“We had a party for 70 16-year-olds here last weekend” is not a statement you hear very often when arriving to photograph a property. But a conversation such as this (at Emma-Jane Hetherington and Tim Dorrington’s house, featured in the magazine on page 106) tells you you’re in a home that’s all about living — with teenagers! If those walls could talk…
Photographer Emma-Jane and I have worked together before, and I really enjoyed spending time at her place. She gave me a fresh perspective on making your home somewhere your family can grow together; in her and Tim’s case, the house itself grew too as they renovated it bit by bit to fit their changing needs. As their interior illustrates, you can enjoy nice things while not being too precious about them, as the patina they develop holds its own special memories. Thankfully, my son’s still at the stage when parties held at our local Lego library are the best fun ever, so it’ll be a while before I need to psych myself up to host oversized rumpus- room gigs and all that they entail!
I was also able to visit our cover home, although in this case a year or so before our photoshoot took place. After finding this, their dream home, and making the move back to Aotearoa from Australia, its owners are the new custodians of a special ’70s-look pad at Lake Tarawera. When a building has as much character as this does, ushering it into its next era can be a bit of a challenge, but they’ve risen to that by slowly making thoughtful updates while infusing the house with their unique style. I could go on, as I really have been charmed by all of the personality-filled abodes we set foot in for this issue, but best I leave it to you to see for yourself.
Editor Alice Lines
