The art of living

This double bay heritage villa in Mount Victoria has been artfully reimagined, embracing contemporary living with a rear extension that engages with the garden and a cherished century-old pear tree.

Having worked with the homeowners on a previous interior project, Kurio Design were engaged from the start. Interior Designer Katie Peck viewed the house with the clients prior to the purchase, offering insight and design advice.

Katie says, “At our recommendation, the clients engaged Slessor Architects to help with the addition, then Kurio set to work designing the bathrooms, kitchen, bespoke joinery, lighting, fittings, and finishes, right down to the soft furnishings.”

The rear of the house was opened up and connected to the back garden with a new extension to complement the original house. The home features three bedrooms, including a generous primary suite, along with three bathrooms and two living areas.

“Slessor Architects gave us a great plan and blank canvas to start designing from and did a great job of keeping the ceilings high in the new addition,” says Katie.

The client’s extensive collection of contemporary wall art and sculptures became the starting point for the interior design, inspiring an over-arching neutral palette of rich timber.

“We combined a bold industrial aesthetic with fun, vibrant colours to create energy and personality. At the same time, we incorporated a mid-century nod through the use of warm wood tones and a carefully curated colour palette, striking a balance between a playful and timeless look,” says Katie.

“We wanted to keep the heritage proportions of the property whilst injecting the client’s personality into the spaces,” says Katie.

Vibrant jewel-toned colours were chosen for drapery and tiling to reference late Victorian interiors, these were contrasted with crisp Resene Alabaster walls. The transition between the original double bay villa and new extension is marked by a bespoke crittall steel framed door with fluted glass.

“We kept the base palette of materials natural in essence; including marbles and granites, larch veneer, steel, matai flooring, and wool carpet,” says Katie.

Katie and her team designed a range of bespoke joinery throughout the home, this was crafted by Well Hung Joinery. The kitchen, laundry, banquette, breakfast nook, fire hearth, dining room shelving, Crittall door and custom wardrobes in all three bedrooms were expertly designed and fitted.

“Well Hung Joinery really understand how we think and our need for perfection and high quality craftmanship,” says Katie. The kitchen features a wrap-around envelope of stone on the back wall in Infinity White quartzite. This is bordered by VidaSpace timber veneer cabinetry in Winter Larch to bring a warm mid-century aesthetic.

The hero piece in the living space is a Fusion Green Quartzite fireplace hearth which complements the wall art while bringing an earthy, grounded feel to the room. The dining cabinetry with its slim steel inserts is an understated but refined detail in contrast with the rich larch veneer. The custom green leather banquette with velvet bolster back is a striking feature that maximises space.

The main bathroom, the smaller vibrant emerald-green tiles above large-scale white Carrara marble tiles are contrasted with black tapware. This bold contrast is visually striking, yet classic in intent.

Katie likes the way the open plan kitchen, dining and living space flows. “There is a lot of quiet, intentional, bespoke detailing in each one of these zones which I love and those elements create a visually satisfying and ultra comfortable living space for our clients.”

“This home showcases the Kurio Design love of mixed style, material, colour and form in a way that perfectly celebrates the personalities of its’ owners.”

Contact details:

Kurio Design
022 083 4948
nikki@kurio.co.nz
www.kurio.co.nz