Home profile
Meet & greet: Freyja (mum and part-time admin) and Blanton Smith (journalist) and children Otis, seven, and Velzy, four.
The property: A single-level, custom-built three-bedroom home in New Plymouth.
Every morning, Blanton Smith starts his day with coffee and quiet time in his favourite leather chair in the lounge of the New Plymouth home he shares with Freyja and their sons, Otis and Velzy.
When they can manage it, the couple love spending the occasional Saturday morning in bed with coffee and a good book, enjoying the sun streaming in the bedroom window, while their boys play quietly in their bedrooms or let themselves out into the enclosed backyard to safely roam and play. Simple things like these are pinch-me moments for Freyja, who never in her wildest dreams thought she’d be one day living in a home custom-built for her and her family.
“It’s been a super humbling experience. Growing up, I never thought I’d have the opportunity to build a family home so I feel so incredibly blessed. What makes me even happier is the fact it’s been a real family build. The time people have given up to help us and lend a hand, sharing their expertise, going over and above, has blown us away.”
This finished home was a long time coming. The couple had initially bought their first home in 2017, just a few weeks after their eldest son was born. The ’60s three-bedroom weatherboard home sat on a substantial 1100sqm section that the couple quickly realised they could subdivide. It was the neighbours that clinched the deal – Blanton’s mum and dad live just over the fence.
“We knew it meant free future babysitting. Not only that, but Blanton’s parents’ section is abundant with fruit trees – avocado, orange, apple, lime, lemon, feijoa and tangelo, so there were many positives to stay in close proximity,” says Freyja.
Busy with parenthood, the couple took their time starting work on the subdivision and building. It was late August 2022 that they began earthworks for the new house.
Freyja and Blanton knew they wanted a single-level home, L-shaped to make the most of the section and sun. They dreamt of creating a warm and calm retreat, while still being able to enjoy it as a family home. Style-wise, they were drawn to the minimal, contemporary, coastal vibe of Californian mid-century homes.
“We both grew up in Taranaki, so we’re naturally both drawn to all things salty – ocean, sun and surf. For our home, we wanted an abundance of light, warmth, natural textures and tones with pops of colour. We were also inspired by our travels to European beaches and the Californian coastline,” she says.
It’s no understatement to say the build was a family affair right from the beginning. The initial drawings for the three-bedroom home were done by Freyja’s dad, draughtsman Mike Johns.
“It felt like a real full circle moment, him being able to design a home for his daughter. Dad’s old-school and draws everything by hand, which makes his designs feel like their own piece of art. We intend to frame them one day. He has a great passion and knowledge of those renowned mid-century architects, making it a smooth process to bring our vision to life,” says Freyja.
These initial drawings were then sent to their close friend and draughtsman, Paul Russell. Then, to another architect friend in Auckland for input. Once the plans were finalised, the Smiths needed a builder – they didn’t need to look far. They hired Blanton’s brother Mathis – his first build out on his own – and their father Tony put his hand up to be the apprentice. Blanton’s mum Brenda rounded out the Smith family task force later in the process, proving a dab hand with a paintbrush.
“My dad and Blanton’s Uncle Ged also helped out with pouring concrete for the footings and concrete blocks. Blanton would race home on his lunch breaks to push wheelbarrows around for an hour. It was definitely a labour of love,” Freyja recalls. “We had a limited build budget of $550,000. That had to include appliances, any new furniture and landscaping. Having family chip in to help out was so amazing.”
Working on a fixed budget meant making tough decisions at times. However, it also led to Freyja finding superior compromises and economical alternatives.
“Every time you invested more money in something, like the joinery or cedar cladding, it meant saving money somewhere else. Those decisions were agonising at times. Lots of these decisions were made before we even started building, though. Our designer Paul really helped with that, figuring out the cost-benefit of different ideas and what to tone back to stick within the budget.
For example, we knew we wanted some cedar in the cladding mix but couldn’t afford to clad the whole house in it. Instead, we used it at the entrance and centre of the L, which had less surface area to cover but are also high visibility zones so they make an impression.”
“Another workaround I found was the travertine slabs we’ve used for the kitchen island, splashback, powder room, main bathroom and ensuite vanities. We both naturally gravitated towards the beautiful earthy tonal look of the travertine. When we figured out two slabs would do all of that and still be cheaper than the cost of using engineered stone just for the kitchen benchtop, I was all in.”
She also landed on the bargain of the century with their vintage Design Mobel Kombi bed base. “We had been eyeing up the iconic Sarah Ellison Yoko base. However, we weren’t too keen on the cost of it, knowing it would impact our budget for other areas. While I was trawling Marketplace I came across a guy selling some of his dad’s furniture. He wasn’t far from our house. The bed was $200, solid rimu, and literally the same style. I felt so stoked.”
Having come from an all-white interior house, Freyja knew she wanted this home to have more colour. Her mood board for the project was titled “Sunny Smith House”, alluding to all the joyful happy pops of colour she wanted to incorporate.
While the couple knew the colours they wanted, they brought in local interior designer Gina Fabish to help select the right shades and where to use them. For example, Gina advised them to paint the back of the room’s doors the same colour as the walls. This created an encompassing tonal aesthetic. Then, she advised they paint the wardrobe doors a different colour for interest.
“Gina knows Resene’s paint colours like the back of her hand and it was like magic seeing her mind tick over in putting together swatches. In the end, we went with all her original suggestions, even though it meant painting over one already-completed room. Trust the pros – they know what they’re doing.”
Freyja admits she was focused on finding the perfect tiles in the perfect tone for the bathrooms, eventually driving four-and-a-half hours to Auckland to source the right ones. She feels thrilled with the results. A warm peachy-nude for the powder room and a relaxed powder blue for the main bathroom.
She chose small mosaic tiles for understated luxury and pattern but the cost determined how they used those tiles, going for half-height tiling all-round the main bathroom rather than just the shower and one full wall. Gina helped select the perfect matching paint: Karen Walker’s Periglacial Blue.
“I must admit, I’m thrilled with the ensuite – it might be my favourite room in the house. The feeling of the floor tiles underfoot, the sheer size of the walk-in shower, the little mushroom hook. It has that luxurious hotel room feel,” she smiles.
Freyja describes the overall style of their home’s decor as being “perfectly imperfect”.
“We have definitely put care and consideration into what is in our home but we don’t overthink it. We embrace the ethos of, ‘If you like it, you like it’. I often asked myself the question, ‘How does it make me feel when I’m in this space?’ Or when I look at an artwork, ‘Do I love it? Does it inspire me?’ I found having a clear vision so important. It’s easy to get caught up in trends and what everyone else is doing. I found it helpful to go back to the first mood boards I had done. There, I could reflect on what we value in a home, what we were still going to love in 10 years, and what artwork, objects and colours gave us joy and made a space feel like ours.”
Dotted around the home are a mix of curios, souvenirs, op-shop finds, and gifts that hold special meaning for the pair.
“A close friend gifted us the vibrant authentic Mexican pot on the shelf in the lounge for our engagement party in 2011. And the matchstick bamboo blind in the main bedroom found in my dad’s attic, or the Aurora Upton canvas print in the kitchen we bought on our last family holiday in the US. It’s about surrounding ourselves in spaces that make us feel a certain way, that serendipitous coming together of art and objects.”
One thing she was dead-set on was making sure the TV wasn’t a focal point in their open-plan living area. Freyja spent time researching houses that had included cabinetry in a functional, thoughtful way. She landed on a TV-concealing cabinet made from birch ply with an American oak veneer. The brick-style base is actually a terracotta tile from Artedomus.
“Getting the cabinet in was a bit of an adventure as it was heavy. Blanton’s brother ended up building it on a second base structure off the ground. Then, the boys used car jacks to lift it enough to shimmy onto the actual base and slide it into place. Totally worth it, though. Not only does it provide storage and a space for the telly to hide, but it enables shelves to curate objects, art and ornaments.”
Being able to remain in their original home for the duration of the build meant less upheaval for the family. However, paying two mortgages for the past six months of the build was tough. The Smiths moved into their new home Christmas 2023 and have loved every minute since.
“School is a five-minute walk, Blanton’s parents are through the fence, it’s a nice quiet street and we have a lot of friends living in the area. We have some more planting to do in time. We’d like to build another decked play area for the boys but we always built intending to be here long-term. I feel super proud of what we’ve created and am excited to see how the landscape develops and grows over time.”
Home truths
What about this house works best for your family?
The ease of flow between the bedrooms, the open-plan living and the deck and outdoors. A small, largely low-maintenance section is a bonus too, especially in summer.
What were your best decisions regarding this build?
Putting big sliders in all the bedrooms and the lounge, allowing flow between inside and out. Budgeting some money to get started on landscaping was wise, too – in particular, the deck, fences, paths and initial planting.
Best memory so far?
We had family friends from the US stay during the Christmas break. Having everyone over for Christmas breakfast was a really special time. Creating those memories and having the house full and festive. We just celebrated Matariki and it was a real blessing being able to invite family and friends over. The sun was pouring in as we sat on the deck with coffee. We enjoyed cinnamon scrolls while the kids ran around.
Most proud of?
I’m so proud of us – building is no easy feat. We were able to achieve something a little bit different and were able to do it without blowing the budget. It’s hard, but I think if you always come back to your core values for the home, then you can really pull back and simplify it.
Text: Debbie Harrison
Photography: Gina Fabish
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See more photos of this stunning Taranaki home
The vintage leather chairs were bought from friends who were moving away, the sheepskin was bought from Superette more than a decade ago, and the Living Meadow rug is made from the softest New Zealand wool and was purchased from Slow Store.
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