Originally inspired by French country design, Claudia and Jared ultimately leaned into a softer, more grounded aesthetic layered with natural textures, earthy tones and an abundance of light. The result is a refined yet relaxed home that feels equally suited to entertaining friends as it does muddy gumboots, growing kids and everyday moments.
We sat down with Claudia to talk about the journey behind the build, the importance of designing for real family life, and the flooring choice that tied everything together.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
Hey, I’m Claudia, a wedding photographer, and together with my husband Jared, a career firefighter in Christchurch, we’re raising our two little ones, Jag (4) and Cleo (3 months).
Life is wonderfully busy these days, balancing family, work, and everything in between. We love being outdoors and making the most of the space around us. You’ll usually find us in the veggie garden or baking some fresh banana bread, riding around the bike track, playing tag in the backyard or simply soaking up time together. Creating a lifestyle where our children can grow up connected to nature, with room to explore, learn, and be kids, has always been important to us.
What inspired you to start this build journey?
We’d always dreamed of creating a home that truly suited our family and the way we live. Rather than continually compromising in existing homes, we decided to build something from the ground up that reflected our lifestyle and future goals. Living on a larger property had always been part of that dream. A place with beautiful indoor-outdoor flow, plenty of space for the kids to run and explore, sheds for all the projects, entertaining areas for family and friends, bike tracks, and room to make lasting memories. It felt like a big leap at the time, but looking back it was the best decision we could have made.
How would you describe the overall style or feeling you wanted to create throughout your home?
We originally started with a French country vision, but ultimately we wanted the home to feel warm, grounded and timeless rather than overly trend focused. A huge goal was also to create a space that felt relaxed and liveable for our young family, while still having a refined, high-end feel. Natural textures and earthy tones were a big influence throughout the design, along with bringing in plenty of natural light and maintaining a strong connection to the outdoors.
What were some of the key design decisions that made the biggest impact on the final result?
A few things made a massive difference, especially staying true to the architect’s original vision and not compromising on those key design elements. Maintaining the scale of the windows and glazing throughout the home had a huge impact in achieving the natural light and openness we wanted.
A big focus for us was creating a home that genuinely worked for family life and allowed our kids to just be kids. Our four-year-old now races his balance bike through the lounge and hallways, which apparently double as the perfect racetrack and honestly, that’s exactly the kind of home we hoped to create.
We also put a lot of thought into flow and functionality, thinking about how we’d actually move through and use the spaces day to day, instead of just what looked good on plans. Another big design choice was mixing natural materials with durable finishes that could handle real family life.
When it came to choosing your flooring, what were the most important factors for your lifestyle?
Durability was huge for us. With kids, a dog, and life on a lifestyle block, muddy shoes and constant traffic in and out, we needed something practical that could handle real life without becoming stressful to maintain. We also wanted flooring that would stand up to the amount of sunlight streaming through the windows without fading over time. We absolutely love the finish of the Pergo Odense range. It works perfectly in our home.
Claudia and Jared selected Pergo Odense laminate in Vibrant Oak and Orchard carpet in Melrose.
Were there any surprises or learnings during the process that you’d share with others planning a new build?
Probably the biggest thing we learnt was that the small details matter far more than you initially think. They’re often what bring the overall cohesiveness to a home, and many of those decisions need to be made much earlier in the build process than you expect. Having a clear vision and doing as much planning as possible beforehand definitely helped us.
We were also incredibly lucky to have an amazing builder who was very accommodating throughout the process. Because we lived on site during the build, we were able to walk through the house most mornings or afternoons and work through decisions as things progressed. A lot of choices simply don’t make sense on paper. It’s not until you’re physically standing in the space that you can truly understand what will work best.
Now that you’re living in the space, what are your favourite features or rooms—and why do they work so well for you?
The main living and kitchen area is definitely the heart of the home for us. It’s where everything happens. Family dinners, entertaining friends, kids playing, slow mornings. Now that we’re heading into winter, being able to gather around the fire together has become such a special part of our evenings.
The indoor-outdoor flow has also worked even better than we hoped. In the warmer months, it allows the living spaces to extend seamlessly outside, making the home feel larger and more connected to the landscape.
What’s next for your home? Do you have any future projects planned?
There’s always another project on the horizon for us. One of the bigger plans we have for the future is extending off the hallway into another separate pavilion. This will become our master bedroom and ensuite. We’re really excited about the addition and creating a private retreat that still feels connected to the rest of the house.
Being on a lifestyle property also means we’ve still got plenty of landscaping dreams that we’re slowly chipping away at. We really enjoy taking our time planting and creating outdoor spaces that complement the home, and doing it as a family. We love watching the property evolve and grow alongside us over the years.
