At Home With Kerry

Come with us as we visit the exquisite newly built home of Kerry Vaughan, our wonderful Director and Owner of A&C Homestore.

Kerry has invested her time and energy over the last few years in crafting a beautiful lifestyle home in East Auckland. We chatted over design choices that contributed to the inviting and comfortable atmosphere that make her home a perfect haven for Kerry's family to come together and relax, while still reflecting her personal style.      

Tell us a little about you and your home and the people who live with you?

I am Kerry, and my partner Darren and I have spent the past few years planning and building a new home, we moved in in 2022 and live here with our revolving door of young adult children, its always busy with someone coming or going either the kids or their friends and partners who are staying or visiting too. We regularly have 12 or more for dinner, most nights it’s at least 6-7. I love having the “kids” around and am enjoying watching them navigate adulthood.

Darren and I designed the house with an architect to ensure we made the most of the space and site. Darren is a builder so he was instrumental in managing the build and being involved with every decision, he has a great sense of design and was able to put all of our ideas into practice by figuring out how to actually build them, make it work and look good.

It’s so lovely finally being in our own space that has a peaceful country outlook and awesome features that we choose or built ourselves. We have a concrete feature wall and a fireplace that Darren poured himself that really set the tone for the style of the house.

There is lots of glass and open plan spaces with black steel and black cladding and big verandas where we can enjoy the views and outside areas. We wanted a space for all of us to be able to fit, have shared spaces that we can enjoy and maximise the indoor, outdoor flow. We also needed a lot of garaging for the many cars and car-related hobbies that we have.  I love to cook and bake so having a gorgeous kitchen is a luxury that I am really enjoying.

What’s the last thing you brought for your home?

We had been looking for a dining room table for over a year, it needed to be at least 3m long to fit the space and number of people that we have. We have spent summers camping, since the kids were little, near Kai-Iwi Lakes which is an area known as the Kauri Coast. Last summer we saw a tabletop made from 5000-year-old ancient swamp Kauri at Kaihu. It was the perfect length and colour so we bought it and Darren made the legs for it. We love it and it’s so cool that it has a special connection to the place that is full of great memories for our family.

How would you describe your design style?

I have moved a lot and lived in many different homes so it has been very varied. I love the William Morris quote:

“Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful” and I would add “or anything that has a special meaning”. 

I think my style is a home should reflect the personality of the people that live in it and love it. I do like pops of colour and it has to be practical and comfortable too. I love textiles and wool and enjoy knitting and crochet and have made many blankets and accessories for the house over the years.

Any advice for creating a home you love?

Take your time, each piece can tell a story of where you were when you bought it or who made it. This adds up to a lifetime of memories and treasures. Don’t be afraid to replace items that don’t work in that space anymore. I love a home to feel lived in and reflect the personality of the people that live there. I love looking at people's walls or counters and asking them where everything came from and hearing the stories about why they have that item in their home now. 

 

Proudest DIY:

I spent much of Easter repotting plants and hanging or placing them around my kitchen and decks. I bought some Oslo planters from A&C Homestore and I even made a few macrame hangers to hang them in, I can’t believe that macrame is back in style! And now I love all the green that we have around in the kitchen, bathrooms and deck.

Fill the blanks:

The coolest place you’ve been to: We had a very cool family holiday where we stayed in a villa in Abiansemal, Bali in a village in the jungle. It was an amazing set of pods built around a pool with hammocks and views of the jungle in every direction.

Best spot for a drink: - Anywhere with great cocktails and a view of the water.

Your go-to local eatery: Miyuki – Japanese in Howick.

Favourite interior account to follow: A&C Homestore of course.

If you could bring back a fashion or home trend what would it be: I’m pretty happy about macrame and knitting being back in style.

Finish this sentence: I’m currently loving the sneaker trend, comfy shoes are the best!