b'pictures: Mark HeaslipLeonie and Dave Jamieson bought a neglected farm cottageair. And to achieve the easy ow between inside and out in Karaka and within six months theyd transformed it intowhichneverconcernedourforebears,butwhichhas a stylish and comfortable family home. become an essential part of contemporary living.Whenthecouplerstmet,LeoniewasworkinginBoth David and Leonie work from home. Leonie runs her Auckland and Dave was based in Hamilton. We chosekitchen and bathroom design consultancy von Sturmer Karaka [a rural area south of Auckland] because it wasDesign;Dave,aformerDJandTVpersonality,now about halfway between the two cities, Leonie explains.concentrates on voice-overs and corporate videos for his Its a very pretty area, the tone of which is set by thecompany Mediactive. They have two children, daughter various stud farms surrounding the Jamiesons propertyMorgan-Skye (6) and son Campbell (2). notably Eric Watsons 37ha stud, called Westbury, acrossA new wing containing a studio, ofce and guest suite the road. was added at a right angle to the main house. Expansive Leonie, an experienced home renovator, has always loveddecking links the new wing to the main house, creatingReseneBlack Whiteold houses. Their history and design detailslike thea north-facing outdoor living area thats sheltered from Resenehigh battened ceilings and wooden oorsmean thatthe prevailing wind by the now L-shaped house. ThisMerinoold houses always have a special feel to them. One of my favourite things is to take an old unloved building and bring it back to life with a renewed sense of purpose.Some people did think we were mad taking the project on, Leonie says. But its what I love to do, so I didnt see it as stressful at all. Well, the re-piling did turn out to be a bit of a drama, and weve sworn never to do that again! Was it worth it? Absolutelywe love the result.Builders worked on the house from top to bottom for six months, effectively stripping it to its bare bones, and then re-building it again. Internal walls were moved and removed,andtinywindowsreplacedwithexpansive bifolding doors and windows to let in sunlight and fresh | 29'