At my place with Ripe creator Angela Redfern
Angela Redfern is the woman behind Auckland's Ripe Delis and three recipe books. Her brand is synonymous with fresh and delicious recipes, many of which are cooked up at her home in Red Beach, Whangaparoa.
She shares her "modern, relaxed and eclectic" home with her partner Greg and their two children Sam, six, and Jessica, four.
"I love our lounge at the front of the house with the sea views. There is no TV distraction and plenty of books so a pleasant place to sit and chat with family and friends," she said.
"I enjoy my first cup of tea here every morning as I get real pleasure watching the ever-changing expansive sky out of the windows and sometimes the sun rising."
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It hasn't always been this serene. Renovations meant they lived without a front door for months.
"It caused lots of confusion and shouting to explain how to get in," she said.
Describe your house in two sentences...Spacious, relaxed and homely with glorious light and sea views. Full of artwork mainly created by friends and family, a space that I look forward to coming home to.
Describe your style in three words...Modern, relaxed and eclectic.
Where is your home and who lives there with you?
My home is in Red Beach, Auckland. I live with my partner Greg and our two children Sam, six, and Jessica, four, plus two dogs and our cat.
Your favourite room/area in the house and why?I love our lounge at the front of the house with the sea views. There is no TV distraction and plenty of books so a pleasant place to sit and chat with family and friends. I enjoy my first cup of tea here every morning as I get real pleasure watching the ever-changing expansive sky out of the windows and sometimes the sun rising. A lovely peaceful time of day.
Finish this sentence with an anecdote. "Once someone came to my door and…" ....got a surprise to find there was no door. It caused lots of confusion and shouting to explain how to get in. The joys of renovations for two years- there was no door for a few months.
Your proudest DIY moment?Finding a partner who can do DIY. I'm a "jump in without thinking" DIYer which hasn't bought me the best results - no patience and likes to take risks. Such as, "Let's just hope we are nailing this into a stud!"
If my partner would let me, I would get rid of...His hoardings in the garage. He gets great pleasure though when he can say, "See it's just as well I kept this."
Title of a book, film or television show that best describes the mood in your home?Oh, the Places You'll Go! - for being open minded about the journey of life, the big dreams and its challenges.
Best money you have ever spent on the house? Solar panels, the new deck at the front of the house and our large, double-glazed big sliding windows, which provide the view. Plus the large tanks under the deck that fill with rainwater
Worst thing that's ever gone wrong while entertaining?My chocolate lab has been known to grab the steaks before they hit the BBQ.
One item I wish I had kept or not got rid of is...One of the ducks in my set of flying ducks like you'd see on the wall of Coronation St. It unfortunately broke.
Favourite piece of furniture?A beautiful outdoor table and benches. It comfortably sits 10 and has seen many a good evening with people around it for the past 15 years. A lovely carpenter Jeremy made it for me out of Kwila. It's solid and has that beautiful aged wood appeal now.
If I had $50k, what I would change about my house is… I would add a balcony to the bedroom we added to our house on the top floor so that you would be able to see the view better.
Which home habit annoys you the most? Picking up everyone's stuff lying around. But I do it myself so how can I expect my children to be different. Greg would say my bad habit of leaving lids not on properly is highly annoying and I get that. But changing that habit is a whole other story.
What's one domestic/housework/gardening trick you've learnt over the years? I love coming home to my bed being made and so try very hard to do this in the mornings but my best trick is to now not be agitated when housework jobs need to be done. Instead I try to feel grateful for having, for example, a dishwasher to empty and it works. It makes for a much more enjoyable day when you can change your mindset.
