Go with the flow

Photo / Supplied

While living in Florida, Kiwi couple Helen and Lance Sheppard stunned their neighbours when they swapped the living areas from the front to the rear of the house.

The renovation of their ranch-style home four years ago might have been revolutionary in the United States, but the Sheppards were simply trying to achieve the flow between living areas and garden that New Zealanders love. That connection between the indoors and the outdoors was just as important to them in their next renovation - a Californian bungalow in Meadowbank, Auckland, where they extended the living area so it opened to the garden.

Helen and Lance had bought the Meadowbank house before they moved to the US, where Lance was working as a trade commissioner with the New Zealand Government. They rented the home out until their return two years ago, when they began the huge renovation. "It had been a real family home," says Helen.

"One family had lived here for 17 years and there had been children born into this house. This would have been the only house that they had ever known. "We wanted it to be a family home that had the same fantastic feeling but that worked better for us." Lance adds: "This home really is about our personal style. It's a personal and practical interpretation of all the things we are passionate about - family, art and travel."

Both are big on aesthetics: Helen works part-time as a beauty therapist, while Lance's firm builds bespoke luxury interiors for the private jet market. In the living area, the walls were purpose-built to suit the proportions of their art and furniture. A Belgian walnut and mahogany dresser is among the many treasured pieces they brought back from the US.

The original hallway is 1.7m wide, allowing it to double as a gallery for their art. "It doesn't get lost," says Helen. "People can see each artwork properly, rather than only being able to see the side of each piece."

Also looking like a piece of art is the large granite slab that acts as a splashback in the kitchen. Lance likens it to "a big piece of steak" because of the veins running through it. But the couple's love of fine things does not come at the cost of practicality, especially as they have three small boys - Elliot, 7, Will, 4, and Charlie, 22 months. Family needs came first when planning the home - for example, Helen stipulated that she wanted a laundry chute from the upstairs bathroom to the downstairs laundry. "I told the architect I was not prepared to relinquish that."

The couple enlisted an interior designer to help them realise their vision, which involved extending the rear living areas and adding a cinema room. Lance says the designer made "all the tough decisions", such as choosing colours, tiles and how to treat the fireplace. "She saved us money by stopping us making mistakes."

Renovation rules

Tool time: Make sure you have a spirit level and a tape measure always at hand when you are renovating. Use them to check that things are square and that the measurements match the plans. Mark any problem areas with a stick-on dot so your builder knows what needs attention. Or put up a blackboard to scrawl notes for tradesmen.

At hand: Store your tools, house plans, window measurements, fabric swatches and paint charts in a portable box and keep it in your car so it's always handy when you're out sourcing for the renovation.

Cut and keep: This home used to have notches in the wall showing the heights of the previous owners' children as they grew up. If you've got something similar in your home, think about cutting out the wall panel and framing it as a keepsake.

* Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. See the latest issue for more affordable ideas that you can create at your place.