Sprawling views of the Hauraki Gulf were enough to spur a couple to undertake a huge renovation.

Life tends to happen in a hurry for this renovating Auckland couple

Nikki and Aran Blackmore have packed a lot into the past five years. They were married just 18 months after they met, had daughter Harper less than a year after that and, after a long but tenacious search, bought their first home together and tackled a big renovation of it straight away. “We know what we want and we just go for it,” says Nikki. “We’re very similar to each other in that way.” When the couple started house-hunting in Auckland, the market was tough. They considered all types of properties, from projects to fully completed homes, but kept missing out. Nikki, who used to work for ECC Lighting but now manages an oral surgery practice, was adamant she wanted to stay in the beachside suburb of St Heliers, home since her family emigrated here from South Africa 20 years ago. “This area has got everything you need; great schools and a real community feel,” she says.

When a Simon Carnachan-designed board-and-batten house high on the ridgeline came up for sale, they immediately saw its potential. While the layout and decor wasn’t to their tastes, they loved the sprawling view, which stretches

‘We know what we want and we just go for it. We’re very similar to each other in that way’

from Takapuna to Bucklands Beach with Rangitoto Island, Waiheke Island and Tamaki Strait in between. By removing a small U-shaped kitchen upstairs and replacing it with an open-plan design, they created a voluminous living space and maximised the outlook in every direction. “On a good day you can see for miles,” Aran says.

Standing in their sleek new kitchen which runs down one side of the living space, the couple describe how they put everything else in their lives on hold to transform the dated interiors into the sophisticated abode they have today.

For 13 weeks, every spare moment outside work was dedicated to the project, which they both say they thoroughly enjoyed. “We’ve both been through renovations before separately,” says Aran, who works as a property developer, “but this was our first together. I know it can be stressful but this process

worked out incredibly well. I knew most of the contractors personally, and they were very good. There’s nothing we would change.”

Removing the kitchen and internal walls also made a feature of the dramatic high-pitched ceilings with glass inserts and exposed beams. Two distinct lounges were created, one more formal and the other for relaxing and for Harper to play in. Now three years old, she has a large toy cupboard with storage she can access herself and double doors that allow it to be concealed once she’s done. “Aran and I both hate clutter,” Nikki says. “The house is usually pretty tidy.”

This sentiment was carried into the kitchen, which was designed by Nikki and Aran and built by Andrew Rothery from Cucina Kitchens. A wall of grey handleless cabinets conceals appliances. “We’re not ones to have things out all over the bench,” says Aran. Initially Nikki was wary of having a dark-coloured kitchen but the introduction of colour and texture has added interest, particularly the built-in timber shelving and dining table.

It was the ideal set-up to host friends for a five-course meal on New Year’s Eve, catered by a private chef. “The kitchen is like a piece of art,” says Nikki. “We both love cooking and entertaining and it all just works perfectly.”

THIS PAGE The kitchen of Nikki and Aran Blackmore’s St Heliers, Auckland home features Fora pendants by Bover from ECC; the tap is a Blanco Linus-S; the benchtop is iTopker porcelain tile in Storm Negro from PSP Stonecraft, and the flooring from Vienna Woods is Volunta smoked oak in Castle Grey. OPPOSITE The armchairs are Solo by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia from Matisse and the cushions are from Weave; the Philippi Mesh Bowl XL is from The Studio of Tableware; the kitchen cabinetry is Resene Triple Stack.

THESE PAGES (from left) Nikki in her happy place: “I love creating beautiful meals for my family,” she says; the Moooi Rabbit lamp is from ECC and sits on a Bauhaus sideboard. Nikki and Aran like to enjoy a glass of wine with friends in the formal lounge; they bought the Audrey Hepburn artwork in New York; the couches are from Simon James Design.

THESE PAGES The Sean Beldon artwork was a housewarming gift from Nikki’s parents: “I love his landscapes,” she says; the A&C Homestore couch (“super comfy”) is a favourite spot for the family to curl up and watch a movie.

THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left) The headboard in the spare bedroom is from Indie Home Collective and the bedlinen is from A&C Homestore. Nikki ordered the wallpaper in Harper’s room from anewall.com, after searching for months for the perfect design. The walls in the stairwell are Resene Half Black White. In the ensuite, Nikki and Aran designed the oak joinery made by Cucina Kitchens; the tiles are from European Ceramics and the basins and tapware came from The Kitchen Hub.