A Christchurch family creates a Scandi-inspired dream home

Article by Your Home and Garden

While expecting baby number three this Christchurch family embarked on an ambitious build and the results are a Scandi-inspired dream

A Christchurch family creates a Scandi-inspired dream home

Karyn, do you tend to buy high-end homeware or seek out a bargain?
A real mix. I try to save on passing trends, while I’m happy to splurge on things I love. I’ve also learnt from experience that you never really love a ‘rip-off’ of an original item you desperately wanted.

Best lessons learned?
Do what you love. I spent so many nights stressing about the pendant lights for the kitchen, worrying about which ones would date or not match the decor. In the end I followed my heart and I love the entire look. When it came to the finished product, it was never about anyone else. It’s our kind of perfect!

What would you never do again?
Have a Christmas Eve move-in deadline. Stressful is an understatement! And opting for timber floors while the kids are still young. I love, love, love them, but they damage so easily.

Karyn’s top tips:

Reindeer hides shed hair when placed in the sun or on a floor that has underfloor heating. Avoid this by draping hides over furniture during winter months, out of direct sunlight.
Try not to compromise on features that are at the top of your wishlist. Compromising on high-priority items will annoy you for ever.
Spend on the things you love and don’t be swayed by trends. If you love something, get it and make it work for you.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and embrace budget alternatives for interior fittings. I picked inexpensive lights for the front lounge and bunched them together to create a special effect.
Black nail polish is amazing for touching up chips and scratches. I use it all the time.
If you have chosen a black sink, recess it under the benchtop or you will be forever cleaning it.

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Karyn and Adam love to entertain so they designed their home around the kitchen. “We sit and have coffee, dine, relax… From here I can see upstairs, into the lounges and out to the pool and golf course beyond.” says Karyn.

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“I love to rearrange furniture and accessories, which is easy to do with neutral walls,” says Karyn. She loves fresh flowers and foliage along with natural finishes such as the timber dining table, the trio of David Trubridge lights and the concrete console table.

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A freestanding gas fire divides the living area in two, with Karyn’s “girly lounge” at the far end, overlooking the pool. A variety of shapes, colours and textures stand out against white walls and black joinery.

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Karyn and Adam love to entertain so they designed their home around the kitchen.

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You can do this:
1. Choose an area in your kitchen that has relatively good sunlight.
2. Select three or more herbs that you would regularly use when cooking.
3. Pot them in canisters or pots of your choosing and enjoy having them at your fingertips.

TIP: Rotate the pots every so often, and make sure not to over-water them.

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The lounge overlooking the pool is Karyn’s “Special K” space. “It gets all-day sun, has special views and has lots of feminine touches including splashes of pink and teal, lavish lighting and some of my favourite treasures,” she says.

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The lounbge has lots of feminine touches.

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Luca, 6, Flynn, 4, and Hudson, 2.

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In the dining area, a bench seat is ideal for the boys; the white tub chairs, some covered in sheepskin, are reserved for adults.

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Copper pendants beside the bed inspired Karyn to include apricot accents in the cushions, which go beautifully with the soft grey and white bedlinen. In the sleek ensuite a glass wall provides unobstructed views across the garden to the golf course.

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Get the look:
‘Marianna’ by Ruben Ireland print, $41.65, from Society6. Copper single pendant, $59, from Bunnings. White Thatch silk pillowslip, $199, from Penney + Bennett.

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Black tiles with white grout keep with the monochrome theme.

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In the sleek ensuite a glass wall provides unobstructed views across the garden to the golf course.

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The choice of black and white for the interior was one decision not open to discussion.

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Black tiles with white grout keep with the monochrome theme.

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The art is by Brad Novak, an Auckland doctor and artist. “We wanted something stand-out, saw this online and bought ahead of an exhibition – which was lucky as everything sold!” says Karyn.