A New French Style Home With Grand Appeal

I am sorry for my absence on Monday, we were among the 80,000 homes that have had no power since the early hours of Sunday morning due to a fire at a sub station in Auckland. Unfortunately we were also among the 18,000 that were the last to receive power again, yesterday. No power = no hot water = no cooking = no heating and of course no Internet, which was for me was worryingly the most devastating part. It is scary how dependant we become on an everyday necessity that is suddenly taken away from us. I felt so very sorry for the elderly with no family nearby, I just hope that their neighbours helped them out. We have no elderly neighbours so I pretty well sat and wallowed in my own sorrows, surrounded by House and Home magazines and sudoku puzzles and wrapped in a duvet. So, Monday's post was not to be, although I did share a home tour on my facebook page yesterday and wanted to share more images with my blog readers today.

It is hard to believe this stunning home started out as a shingled, English cottage and during the build changed direction to became a home with more than a little French style. I am glad I am not the only one that starts with some inspiration and then wanders a slightly different path. This home without doubt has had a lot of thought and detail put into it. The architects have integrated some beautiful wood panelling and beamed ceilings. The more formal rooms have detailed architrave and stunning, carved stone fireplaces. The relaxed areas such as the kitchen and living room have beautiful rustic beams. The arched beams in the living room are amazing and reminiscent of the Gothic beams seen in French cathedrals. This is an interior where the architecture and built in features are foremost and the interior designer has worked with this using traditional styled furniture in a 'less is more' approach. 

The design is by Murphy & Company Design. The images are photographed by Susan Gilmore Photography and the interior design is by Marita Simmons Interiors.

I hope you enjoyed this tour, often with grand homes the interiors can be a little overwhelming, however Marita Simmons has created welcoming spaces using traditional style furniture, allowing the home's architecture to remain centre stage.  More images of this home can be seen at Murphy & Company Design at their Houzz link above.

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