Designed by: Di Henshall Interior Design
Photography by: Jamie Cobel
Designed by Di Henshall, Di Henshall Interior Design
From the interior designer:
A 25-year-old mansion right on the water overlooking Auckland city skyline was designed to be reminiscent of a Mediterranean villa, with classic features and ochre exterior walls with aqua trim.
Our owner, who has been a repeat client for many years with various projects, asked Di Henshall to redesign the house, in a contemporary sense using a black and white palette.
Di Henshall determined that it should evoke the feeling of a sophisticated, New York-style art gallery, using a black and white basic palette.
The designer also added midnight blue, taupe and splashes of colour in artwork and lighting to soften the look.
The floors were re-polished in a rich, dark tone.
Every room was gutted, as were the gardens and extensive grounds, with the roof and exterior walls and windows being painted in a more neutral tone.
The kitchen was shortened in depth to allow a new scullery to be introduced, tucked behind full-height cabinetry in blackened timber veneer.
The cooktop is totally invisible to the eye, enhancing the sleek, modernist appeal of the kitchen and beyond.
Boiler plate was used for both the new fireplaces flanking each end of the ground floor – one in the formal lounge, another in the family room, where reading nooks were built on either side of the fireplace.
The lighting designed for the house was deliberately selected to be art sculptures rather than just task lighting, to stunning effect at night time.
New planting throughout the grounds has reinvigorated the property, along with the creation of a pétanque court on a narrow strip of unused garden overlooking the water.
Find more design ideas and inspiration at trendsideas.com
Credit List
Interior designerDi Henshall Interior Design | Kitchen designerDi Henshall Interior Design |
CabinetryOak veneer – 2 pac Resene Black Matt finish | Benchtop/splashbackInfinity Extra Statuario Satin |
Kitchen sinkFranke Bolero | Kitchen tapZip HydroTap G5 Celsius All-in-One Boiling and Chilled Filtered Water plus Hot and Cold – in Gun Metal |
CooktopInvisacook 5 Burner | Rangehood cylindersQasair Seneca Java Black |
Oven, warming drawerWolfe | Steam oven/coffee machineMiele |
RefrigerationSub-Zero | Wallpaper (kitchen and pantry bulkheads, back of pantry door and pantry wall)Timber wallpaper – Evenex Paperwall in Black Caviar, by Elton Group |
Door handlesNido Modella lever on long plate – Graphite Nickel | Light switchesClipsal Saturn Zen – Black |
Paint, main wallsResene Alabaster | FloorsExisting |
AwardsTrends International Design Awards (TIDA) Homes – Winner |
Designed by Di Henshall, Di Henshall Interior Design
From the interior designer:
A 25-year-old mansion right on the water overlooking Auckland city skyline was designed to be reminiscent of a Mediterranean villa, with classic features and ochre exterior walls with aqua trim.
Our owner, who has been a repeat client for many years with various projects, asked Di Henshall to redesign the house, in a contemporary sense using a black and white palette.
Di Henshall determined that it should evoke the feeling of a sophisticated, New York-style art gallery, using a black and white basic palette.
The designer also added midnight blue, taupe and splashes of colour in artwork and lighting to soften the look.
The floors were re-polished in a rich, dark tone.
Every room was gutted, as were the gardens and extensive grounds, with the roof and exterior walls and windows being painted in a more neutral tone.
The kitchen was shortened in depth to allow a new scullery to be introduced, tucked behind full-height cabinetry in blackened timber veneer.
The cooktop is totally invisible to the eye, enhancing the sleek, modernist appeal of the kitchen and beyond.
Boiler plate was used for both the new fireplaces flanking each end of the ground floor – one in the formal lounge, another in the family room, where reading nooks were built on either side of the fireplace.
The lighting designed for the house was deliberately selected to be art sculptures rather than just task lighting, to stunning effect at night time.
New planting throughout the grounds has reinvigorated the property, along with the creation of a pétanque court on a narrow strip of unused garden overlooking the water.
Find more design ideas and inspiration at trendsideas.com
[clean_tags]
Credit List
Interior designerDi Henshall Interior Design | Kitchen designerDi Henshall Interior Design |
CabinetryOak veneer – 2 pac Resene Black Matt finish | Benchtop/splashbackInfinity Extra Statuario Satin |
Kitchen sinkFranke Bolero | Kitchen tapZip HydroTap G5 Celsius All-in-One Boiling and Chilled Filtered Water plus Hot and Cold – in Gun Metal |
CooktopInvisacook 5 Burner | Rangehood cylindersQasair Seneca Java Black |
Oven, warming drawerWolfe | Steam oven/coffee machineMiele |
RefrigerationSub-Zero | Wallpaper (kitchen and pantry bulkheads, back of pantry door and pantry wall)Timber wallpaper – Evenex Paperwall in Black Caviar, by Elton Group |
Door handlesNido Modella lever on long plate – Graphite Nickel | Light switchesClipsal Saturn Zen – Black |
Paint, main wallsResene Alabaster | FloorsExisting |
AwardsTrends International Design Awards (TIDA) Homes – Winner |
Related Articles
Finding the Perfect Flooring for Your Dining Room
Choose a dining room floor that balances beauty, practicality, and durability for everyday meals and entertaining
Big style, small space – 7 powder room design ideas
Usually the smallest room in the house, the powder room is also where a designer can really go to town, creating a distinct look that's a surprise and pleasure for guests – here are 7 one-off designs to inspire
Bold, Moody and Robust
Connecting with a semi-industrial design, this interior creates cohesion through layered materiality – matt finishes and darker tones contrast the architectural textures
Portfolios
View Industry Specialists
Portfolios
View Industry Specialists
Askö
Furniture designed for life. Ethically made dining and living furniture and accessories by international and New Zealand designers where refined elegance meets sleek, contemporary form. Explore our extensive range of designer furniture via our Christchurch showroom or browse online.
Plumbing World
Plumbing World is New Zealand’s most prominent 100% Kiwi-owned national plumbing merchant, operating over 50 branches from Kerikeri to Invercargill. Plumbing World offers a wide range of bathroom, kitchen, laundry, heating, and hot water products, catering to trade professionals and homeowners.
Landmark Homes
Founding directors Paul and Debbie Clarke established Landmark Homes in 1977. Their vision was to offer “something more exciting” than the average home: a home that made creative use of space but was also beautiful to live in.
Poggenpohl
Poggenpohl is a premium German kitchen brand known for its innovation, timeless design, and precision craftsmanship, offering bespoke kitchen solutions that blend luxury with functionality.
Mastercraft Kitchens
Founded in 1985, we are the largest group of independently owned and operated kitchen businesses in New Zealand, operating under a national banner. Our licensees have been carefully selected and are experts in their craft. We share an absolute passion for the design, manufacture and installation of high quality, well designed kitchens and other household cabinetry provided with personalised, friendly local service. Think national - be local.
Kitchen Studio
At Kitchen Studio we are very proud of the fact that we are been voted the most trusted kitchen brand in New Zealand for the ninth year running, and there are good reasons why more Kiwis trust us to transform their kitchen than anyone else.
Box™
Box isn’t like other New Zealand architecture firms; we’re a building design company responsible for every part of the process, from design to construction. If you’re looking for a team of designers or builders in Auckland, we can help.
The best architects know what it means to design both beautifully and practically, ensuring the best builders can, in turn, build more efficiently and collaboratively with you and the designer or architect.
Our consistent and attentive involvement of each team throughout the entire design-build process includes our in-house cost estimation team, who value-engineer projects to ensure the highest quality and value, while respecting your vision as our client.
Frontier Pools
We specialise in bespoke concrete swimming pool design and construction.
From infinity-edge showpieces to compact plunge pools in tight city spaces, we create concrete pools in any shape, size, or finish. The possibilities are endless and the quality is uncompromising.
With an expert in-house team, we manage every step, from concept to completion, delivering high-quality pools tailored to your space, style, and lifestyle.
Altus Window Systems
Altus is a leading New Zealand manufacturer and exporter of innovative designs in aluminium extrusions and extrusion-based building systems.
Altus is an award winning leader of the Aluminium extrusion and rolled product market. We specialise in design, manufacture, import and export of extrusion and rolled product, and distribute to both local and International markets.
We’re experts in creating solutions to integrate and partner with our customers across a wide range of sectors; marine, transport, architectural systems, window and door fabrication, mechanical engineering and agricultural industries.
Luxaflex®
Luxaflex® has been adding style and sophistication to New Zealand windows since the 1950s. Our design heritage is founded on innovation for today and tomorrow while taking care to celebrate the beauty in the details. To us, form and function are synonymous. Consistently pushing the boundaries, we are proud to be the market-leaders in daylight regulation and solar heat control solutions.
We combine unique design and practical features to create outstanding products – the essential ingredients for creating any discerning home.
Plantation Bamboo
Building or renovating your space? It’s not just about finding materials that match your values of sustainability and durability; you want them to look fantastic too. But with so many options out there, the search can be daunting.
That’s where Plantation Bamboo comes in.
We understand the challenges you face in navigating through countless choices. That’s why we specialise exclusively in bamboo. Our focus is to simplify your search for the perfect building material that not only meets your sustainability and durability criteria but also adds a touch of natural elegance to your space.
Mastercraft Kitchens
Founded in 1985, we are the largest group of independently owned and operated kitchen businesses in New Zealand, operating under a national banner. Our licensees have been carefully selected and are experts in their craft. We share an absolute passion for the design, manufacture and installation of high quality, well designed kitchens and other household cabinetry provided with personalised, friendly local service. Think national - be local.
Kitchen Studio
At Kitchen Studio we are very proud of the fact that we are been voted the most trusted kitchen brand in New Zealand for the ninth year running, and there are good reasons why more Kiwis trust us to transform their kitchen than anyone else.
Box™
Box isn’t like other New Zealand architecture firms; we’re a building design company responsible for every part of the process, from design to construction. If you’re looking for a team of designers or builders in Auckland, we can help.
The best architects know what it means to design both beautifully and practically, ensuring the best builders can, in turn, build more efficiently and collaboratively with you and the designer or architect.
Our consistent and attentive involvement of each team throughout the entire design-build process includes our in-house cost estimation team, who value-engineer projects to ensure the highest quality and value, while respecting your vision as our client.