Influenced by their picturesque surroundings in the quaint coastal town of Mount Maunganui, design enthusiast Monique and her builder-husband, James, have masterfully crafted their ideal haven. From delving into freelance writing projects to embarking on new build endeavours and publishing books, Monique's unwavering passion and dedication have paved the way for extraordinary accomplishments. Together with James' expertise as the owner of construction company, Hopping Homes, complimented by architectural insights from Monique's brother, this dynamic family make for a truly versatile team.

Discover Monique's visionary journey in creating a tranquil family sanctuary. Inspired by her love for design, wellness, and sustainable living, the artfully designed home embodies her ethos. Drawing from the elegant simplicity of Nordic and Japanese architectural influences, Monique emphasises the significance of crafting a space that not only boasts visual appeal but also nurtures a sense of inner peace and harmony.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do on the day to day?

First and foremost I’m home full time with my two little ones. I take on occasional freelance writing work and personal projects around them when I can. In the last few years those projects have included publishing two books and building two houses and a renovation with my husband James. Prior to this season I owned a wholefoods café - so quite a mixed bag of passion based projects - which I love.

What drove you to embark on this new build journey?

James is an incredible builder and I have an affinity for beautiful design. He has a small construction company, Hopping Homes, here in Mount Maunganui and my brother is a draftsmen at Evoke Architectural Design Studio - together we make a good team. As mentioned James and I have worked on a handful of new builds and renovations. I take the lead on design and everything interiors and James often works after hours, weekends or round the clock on the build. For our current new build we renovated the rundown original dwelling while living in it, relocated it to the back of the site, subdivided and built on the front. It’s been quite a journey.

What was your vision for the house and where do you draw your inspiration from?

We wanted to create a beautiful, calming family home that suited this season of life and to take environmentally friendly options into consideration where possible. I’m obsessed with Nordic and Japanese architecture and design so draw a lot of inspiration from those corners of the world and look to nature for a soothing palette and natural materials.

Which features were most important to you when designing your home?

A calm, minimalist and intentional space that embraced the outdoors and all day sun were at the forefront. Therefore colour schemes and natural materials, flow and good storage options were taken into consideration. I didn’t want the bedrooms split between two levels and I love the Nordic hygge principals so wanted upstairs to be more dimly lit and to embrace a snuggly, restful, sleep space and bathing rituals. Downstairs the living area is more open plan with multiple large sliding doors onto the yard which offers intentional spaces for entertaining.

I also love the Japanese design tradition of tokonoma so we built in shelves made to display and swap out treasured items when not in use to reduce clutter. Things like dim and lamp lit spaces were also employed with strategic light placement and dimmers throughout to help create a desired mood. Overall I believe a space is not just about how it looks, but how it makes you feel, which encompasses all of the senses.

On a more practical front we didn’t want multiple heating options or air-con so worked with the sun for heating upstairs and cross ventilation and ceiling fans for cooling throughout and we clad the exterior predominately in Abodo wood for longevity in our coastal environment; both being more environmentally friendly options.

What was important for your carpet choice?

We wanted 100% wool for our carpet to avoid synthetic materials and for it to look and feel beautiful. We love lounging on the floor, playing with the kids and the snuggly feeling of comfort wool carpet offers. The rooms with carpet are so much warmer once the sun goes down too which is lovely through the winter months and with young children.

What advice do you have for anyone starting a new build or renovation?

Look inward first to establish what suits your style, lifestyle and non-negotiables rather than looking outward toward trends. Buy quality over quantity and long lasting items from responsible brands where possible. And work with the site you have, take things like the sun, wind, south side, privacy, landscaping and flow into careful consideration.

Where are your favourite places to shop for your home?

I’m obsessed with the range at Simon James and Woodwrights for furniture and often purchase from beautiful stores like Paper Plane, Sunday Homestore and Slow for homewares. I also make a point of buying directly from the artist or maker and smaller like-minded boutique stores or businesses like Worn, Public Record and Kali Yuga where possible. I am generally very aware of who I am buying from and if they align with my values.

What’s next for you? Any new projects in the pipeline?

I’ve been working with some of my favourite women to release a new book later this year. It has been a personal project that is very close to heart so I am excited to put that out into the world.

I’m sure there will be more houses on our horizon too, we love a project, so it’s only a matter of time.

Credits

Homeowners: Monique Hemmingson & James Hopping
Where: Mount Maunganui
Photographer: Olivia Pitcher