HAEJIN’S STYLING TIPS

1. Decluttering: I find this the most important step especially when I’m staging a house for sale.

2. Use negative space as a design element. You don’t need to fill every wall. Having empty spaces increases the impact of a piece that you want to feature.

3. You can smartly choose a must-have splurge item and then get affordable pieces to go with it.

4. Mix and match. I don’t believe in using sets of furniture.

5. Mix modern and vintage. Mixing items from different eras creates a more interesting interior.

6. Embrace your green friends. House plants bring an organic and warm vibe.

Thirteen years later they’re still here but say they love their adopted home and the opportunities it has provided. For Kevin that includes working on all three of The Hobbit films as well as Avatar and The Avengers, and for Haejin that’s starting her own home staging business.

Coming from such strong visual backgrounds meant the pair had definite ideas about how they wanted their home to look.

No major structural changes were required, although the couple did employ a builder to install much needed storage. This includes cupboards in front of the 4m-long kitchen island, which is the hub of this home.

“We entertain a lot and people tend to congregate around this spot,” says Kevin, who’s thankful for the generous counter space for the bread and baked goods he frequently makes.

They also added radiators throughout, installed solar panels and recently had the exterior weatherboards stained black. “It used to be a faded brown shade but the darker colour makes it fit into the landscape much better,” says Haejin.

A challenge for their builder was how to display the 1000 or so colourful figurines Haejin has collected over the years from all over the globe. The result is a 2.5 x 1.5m storage unit which greets visitors at the front door.

“In our last house, it would take Haejin a whole day to dust them so I came up with the idea of adding plexiglass to the front to keep them dust free,” says Kevin.

Haejin’s love of collecting doesn’t stop there: she’s also a fan of cheeseboards (displayed on the wall in the wine cellar/tasting nook under the stairs), vintage green French bottles, hats from all

My decorating style is: Monochromatic with neutral and wooden accents. (Haejin) Practical and organised;

I’m working on being a minimalist. (Kevin)

Best decorating idea:

Turning my obsessive collecting into decoration – and a business. (Haejin)

Turning the garage into a functional room with carpet, a photo studio setup, sliding tool wall and beer fridge. It’s a real man cave. (Kevin) Best buy: The mid-century sofa bed gets a lot of use. (Haejin) Finding a wine fridge that perfectly fits under our revamped kitchen bench. (Kevin)

Kevin Estey and Haejin Cho