We got married – and realised my home was too small for us all

Wellington interior designer Karen Delehanty bought this 1920s Island Bay villa in 2006. Alongside with her husband Pete Mason, she also co-owns Ngā Pari, a winery in Gladstone, northern Wairarapa and operates their cellar doorway, The Petit Tasting Area, in Martinborough.

KAREN DELEHANTY: I lifted my three sons (aged 28-23) in this house, mainly on my individual.

It was a former rental with an outdoor laundry and, bizarrely, a horse secure in the backyard garden. My sons have all moved out but Sage, my two-yr-outdated granddaughter, lives with us.

I married Pete in 2015. And soon later on we realised the residence was way too compact to accommodate us all, so we called in Wellington architect Ron Partington to give us more room.

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That bundled opening up the again of the house to contain an inner laundry, a new kitchen area and dwelling place and a deck to take gain of the all-day sunlight.

We also did a bit of rejigging of areas. That integrated changing the former kitchen area and household home into the learn bedroom, ensuite and walk-in wardrobe. I also turned the former residing place into my business office for Delehanty Interior Design and style. It’s exactly where I satisfy with clients and keep all my fabric and paint samples.

The residing area is the heart of the property. The colourful flower painting on just one wall is by Amey Bell-Booth. I labored with Amey 10 years back at Wellington retail outlet, Compact Acorns. I enjoy dahlias and this is the very first piece of art I acquired.

The colourful portray reverse is by Piera McArthur. I skipped out on getting Piera’s paintings twice before but when I was accomplishing parent support at an art exhibition at St Patrick’s Faculty, this piece came up for sale. I wasn’t heading to skip out a 3rd time.

I won the frame of the floral chair in a raffle. And then experienced it covered in Designers Guild fabric. At that stage I experienced 3 boys at property so desired anything a bit female and pretty to stability out all the testosterone.

The Kartell Ghost facet desk moves all-around the property mainly because it’s crystal clear so does not just take up visible area. Each home ought to have a little bit of Kartell in it.

My appreciate of fires comes from developing up on a sheep and beef farm in close proximity to Pahiatua. We’re blessed in Wellington that it’s so windy we can however have open up fires! We designed a poured concrete ledge so that we can sit ideal in front of it.

The wallpaper powering the fire is Designers Guild. David bought the portray previously mentioned the fire, by Wellington artist David Teata, which depicts the Beehive and a Polynesian-design flower.

The daring black painting on the opposite wall is by Wellington expressionist artist Invoice Allen. It is a print of a woman’s confront in black on a white card. It’s so very simple but hanging.

I appreciate wallpaper and the blue wallpaper in Sage’s space is by French designer Christian Lacroix. I really like how quirky his patterns are and identified the exact cloth which I had produced into a cushion.

I really like a bold entrance. Of study course there experienced to be wallpaper involved, and I located the black and white wallpaper at British isles corporation Cole & Son.

We love to go to the once-a-year artwork auctions at Pablo’s Artwork Studios. The work is by artists who’ve seasoned mental wellbeing difficulties. The painting of the black head in the hallway came from there and is signed by an artist called Charles. We get in touch with it Zorro.

The black and white block print is by Wellington artist Basia Smolnicki, whose son and my son are friends. It is named Matariki Whanganui-a-Tara.