautiful formal garden to put in a pool. However the advantage is that the children now have lots of space.

What is your favourite space?

The kitchen-living area works well and it has a good connection to the outdoor area and pool. I like our bedroom, too, which was once a living room. Originally, all the upstairs area was a separate flat.

Do you entertain much at home?

We do entertain at home, usually over the weekend, both formally and informally. The privacy of our garden area is perfect for barbecues ... and a lot of our entertaining tends to be spur-of-the-moment, particularly in summer. The dining room is used more in winter, and is a perfect retreat with the open fire.

What is your favourite piece of furniture?

When I met Andrew there were very few items in his house - typical of a minimalist architect. Mainly a red wool sofa and a very unusual stereo. I am very fond of the Reitveld red wool lounge suite. It's moved with us many times and still looks good, as well as being extremely comfortable.

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

We have no formula for decoration. If anything, it's a collection of many years of global beachcombing. Being a designer I have a fondness for textures, which has influenced the floorings and furnishing of the house. We both enjoy collecting art and some of the rooms have been arranged to accommodate these. Auctions are also a great source of the different and unique. We have yet to complete the built-in cabinetry in the dining room and hallways.

What is your favourite designer piece?

Five years ago I set out with my friend Sue to find Andrew a special 40th birthday present in LA. We headed into Le Cenienga Boulevard and spent the entire day shopping for a very special piece. Many hours later we honed it down to three items - two carved 1920 chairs from Joan Crawford's estate, a mesh screen by Paco Robanne, and a Vladimir Kagan 1960 table of burled walnut. We left with the table, but I now regret that I couldn't buy all three items - it would have been a little excessive. Andrew was thrilled.

What is your most treasured possession?

I immediately think of what I would save in a fire, so it would obviously be the family albums. The children are well trained to deal with those items so that Andrew and I can be free to collect the more flammable art works and antiques.

Do you have any pre-loved objects or furniture in the home?

I am very fond of the marble carving that Andrew's mother gave us many years before we had children. It's a carving of a boy and a girl and belonged to Andrew's great-grandmother.

Do you treat your garden as another room of the house?

Yes, the indoor-outdoor flow comes into its own in summer. The lawn has been sown in sand, so we can use it most of the year and have a mud-free home.