There Are More Plants Than Furniture in this Sunny New Zealand Loft

After we featured this Plant-Filled Industrial New Zealand Loft earlier this year, we’ve had lots of requests to turn it into a full house tour. So here we are, back in this 1920s converted factory loft, to step into this beautiful sunlit, plant-filled home in the heart of Auckland.

Ron, a digital designer, shares this home with his partner Matt and their two dogs Teddy and Ninny. “I own more plants than furniture,” Ron jokingly says. Indeed this place is every plant-lover’s dream, yet the amount of foliage is balanced perfectly with the rest of the apartment; everything seems to live in such harmony with each other. There are shades of green found in differing heights and sizes, which complements the high ceilings of this almost 100-year-old property.

As well as lots of plants, Ron has also filled this home with quirky, unusual things like a retro arcade machine, as well as lots of vintage items. He picked up the chairs and stools from markets and secondhand stores, as well as buying used planters from the local nursery. “Sometimes imperfect things add character to your home and are interesting talking pieces,” Ron says.

My Style: “Jungalow” and mid-century modern

Inspiration: I think travel really inspires my style a lot. I love to visit places that are full of greenery and have interesting or unique interior styles. I watch for how they use plants for styling and what sort of pots they have that look great. Pinterest is always a good way to get inspiration and I think I would call that an addiction.

Favorite Element: Our glass brick windows that let in the evening light and the french doors opening onto the north-east facing balcony to cityscape views.

Biggest Challenge: Moving furniture up to our apartment that has three flights of narrow stairs is always a pain! There is no lift in the building; that adds charm but makes it difficult to get heavy things up and down.

What Friends Say: Our friends usually ask where we got pieces of furniture from, or talk about how our space has inspired them. My partner’s brother decided to imitate our style with a more grungy look, heavily investing in plants and olden day pieces to create a similar but unique style of their own.

Biggest Embarrassment: I bought a secondhand giant kentia palm. It slowly died after a few weeks, and I attempted to save it by pruning it. This didn’t work out and I ended up with a dead stump I needed to throw away.

Proudest DIY: I made some plant shelves using cinder blocks and the old timber from the balcony handrail we replaced last year. The timber was extremely weathered so a quick sand and stain brought them back to life.

Biggest Indulgence: My beautiful mud cloth rug. It’s the centerpiece of the living area, and was definitely one of the more expensive items. It’s super soft and comfortable for sitting on, and a luxurious piece.

Best Advice: Rummaging through op shops, charity shops, and secondhand shops as well as morning markets will find you good and unique stuff and save you money. Sometimes imperfect things add character to your home and are interesting talking pieces.

Dream Sources: Dreaming of the cane lounger from Worn Store, a velvet Dreamer couch and pots from Pop & Scott Workshop, and the Lina Pendant 04 2.0 from Douglas & Bec. A set of Niels Moller dining chairs and the list goes on. And also the home of Maurizio Zucchi!