Fashion designer Karen Walker's home

Fashion and homewares designer Karen Walker’s home in downtown Auckland is an oasis of calm.

Kitchen The kitchen is the hub between dining, casual living and outdoor zones at the back of the home. “This is another point in my life where you get that contrast: the home looks incredibly neat, but you open a cupboard… whoa!” says Karen.

Kitchen storage Suitably slick, the kitchen provides the serenity Karen craves. “We owe it to having storage – there’s just a ton of space for hiding things,” she says.

Outdoor living Large windows provide unrestricted viwes to the expansive pool.

Pool Tropical plants surround the clear water of the swimming pool.

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Modern open-plan home - Part 3

Bathroom Corian cabinets keep things in order in this bathroom. “The brief was to ensure that there was ample storage,” says Romy.

Outdoors “We wanted the outdoor shower for more than just a post-pool rinse,” says architect Jamie. “We positioned it to pick up some morning sun with a degree of privacy.”

Garden Pot plants are filled with lush succulents and bright pink blooms.

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Modern open-plan home - Part 2

Kitchen Use black to highlight simple forms and create dramatic contrast. “We chose this veneer for the kitchen cupboards because black, more than any other colour, helps them look like a monolithic block and brings extra life to surrounding elements, such as the marble benchtop and foliage through the window,” says Jamie.

Dining area Faceted B&B Italia ‘Joker’ vases from Space reflect the soft grey walls and the dining setting.

Lounge room The artwork Grace 1/1001 is by Julia Ritson.

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Modern open-plan home

Dining area Curved birch Artek ‘Lento’ chairs from Anibou surround Romy’s beloved Cassina ‘La Barca’ dining table, making the most of this open corner. Glass doors slide out to allow the outdoors in.

Living room Homeowner Romy’s favourite room showcases her home’s contemporary look, furnished with simple yet standout pieces like Jardan’s ‘Empire’ modular sofa and a ‘Jade’ coffee table from Zuster.

Lounge room An Andrew Taylor painting and Objekto ‘Kaeko’ table from Hub Furniture sets the tone in this contemplative zone – “this is where we read, listen to music and Mia practices piano,” says Romy.

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Family home in Melbourne - Part 3

Lighting A Jieldé lamp from Euroluce adds a shot of colour.

Living room The marble fireplace is one of the home’s many original features.

Bathroom The monochromatic hues and graphic artwork continue in the bathroom.

Art Antique pieces are paired with contemporary items to lend character to the home.

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Family home in Melbourne - Part 2

Decoration The mantel is home to treasures including a perfume collection.

Hallway Rupert with bunting made from Poulier & Poulier teatowels.

Child's bedroom An antique-style daybed is an elegant touch in this pretty room.

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Family home in Melbourne

Take a look through the home of Lisa Poulier, a graphic designer and Mark Poulier, an advertising art director who find the balance with crisp whites and stormy dark tones in their family home for five.

Main bedroom Rupert the pug sits comfortably in owners Lisa and Mark Poulier’s bedroom, where Anthropologie wallpaper panels hang in place of a bedhead.

Lisa’s favourite piece is the ‘Zettel’z 5’ light by Ingo Maurer that hangs above their antique French oak dining table from Zacher Antiques. “We placed the light in the centre of the house so you can see it from every angle,” she says. “It’s made up of love letters, drawings the kids have done, notes from friends and even a few recipes.”

Living room Lisa and Mark’s love of typefaces inspired the home’s decorative features. Bunting, typographic art and bold cushions – many of which are Poulier & Poulier prototypes – are found in nearly every room.

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Stylist Kara Rosenlund's revived Queenslander - Part 2

Bathroom The walls and floors are lined with Italian travertine to create the feel of a bathhouse.

Kitchen Vintage European timber chopping boards and mango wood stools from Orson & Blake add warmth to the all-white space, which is lit by a recycled glass pendant light.

Dining room The dining area is the latest space to benefit fromthe couple’s attention. “I designed the banquette seating to add storage and provide additional seats,” says Kara. We clad the base in the same white butcher’s tiles we used in the kitchen tomarry the two spaces.” Sitting atop an Armadillo & Co ‘Marigold’ hemp rug, the Knoll ‘Saarinen’ table, with its Calacatta oro marble top, also creates continuity between the two zones.

Work room A workers ’bench has been repurposed as Kara’s desk, while the robe houses her styling props.

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Stylist Kara Rosenlund's revived Queenslander

Take a look through Stylist Kara Rosenlund’s home; A three-bedroom 1890s Queenslander workers’ cottage in inner-city Brisbane, with a vegie patch, outdoor oven and wide verandah.

Verandah Well positioned on the generous verandah is a reclaimed 1940s split-cane daybed.

Entry The couple sanded and whitewashed the original floorboards.

Hallway Clever tableaux throughout the home encourage the eye to linger. A weathered copper stretcher addswarmth to the burnished 19th-century French mirror.

Master bedroom Lush textiles give a sense of opulence and “the origina lboards create warmth,” says Kara.

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11 Tips for a Design-savvy Family Home - Part 4

9. Scenic route

Located on the mezzanine level,overhanging the living area, the study is linked to the family areas by the two-storey void. “I can’t wait to get up there and work. You get this gorgeous view of the trees at Shenton Park Lake, so it feels like a treehouse,” says Kazia. “The view was deliberate,” adds Sam. “I grew up in this area and the park holds special memories, so I wanted to be visually connected to it.”

Tip: Make the most of panoramic windows to draw the outside in and link a home to its environment.

10. Toy story Elijah and Tobias have inherited colourful hand-me downs, including an old Tonka truck, and items from Kazia and Sam’s own childhoods – the teddy bears and yellow raincoat were once Kazia’s. Bright Normann Copenhagen ‘Bau’ pendant lights hang in both boys’ rooms.

Tip: Fill a kid’s room with meaningful objects for a dose of personality. In Tobias’s room, Kazia made the artworks.

11. Alley cats Sam has paid homage to the 1920s worker’s cottage, leaving the brick facade as a remnant. “It’s a well-built piece of the urban fabric and I didn’t want to destroy or impose myself on it,” he says.

Tip: Soften the border from street to home with plants.

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11 Tips for a Design-savvy Family Home - Part 3

6. frame by frame While unconventional use of glass is a feature of the home, the dimensions of the window above the master bed are more common. As Sam explains, it was designed to frame the family’s beloved backyard trees. “When you walk in the room, it’s almost like a painting of the view. It has more traditional picture frame proportions.”

Tip: Complement bold colours and a strong architectural style with neutral textures and tones.

7. Pretty practical “We bought a lot of things that we knew were not simply beautiful objects that we’d love having in the house, they’d also be functional,” says Sam, citing Elijah’s cot, which recently transformed into a toddler bed.

Tip: Spend money on quality pieces, then team them with less expensive bells and whistles – the set of three horsemen prints above Elijah’s bed were thrift-shop finds

8. Joy division “I hate showerscreens. They’re so hard to keep clean,” says Sam, who split the bathroom in half. “On one side is the bath and open shower, and everything can get wet. On the other is the storage, vanity and toilet, and all that stays dry.” Pigeonhole-style cabinetry gives the area an open feel.

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11 Tips for a Design-savvy Family Home - Part 2

3. Kitchen connection “The central island is covered in a contrasting timber to make it feel like a piece of furniture,” says Sam. Made from recycled ironbark power poles and laminated into a flat bench, the island has shelving on the living area side, so it doubles as a library.

Tip: Make dead space work. Turn the underbelly of a staircase into a pantry and hide power points under the breakfast bar.

4. Family matters Creating a home that could grow with the family was key to Sam’s design. “Some of the spaces will transition over time to meet our needs,” he says. “The play area has begun as a rumpus and will become a study, so when the boys are doing homework, they’ll be connected to the living areas, rather than tucked away in their bedrooms.”

Tip: Use dark bluestone tiles (pictured) to absorb the sun’s heat and release it slowly thoughout the day.

5. On the green Splashes of apple green in the home add an element of fun. “We wanted the colour to be a surprise,” says Kazia. “The front door facing the laneway is bold and we hope it draws people in.” “People worry about things dating, but I think a thing should be of its time,” adds Sam.

Tip: Pay tribute to a home’s heritage – the pressed tin on the on the ceiling is a material that ties back to the original house.

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