Amy Griffiths and Nigel Green have a big, busy, bustling, blended family with four growing teenagers and two pugs. In July 2017, they brought the clan to Rolleston, Canterbury — one of the fastest-growing regions in the South Island.

When it came to building her own home, Amy knew exactly what she wanted. They needed a space big enough to accommodate the whole family while giving the kids their own space. Working with GJ Gardner, they modified the standard plan to build a single-level home with five bedrooms and an open plan kitchen.

Having fallen in love with the old villa look, Amy and Nigel incorporated the style into a design that could fit their budget. They created villa-style features with large ornate skirtings and architraves, and incorporated a mixture of modern surfaces and natural timber throughout the house. Grooved panels were put on two living room walls to create a wood panel look and give the space some texture.

The couple wanted a dark colour scheme to pair with the décor, so they used Grey Friars by Resene on all the skirtings, doors, bathroom walls and the master bedroom feature wall.

Being a home solutions consultant at PDL by Schneider Electric, Amy has consulted with many homeowners about switchgear. She immediately knew the style of switchgear she wanted to use for her own home. She selected Saturn Horizon to match with the overall dark colour scheme while popping on lighter coloured walls, as well as the Saturn 250V with a glass look finish. By using the same profile and button shape for the switches Amy had the flexibility to mix and match the switchgear throughout the home. The words on the switches which indicate what each switch is for are a favourite feature for the family, as well as for visitors.

To keep up with the need to charge a multitude of devices for six people, Amy and Nigel made use of the USB chargers offered in the Saturn Horizon switchgear range to ensure efficient and convenient charging. The chargers are installed in all bedrooms, and in the living and kitchen areas so the family never run out of places to charge.

“The switches and sockets have added such a sophisticated look to the house,” Amy said, “and we are constantly getting comments on how amazing they are, especially with the shining LED lights.”

When asked about the future, Amy said their style is forever changing. They would love to design and build their next house themselves and take the best of this Rolleston home to the next one.