After spending eight and a half years living in London, often in small flats with just a few pot plants, this riverside country villa just out of Auckland seemed like paradise to James and Naomi. When they first arrived, it was in need of some DIY love – a prospect that delighted Naomi, who grew up helping her parents renovate a large Victorian property, but dismayed James, who has what Naomi describes as “a pathological hatred of interior DIY”. He admits that picking up a paintbrush was a challenge every time, but now couldn’t be happier with the finished results.
Although they have quite different design styles – James favouring “brushed chrome modern minimalism with soft touches,” and Naomi going for “down-to-earth liveability with splashes of rich colour and a dash of fairytale,” the couple have managed to combine elements of both in their home, pairing clean, modern pieces with collectibles inspired by their travels, and both vibrant and mellow colours.
Their favourite space is the main bedroom, which was originally painted a pale blue. After stripping back the floors, window surrounds and skirtings, and putting in French doors, they chose the restful green of Resene Coriander to tie the room to the outdoor setting. The painting is by New Zealand-based artist David Weir, says James. “His work is very centred and earthy, incorporating the spirit of the earth and elements. We have a few of his pieces around the house but this is the largest and my favourite. Our children are fascinated by the dancing figures they see in it; it’s just bursting with life.”

The living and dining rooms were painted in Resene Drought, to help the spaces flow together. The coffee table is a Carrom table that the couple had turned into a coffee table as a wedding present. “Carrom is an Indian game that’s a cross between pool and shove ha’penny,” explains James. “Unfortunately I don’t know anyone who plays it, even though it’s hugely popular worldwide. The original board comes from Brick Lane in London and the legs were custom-made by BlackDog furniture in Hamilton. The glass was sourced locally in Helensville.” The curved iron candlesticks in the living room were made by British sculptor Brian Greaves, who works out of his purpose-built canal tug in Naomi’s parents’ home town of Bradford-on-Avon.

For their elder daughter’s room, James and Naomi chose Resene Pohutukawa, a deep, warm shade of red that plays off well against the black-and-white artwork, white furniture and pink rug.

The couple picked out Resene Hi Jinx for their younger daughter’s room before even trying it. “I’d tried out a few other oranges in the kids’ range and they just weren’t quite zingy enough to bring out the colour in the European furniture in the room,” says Naomi. “I felt pretty sure that the Resene Hi Jinx would hit the spot and I loved every minute of painting with it - it’s just such a joyful colour.”

The bathroom was put together by Naomi, on what James describes as a “frankly laughably small budget”. The original had a chipped and stained iron bath and limited storage. The transformation, James says, “is a gorgeous bathroom, fit for a Remuera palace.”

The couple say that they love the house’s outdoor living as much as the indoor. James lists his favourite occupations: “Sitting on the deck as the sun goes down. Relaxing on our rescued retro leather sofa in our living room. Parking my motorbike safely in the garage with our cars and then unracking my mountain bike for a hack around nearby Riverhead Forest.”