How to dress your mansion

Gift-wrapping spaces, a room to pamper the pooch and multiple lavish entertaining areas are essential, writes CATHERINE MASTERS

The super wealthy look at their property requirements a little differently to the rest of us.

While agents working in the luxury market say privacy, security and a splendid view always top the list of musthaves, the rich also like to have space for other essentials like a “gift wrapping room” and perhaps another room to pamper the pooch in.

Then there’s the “wellbeing room” where some calming yoga might take place, though this room might also be set up for at-home spa treatments so there will be a big bath surrounded by soothing candles and also a massage table, says Julie Fitzpatrick, of Barfoot & Thompson Remuera.

There will be a wine cellar which will have integrated racks for hundreds of bottles of wine. No need in these multimillion dollar homes to pop down to the supermarket because you’ve run out of red – and there’s often a tasting area/tasting bar.

The home will usually feature a full entertainment bar as well, but that’s par for the course these days, Fitzpatrick says.

Luxury homes will generally be smart homes with integrated audio, media and climate control.

People also want a home

A trip to the movies from the comfort of your own home.

GYM

Detox in your own private wellbeing studio.

POOL

Infinity pools are a must for modern luxury homes.

cinema, lifts between floors, a cabana/loggia with an outdoor fire and heating, and a pool house.

If the house is on the beach, there is likely to be a boatshed presented mainly as an entertainment hub and a “boys’ getaway area”, and a guest house is always a plus.

Then, of course, there is the “show garage” which is likely to have glass windows to show off the multiple cars, and these may include anything from Porsches and Bentleys to Range Rovers, though women often like a sporty Fiat to run about in.

In the old days the super wealthy all had ballrooms but you don’t see much of that now, Fitzpatrick says.

You do see top-of-the-range double appliances, so double washing machines, dryers and double dishwashers. A separate laundry is a must and here you will find an ironing facility, hanging racks, heated towel rails and heating cabinets for the skiwear or wet raincoat.

A helipad would be nice, Fitzpatrick says, but restrictions for landing in

How to dress your mansion

Pablo Picasso’s Femme assise pres d’ une fenetre. An expensive painting can be a focal point in a luxury home. Diana Clement

If you’re buying or building a mansion, money is probably no object – particularly when it comes to interiors.

But just because you have money doesn’t mean you know how to style and make sense of what can seem like an endless amount of space. Where should you hang your original Picassos and store your collection of Fabergé eggs?

That’s where interior designers make their mark, helping the wealthy – and the not-so-wealthy – create cohesive, stylish and functioning homes.

Laura Heynike, director of interior design firm Pocketspace Interiors, says her clients often focus on craftsmanship and materials. Typically they want beautiful pieces that tell a story.

“So when someone goes to visit the home or they have a party, one or two of those pieces in their home will catch the eye of someone and create a conversation,” she says.

When it comes to furniture, some clients will already have their own beautifully proportioned pieces or have fixed ideas on what they want in their home. “The client may already have a $20,000 couch that they quite like and don’t need a replacement, but might want a chair to update the space,” Heynike says.

Heynike sources furniture from King Living and Matisse, as well as ECC furniture, which features designer labels like the very on-trend Tom Dixon.

Another popular brand at the top end is Woodwrights of Motueka, which makes bespoke furniture. “They’re incredible and they do really beautiful handmade dining tables and [other furniture]. So you can really get what you want, [with] quality and consistency. It’s definitely something that a high-end client is looking for.”

Recrafting of existing pieces is a growing trend, says Heynike. The client may have a classic chair, for example, but not like the way the headrest was fixed.

“They might choose to recraft it so it can fold down. You can still walk into the room and say ‘oh that’s this chair’. But it’s a little bit more exclusive because it’s a limited edition and your guests haven’t seen that variation before.”

A big part of her job, says Heynike, is curating artwork.

Clients may have existing artwork but might want additional pieces for the walls

central Auckland make it a bit restrictive.

While internet mogul Kim Dotcom’s lavish mansion in Coatesville was infamous for having a panic room, which was accessible via a secret panel in a cupboard, Fitzpatrick, and other agents spoken to, hasn’t come across such a room, though she has encountered a walk-in safe.

Most luxury homes have a safe and they also have plenty of security, so automatic gates with cameras are routine.

Auckland real estate agent Michael Boulgaris says 10 years ago the mega wealthy wanted tennis courts but because land is so expensive, at least in Auckland, these days it’s all about showing off your view over the sparkling Waitemata Harbour.

To get both a tennis court and a view on the northern slopes of Remuera, or in Paritai Drive, you are looking at anything from $20m to $30m, he says.

Instead, people are concentrating on multiple lavish entertaining areas which take advantage of the view. “Generally, there’d be three entertaining areas, if not four. There’d be informal rooms, most definitely a media room and probably a gymnasium.” And while you’d be right in thinking a luxury home these days includes an infinity pool, Boulgaris says sometimes one pool is not enough.

Luxury kitchens and bathrooms go with luxury houses but Boulgaris says the rich often aren’t too bothered about whether there’s a butler ’s pantry or not.

That’s because “anyone at that level will just knock a few walls out and build their own kitchen.” Most mere mortals might keep their kitchen for 20 years but Boulgaris says the very rich change theirs every three to five years. He agrees everyone wants privacy first. “A lot of these expensive homes have very, very tall hedges on either side.”

Another agent to the wealthy, Graham Wall, says the most important factor in really high value property is almost always water, “its proximity to the sea and big views.” The rich also look for homes which have been designed by certain architects. “People like Fearon Hay, Christian Anderson and Lawrence Sumich; their name on a property makes it more valuable.”

People see those names and they know that’s a good brand, like Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce, he says.

LOOK FOR IN A KIWI HOME

Photos / Getty Images, 123RF

HELIPAD Every luxury home needs a place to land the helicopter. VIEW A view of the sea is the top feature buyers look for. WINE Most homes at the top end of the market have a wine cellar.

of their new home to complement the space and the furniture. A favourite of Heynike’s is the Parnell Gallery. She also uses Mobile Art, which leases art. “It’s like an everchanging gallery,” she says.

Debbie Cavit, founder of interior designer firm Cavit+Co, says international names are hot right now and the hottest is American Kelly Wearstler.

Dubbed “the presiding grande dame of West Coast interior design” by The New Yorker, Wearstler is a designer who, in her own words, offers contemporary sophistication and wit, with a nod to the past and a wink at the future.

She’s on the front of every magazine, says Cavit, and many a luxury homeowner wants her work.

“A Wearstler chair doesn’t instantly look like a chair. It’s a very specific look. Fabulous for people who have got the confidence to go the whole hog. Other furniture manufacturers are now copying that eye-catching, artistic form.”

Cavit has also seen a move away from the mid-century look, which is one of the reasons that Wearstler is becoming so popular.

Other designers popular with the top end of the market include Boca Do Lobo and the enduring work of Barbara Barry, who appeals to clients with more classic tastes.

Cavit says the luxury market in New Zealand is different in its approach to spending money on interior design. Overseas there is a common formula where a percentage of the cost of the house is put aside for furniture.

“In America, they would say for a luxury home you’ve got to spend between 15 and 18% of the purchase value on furniture. If someone spends $5 million on a home, they would be spending almost up to a million dollars on furniture,” she says.

“In Europe, if you went to an architect and they asked, ‘Well how much do you want to spend on your home?’ and you said €1 million, they would think, ‘OK, you’re spending €800,000 on the structure and €200,000 on furnishing’.”

Kiwis typically are more resistant to spending big amounts on furniture, says Cavit. “I think it’s because overseas people buy homes and live in them much longer. Here a lot of people will buy a home and think, ‘Oh, this will be for five years’, so maybe they don’t invest what they ultimately should to maximize the experience of living in a lovely home. It is something I lament constantly. Even in Australia, people will spend a lot more money on furnishings than they tend to here.” do you nd you said K, you’re re and tant to ure, overseas hem much buy a e for five st what mize the ome. tly.

Above: A stylish interior furnished by Italian design firm Frigerio.

Right: The distinctive Kelly Wearstlerdesigned Larchmont Chair.