Meet and greet: Gretchen Lowe (food writer and cookbook author) and Blair Houston (accountant, CFO) and their daughters Gwynnie, 11, and Margot, six.
The property: Three-bedroom Grey Lynn villa with one bathroom and two living areas.
Gretchen Lowe has worked in some immaculate modern kitchens, including a couple she designed and renovated herself. One might expect a high-spec cooking space to be an essential tool of the trade for this food writer and stylist, whose book, My Weekend Table ($59.99, Bateman), is about to hit shelves.
But she says, “You can create amazing meals out of anywhere,” recounting a six-month period where her kitchen consisted of a trestle table, a barbecue and a plug-in stove. Though the decades-old kitchen in her current house is somewhere between the two – richer in charm than it is in mod cons – Gretchen says, “It’s gorgeous and quaint and totally workable.”
In a way, the kitchen is a perfect match for her food, which is accessible, charmingly humble and designed to share. “It’s about slowing down and gathering together and just bringing back the joy of cooking and making those ordinary moments feel more special,” she says.
A place to rest
Slowing down and finding joy in the ordinary was the essential motivation behind Gretchen and her husband Blair’s purchase of this Grey Lynn villa in Auckland. The couple are indefatigable DIYers and renovators.
Gretchen, when she’s not creating recipes, is transforming spaces for their own renovations or other people’s homes, or face-lifting furniture for herself or collaborative content. While Blair swaps a calculator (he’s an accountant and CFO) for a power drill on the weekends, having taught himself serious DIY skills through their property adventures.
Faced with a growing family and a house that needed extending to fit their needs, however, the couple decided to press pause on renovations and focus on quality time with their two girls. “We were constantly working away trying to build things up for the kids, but it was at the expense of lots of work on the weekends.”
In searching for a new place, they had a few must-haves on their list: they wanted a villa to fulfil their love of heritage homes, it needed to have space for their family without an extension, and it needed to be lovely enough to live in without renovating. “We wanted something with really good bones that we could perhaps add onto, but not have to do much to the interior at this stage.”
Kitchen quirks
The previous owners had been in the house for 47 years, but while the house had been well loved, Gretchen speculates that the kitchen hadn’t been touched in decades.
“There were no mod cons, there’s no extractor fan or anything like that. We’ve been here since the end of January and we only just got a dishwasher in the last six weeks. It was like stepping back in time,” she says.
Unpainted timber panelled walls are lined with open shelves above and below the wooden bench, lending the space a simple rusticity that’s wonderfully embracing.
“It feels like a cabin in the woods.”
While a kitchen renovation is on the cards at some point in the future, for now, Gretchen adores it just the way it is. The wooden bench brings farmhouse charm and ease of use (fruit and the like can be chopped directly on it), pots are handily hung on hooks, and ingredients are attractively decanted into jars.
“It’s just about having a bit of a system, because I want it looking calm and tidy,” she says.
The open shelves display Gretchen’s ceramics, gorgeous pieces that double as shoot props and everyday crockery. “I really believe in using my beautiful pieces every day,” she says.
A few stylish tweaks have transformed the space enough for now. An old bakery table added an extra work surface. While a charming sink skirt curtain is adorably quaint and hides kitchen clutter.
No-renovation transformation
Any significant interior work may not happen in a hurry, but Gretchen and Blair are well-versed in the magic of easy, high-impact decorating, making a few small cosmetic changes that instantly stamped the house with their style.
“It was ripe for a weekend makeover, which is kind of what we gave it,” says Gretchen.
A ducted heating and cooling system was the only major change, a compulsory addition to combat the winter iciness of an old villa. Otherwise, it was all about giving the slightly age-worn matron a brightening facelift.
Battered lighting was replaced with elegantly simple linen lanterns – a bargain buy from Lighting Plus, which hang like moons throughout the house and cast a gently diffused glow. Walls were refreshed with Gretchen’s favourite beige-tinted white, Resene Eighth Bison Hide, though the sitting room in the back of the house was allowed to keep its yellow walls.
The previous owners were avid art collectors and Gretchen explains, “They had painted walls yellow and we thought, maybe there’s something in it for displaying art? So we left it and it’s quite lovely.”
Make yourself at home
Getting art up on the walls was a key step in making the home feel complete. Gretchen has a passion for art but isn’t snobby about where she finds it. So, while almost every wall in the home features an artistic talking point, works range from large to small, and from rare splurges. Such as the recent purchase of a Katherine Throne floral – to vintage finds, auction houses, and even woven baskets.
Just as striking are the furnishings, which are a mix of vintage and new. With an emphasis on interesting pieces that tell a story or have a sentimental attachment.
“I love depth and texture, and layers of unusual beauty. I love slightly quirky pieces that tell a story.”
The couple’s collection of beautiful rugs ties everything together, the plush rugs underfoot. Textured furnishings and Gretchen’s habit of lighting candles every night all combine to create a home that feels like a warm embrace – an entirely deliberate effect.
“I love that feeling of being hugged by your home,” says Gretchen.
While the couple appreciate the odd restaurant meal, Gretchen says they’re far more likely to be found around their dining table – and not just because of her excellent home cooking. “We’re real home bodies. We cook so much and that’s our thing. I love being at home”
Home truths with Gretchen Lowe
What areas of your renovation did you save on? We’re about to embark on a bigger renovation but wanted to make it more comfortable in the meantime. We saved on lighting – linen lightshades throughout from Lighting Direct. Painting a room is a great, quick win to breathe life into a space.
Where did you splurge? Artwork. I bought a beautiful piece of art from Katherine Throne, plus I adore rugs so have splurged over the years on those.
Best lessons learned? A fresh coat of paint goes a long way. A great heating/cooling system makes all the difference while working away on the interior.
Any renovation or DIY disasters? Not disasters, but we did most of the tiling in our last home and would recommend calling in a professional.
What’s one thing you’d change about your home if you could? Move it back further on the property to allow for more parking.
Most memorable experience you’ve had in your home (good or bad)? Cooking with family and friends.
Super styling
- Good lighting makes a difference. Swap harsh overhead lights for a soft-glow lamp on the bench or wall light near your table. It makes weeknight dinners feel special.
- Set the table, even if no one’s coming. A cloth napkin, a flower from the garden, a jug of cold water. Turn the everyday into something special.
- Bring in paint and colour. You don’t need to repaint the whole kitchen. Try just the lower cupboards, the base of a table or an island like we have. Or add colour with a bowl of lemons, a striped tablecloth, or an interesting vase.
- Art belongs in the kitchen, too. A print propped on a shelf, a painting above the coffee machine – these details add soul. Art can come from anywhere: thrift shops, online auctions, or an investment piece. Buy what you love, not what’s on trend.
- Make room for beauty and mess. Leave space for the things that make your kitchen yours, like your favourite mugs on a shelf, a pile of cookbooks, and your child’s drawing taped to the fridge. These are the real finishing touches.
Gretchen Lowe’s chocolate-chunk porridge banana bread
This banana bread is one of my most requested recipes. It’s featured on my table for years now and is easily whipped together in the food processor. It’s that wonderful blend of indulgence and nourishment that makes mornings or snack times something to look forward to. My girls love it.
Ingredients
- 11/3 cups porridge oats
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup caster sugar (it works well with honey and coconut sugar also)
- 1½ cups thread coconut
- 80g dark chocolate (at least 70%), chopped
- Berries, coconut yoghurt and walnuts, to serve (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a loaf tin and line with baking paper.
- In a food processor, blitz the oats to a flour, add bananas and blend until smooth. Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and eggs and pulse until just combined. Add the oil and caster sugar and pulse again a couple of times. Remove blade from the bowl and stir in the coconut and dark chocolate.
- Pour into prepared tin and bake for an hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve with berries, coconut yoghurt and walnuts.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
