KEY POINTS:
The minute you walk through the door of Craig Owen and Grace Barcelos' Grey Lynn villa you know it's the home of a photographer. You are greeted by a long, light and airy hallway lined with black and white portraits taken by Craig over his 10-year career as one of New Zealand's leading fashion and commercial photographers. His work has appeared in Fashion Quarterly, Interview, Australian Vogue, Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar and British, Portuguese and Singapore Elle.
Grace, originally from Brazil and one of New Zealand's busiest fashion models - she's a familiar face on television advertisements and in magazine spreads - was the instigator in creating this hallway gallery of Craig's work. The black and white images of Elle Macpherson, Anna Paquin, Amber Valetta, Temuera Morrison, Bic Runga, Karl Urban and more, reflect his impressive career and work to set the theme for the rest of the house with its expansive white walls and high stud.
The pair moved into the run-down house 3 years ago and Craig rediscovered latent DIY skills to transform it into the elegant space it is today.
"I had a builder in to help with the shower," he says, "and it was he who encouraged me to carry on and do the rest of the work myself.
"It was something I'd never done before but had always wanted to do. And I loved it. So much so, I often turned down photographic work so I could keep on at home. The biggest job was taking out a wall at the back of the house to open up the living room and kitchen."
Ever the aesthete, Craig's eye for detail meant that he was also responsible for most of the furnishings and interior design. By cleverly combining their modern furniture with classic antiques and collectibles he's created a home that is a mix of their Kiwi and Brazilian cultures.
From the hallway, doors lead into spacious rooms where the black and white theme continues: Craig's office with a well-worn old leather couch, the master bedroom where an exquisite black and white dresser from Republic takes pride of place, and the airy bathroom with its old-fashioned claw-foot bath and black-on-black tiles.
"It's very Brazilian to have tiles in your bathroom," laughs Grace.
Animal hides, sourced from Brazil, lie on honey-coloured floorboards and provide a graphic focal point in each room.
A red chandelier - a surprise for Grace from Craig, because she loves the colour red _ acts as a bold accent in among the neutral hues and draws you down the hall into the living room where artworks by leading New Zealand artists - including a large Bill Hammond behind the couch - hang or lean against the walls.
Snug rugs are folded on the corner of a generous couch inviting you to curl up and make yourselfat home, while an eclectic array of curios give the space added personality and reflect the pair's travels.
Craig redesigned the once-poky kitchen and based it around a central island, while the bricks of the old chimney were left exposed to provide added interest and texture.
An old dresser displays an eclectic mix of homewares.
French doors open on to a private and simple garden - space for their miniature pinscher, Zeca, to play and for barbecues all year round.
In between modelling and stuyding to become a psychologist, Grace is learning to cook and the old wooden table, which works to divide the kitchen from the living area, is the centre for entertaining.
It's here we sit and chat over a drink about Craig's upcoming photo exhibition Portraits which will run at the Letham Gallery in Ponsonby from August 15-29.
Four years in the making, it is a collection of images of some of New Zealand's most notable fashion models - most of them nude.
"For me it's all about stripping away fashion," explains Craig, "which is what my commercial work is all about.
"It's about allowing each model's individuality to come through whilst it's also about pushing the boundaries personally in my work in a way I never have before.
"It's been a totally inspiring process."
Indeed, the exhibition is about Craig expressing himself for the first time - instead of following a client's brief - and the result is a series of images that are dark, raw, evocative and revealing.
Craig's career has seen him go from being an assistant to the likes of Annie Leibowitz in New York to shooting some of the world's top models and talent.
Portraits reflects his innate ability to connect sensitively with his subject, to see what others don't initially see, and give it meaning - a little like the home he has created.
