At Home With Lauren & Kiran Overton

At Home With

5 Dec

Home was always going to be a very special space for this Launceston builder and budding interior designer power duo.

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Kiran and Lauren Overton in their Launceston home

When Lauren and Kiran Overton stumbled across a 1.5-acre sloping block in Tasmania’s north, they weren’t quite ready to build their dream home. A nurse and builder respectively, the couple saw the lifestyle potential that the area could offer them, but they had other items to tick off their bucket list first.

“We loved the idea of living somewhere with land so we bought the block, but wanted to go travelling before we started the process of building,” Lauren says. “I’m really glad that we did, because our travels helped to influence the decisions that we made throughout the build.”

Two years and several countries toured later, Lauren and Kiran’s home - Casa Blanca - is complete, and it’s not difficult to recognise the part of the world from which those influences came. A largely white palette with timber and terracotta accents was inspired by the couple’s time in Europe, with special nods to Spain and Italy. Lauren’s long interest in design was put to work, with a number of selections sourced from overseas to create a sense of the Mediterranean just 10 minutes out of Launceston. International imports include a classic brass Lacanche oven from France, and handmade Moroccan terracotta tiles that surround a French-made Cheminées Philippe wood heater in the living area.

“The tiles had to be ordered well in advance from Melbourne-based Tiles of Ezra, and when they arrived, we had to lay them all out on the floor and seal every single tile,” Lauren says. “It was a huge job, but so worth it - our beautiful fireplace is a central feature that we gather around with friends and family.”

Visitors are common at Casa Blanca, where Lauren and Kiran regularly play host from the home’s expansive kitchen centrepiece. A keen cook, Lauren had several non-negotiables for the culinary space, including a pot filler tap over the stove and an al fresco woodfired pizza oven for entertaining on the deck.

The home - which won a Master Builders Tasmania Award for Excellence for its innovation and craftsmanship - was built by Kiran’s own business Overton Homes, capitalising on the challenging block with a clever cantilevered deck overlooking views of kanamaluka/Tamar River. Water and bushland views are similarly enjoyed from abundant bi-fold and box windows throughout the home, many of which invite lingering moments of reflection and invigoration.

“I always knew that I wanted the home to have big windows to lie in and look out at the view,” Lauren says. “Every room you go into feels light and bright - we’re so lucky to wake up to this every day.”

Having further flexed her design flair with a recent nautical-themed renovation of a Greens Beach home which will soon be listed for short-stay accommodation, Lauren is set to qualify her experience with a formal interior design course. While Casa Blanca will not soon need any updates, she and Kiran are looking forward to working on other building and renovation projects.

“I’m really passionate about interior design, and have essentially taught myself up to this point, with lots of online research and intentionality around every decision,” she says. “I’m excited to hone my skills, and to work with others to create their own beautiful spaces.”