Te Karaka House
Architect: First Homes
Builder: First Homes
Photographer: Jay Drew Photography
This warm and welcoming Te Puna home needed updating. We removed the existing floor tiles and replaced them with timber from Forte, repainted throughout, installed new carpet and modernized the bathrooms. The neutral colourway suited the look of the home, and we incorporated a softness by introducing curves – from the oval end of the Taj Mahal granite kitchen island to the round table and curved lines of the sofa. Throughout the body of the home in the kitchen and lounge areas we worked with an uber pale palette. We played with light verses dark tones in the bathroom zone for contrast, with an Emmaraude green marble vanity top sitting on light cabinetry. Timber tones were referenced in the master ensuite alongside beautiful fluted tiles. Through the property we worked with subtle features to draw the eye – in the kitchen leather wrapped handles on the integrated fridge and cabinetry look stunning paired with the Flemish copper tapware.
"Kath is awesome at what she does! She has a unique design ability to bring together colour, texture, materials and coverings that transform a space from functional to wow. Kath has been an absolute pleasure to work with. Right from the beginning she laid out a vision for our home that was quite a distance from our original plans. That said, we trusted her vision and passion and let her guide us through the process. The result is amazing! We love our new home and that is all down to her. Along the way we would come across materials or furniture we thought would look great and would seek Kath’s view. She was always decisive it worked, or it didn’t. The end results proved she was on the money. We would definitely recommend this great Designer and her team."