Grand plans

Renovating an iconic English-style manor into a luxe mansion with an international feel is no easy feat, but for Paula Herbert it’s par for the course. With an eye honed by years of interior-design experience, the former Mrs New Zealand is a savvy stylist who is unashamedly true to herself when it comes to creating her home. Monochromatic is her favourite theme and while this is more often associated with contemporary abodes, the finesse with which Paula has applied it to this grand old dame, in Auckland’s Remuera, shows how modern and classic styles can combine.

Designed in the early 1900s by Roy Binney, who studied architecture with famed English