Temporary character

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Running a design studio in Amsterdam seems like a dream existence, but after six years Clare Buchanan and her partner Heath Lowe eventually became tired of life in Holland.

"We missed the mountains and sea," says Buchanan. "We tired of just flat land." In 2005 they had to make a decision: move to America, Lowe's birthplace, or relocate to Buchanan's adopted homeland of New Zealand.

"Mostly because we found the political situation in the US at the time quite challenging, we made the move here," says Malaysian-born Buchanan. At first they lived in a one-room bach on Waiheke Island and commuted to work in Auckland, but with their first child on the way they decided to move to the mainland. And that is when they heard of a house for rent in Kingsland.

"We thought it would be a stop-gap while we looked to buy," says Buchanan. But because the couple has struggled to find a home with the 1950s or 1960s architecture that would suit their style, the rented villa has been their home for some years now and it is where they have raised Henry, now 2, and Lucien, seven months.

It also has the advantage of being in the same neighbourhood as Special, the advertising agency where they both work. Being unable to find the home of their dreams, the couple has set about changing their immediate environment, beginning with the walls. "I got permission to paint them all white," says Buchanan.

The focal point in the living room is a fireplace flanked by bookshelves. Around it are grouped an eclectic mix of chairs and a sofa bed designed in the 1950s by Martin Visser for nurses' accommodation.

The couple's storage is also a little quirky - their CD collection is stored in old metal milk-bottle crates found in a basement in Oregon. In the hallway, displayed on a modular drinks cabinet by Cees Braakman, is a favourite piece - a 1947 Charles Eames plywood splint commissioned by the US Navy to replace the heavier metal versions.

Like many of their treasured possessions, the farm table in the dining room comes from Amsterdam. "It was restored by a man who was missing two fingers [from birth] on both hands and was transported to our place over the steep, humpy-back bridges of the canals in a hand-trailer," Buchanan explains.

The couple's love of mid-century design means the furnishings and objects throughout the home form a cohesive look - right down to the bedrooms, which feature old metal bedheads. "We buy things we like, rather than styling them," says Buchanan.

"We don't labour it - or at least I hope we don't."

Style tips

Lasting quality: Buy quality or classic furniture rather than pieces that are the latest fashion and will soon look dated. Well-made and interesting pieces will become heirlooms that will liven up any room.
On the move: If you're renting, invest in attractive storage units that you can take with you to your next home.
Taking leave: People who are renting should try to plant as much as possible in pots. Citrus trees, for example, work well in containers. That way you can have a "moveable garden" that one day might find a permanent home.

Leanne Moore is the editor of Your Home & Garden magazine. See the latest issue for the full story on this home and other ideas for your place.