Extensive additions and alterations have created a modern lake house that’s the perfect luxury retreat, sitting peacefully within the landscape.

It is designed to suite the needs of a couple, with the ability to seamlessly accommodate their extended multi-generational family when everyone arrives.

Natural materials and finishes have been used throughout, creating layers of textural luxury.

The kitchen, living areas, bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry all speak of the same lake side lodge experience. The hardwood flooring seamlessly transitions to become the decking timber, European oak veneer cabinetry, paint colours, stone benches, tiles, carpet, and special finishes are all referencing the surroundings.

Furniture, lighting, window treatments, bedding, and accessories all add texture and depth to the lodge aesthetic.

With its stunning location, and richly textural palette, this renovation has created an elegant house for all seasons.

2022 TIDA Kitchen Awards Highly Commended

Architects: DCA Architects

A stylish couple, downsizing from a large family home, requested striking cabinetry and glamourous furniture and furnishings for their new townhouse . Their “well appointed rabbit hutch” is now an optimally organised and joyfully coloured cosmopolitan retreat.

Photography: Jackie Meiring

The city home for a client who loves animal prints, gold, and joyful colour. Furniture, soft furnishings and window treatments were choses to celebrate or enhance these bold aesthetics. Custom golden treatments were applied to the Oak veneer cabinetry in the kitchen and lobby, and on the paneled fireplace surround. A new study was designed for the fireside alcove. Beautiful bedding was sourced or custom made to create lavish and rich bedrooms.

Originally designed by Peter Sargisson, this seaside house underwent an extensive renovation lead by Scarlet Architects.

Working collaboratively with their team, interior finishes, furniture, and soft furnishings were my domain.

Many pieces of the clients furniture were classic designs, and were reupholstered to work with the new interior aesthetic. Far too good to discard, these iconic and cherished design pieces now have many more years of stylish service ahead of them.

This project is a shining example of the enduring nature of quality design inside and out.

Renovation architects: Scarlet Architects Original architects: Cook Hitchcock Sargisson Architects

This house was no stranger to change. Divided into flats in the 1970’s, it reverted back to a single dwelling when previously renovated in the 1990s.

The current owners engaged Scarlet Architects to undertake an extensive renovation to meet the needs of their family.

Working collaboratively with Scarlet’s team, the exterior and interior color schemes, bathroom and kitchen finishes, furniture, window treatments, soft furnishings, and accessories were my domain.

Colour and textiles were used to enhance the experience of social and more private spaces throughout the house. Depth and sophistication in more contemplative rooms. Counter balanced with lighter colours in living areas that flow to the outdoors.

It’s all about expansion and contraction to enhance the sensory experience.

Renovation architects: Scarlet Architects

A mid century carpet factory was converted into loft apartments in the early 2000s. After twenty years of use, this apartment’s guest bathroom, laundry, and mezzanine ensuite were ready for a refresh. Finishes and fittings were chosen and designed to reflect the industrial nature of the building’s factory origins.

Photography: Jackie Meiring

This extensive renovation of a character villa was staged over several years to meet the needs of a busy family. The owners are planning to move on once their boys have finished high school so we became mindful of a “five year plan”. Renovations needed to reflect the value and location of the house, work to a budget that was in keeping with the owners future plans and look inviting to potential buyers down the line.

The scope included a new kitchen, bathroom and ensuite, interior colour scheme, carpet, window treatments, lighting, furniture, rugs, soft furnishings and accessories.

Photographer: Sam Hartnett

“Yvette came highly recommended to us through our builder, as we were renovating a large main bathroom and ensuite. We wanted to make sure that the bathrooms were in keeping with our villa house and needed ideas to tie the bathroom colours in with the rest of the house. The time frame before we started was a short one but Yvette listened to us and brought ideas and design plans back to us very fast. We have ended up with stunning bathrooms. Yvette was fun and very helpful to work with.”

Kerry and Leanne Brew

Working in collaboration with Scarlet Architects on their extensive renovation of this character villa was an absolute pleasure. Their sensitive yet strong design provided both quiet and intimate rooms and family orientated, free-flowing, open living areas. The challenge with the interiors was to make these areas expressive of their own purpose, yet still fully connected as the one home for a busy family of five and their fearless pooch. Now the villa’s interiors are honest to the architecture while weaving the owners personal style and stories into the elegant and refined finishing layers.

My involvement included exterior and interior colours, bathroom details, feature lighting, bedding and custom-made bedheads, new and refurbished furniture and soft furnishings, window treatments, rugs and decorative accessories.

Architects: Scarlet Architects
Photographer: Sam Hartnett

“Yvette helped to take our property to another level.  What I loved about working with her is that she would provide exactly the level of service that we needed in any situation - from sourcing and coming up with colours and fabrics to helping me choose from a couple of options I had found myself.  She had no problem in just being a sensible ear to bounce ideas off but at the same time when we asked for more direction, she could step in and give us her vision.  She was a lot of fun to work with and had a great relationship with our architects and our builder.  “

Rachel Steel and Ben Upton

An interior renovation to all areas of a three bedroom penthouse apartment. My scope of work included refinishing or replacing all flooring, painting, kitchen improvements, entertaining and lobby cabinetry, all furniture including custom designed pieces, soft furnishings, feature lighting, wall coverings, window treatments and accessories.

Photographer: Sam Hartnett

The retired owners of this bungalow needed to replace their existing kitchen that had given them over 30 years of good service. Being keen bottlers and preservers, much time was put into sourcing a stone for the bench tops that was both pleasing to the eye and resistant to staining from splatters of beetroot chutney! A warm, sandy coloured quartzite and stained oak floors bring character and touches of tradition to the new kitchen.

Photographer: Sam Hartnett

“Thank you for designing our new kitchen., it is working well. We had our doubts initially with trying new materials, but the whole wall, stone splash-back is a standout. And the Poulsen pendant is an inspired choice.  We are also finding the mini butler’s pantry so useful. Again thank you.”
 
Dennis and Leanne

A sensitive renovation to this much loved family bungalow by Gerrad Hall Architects. My scope of work included interior and exterior colour schemes, feature lighting, marble, cabinetry colours, bathroom colours, window treatments, soft furnishings and photo styling.
 
Architect: Gerrad Hall Architects
Photographer: Tash Hopkins

A remarkably compact, yet luxurious bathroom refurbishment for a city fringe apartment with an owner of discerning tastes. Striking marble tiles and beautiful fittings have made this most personal of spaces even more memorable.

Photographer: Sam Hartnett

Testimonial: “As a design professional myself, detail and perfection are close to my DNA. Working with Yvette and Paul (the builder) on this project was an absolute  joy! Small spaces require attention to detail and the team was onboard with this from day one to achieve the results that I had dreamed of.”  Nigel Rye

A beautifully renovated villa by Gerrad Hall Architects. My scope of work included interior and exterior colour schemes, cabinetry finishes, marble, bathroom tiles, carpet, advice on window treatments, and more recently new furniture and soft furnishings.
 
Winner of an NZIA National Architecture Award 2017 for Housing – alterations and additions.

Architect: Gerrad Hall Architects
 
Photographer: Tash Hopkins

An extensive and detailed renovation on this 80’s pavilion house by Gerrad Hall Architects. My scope of work included interior colour schemes, decorative wall finishes, bathroom finishes/tiles, cabinetry finishes, carpet, window treatments, and some feature lighting.
 
Winner of an NZIA Auckland Architecture Award for Housing.

Architect: Gerrad Hall Architects
 
Photographer: Tash Hopkins

A hard exterior of metal cladding suited to the coastal environment reveals an interior of textures, warmth and vibrancy. Natural materials finished with a gentle hand are abundant. Oiled timbers, honed marble, soft wools, draping linens and grass papers enliven this family home.

Architect: Michael O'Sullivan

Client testimonial:

“…Yvette was wonderful to work with. She proposed a process that was sensible and efficient. We benefitted hugely from the fact that Yvette listened to and understood what we and our architect were trying to achieve. She listened to our preferences and where they were unformed she made invaluable contributions. Nothing she suggested clashed with our vision for the home and there is nothing that we look at now that jars. We love everything about the interior starting from the magnificent and bold green marble kitchen island through to the organic textural grass paper on the walls. 

“Yvette’s relationship with our builder and architect was excellent and she clearly enjoyed excellent relationships with her suppliers. She was on site the day we moved in and we appreciated all the extra touches she gave to our project. We cannot be more positive about our experience working with Yvette…”  

Sandra Thomas & Matt Whineray

A new kitchen in a very small and tight space. The brief called for a streamlined, no-fuss or clutter result with maximum bench space. The contemporary kitchen now sits easily with the rest of the house and is a delight for the owner to work in.

Client testimonial:

“I asked Yvette to design our kitchen as I had used her in the past and knew that she understood what I liked and didn’t.  We had a very small and tight space which wasn’t able to be extended so there had to be a lot of discussion and thought as to what could and could not achieved.  I was very firm in that I wanted a very streamlined look with no fuss or clutter, as much as possible I wanted everything tucked away in its place and not in view so that we had maximum usage of the bench.
 
We had quite a lot of laughs as I like to have things my way and Yvette had to navigate around that to ensure that the look was consistent even with my amendments.
 
After six months of use, I can honestly say there is very little I would change about it.  It has bought the kitchen in line with the rest of the house and it is so nice working in it.”

Tina McCullough