An Exclusive Tour of Auckland Interior Designer, Irene Crean's French Provencal Style Home - Part One of Four

Recently I featured a post on Auckland interior designer, Irene Crean's French Provencal style, Epsom house. So unique is her home, it has featured in several publications and was previously part of the 2014 NZ House & Garden tours. In my prior post I could only publish a few images, however, I am excited to say I was recently invited to spend a morning photographing Irene's home for the blog.

Tour My Home - My Recent Interview on Houzz

Recently I was approached by Emily Hutchinson of Houzz who wanted to interview me about my home. I feel truly honoured that my little cottage is worthy of being showcased on an international website and couldn't resist to share the story with you.

The New York Home of Film Maker/Photographer Hans Neleman & His Family

Film-maker and photographer Hans Neleman and fashion designer, Tessa Neleman-Pimontel chose to take on the interior design of their New York suburban home. Together, they have created an imposing residence for their family, reflecting their love of organic materials and antique or re-purposed furniture.  Classic in style with a touch of opulence (as seen in the bedroom). Neutral in colour scheme, but far from neutral in looks, the owners talent for great design stands out in this wonderful home with timeless appeal.

A Renovated Village House in Spain - Bright, light and textural

I find it fascinating to view the interiors of other peoples homes, especially when they are on the other side of the world. When we look into homes of different cultures we find new discoveries, ideas and inspiration that can extend to our own interiors.  I am very choosy about the houses I feature and realise it is hard to please everyone as we all have different tastes. However, the home I am featuring today I am sure will have a piece that everyone will love. When I lived in Abu Dhabi, one of my favourite places to shop was Zara, not only for clothes but also for homeware. It was one shop that had weekly deliveries so there was always something new. This renovated Spanish, village house has scatterings of Zara's homeware throughout. The grey and pink bowls and throw on the dining table and tea towels in the kitchen are all from Zara. Over three levels, with the ground floor open plan living/dining/kitchen and the bedrooms above, the house is compact but very livable. A white coat of paint can be seen throughout, achieving a light filled interior with a country feel.

A cosy area for relaxing - An eclectic mix of styles and textures

An open fire was retained, however a  more modern approach was taken

Pops of pink add a contemporary touch to this dining space

A compact  kitchen with a combination of open shelving and cupboards. Often you will find Spanish, French and Italian kitchens, quite basic which is a little surprising considering they are reknown for their cooking. 

A simple kitchen is all its owners require

A second floor bedroom - I love the chunky bed throw and the pretty striped valence peeking out, reminds me of Christmas candy canes

Attic bedroom - The raspberry red throw adds texture and lifts this predominantly white room

A well organised bedroom corner

A simple bathroom with essentials. I like the open display below the basin. I think the little stags head is possibly to hang a towel on

Images via (The link also tells you where most of the furniture and accessories are from).

I hope you have enjoyed this home tour, It has reminded me to buy some new towels and pretty soaps for my bathroom. I am also thinking of knitting one of those chunky throws for winter, I might put it on my sofa. With chunky knitting needles I imagine they wouldn't take too long to knit. I remember featuring the image with the knitted throw in a post I wrote a couple of years ago about Hand knitted homeware. If you like chunky knitting you may want to catch up with this post.

Lee oxo

I will be sharing this post with the following blogs:

I should be Mopping the Floor
The Dedicated House
DIY Showoff
The Blissful Bee

Savvy Southern Style
Not Just A Housewife

No Minimalist Here
The Real Housewives of Riverton

My Romantic Home

The 36th Avenue