Good

Mint condition

Designer Jenna Wardell’s family-friendly home is a showcase for living with style and substance.

- Words Leanne Moore/Cave Bureau. Photograph­y Helen Bankers/Cave Bureau

Jenna Wardell is well versed in creating beautiful pieces that are gentle on the planet and babies. As the founder and designer of baby products range Over the Dandelions, she produces timeless pieces that are ethically made with great care. “I try to leave a light footprint on the planet, both at work and at home. I design every product to have the most minimal packaging possible, and make earthfrien­dly decisions for all parts of the business such as recycling packaging and using compostabl­e courier bags.”

When Jenna and her husband Andy bought their home five years ago, they were both smitten with its charm and character. “We fell in love with the beautiful details of the coving, the skirting boards, and extra generous high ceilings. The secluded leafy green garden was another bonus,” she says of the 1920s bungalow in Birkenhead, Auckland.

The couple could also see untapped potential. “There was no access to the backyard through the living space, and it had a double-sided open fireplace that took up a lot of room and was impractica­l for children. We removed the fireplace and reversed the layout to create an open-plan living area with the kitchen at one end and large bifold doors to the garden. It’s light, airy and open, and works really well when you’ve got young children.” It’s easy for Jenna to check on Fynn, 6, and Freya, 3, when they are outside.

Jenna and Andy repurposed the bricks from the fireplace into a feature wall as a tribute to the home’s origins. “I love the texture and character that the bricks bring to the kitchen and dining area,” says Jenna. While the house has a relatively small footprint (110sqm) the couple has utilised the space efficientl­y to create three bedrooms, two bathrooms (including an en suite off the main bedroom), and an office. They added a hallway to achieve separation from the living space to the bedrooms.

“We thoroughly enjoy living in Birkenhead. It’s close to the city and yet it has a lovely village feel. With two small children at school and kindy we are very much immersed in community life. It’s nice when you are out and about that there is always someone to stop and have a chat with. We can walk everywhere (and always try to). The Birkenhead village offers everything we need from butcher to hairdresse­r to luxe gifts at Crave Home. We never need to venture too far.“

Colour

Our home has a neutral palette of white, greys and browns, with some accent colours. We have a different pop of colour for each room. In the kitchen it’s mint green and in the living area I’ve added soft pink. I adore white and timber together and use this combinatio­n frequently. The timber adds warmth to the interior, while the white makes the space feel light and open. We have timber flooring throughout our home and our furniture is a mix of white and wood. Tiling in the kitchen and bathrooms is white.

Creativity

We try to repurpose where possible, and extend the life of furniture whenever we can, which means getting creative with upcycling! Our dining room chairs are op shop finds, which we have repainted several times. Our very old dining table (which also doubles as an art table for the children) has been sanded and revarnishe­d countless times by my husband. My daughter’s dolls house is 34 years old. It was mine when I was a little girl and my husband renovated it as a Christmas gift for Freya last year.

Collectabl­es

The most important collection we have are photograph­s that I have compiled into photo books over the years. I create a new one every year, and also one for each of our overseas adventures, plus Fynn and Freya each have one dedicated to the first few months of their life. I trained as a graphic designer when I left school and that’s probably why I enjoy putting these together so much! Some of my other favourite pieces in our home are mementos from our travels overseas, including tea glasses from Turkey and a print I picked up in New Delhi. I was a buyer for Redcurrent for several years and that print will always remind me of my first ever buying trip to India.

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 ??  ?? Jenna relaxing with four-legged family member Charlie. A much-needed link to the back garden from the living area was created by adding the deck.
Jenna relaxing with four-legged family member Charlie. A much-needed link to the back garden from the living area was created by adding the deck.
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