Her Interior: Nik and Halie

Posted on 21 February, 2015

Nik and Halie show Nicola Smith through their post-Federation cottage in Queanbeyan.

Oozing Californian Bungalow characteristics, the cottage sports strong art deco features – the restored black front door sports a sloping, polished chrome handle.

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Nik is a lecturer of Furniture Design and Making at the ANU school of Art. He also keeps his hand in a bit of trade teaching at CIT and is currently working on a PhD. Halie is a jeweller – gold and silversmith – working on her Honours degree also at the Australian National University. Halie has worked for Designcraft for several years and this is evident by some of the beautiful furniture items I spy about the house. They live here with their cute cats Morris and Booh.

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Halie answers the door and invites us through to the kitchen. At first glance the front rooms look original, stained black floors throughout and just freshly painted. There is beautiful furniture mixed with Op-shop finds and tonnes of interesting books everywhere I look. This house exudes creativity, which is not half surprising given the owners’ professions.

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They were searching for an original house that hadn’t been altered. With only one previous owner, their house was built in the1920s and then extended in 1950s. The retro kitchen is a testament to exactly where the extension is located. When they bought the house, the floor boards underneath the old carpet were in dire need of replacing, so too the floor joists and bearers. Nik has rebuilt the sub-floor structure and has kept true with the original features. They have refurbished the rooms and internal doors by stripping back layers of old paint, re-finishing, and polishing original hardware. The existing fireplaces were much larger restoration projects.

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After a great coffee and chat about the history of the house, we start with the rooms at the front. The original lounge room is now the master bedroom. This is Nik and Halie’s favourite room.

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The fireplace is a stand out feature, beautifully restored with new marble panels and a custom fire box made by good friend Luke Laffan of www.fikasbikes.com. Nik and Halie often end up here with a glass of wine in front of the fire. Nesting on the mantle are small timber vessels that Nik made for an exhibition a few years ago.

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There is interesting art on the walls – works by friends Metropolitan Cityscapes, beautifully framed by Nik without using glue, only dry joinery.

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The bedsides are also made by Nik. Above the bed hangs a Verpan pendant – I’m told it has a lovely soft chime on a breezy summer night. The original doors to the front rooms have been stripped back to raw timber and waxed.

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The room opposite is their guest room. The first thing that catches my eye is a beautiful dress, perhaps an antique Chanel or other collectable piece which we learn is Halie’s wedding dress. There’s a red Tolomeo desk lamp on a Dizzy table by Arper to one side of the bed, a Kartell storage unit (found at the tip) to the other. An interesting Gubi coat hanger that I mistake for retro, recycled bike parts and reflectors – it’s from a range by Mathieu Matégot that has recently been reproduced under licence. Fixed to the wall in the entry hall is a beautiful Eames walnut hang-it-all.

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The living room in the middle of the house is vibrant – this couple is not afraid to use colour. There is another refurbished fireplace, more art and more books. I find out what these guys are reading: Nik – Design Futuring by Tony Fry and Sustainable by Design by Stuart Walker, and Halie – 507 Mechanical Movements by Henry T. Brown

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The artwork throughout the house is diverse in style and medium. Above their lounge is “Love Birds” by Melbourne artist Miranda Skoczek (below); opposite hangs an Indigenous painting by Mary Taylor purchased from Waringarri Art Centre in Kununurra. There are also works by artists Ghost Patrol, Miso, Vexta and Mark Whalen and captivating pieces by Derek O’Connor, a local Canberra artist.

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There are many second hand pieces they have collected on their journeys. I find out that Halie is the one who loves Op Shops and antiques. Her regular haunts are in Queanbeyan and small country town vintage shops.

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Next to the living room is the study where Nik and Halie sit opposite each other in Eames Aluminium Group Chairs. The desk is made from old passed-down workshop timber trestles, teamed with a new top that Nik has made. There is art on the walls that they have given each other for wedding anniversaries and an eclectic mix of old and new.

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Their kitchen is simple – no microwave, no dishwasher, just a decent stove for cooking. The restored cabinetry is sensational. Lovely curves, metal strip edging and bright colours. Butter yellow and pink doors stand out on the white carcasses with the walls a shade of pale green.

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Catifa chairs sit around a Magis table with a black Louis Poulsen PH50 pendant light suspended above. There’s another timber tray made by Nik and displays of Op-shop-found food containers, jars, glassware and crockery fill the shelves.

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Halie’s studio is a little timber yurt in the backyard. Once covered in ivy and in need of waterproofing and much love, it has been transformed into the current workspace.

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There are a few rooms yet to be renovated by this clever couple. They plan to keep the integrity of the 1950s extension and follow through with a similar style. The bathroom, laundry and sun room are in need of TLC and have yet to be transformed. They love the original kitchen cabinetry and plan to keep it. They tell me about their inspiration – The Eames House, 50’s architecture and, where practical, not replacing old for new. 

Home truly is where the heart is. I feel like I have just been inducted into the hearts and minds of this creative couple.

Thanks Nik and Halie for sharing your home. See all the photos here. Inspired by their style? Check out the Armadillo Earth collection, Adnet round mirror, Mategot Coatrack, and Louis Poulsen lighting.

Love the Designcraft pieces featured? Get up to 25% off the Classic Furniture Collection instore now.