Photos by WAYNE MARTIN.

Simplistic stones.

SEEMLESSLY blending a rather large Clevedon property into its vast idyllic country surroundings came easy to owner Kerry Williams with the help of Howick interior designer Donna Jones. She has been there with the Williams family from day one, armed with a multitude of neutral tones for Kerry to choose from. The most difficult task was not saying “yes” to all of Donna’s suggestions for the expansive, four-year-old family home.

“Resene does a white and neutrals range, and I just loved them all,” laughs mother-of-three Kerry. “We worked with Donna pretty much from the beginning because she helped with the exterior colour. Then we moved inside and she’s been with us ever since.”

Beginning their mammoth task of outfitting such a large house, Kerry and Donna decided on Resene Oilskin as the exterior paint, a winning colour which Kerry loved so much they brought it into the rest of the house.

“Outside it’s full strength, the family room is half strength and the dining room and TV area is an eighth.”

Once inside nothing but a family painting, which has been passed to Kerry and her husband John from his parents, was pinned up in an otherwise naked room. Donna began plucking colours from the piece of artwork to use for family room furnishings.

“From the painting, I instantly took a liking to the blues and oranges, which I’ve used in the couches cushions and curtains,” says Donna.

“Some people wouldn’t go for a blue couch, they would want something beige or neutral, but we’ve got these lovely blues and browns coming through, it’s beautiful.”

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Bringing the outdoors indoors - the Williams' family room.

Neutral shades provide tranquility.

It was crucial for Kerry (a Canadian) and John that stone was included, not only in the fire place, but as inspiration for other furniture and decor.

“We already had the stones [before the interior design process began] and I knew that I wanted everything to match. And because we used the stones outside I wanted to bring that feeling inside,” says Kerry.

With many rock-shaded swatches in hand Donna could dot splashes of rustic ginger and lime-green hints throughout the family room, featuring in the upholstered coffee table and couch cushions. “The beams are cedar so that reflects Canada as well,” says Kerry.

Donna says it’s not unusual for a client to want to bring their heritage or something they have seen overseas and replicate it back in New Zealand. With the Kiwi and Canadian landscape being similar, it wasn’t hard to create a “slice of Canada” for Kerry.

“Because there’s no issue of privacy here, Kerry didn’t want [or need] blinds or netting but she did want curtains to create depth and texture.”