For this Oamaru family life is happier when it includes colour

The Berrys invested in a projector for their media room: “Having kids, we tend to stay in more so it’s nice that we can have a ‘movie night’ without leaving home.”

Moody blues in the media room make the art and accessories pop.

The skateboard on the living-room wall is by Oamaru artist Ryan Moore and features a portrait of Colin McCahon.

“For our main living space we wanted a relaxed, coastal feel to combat our busy household. We drew inspiration from our environment and supported local artists, photographers and designers as much as possible,” Annabel says.

Annabel’s hobby is exploring vintage stores for pieces that can be given new life, such as the coat stand in the entrance hall.

‘Ghost’ chairs paired with a wooden table are a prime example of how Annabel likes to mix modern and traditional items.

Annabel describes her personal style as “modern vintage”, an aesthetic that comes from her yearning to have older-style pieces in a contemporary space.

Not many people add colour or pattern to the front of their kitchen island but Annabel found this wallpaper and loved its geometric feel; it also complements the colour palette and brings texture to the kitchen area.

Old-fashioned vases in cream and white create a pretty display against the living-room wall.

Indoor plants soften the hard lines of the stunning ensuite.

There’s another Ryan Moore Gripart piece in Jackson’s room, this time of Andy Warhol; the aeroplane wallpaper is from Paper Room.

Mia’s bedroom boasts another of Annabel’s headboards; it’s called ‘The Artist’. The fantail mural dot is by Antony Clark from yourdecalshop.co.nz.

Annabel added character and colour pops to the main bathroom with wall decals and Tolix stools.

The headboard in the master bedroom, which the couple made, is Annabel’s favourite thing in the house; she loves it so much she now makes and sells headboards as part of her business.

One-year-old Boe’s bedroom.

The family spend a lot of time in their gorgeous outdoor area and the long plank table regularly hosts big family meals. The lampshade was made by the Lichtfass Company in Germany – Annabel got it in for a client who later went with another option, but she didn’t send it back as it was perfect for their own space.

After a couple of years in the home (and with a few more children under the roof), the Berrys added an extensive covered veranda across the front of the house. It has given them various outdoor-entertainment options.

They divided this space into zones: one for the kids and another for adults.

“I came home one day to find my children had decided to write all over our white fireplace surround with marker pens,” recounts Annabel. “I looked in our shed, found some paint and just painted over the top. I now love our fireplace surround – it’s more of a statement than white and it makes me smile every time I see it.”

Annabel made the daybed by painting timber pallets bright yellow and adding a large piece of upholstery foam – “It’s a great place to chill out in the afternoon sun,” she says.

“We included an outdoor fire and barbecue, a sandpit and kids’ area, and multiple seating options for relaxing in the sun,” Annabel explains..

Annabel and Simon also renovated a turn-of-the-century house to use as the premises for Annabel’s business, Design Federation. A black ceiling might not be the norm but it adds interest to this otherwise all-white room. The banana-leaf ‘artwork’ is another headboard.

Annabel painted the entrance hallway (walls and ceiling) in Resene ‘Half Kumutoto’ and hung a range of pendant lights so clients could get a feel for the different options available.

Annabel’s colleague Meghan Nockels in the workroom.

The test bedroom allows clients to try out different headboards.

Annabel’s children chose the bright colours for the kids’ hang-out.