Air of romance

The interior design brief for this villa makeover was for modern spaces while maintaining refined character villa details and finishes for a warm, sophisticated and luxurious feel. The reinvented bathroom, kitchen and living space have all been transformed

For the kitchen, the homeowners wanted plenty of

The herringbone floor and benchtops contrast and complement

The central island's cantilevered waterfall benchtop is underlit

Three sculptural pendants provide interest and task lighting.

The sun coming through the existing sink windows

The floor was re-strengthened for the 200kg Wolf Wolf, Miele

The new fridge wall is recessed into the

Behind closed doors – responding to the brief,

No space is wasted in the thoughtful kitchen

A pineapple pendant in the hallway adds a

Classic and contemporary sit well together in the

By interior designer Tamsin Rhodes, Tamsin Rhodes Creative Studio

From the interior designer:

This was an upper level renovation of a romantic 1910 character villa for a married couple involving 2 bedrooms, living and one bath.

The brief was for modern spaces while maintaining refined character villa details and finishes for a warm, sophisticated and luxurious feel.

A focus on high-end appliances, materials and finishes were a part of this.

The custom designed vanity aligns with the existing

This project was to be achieved through three stages so the homeowners could continue living in the home, as one of the rooms is used for a beauty therapy business

Stage 1: Bathroom

Although getting consent for the rest of the house, the owners wanted to go ahead with renovating the bathroom without requiring consent, and this meant having to be very creative with the design.

The most important part was the need for a space the couple could use at the same time, showering together in the mornings was valuable time to them.

Natural light was essential to create a unique, warm and sexy space.

As one of the owner’s beauty clients use this space, it had to be something she was proud of, plus offer ample storage for beauty products.

The toilet remained in the existing space but

Feature tiles chosen were as an extension of the calm Resene Quarter Tea wall paint, while the main tiles retain a soft ambient feel and reflect light from the feature pendant.

Design challenges included maintaining the existing two windows (being different sizes and heights, these had to look intentional), avoiding the need for consent for a tiled shower floor and different ceiling heights. Extensive structural work was required with walls missing nogs etc.

The custom designed vanity aligns with the window, and the choice of a black granite shower tray avoided the need for consent while maintained black features.

Enough vanity bench and drawer space was provided for large bulk products and the lighting essential for makeup practice. The shower niche was also elongated to enhance a streamlined, spacious feel.

Stages 2 & 3: Kitchen, bedrooms & living areas

For stage 2, the owners wanted plenty of storage, functional open plan space – more flow, warmth and sunlight.

Over a year of discussions about how the homeowners lived and their daily routines, ensured the design enhanced their living environment.

Pots, pans, whiteware, appliances were measured and their homes planned at design stage.

The new fridge wall is recessed into the old wardrobe, keeping kitchen and master as large as possible.

The floor was re-strengthened for the 200kg + Wolf freestanding oven and Miele fridge.

The sun coming through the windows above the sink had been blinding, but introducing shutters brought control over natural light flow and privacy.

A white kitchen ws chosen to keep a fresh clean space, while black accessories and benchtops tie in with the soft flooring.

Cabinetry heights were built for essy use by the shorter owners and a nook included for chargers and miscellaneous things.

The kitchen was designed around the fridge and oven and large pantry also required.

Cabinetry built up to the 2.9m ceiling height, complete with additional character detail surrounds, made the kitchen grand, enhanced the sense of height and spaciousness, with additional character detail surrounds.