A modern Auckland home is treated to an 18th-century European makeover of mythic proportions
Meet & greet
Claire Crosbie (visual merchandiser), her two children Luke, 23, and Sophie, 21, and poodle mix Sasha.
The property
A three-bedroom converted barn in Auckland.
From the outside, you wouldn’t know Claire Crosbie’s unassuming Auckland house looks like a miniature Versailles inside. The modern abode, which was built only five years ago, ushers you in to another period altogether. Dripping with chandeliers and hand-carved doors, it’s an optical illusion of the highest order, a triumph of trompe-l’œil.
Her palatial family home was originally a barn in the backyard that Claire built for her shop, Vintage Revival. When she stopped trading, she decided to subdivide and move into the property full-time, having enjoyed living in the street for the best part of two decades.
“I love the country feel of it, all the quirky old houses and being by the sea,” she says.
Prized possessions
Claire ran Vintage Revival for more than a decade; a shop that stocked beautiful antiques from Europe and was borne through frustration of the lack of availability of those same treasures on the New Zealand market.
“I loved travelling to the antique markets around the world. It taught me so much. It definitely changed the style of my home due to the availability of what I could get,” she says. The best bits of the business she tucked away for herself like a well-kept secret, from plump Egyptian beds to French armchairs and colourful Dutch rugs that now dot the rooms.
Located in laidback Beach Haven, the house makes the most of a small sunlit courtyard, littered with chairs and fountains. When the French doors are open, the soothing lullaby of running water is heard throughout the house, a symphony of nature. Sandstone statues pepper each open door like old friends.
Claire says, “I’m very influenced by 18th-century French, Venetian, and Italian design. I always say I was born in the wrong era.” A long-time admirer of all things vintage, she believes in the soul of the pre-loved piece: “I love that every piece has a story, even if I don’t know what the story is I can imagine one. It has an energy to it.”
The long hallway leads to a small galley kitchen, almost an 18th-century afterthought, which pushes visitors into the wonderful belly of Claire’s parlour and dressing room. At the back of the house, with sofas for flicking through magazines and velvet curtains that frame vintage dressers, the room is a statement to the decadent pleasures in life.
The love affair with antiquity continues well into the bedrooms with a predominant feminine sensibility, lashings of rococo and Venetian influence adorn the walls. “Your home should reflect you and what you love. An interior is a bit like a person’s biography,” says Claire. “If you follow what you love you can’t go wrong.”
18th-century colour
An unrestrained use of colour helps add that all-important Parisian flair to a home saturated in depth and vitality. “I don’t get how people have white houses. It’s definitely not a European thing,” Claire says. “I think you know when you need a colour. You crave it. I needed green so that’s how my bedroom became green. I love it and go in there to revive myself.”
In particular, the rich shades and tones from the 18th century act as a prominent palette inspiration throughout. Porter’s Paints Evergreen from Guthrie Bowron were used to create the green oasis of the main bedroom, while the soft pink of Resene Cinderella set the mood in daughter Sophie’s bedroom. Claire painted the house herself, as well as sourcing all the doors and windows and designing the interiors.
European sensibilities
After an almost involuntary wow, the first comment that visitors make upon entering is that it’s like descending into a museum. Yet, despite the chateau chic look, Claire emphasises that the most important part of her home is that it functions like a family home, saying, “it’s a comfortable home and I’m not too precious about things. You can put your feet up”.
She also encourages pets of all sorts in her home, and you can usually find her small dog Sasha sleeping between a velvet cushion or two. “I like things worn and old looking so a few more bumps will only add to the character.”
At night, creative use of dimmers makes the house look as if lit by candlelight, a romantic touch to add when resting upon the dusky rose settee. “Our favourite thing to do is chill out in the evenings with all the lamp light and candles burning,” says Claire. “I wanted it to feel like a Parisian apartment. It’s a place to hide in and pretend I’m in Europe.”
The house is not Claire’s forever home; the Europhile someday hopes to migrate across the globe in pursuit of the continental lifestyle. For now, however, she’s content to curl up on the couch and change the cushions around depending on her mood. “My home will never be finished,” she says. “It’s an evolving art installation. To stop would be to stagnate. I love changing it all around. I don’t think an interior could ever be done.”
Words by: Caroline Moratti. Photography by: Babiche Martens.
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