A New Zealand couple delved into the dark side for a slick and stylish revamp of their 1970s home.
FAMILY MOMENTS Rebecca and Paul’s Auckland home, constructed nearly 50 years ago, is filled with contemporary know-how. Rebecca, who’s a fashion buyer, and Paul, who builds houses for a living, took a hands-on approach to reconfiguring their two-storey abode, adding a light-filled living zone to share with their children, Isabella, 10, and eight-year-old Miller. The dark, barn-laid solid oak flooring (opposite) mirrors the home’s moody interiors, fixtures and accessories such as the large artwork, created by Rebecca (pictured with Isabella) from an image originally designed for fabric. In the ultra-comfortable living room (below), a family-sized ‘Jasper’ sofa from King Living is softened by patterned cushions Rebecca picked up while on holiday in Noosa in Queensland; the velvet ones are from Città Design. It’s here the adults can be found during nights in. “When we’re having a dinner party, the children gather upstairs on oversized sofas for pizza and movies, while the adults crank up the music and dim the lights downstairs,” says Rebecca.
Homes built during the 1970s have their challenges, and for Rebecca and Paul, the greatest one they faced when they bought their tired and dated abode in 2010 was having the living and dining room inconveniently positioned upstairs. “It was a nightmare when the kids were little because they always wanted to be outside, and it was difficult to keep an eye on them,” explains Rebecca. “The layout was all wrong for how we wanted to live as a family.”
This story is from the August 2018 edition of Home Beautiful.
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This story is from the August 2018 edition of Home Beautiful.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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BRING TO LIGHT
A DULL AND UNINSPIRING HOME IS REINCARNATED AS AN IDYLLIC SEASIDE ABODE FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR
CALI CLASSIC
TAKING INSPIRATION FROM THIS BUNGALOW'S EXTERIOR, A COUPLE REVIVED THE INTERIOR WITH CALIFORNIA SOUL
SEA CHANGE
A DATED PROPERTY IS TRANSFORMED INTO A FAMILY'S FOREVER HOME WITH A FRESH BLACK AND WHITE PALETTE
Paradise found in LOS CABOS
ON THE POINT OF THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA, THE DESERT MEETS THE SEA AT THIS AWE-INSPIRING MEXICAN OASIS
THE gardener's LOG
With only one month until spring is officially here, August is the last chance to give your plants a winter prune and shape your garden for summer
COME RAIN OR SHINE
It took two months of dedicated, daily work to transform an almost bare yard into this contemporary garden
BOLD STROKES
DARE TO EMBRACE THE DETAILS THAT MAKE YOU DIFFERENT FOR A KITCHEN DESIGN THAT FEELS PERSONAL
CREATIVE connections
THE RENOVATION JOURNEY OF THIS BANGALOW HOME TOOK A EUROPEAN-INSPIRED ROUTE BACK IN TIME
SET IN STONE
WITH ITS ALLURING MIX OF MATERIALS AND ERAS, THIS HOME OFFERS A MASTERCLASS IN ENDURING STYLE AND ELEGANCE
Escape time
WELCOME TO THE ULTIMATE COUNTRY RETREAT, A SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS WEEKENDER WHERE THE ONLY CHALLENGE IS BRINGING ONESELF TO LEAVE