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A colour - loving couple find solace in the seaside Wellington suburb of Seatoun

A colour-filled Seatoun home showcases bold dopamine decorating, art, and playful family living by the seaside.

Homestyle
Last updated: 20 May 2026 | 4 min read
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Interior designer Karla Devine of House Party Interiors has transformed her Seatoun family home with a "dopamine decorating" approach, embracing bold colours and playful patterns. After returning from London, the couple chose the 1940s weatherboard house for its fantastic natural light and open-plan layout.

Major renovations included a new kitchen with custom cabinetry, a reconfigured main suite to capture sea views, and practical updates like central heating. The home now showcases a joyful mix of colour, art, and mid-century furniture.

An addition to the original floorplan accommodates the dining, family room and kitchen. “I designed and had the rangehood custom-made to the exact size of the Soap tiles by Kaufmann Keramik via The Tile People,” says Karla. “I’d seen these tiles a couple of years earlier and couldn’t forget them.”

At the heart of the family room, looking out over the back garden, is a Ballerina table from Goldsworthy Studio with Gubi Coco dining chairs brought back from London. On the wall hangs a Gordon Walters artwork from Webb's.

Karla and her two children Paloma and Peggy reading stories on a BoConcept Camo sofa in the lounge. Behind them is a Rob Tucker painting.

A painting by Bruce Treloar is from the International Art Centre in Auckland and hangs above a custom console made by Advanced Tile & Stone. Eclectic finds such as an Eclette recycled cardboard vase bought in Melbourne, Seletti ceramic hand sculpture, and a vase made by Sophie Alda from A New Tribe in London, are just some of the couple’s many collected treasures.”

Topcer matte wall tiles from Tile Warehouse are paired with Mutina Mattonelle Margherita floor tiles from European Ceramics. Duomo Piccolo wall sconces by Nightworks Studio flank the mirrored cabinet imported from the US and are positioned above a custom-made vanity by Karla, topped with sinks from Nood Co.

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