Home with Heart: Kasia’s Thoughtfully Designed Space
Christchurch-based makeup artist and content creator Kasia Stanicich is no stranger to creative expression. Known for her intuitive style and strong visual eye, Kasia recently turned that same instinct toward building her first home. Shaped by thoughtful design choices, fast-paced decision-making, and a clear sense of how she wanted the space to feel, the result is a home that reflects both her creativity and the way she lives. We sat down with Kasia to talk inspiration, standout moments from the build, and the design decisions that brought her vision to life.
Credits
What inspired you to build your first home?
I've grown up with the privilege of watching my Dad build people their dream homes - my Mum and Dad own Fowler Homes Christchurch South - and witnessing the process from the sidelines gave me the itch. In a dream world, I would have built my first home, but I'm so grateful the timing didn't align because having experienced living in my first place gave me so much knowledge and education for the process of building.
What was the most surprising part of the home-building process — the good and the challenging?
The process went a lot faster than I'd imagined in my head, which was both great and challenging. It forced me to make decisions - which was well-needed pressure - but meant we were all involved in the build for a period of time, then got to relax and enjoy the result just in time for summer.
Did you have a colour palette or mood board going in? How did that evolve?
I'm a creative person and have always trusted my instincts, but very early on I met with Olivia at Mooi Design. Rather than utilising an interior designer for their full offering, Olivia helped us curate (many!) Pinterest boards and narrow them down. From there, we put together a collection of render images and a colour palette for the home, which proved to be the most vital tool for the build. Though incredible at their own crafts, I wanted our tradespeople and team to be able to visualise what I was imagining, so being able to send over a literal picture of the 'finished' project helped align us all at many points during the build. Because of that, our colour palette remained almost exactly the same the entire way through - the kitchen render is almost an identical match for the finished space!
Were there any moments during the build that felt like a “pinch-me” milestone for you?
Too many to count! If I could narrow it down to two - the day our windows (including our oversized skylights) were installed and the house was enclosed, and the night we hosted our housewarming. Without deeping it too much, they both felt so whole as different experiences. The windows and roof made the site feel quite real (like a home!) and the energy of having so many people we love in one room, under that roof, was incredible. Across the build we had so many key people that mean a lot to us - my Dad overseeing the entire project of course, but also our carpenter Pat and plumber Josh, both who are incredible friends.
Which room in the house best reflects your personality, and why?
Practically, I'd be crazy if I didn't say the studio - that space has been nearly a decade in the works, and is a culmination of every client I've ever had the privilege of working with. It's still such a blank canvas, yet I know how lucky I am to have a space that inspires me so much. From a differing perspective, I do believe the kitchen is the heart of every home and ours really feels (to me anyway!) like it's full of heart. It's so open to the whole house, yet has the fun little bar space and a rounded breakfast bar to encourage connection and time with our friends.
What were the key factors that influenced your flooring choices?
Our beautiful dog Billie would be the defining factor in most things we do - but especially our flooring! Sam and the team at Watkins Flooring Xtra ran me through the pros and cons of a few of their laminate and timber offerings, but the hardwearing nature of the Pergo was the winner. Between Billie, my makeup mishaps and the huge amount of natural light (and direct sunshine!), I knew I'd prefer laminate in the long run. The Odense range was the winner because of the wider planks - which look incredible in the larger rooms.
For our bedrooms - controversially, I didn't want any carpet at all. But as a compromise, we landed on Bremworth Samurai. I love the extra loopy pile, and with so many elements of our home focusing on texture over colour, it fits right in. It was also 100% the correct choice for the bedrooms, and I'll be the first to admit I was wrong...
What advice would you give to someone who’s building their first home but feels overwhelmed by decisions?
Trust the experts - and if you don't, you're not talking to the right experts. At every stage of our build, I felt so inspired by the people we were working with. They know their specific job inside and out, and at a guess I'd say it takes close to a hundred experts to perfectly piece together a home. I went in armed with a strong idea of my style, visual direction, our budget and goals for what we wanted, and let those guide each expert into helping us make those decisions. I could have (and would have) spent far too much time worrying about minor decisions, but instead let people do what they do best.
Now that your home is complete, what’s next — any finishing touches or future projects in mind?
I told Grayson I'd like to do it again - before we'd even moved in! I loved our experience and genuinely feel so grateful for the end result. It all happened during a really busy year for us, so it's been such a relaxing few months just pottering around and finishing some bits off. We still have a lot of bare walls - but I promised not to rush into any major decisions like artwork or furniture without taking the time to live in it first. There's a lot still to come to give it character and make it our own, but I'll pump the brakes long enough to enjoy it all.
