Briony Fitzgerald Design

The task with this beautifully sited coastal house on the North Shore was to give it a major facelift: to rework the existing grey, monolithic interior and introduce an upbeat and colourful design treatment. The client was a  longstanding one and the history she shared with Briony, built over several projects, ensured their aesthetic decisions easily dovetailed. A glossy blue gate leads to a huge pivoting front door in black – so as not to compete with the many artworks on display – and Briony created a light sculpture using five jersey covered lights to fill the massive void in the entrance. By re-assessing the need for windows, some of which faced brick walls, there was the opportunity to rationalise the internal use of the space and fill in certain openings for additional joinery without any compromise to light levels.

Personality is introduced through the client’s extensive art collection, textural grass-cloth walls, Moroccan throws repurposed as cushions, handmade tiles and the detailing of custom-made curtain ties.  “While the house has a completely new vibe we managed to re-design the kitchen without shifting the placement of any services and re-purposed existing outdoor furniture on the veranda”, says Briony.