WORLDLY POSSESSIONS

COOL MOVE Installing a partial roof on the living room deck, which because it faces north used to get too hot to enjoy in summer, has given the family an extra space. “Now we can actually use it as another room, even when it rains,” says Helene Ravlich. The extra shade has the added benefit of making the living room cool too.

A well-travelled Auckland family’s light and airy home, which overlooks a valley, features beautiful reminders of their overseas trips

Text Carrie Bell Photography Babiche Martens

Far-flung destinations might be off the table for now but for freelance writer Helene Ravlich and her family, every day at home reminds them of their travels. She and husband Jooles Clements bought their early 1900s Freemans Bay house in Auckland six years ago, drawn to the verdant green valley it looks out on. They’ve since transformed what was a fairly blank canvas into an eclectic city-fringe oasis, inspired by their international getaways.

For the love of plants

Prior to living here, Helene, Jooles and their son Wolf lived in a villa on Ponsonby’s Richmond Road. But Helene had always fantasised about living on this particular street, a grand, leafy thoroughfare framed by trees. And although Richmond Road had been a great family home, one that Helene had owned since she was in her 20s, when this house came on the market, she thought there’d be no harm in looking.

“From growing up in a pole house out west, I’ve always loved lots of space and greenery,” Helene explains. “I walked in here, and even though I was minutes from Ponsonby Road, it felt like I was back in Titirangi.”

The house is positioned down off the road, meaning the entrance side is sheltered, yet the open-plan living space is elevated, with views over a spectacular grove – the neighbour to the north side has never subdivided and has instead worked to regenerate the native bush.

“We get everything swooping through here, from kererū to pīwakawaka and ruru,” says Helene. “Unlike our old place, we don’t see any cars. It’s nice and quiet.”

While the outdoor space is low-maintenance, with just a small

Meet & greet

Helene Ravlich (editor and freelance writer), Jooles Clements (head of marketing and communications at Auckland Zoo), their son Wolf, 12, and dogs Binoo and Lucie.

DINING The dining table with its striking panelled inlay and the wood and tubular metal chairs were both found in a Wairau Road shop in Auckland.

Jooles’ top tips on growing pot plants

• Do a bit of research. Most bought plants will have a card that tells you what they need (how much water and how often, how much sunlight, etc). Failing that, look on the internet. • Find plants that suit your home. If your home gets lots of natural light, then you’ll need plants that enjoy full sun. • Water them. I usually water everything on the same day every week and, if there are a few plants that need watering more often, I do those a couple of times a week on the same day. That way I don’t forget. • Feed your plants. Once or twice a month I will add a liquid indoor plant food to the water. • Try and propagate as many of your plants as you can. That way, if some of them aren’t doing so well, you can swap them out for healthy ones.

“From growing up in a pole house out west, I’ve always loved lots of space and greenery.”

HELENE RAVLICH

INSIDE/OUTSIDE The open-plan living space is elevated with views of a green valley. The leather couch is from Freedom, the Buddha statues from Bali and cowhide rug from Koko Classics. The recliner chair, stool and outdoor couch are all Trade Me buys.

strip of lawn on the north side, and a tiered garden of natives Jooles has replanted on the other, the couple have worked to bring the outdoors inside as much as possible. Jooles has nurtured a burgeoning pot-plant collection, with a propagating project always on the go, hence the array of monstera, hibiscus and various palms on the deck and living areas, many of them planted in pots he’s painted himself (as well as a repurposed washing machine).

“When Jooles went to the UK for a couple of weeks to see family, it was up to me to water all the plants,” says Helene. “I’d go round and round watering everything, and just when I thought I was done, I’d spot another one.”

Small touches

Because the house had already been extensively renovated from its former configuration as a block of flats, there wasn’t a huge amount to do once the family moved in. Helene and Jooles used vinyl wrap to take the kitchen cupboards from black to green to fit in with their love of plants, and gave the TV lounge a cosy, charcoal shade and charming white shutters. Upstairs, they renovated the bedroom ensuite, updating the floor tiles and adding a new mirror and freestanding cabinet – Helene now hopes to do something similar in the downstairs bathroom.

Perhaps the most dramatic alteration they’ve made, however, is to install a partial roof on the living room

ON THE WALLS Jooles and Helene’s eclectic art collection includes prints from friends such as Shelton Woolright, Dennis Blair and Georgie Malyon, as well as a couple from French street artist Tilt and some second-hand store finds.

TV LOUNGE The carved wooden figurines on the wall are from Bali and the painting is by James Watkins, another family friend. OFFICE The prints are from the now closed Cat & the Fiddle and the shelving unit is by Lundia. WORKROOM Jooles and Wolf get creative in a repurposed coat room.

“Because this house has so much more space than the old house, we had to get things that were bigger and made more of an impact.”

HELENE RAVLICH

deck, allowing for just enough sun to peep through at the end for washing. Before that, the north-facing deck was almost too hot to enjoy in the height of summer.

“Now we can actually use it as another room, even when it rains,” says Helene. “And the plants are much happier.”

The permanent roof has helped to keep the living room cool too, making it a more tempting proposition to lounge on the daybed with a good book. Elsewhere, many of the decorating decisions were dictated by size.

“Because this house has so many white walls and so much more space than the old house, we had to get things that were bigger and made more of an impact,” says Helene. “We had to buy a bigger bed and a bigger couch. Some of the artworks that were too big in the other house fi t in really well here.”

Global inspiration

The home is a treasure trove of eclectic fi nds, including vintage prints sourced from antique shops, street art created by friends and furniture pieces inspired by time spent in Bali, Thailand and Morocco. The collection of Buddhas look right at home perched on the leadlight window sills and wooden shelves, as does the glamorous rattan peacock chairs on the deck and in the bedroom.

“Travelling has always been my thing and that’s what I like to spend money on,” says Helene. “We’ve tried to create a little of that at home, which is especially great now because we can’t go anywhere.”

Memorable holidays also inspired the living room daybed – which Jooles reupholstered in a resort-style fabric – and all the plant life, whether hanging from the ceiling or positioned in pots on the wooden fl oors. “As much as it drives me mad, it does take me back to those sorts of places,” says Helene. “I loved the colours of Marrakech and the earthiness with bright pops of colour here and there. We’ve defi nitely tried to bring that into the house. None of it has been planned – it’s just arrived.”

Ponsonby life

The beauty of this fi ve-bedroom, three-storey home is its 200sqm living space – there’s plenty of room for each member of the family to fi nd solace. Although Helene often prefers to sit at the dining table and work with the green outlook as her backdrop, she has a separate offi ce upstairs with its own veranda, should she need extra peace and quiet. The main living level has a small coat room that Jooles has turned into his workshop – it’s in here, he and Wolf create Star Wars and video game-inspired cosplay outfi ts. Downstairs has a self-contained apartment for guests.

Living where they do ensures Helene hardly ever needs to use her car. Even the supermarket is walking distance away.

“It does mean we end up being real creatures of habit – we fi nd excuses not to go anywhere else. That’s the only drawback about living here – that it’s too easy.”

ENSUITE The VCBC bathroom vanity is from Bath Co and the tiles from Tile Warehouse. EXTERIOR The three-storey home, sits down from the tree-lined street on a sloping site.

SHOP THEIR STYLE

Eclectic style, global fi nds and a passion for both plants and Star Wars imbue this villa with unique personality

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1 Vintage Indian bench, $1200, from Annabelle’s. 2 Ceramic swan, $145, from Kate Sylvester. 3 Star Wars figurine, $17, from The Warehouse. 4 Our Lady of Guadalupe icon, $55, from Made in Mexico. 5 Ticking duvet set, $239.90 (queen), from Wallace Cotton. 6 Living & Co faux cow hide rug, $59, from The Warehouse. 7 Malawi cane chair, $690, from Citta. 8 Elisa clay cross, $32, from Made in Mexico. 9 Leather hand-stitched pouf, $195, from Bohzali. 10 Eton 3-seater leather sofa, $2899, from Freedom. 11 Design Republique Maxwell Buddha head, $129.90, from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Honesty box

What have you saved on? The daybed – it was bought pre-loved from a friend and we use it all day, every day. Splurged on? Definitely the roof addition to the deck, which was so worth it. Any disasters living here? We had a pipe burst and completely flood the TV lounge and basement. It was pure chaos and took months to get everything back to normal. We had people staying downstairs and their luggage was floating at one point. Most memorable experience in your home? Over the course of around 18 months I had to have several surgeries – one very major – after a cancer diagnosis. Being able to recuperate each time looking out at the green surrounding us made a tough time definitely that little bit easier. Budget – what would you estimate you’ve spent? Around $45k on the deck shelter and main bedroom ensuite, which was done at the same time. Key suppliers: The roof over the deck is a Colorsteel roof like the one on the overall house. It was built by A1 Construction, who also did the ensuite. The cabinet was VCBC and the tiles from Tile Warehouse. The first lot we got couldn’t be used on the wall so there was wild panic to get more in a few hours beforehand.

Palette

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Floor plan

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First level

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Ground floor

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Basement

1 Resene Masala 2 3M vinyl wrap 3 Colorsteel Gull Grey

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KEY 1 Kitchen 2 Lounge/dining 3 Laundry/ workroom 4 Bathroom 5 TV room 6 Deck 7 Main bedroom 8 Ensuite 9 Walk-in wardrobe 10 Off ice 11 Balcony 12 Bedroom 13 Storage 14 Guest bedroom and bathroom 15 Storage