A holiday to North Africa inspired a Herne Bay couple’s renovations.
Back in New Zealand after three years in Australia, Fiona Wilson and her husband were attracted to an Auckland home that brought back fond memories of a trip to Morocco.
"The style of the exterior of this house and its giant palm trees reminded me of riads in the medina where we'd stayed," says Wilson. "I had memories of simple plaster-walled exteriors, closed shutters and big wooden doors impervious to the outside world, with interiors orientated around light-filled courtyards of beautiful planting, fountains, pools and intricate decorative architectural features."
The 13-year-old Herne Bay townhouse was well planned, with lots of storage but was ready for a fresh look.
During an architectural tour in Morocco, a guide had told Wilson that the four elements incorporated in most of the buildings visited were plaster, cedar, marble and mosaic.
"This house already had the first two when we bought it and, even though I wasn't trying to give it a particularly Moroccan style, funnily enough the second two elements we incorporated as a major feature in the renovation."
That renovation took six months and involved replacing all floor surfaces and putting in three new bathrooms and a designer kitchen.
The couple also had the interior painted and replaced fixtures such as the light fittings and door handles.
Having worked as an interior designer before the family moved to Australia, Wilson loved having a new project and planned the entire makeover from the house plans before the couple took possession.
While they were living in Sydney she had taken a break from work but kept up-to-date by inspecting the fit-outs of top-end apartments, visiting design showrooms on regular visits to Europe and enrolling in courses at Sydney's design schools.
On returning to New Zealand, she was asked to manage the first Kartell flagship store in Newmarket, a perfect match given the family of four's appreciation and accumulation of Kartell furniture pieces over 15 years.
When it came to the decor of the townhouse, Wilson re-utilised a black and white palette of modern furniture classics she had collected over the years, as it allows mixing and matching.
Some of the family's art collection is bold and colourful, which provides a nice contrast to the monochromatic background.
Colourful cushions, collectable New Zealand ceramics and Scandinavian art glass add interesting silhouettes, without creating clutter.
"We love our art collection and use it as a tool to inject colour, mood and personality to individual spaces within our home," she says.
Style tips
Look and learn: Visit open homes and design tours for renovation inspiration. "We loved the glossy, sophisticated finishes used in many of the homes and apartments in Sydney, particularly the marbles, mosaics and natural stone in contemporary interior architecture, which influenced the direction we took in our own renovation," says Wilson.
Rotation policy: If you have collected a lot of furniture over the years, try to rotate it by keeping some in storage periodically.
Alternate view: "Change can be healthy, challenging and energising. Try to make changes when opportunities arise," says Wilson. Alter the look of your room with different accessories, art and cushions.
Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. See the latest issue, on sale now, for more achievable home ideas.
