Stepping inside Laura and Chris’s quaint villa in Ellerslie, Auckland, is like entering a world where English country charm meets curated cool.
For the couple, it was love at first sight. The property ticked all the boxes with its practical layout and proximity to the train station and village.
Home Profile
Meet & Greet: Laura, Chris, their daughter Grace, and Tino the cat.
The Property: A four-bedroom, two-bathroom 1900s villa in Ellerslie, Auckland.
Decorative details
British-born Laura has an eye for blending the old with the new, the practical with the beautiful, and the personal with the aspirational.
They wanted a space that felt elevated yet lived in, so one of the first things they did was to add wainscoting through the main living, dining and hallway spaces.
“It was a significant renovation,” says Laura.
“We had to remove wallpaper and plaster the walls to get that smooth finish. But it was worth it. The wainscoting adds depth and texture, adding to that quaint villa feel.”
Shutters and Roman blinds were also installed, adding privacy and sophistication.
Laura chose William Morris fabrics for the master bedroom, with the Roman blinds in Willow pattern and paired with a custom upholstered headboard in Fruit.
“They speak to each other because Morris’ patterns reference one another,” she says.
“The willow leaves appear in the fruit pattern, so they look related without being too matchy-matchy. It’s just so sumptuous to have these soft, tactile elements in the room.”
DIY determination
Laura’s talents extend beyond her stylistic prowess as she’s not afraid to go the extra mile or get her hands dirty.
While pregnant with her daughter, she tracked down rolls of the now-discontinued Sanderson Summer Harvest wallpaper, a design she had admired since seeing it at as an impressionable 15-year-old on fashion influencer Julia Berolzheimer’s Instagram account.
Laura tracked down rolls in the UK and US and had them delivered to her mum, who brought them to New Zealand in her suitcase when she came to visit.
When the paperhanger left the area above the nursery wardrobe unfinished because there weren’t enough rolls to match up the pattern, armed with YouTube tutorials and local supplies, Laura patchworked the remaining wallpaper herself in an afternoon.
“It was sticky and disgusting but I was determined.”
A refined approach to English country style
Laura describes her style as “elevated English country – polished but not pompous”.
While she thinks that traditional English country can feel “cluttered, fusty and dusty, with lots of knick-knacks”, Laura and Chris have struck a balance that’s refined yet cosy, with layers of texture and personality.
“There’s a refinement to it, which makes it cleaner and more polished.”
Furniture choices reflect this ethos, including a green English rolled-arm sofa, a style Laura had always dreamed of owning.
“It feels like a piece of home”, she says.
When moving in, one of the first pieces they bought was a secondhand travertine-and-steel coffee table with a glass top from Babelogue. She loved it for the retro feel, although it’s since been replaced with a baby-friendly curved wooden table from Coco Republic.
The home is also filled with meaningful art and objects, including a Slim Aarons photograph Laura gave Chris for his 30th birthday.
“I love that it’s a candid photo that feels curated. The women in the photo looked that good naturally while lounging by the pool and just happened to be photographed by him at the time. It’s serene, aspirational and a little miraculous.”
A home fit for a hostess
For Laura, the kitchen is where she spends an abundance of time.
“The wraparound kitchen with the island bench is perfect for hosting. I love having a friend sit at the bar stool while I cook. We can gossip about what the night’s going to entail and it means that I’m never far away from the action”.
The open-plan design allows the party to flow seamlessly from the kitchen to the dining table, out onto the deck and into the lounge, where a record player sets the mood.
Usability meets style in the kitchen’s design. Appliances are tucked away in a niche, shelves lift everyday essentials off the benchtop and Laura’s spice drawer is a thing of beauty, immaculately organised with matching clearly labelled glass jars.
“It makes me a more flavourful cook.”
Even everyday items, like a butter dish or salt pig, are chosen for their beauty. “I love having practical things that are also ornamental.”
From garden to table
Outside, Laura’s love for all things epicurean extends to her garden, which is as functional as it is charming. A herb planter brims with oregano, thyme, parsley and sage, while rhubarb and seasonal vegetables grow in the front garden.
“Rhubarb doesn’t grow as well here as it does in the UK, but I save stems in the freezer and make a crumble once a quarter,” she says.
Home is where the heart is
For Laura, home is a feeling, not a place. A section of the hallway is dedicated to a gallery wall of photos of loved ones, a reminder of the support network she has both near and far.
“Creating a family in New Zealand means being so far from my family and friends in the UK isn’t as painful. It reassures me that I’m loved and supported, even if they’re not here.”
Words by: Hemma Vara
Photography by: Babiche Martens / Bladescenes
Related articles:
- This New Plymouth villa has been restored to its former glory, with a few contemporary touches
- Bringing colour and sophistication to this heritage renovation
- In the Meadow: This Ponsonby garden stuns with an array of fragrant and colourful blooms
