This beautiful residence backs onto National Park so close that the trees framed by its windows become part of the interior concept.

The brief for this family home was to update – and bring the glamour.

The exterior paint scheme set a high bar, transforming the suburban beige building to a stately manor of epic proportions!  Indeed it has been nominated for a Resene Total Colour Award 2026 for Best Residential Exterior.  

Inside, my client asked for glamorous décor that felt like layered pieces collected over time rather than a matching showroom aesthetic. We soon discovered some shared loves such as Catherine Martin’s Mokum fabrics that are rich in jewel tones and animal prints.

I tapped into a heavy use of pattern throughout the project with every selection linked to the overall concept by either pattern, texture – or both. 

Maybe I should say light with pattern, as the result is light and airy with a movement that creates loftiness. The sharp gem-coloured hummingbirds of the wallpaper carry their colours up the wall and into the trees outside, framed as they are at each window.

The dustier hues create the inviting formality of the lounge room and allow for a breakout day area to be based around an emerald and charcoal green rug.

With lighting from Visual Comfort (fixtures designed by Kelly Wearstler) each room is connected to the views of the rear arbor, stepped landscaping, and the tall trees of the national park. Overall, the lighting and décor choices were driven by natural light and what is let in by trees and the shapes that filters through them.