"We wanted something different," smile Jim and Paula when asked about the unusual design of their Omaha beach house. "We didn't want something boring - we wanted something unique. There was a house along the beach that we had always admired, so one day we went and knocked on the door and asked them who their architect was. That's how we got on to Frans."

Frans Kamermans, of Kamermans & Co Architects Ltd, was only too happy to design Jim and Paula's dream house, and even custom designed much of the furniture for their home interior. "It's a very big space and a lot of furniture got swamped in it, so we needed large statement pieces," explains Paula.

Although the exterior of the house features bold colours, the interior is painted with soft cream Resene Quarter Pearl Lusta on the ceilings and pale taupe Resene Aths Special on the walls. "We went for a plain, simple palette and then added more colour through art, cushions and other accessories," says Paula. The couple's love of wood can be seen throughout their home, with most of the furniture being solid timber - including the quirky bar stools, which are slices of a fallen matai tree trunk piled on top of each other.

Designed around the site's stunning sea views, the house has the unusual feature of an oval central structure. This means that the master bedroom has an oval floor plan, as well as curved walls. What's more, the windows are curved - which required specially-made glass. "The master bedroom is my favourite space," says Jim. "I love lying in bed looking through the curved window at the waves crashing on the beach."

What was the greatest success in creating your home interior? The kitchen with its red splashback and black granite island. The granite goes right around the sides of the island.

Which space in the house do you get your greatest satisfaction from? The living area, which opens on two sides to decks. You can open up the bifold doors and feel like you're living outside. It's a great place for entertaining, as it is a very big space and can fit lots of people. The scale and the outlook - straight out to sea - are amazing. We also love the study, which is an intimate space in contrast. It's perfect for when you're home alone and feel like cosying up in front of the TV.

What is your favourite thing in the house? One of the first things we bought for the house, which is a two metre high lamp made of red pleated silk on a wire frame. We had been admiring a number of pieces in the range, but when this one went on sale, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. The beautiful design and very strong colour were just perfect for the house.

The black granite surface of the kitchen island continues down the sides of the bench. The bar stools were designed by the architect, with the home owners in mind, and the seat fabric matches the dining chairs. The window blinds have been pulled down in this shot, because the incoming sunlight was so bright!

In the living area, the sofas and lamp are big enough not to be lost in the large space, while in the kitchen, the red splashback ties in perfectly with the exterior red of the house.

The stunning red lamp is made of pleated silk stretched over a wire frame. Made in Tel Aviv, it was bought from ECC Lighting and Furniture in Auckland.

In a corner of the living area, a purple seat provides bold contrast to the predominantly red accessories in the room.