KEY POINTS:
The first thing you notice when you walk into LeeAnn and Glen Yare's Auckland home is that they have a lot of stuff. Or, more accurately, LeeAnn has a lot of stuff.
"Glen definitely thinks that I have too much and never need to shop again," she
says.
Everywhere you look in the couple's three-bedroom bungalow there is evidence of LeeAnn's fascination with vintage and retro design. She collects posters, ceramics, mirrors, candles and much more, and has applied her stylist's eye to combining them in unexpected ways around the house.
The cleverness of LeeAnn's style is that instead of looking cluttered, the home appears incredibly interesting. There's a sense that these hand-picked pieces have been lovingly mixed and matched, bought and salvaged, refurbished and re-purposed.
It's a knack she mastered during her flatting days. "I liked to have interesting things around me and even when you're living in a rented hovel, you can make it cool with your furnishings. Styling was really just a hobby that got out of control."
Now, LeeAnn ably juggles freelance styling and writing with her job as an international airline pilot. She's also mum to 15-month-old Tyler and has another baby on the way. As if that weren't enough to make the rest of us feel exhausted, she'll soon be sharing her styling secrets in a new TV2 series, Trading Houses.
There's a certain fearlessness and sense of mischief to her look that sees her pairing a flock of antique Beswick ducks with a graphic red bus blind and a delicate teal and white Florence Broadhurst wallpaper in the dining room. In the master bedroom, bold black and white wallpaper bought in a half-price sale is quirkily partnered with an industrial steel bedside table, an ornate vintage mirror and a glittering chandelier. And in little Tyler's room, the branded plastic trinkets more common to childhood in the 21st century are eschewed in favour of a haphazard menagerie of classic wooden toys, giant three-dimensional letters and modern handcrafts that have been meticulously designed to look old.
LeeAnn's combinations are far from textbook or predictable, but there's no denying they work. Throughout the house, her recurring passion for red and teal creates a sense of unity, although there is no shortage of other colours. High-contrast black and white add a crisp touch.
LeeAnn believes anyone can create a home as fascinating as her own, even on a budget.
"It doesn't matter what material you have to work with, you can create something incredible with a little bit of imagination. Some of the best houses I've seen recently have had great old 'nana' wallpaper and carpet. You don't need to change those things - just leave them alone and work with them. Anyone can do it."
How to go retro
Keep an eye out: Haunt second-hand stores and online auctions for interesting pieces, especially when you're travelling.
Be impulsive: If you see something you love, buy it. Chances are you won't see it again.
Make it over: Have classic furniture restored and reupholstered to work with the colours you've chosen for your home.
Work the sales: Mix modern chain store basics and bargain buys in with your pre-loved pieces to add interest.
Know when to indulge: Every now and then blow the budget on one investment piece that will lift the tone of all else.
Sell, sell, sell: Try to sell something every time you buy something - it'll stop your home from getting too cluttered and help your collection to evolve. You might even make a profit.
* Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden. For more on the Yares' home, see the issue on sale now, or visit www.yourhomeandgarden.co.nz.
