A Christchurch couple find contentment post-quake in an unexpected project.

Post-2011 earthquake, this Christchurch couple reignited their love for the family home

There’s a Hollywood Hills vibe about Lisa and Richard Sinke’s home in the coastal suburb of Redcliffs in Christchurch. Secreted up a private lane, with panoramic views stretching to the CBD and mountains beyond in one direction, and the Pacific Ocean in the other, their extensively remodelled 1950s house is framed by palm trees and has been decorated with understated glamour by Lisa, an interior designer.

The house’s pool and generous outdoor terrace initially attracted them to the “perfect family home” to share with their daughters Holly and Sophia, Richard’s grown-up sons Julian and Jordan, and friends. They expected to move to another house they owned in Sumner when their daughters left home, but after that home was red zoned following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and this house was damaged but salvageable, they embraced the chance to make the most of its hillside position and opportunities for outdoor living.

Beyond the post-earthquake repairs, Lisa designed a new kitchen and bathrooms and redecorated the house throughout. The pool and outdoor area that first attracted them to the house now have a stronger connection to the light-filled kitchen through French doors and sliding overbench windows.

Food and cooking are central to the couple’s lives; Richard is a respected veteran of the Christchurch hospitality scene. His first restaurant Dux de Lux opened in 1978 in a landmark heritage building adjacent to The Arts Centre. A casualty of the 2011 earthquake, the iconic spot was revived for a time as a music venue, Dux Live, then evolved further into the restaurants and bars Dux Dine and Dux Central, for which Lisa designed the interiors. A third restaurant and bar, Terrace Tavern, also designed by Lisa, opened on Christchurch’s new riverside dining strip in 2018.

Environmental concerns are also a focus for the pair. Richard points out that his restaurant menus first featured plant-based dishes in the 1970s, and Lisa has recently launched a new business, Wink, producing bedroom furniture and accessories

made primarily with sustainable materials. Her designs feature wool padding, screws instead of glues and low-emission timber. The nine different bedhead designs are accompanied by footstools, valances, cushions and lampshades in a range of mix-and-match fabrics. Naturally, the bedrooms in her own home feature some of her favourite Wink designs, including bedheads set against vibrant feature walls. It’s a look that was first inspired by some of the boutique hotels that she and Richard love to stay in whenever they travel.

“Those hotel rooms made me feel uplifted and happy, and I knew that I wanted to create a similar vibe at home, while being kind to our planet.”

In keeping with their interest in the environment, heading into nature is a favourite way for Richard, Lisa and their children to relax. In winter the family are keen skiers and snowboarders, and a cottage at Lake Brunner on the West Coast is a rustic escape during the fly fishing season.

Included in the couple’s eclectic art collection are works by Bing Dawe and Lester Hall that attest to Richard’s fishing passion, while works by other wellknown New Zealand artists include paintings by

Karl Maughan, Simon Edwards and Dick Frizzell.

A full-height picture window in the living room takes in an ever-changing view of the AvonHeathcote estuary in the foreground and the night lights of central Christchurch beyond. It is a favourite spot for Richard and Lisa’s beloved retrodoodles Poppy and Tiggy to study the world – and announce the arrival of visitors.

While earthy tones prevail in this room, Lisa also embraces bold colour and uses artworks as statement pieces. The house’s unfussy 1950s lines and floor-to-ceiling windows balance the energetic interior and ensure that from every room there is a sense of being surrounded by the garden’s lush planting.

Decorated with a strong and confident hand, Lisa and Richard’s home is nevertheless an oasis of calm away from the bustle of their busy restaurants. “We just love to hang out here,” says Lisa.

“In summer we can spend the whole day lounging by the pool, eating and drinking with or without friends and family.

“We didn’t imagine that we would end up staying here but it’s definitely become our happy place.”