Open home

Julian and Janice Ward love the look of their solid brick and plaster art deco home and the fact it stays warm in winter and cool in summer. The downside is that a home with solid brick and plaster internal walls is much more difficult to renovate.

Even the smallest jobs create piles of debris and dust throughout the house. But despite this, the Wards have removed walls to open up the spaces, and put in french doors from the kitchen to a new deck.

The Wards bought the home in the Auckland suburb of New Lynn in 2005 after Julian's late mother, Linda, spotted it on the market. Having served as a rental, the home had walls painted in all sorts of colours, including bright orange and fluorescent green. But the couple could see that it had other advantages, such as a huge front yard and an annex that could be rented out to help with the mortgage and renovations.

The couple have done nearly all the renovation work themselves by combining their talents: Julian is the managing director of a furniture-making company, while Janice runs her own domestic and commercial interior design company.

"It is extremely convenient having access to a factory full of machinery and tools not far down the road," says Julian, who did most of the work on the home, with help of friends and family.

"Our families have constantly inspired us," says Janice. "We have been lucky enough to inherit furniture from both sets of parents and grandparents. It's these pieces that have really set the tone throughout our home."

Second-hand finds also reflect the pair's personalities and form a major part of the decor. Some rooms are painted in neutral colours, while others are decorated in bold wallpapers, including a striking black and white stripe in 17-month-old Stella's bedroom.


Style tips

Lateral thinking:
Janice wanted horizontal stripes in Stella's bedroom, so she hung the Florence Broadhurst black and white design horizontally instead of vertically.

Colourful mixture:
Don't be scared to use different colours and patterns throughout a home in keeping with the room or furniture. Forget about resale for a moment and go for it.

Creative edge:
You don't need to buy art when you can use objects that you love in arrangements or to create wall displays.


Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. See the latest issue for more on this home and other ideas for your place.