There’s more family than usual involved in this four-bedroom family home outside Hamilton. The land for the house where Brett, Karen, their three kids and two cats live was originally owned by Brett’s parents. Brett spent his teen years in a different house on the land, and when the land was subdivided several years ago, the couple bought their own section overlooking a gully that they are replanting with native bush. When it came to picking an architect, they didn’t need to think twice – Glenn McHardie, director of Stiles and Hooker, and Brett’s brother – was the obvious choice.

The home is built from clear finished concrete block – a bold choice seven years ago, when they were planning the house. To play off against the black concrete floors and grey construction, the couple chose vibrant colours for their front door and children’s bedroom walls (where the children selected their own feature colours). This vivid green is Resene Dizzy Lizzy.

How would you describe your ‘design style’?
Eclectic, a mix of modern and retro.

What did you want to achieve with your house, in terms of interiors?
We wanted to create a home that was comfortable and inviting, spacious and full of sunlight that could handle a busy family’s lifestyle.

Why did you make the colour scheme choices you did?
The house is quite industrial; the floor is black concrete, and there is a lot of glass and exposed concrete block so we wanted to limit the palette to greys and whites and use shots of colour.

What is your advice for someone trying to achieve a similar look?
Things in your home don’t all have to be new or all old, or match. Buy things that you like and mix it up. It’s fun and doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

The white painted bed in one of the girls’ rooms is a recycled hospital bed from the Cambridge Lion's Shed. White and candy colours sit well with the dazzling fuschia wall.

The lounge was designed for entertaining, and opens up to a large outdoor area. The coffee table in the centre of the room is an antique Indian day bed, made from the floorboards of an old Indian home. It has had owners in France and Singapore, and Karen loves the way the chipped surface tells a story. The bookshelves by the fireplace were made by a neighbour from recycled rimu sourced from a building where Brett works.

Karen’s favourite artwork – Pet Day, by Raglan-based artist Hayley Hamilton – hangs in the entrance hallway. The retro sideboard was another find at the Cambridge Lion’s Shed. Bright slices of colour liven up the grey and white space.

Karen’s obsession with collecting is evident in well-put-together corners like this one. She loves to find old chairs, luggage, clocks, paintings and Crown Lynn pieces in op-shops and second-hand stores. She says she is drawn to items reminiscent of her childhood.

Resene Alabaster and Resene Cod Grey were used for the house’s interior and exterior walls respectively. The couple went with a splash of lively Resene Wasabi on the front door “as a bright welcome for guests.”