My Home

You would expect directors of New Vision Landscapes and NV Pools, Angela McGrath and Nigel Monk, to have an impressive back yard, but the interior is equally as impressive. Nelson Magazine takes a look inside this Monaco home which has recluctantly just gone on the market.

Tess Jaine

Where is your home and who lives here?

Our home is on Monaco Point overlooking both the estuary and Tasman Bay. Nige, myself, our four children, Ava (12), Emerson (10), Joe (7) and Margaux (5), and our Ragdoll cat Wilfred have lived here for around four years. What four words would you use to describe your home?

Idyllic, airy, spacious, and cosy.

What inspired this look?

Owning a landscape build and design company means we work outside-in on our builds. Nige designs the outdoor space first and then I select an interior that suits. We love travelling and wanted a resort-style oasis to work with our coastal surrounds. The pool, tropical planting, outdoor kitchen, daybed, wrap around decks, and sea views make you feel like you are on holiday all year round. What’s your decorating style?

Downstairs is modern-tropical with colonial elements. We wanted a seamless indoor-outdoor flow that brought the topical outdoor feeling inside, so I have used a lot of sub-tropical indoor plants, rattan furniture, billowy curtains, and plantation shutters. I was also inspired by the black white Singapore colonial homes, so I blended white walls with dark flooring, neutral linens, and colonial feature tiles. Upstairs is a coastal-scandi style that celebrates our sea views throughout the upper storey and matches the exterior of our house. We have shiplap feature ceilings, beautiful blue coastal tiles in the bathroom, and neutral furnishings. I have repeated the use of rattan furniture, plantation shutters and indoor palms to tie the décor style of the two levels together.

Have you done any renovations?

Yes! So much that our house is essentially a new build. We have renovated every square inch of this house with the incredible Jason Gardiner team over the last four years. We designed our house and outdoor spaces thinking this was our forever home, so no stone was left unturned. What’s your favourite spot in the house?

Our master wing. It’s been designed to be a tranquil escape away from the children. The master room is decorated with earthy tones and nestled amongst lush tropical planting with estuary views. I love having a Sunday morning coffee in bed watching the palms move in the sea breeze and the yachts moored in the estuary.

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What do you love about the neighbourhood where you live?

The minute you come over the overbridge there is an instant feel of calm. You can be on the couch one minute, and the next be on a paddle board, which Nige and Ava love doing, or we’ll pack a brekkie and take the boat over to Oyster Island where the kids build pirate huts. Best money spent?

A tie between the plantation shutters and our pool. Shutters have been an interior design dream of mine for years, so I was thrilled that the shutters worked so well with Nige’s lush landscape design. They stand out as a luxe item but also don’t dominate the space. The pool with its heat pump means we are using our pool for over six months of the year. Our children just want to spend time at home. They are never bored with the pool and living in Monaco by the sea. If money was no object what would you buy for your home?

We recently had dinner at Tommy Hilfiger’s ‘Bahama’ restaurant in Waikiki. Their island style interior design is legendary. The restaurant had a wrought iron feature balustrade on a colonial style staircase surrounded by palms. It was stunning. If we were staying in Monaco, I would, in time, absolutely rework our staircase design to copy this look as it matches perfectly with our tropical interior design.

1. An Indian palm feature mirror was a rare find from Annabelle’s in Havelock North. 2. The couple worked closely with kitchen designer, Fie Vidar to ensure both the kitchen and landscape designs were cohesive. 3. The tiles were a bold choice for Angela and give the bathroom character. 4. Artwork by local artist Georgina Hoby Scutt hangs in the dining room. 5. Nige’s favourite spot in the home is “his” outdoor kitchen.

For a truly unique experience watch us blow and create art glass and jewellery which we, as a family have been doing for the past four decades. Free viewing available on most weekday mornings.

HÖGLUND GLASSBLOWING STUDIO www.hoglundartglass.com