Spaces for all

The Tomes' crisp white kitchen is the hub of family life. Photo / Supplied

Clearly defined family areas and entertainment spaces were high on the wishlist when Mel and Glen Tomes began designing their new home. Mel came up with a plan that placed all the family rooms at the back of the West Auckland house, with the entertainment areas and guest bedroom near the front door.

"We always keep the front end of the house clean," she says. "We never use the guest bathroom so it's always clean if we have visitors. We keep the carnage down the other end."

At the centre of their large open-plan living area is a crisp white kitchen that is the hub of family life for the couple and their two children, Sophie, aged 7, and Lennox, 5.

"We both like to cook," says Mel. "So we designed the kitchen so if we had friends around we were still part of the action."

Standing at the kitchen sink they can chat to the kids sitting on bar stools at the large island bench, or guests who are either enjoying a glass of wine at the nearby dining table or relaxing in the lounge.

The layout of the living area also allows Mel to keep an eye on Sophie and Lennox while they're playing in the adjoining family room.

Separating the two spaces are double doors that can be left open when the kids are young or closed off when they get older and want their own space.

"When they're teenagers we might want them further away, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Mel laughs.

The 239sq m home is Mel and Glen's third house project, the first two being renovations before they decided to tackle building their own home.

"When Sophie was a baby we used to put her in a pushchair and walk around, looking at the houses," explains Mel. "We liked this street but all the sections had sold so I asked a friend to let me know if any came on the market. One day I bumped into her and there were two for sale. We took a look and fell in love with this one."

The day after they sold their previous home they made an offer on the half-hectare of regenerating native bush at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.

"Glen was away on a football trip so he gave me a budget to negotiate within," recalls Mel. "Luckily I didn't have to go that high."

When building began in July 2004, the couple were hoping they'd be in their new home by the time Lennox was due in October.

"He was 8 months old when we finally moved in," laughs Mel. "It was crazy really. When I look back now I think I could never do it again, but when you're doing it you don't think about it, you just do it."

STYLE TIPS

Piece by piece: "I cut the shape and size of the rooms I wanted out of paper, like a jigsaw puzzle, and moved them around then taped them together," Mel explains. "We gave that to our building company's designers and they drew up the plans."

Ideas file: Start a design scrapbook or file so you can collect ideas, colours and fabric samples then access them easily. Mel used a folder with clear plastic pockets to hold clippings, fabrics, paint charts and quotes.

Look around: When Mel saw a garden feature or house colour she liked, she would stop and take a photo then add it to her design file.

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