Houzz Tours
Meet My Houzz: Cris Bucknall's Eco-Friendly Home
An interior designer with a passion for sustainability personalises her coastal home with eco-friendly furniture, colour and warmth
Cris Bucknall is the creator of Eco Chic – an eco-friendly online business offering sustainable furniture and homewares that are kind to the environment, without compromising on style. Bucknall started out as a set designer in Hollywood, California, working for acclaimed director Ridley Scott. Eventually, in search of a less-hectic schedule, she travelled to Fiji and then Australia designing hotels and resorts.
Bucknall started Eco Chic as an offshoot of her interior design company Mannigan Edwards Interiors, and settled in the sunny coastal town of Tweed in northern NSW, where she now rents a three-bedroom home with her two young daughters and their rescue dog Kona. The home is filled with her love for art, upcycled furniture and environmentally friendly wares; it truly reflects her creative talents.
Bucknall started Eco Chic as an offshoot of her interior design company Mannigan Edwards Interiors, and settled in the sunny coastal town of Tweed in northern NSW, where she now rents a three-bedroom home with her two young daughters and their rescue dog Kona. The home is filled with her love for art, upcycled furniture and environmentally friendly wares; it truly reflects her creative talents.
How did you come across your home?
The day it was listed for rent, the kids and I snuck down to look in the window. I loved how old it was and the location was incredible. So I called the agent at 8:01 the next morning and told them they had to give it to me, and they would be making a terrible mistake if they gave it to anyone else.
The real estate agent was quick to point out that the home was really old. This made me laugh as an old house in California is well over 100 years. Plus, as an interior designer I would make it look better than it ever had and would treat it as my own. I then stalked them for two days until they gave it to me!
Bucknall’s love of colour and pattern are at play in every space of this warm and welcoming home. This outdoor coffee table is made from recycled wood and sits on one of her own rug designs.
African Binga basket and shells: Eco Chic
The day it was listed for rent, the kids and I snuck down to look in the window. I loved how old it was and the location was incredible. So I called the agent at 8:01 the next morning and told them they had to give it to me, and they would be making a terrible mistake if they gave it to anyone else.
The real estate agent was quick to point out that the home was really old. This made me laugh as an old house in California is well over 100 years. Plus, as an interior designer I would make it look better than it ever had and would treat it as my own. I then stalked them for two days until they gave it to me!
Bucknall’s love of colour and pattern are at play in every space of this warm and welcoming home. This outdoor coffee table is made from recycled wood and sits on one of her own rug designs.
African Binga basket and shells: Eco Chic
What is your favourite room in the house?
The verandah – I curl up on my generously sized daybed with both kids and the dog in the morning sun, and it is beautifully shaded for the rest of the day. It’s a great spot for eating, reading, sleeping and having friends stop by for a cuppa. Every year for my birthday we light a little fire in a brazier out there and toast marshmallows.
The verandah – I curl up on my generously sized daybed with both kids and the dog in the morning sun, and it is beautifully shaded for the rest of the day. It’s a great spot for eating, reading, sleeping and having friends stop by for a cuppa. Every year for my birthday we light a little fire in a brazier out there and toast marshmallows.
What is your favourite item in the house?
My bed and the bedhead, which I made myself. My blood, sweat and tears went into it. I bought the plywood and the foam, made the frame out of picture frame moulding, stretched the rustic linen and then hand-tapped in every single silver stud.
Most nights will find myself, the two kids and one large dog all hanging out here watching a movie or just chatting. My bedroom is right off the living room, which is terrible for privacy, but it is nice because it’s like the indoor lounge area of the house.
My bed and the bedhead, which I made myself. My blood, sweat and tears went into it. I bought the plywood and the foam, made the frame out of picture frame moulding, stretched the rustic linen and then hand-tapped in every single silver stud.
Most nights will find myself, the two kids and one large dog all hanging out here watching a movie or just chatting. My bedroom is right off the living room, which is terrible for privacy, but it is nice because it’s like the indoor lounge area of the house.
How would you describe your decorating style?
Bohemian eclectic – every single thing in my house is either secondhand or is made from secondhand materials. My antique kilim rugs are old and worn and nothing really matches, but somehow it all works. I love colour and pattern.
Salvaged Australian camphor side table: Eco Chic
Bohemian eclectic – every single thing in my house is either secondhand or is made from secondhand materials. My antique kilim rugs are old and worn and nothing really matches, but somehow it all works. I love colour and pattern.
Salvaged Australian camphor side table: Eco Chic
What’s your hot design tip?
‘Spanish Light’ – I’m so over Nordic and mid-century modern it’s not funny, and I’m loving the ethnic, tribal and Moroccan motifs flowing through. Metals are getting blacker and bronzier and everything is starting to feel a little more decorative, so think south of Spain meets northern Morocco, and then clean up the lines a bit for the contemporary Australian market and voila!
Every single client I’ve had for the last three years has said they want eclectic and they want some colour. Nobody wants all neutrals anymore, even though that seems to be what’s in most of the shops.
Capiz shell and leather tray: Eco Chic
‘Spanish Light’ – I’m so over Nordic and mid-century modern it’s not funny, and I’m loving the ethnic, tribal and Moroccan motifs flowing through. Metals are getting blacker and bronzier and everything is starting to feel a little more decorative, so think south of Spain meets northern Morocco, and then clean up the lines a bit for the contemporary Australian market and voila!
Every single client I’ve had for the last three years has said they want eclectic and they want some colour. Nobody wants all neutrals anymore, even though that seems to be what’s in most of the shops.
Capiz shell and leather tray: Eco Chic
What decorating lesson have you learned in your experience?
Don’t over-match. It looks contrived and unsophisticated. People are scared and matching is easy, but it sucks. It is okay to have something that doesn’t quite go if it’s beautiful. It will make a home feel effortless and real. Something old, something new, something unexpected and something worldly is a great recipe for a successful room.
Scroll through the rest of this home’s gallery, and share your own home by using #meetmyhouzz and your abode might be featured in our next story!
Don’t over-match. It looks contrived and unsophisticated. People are scared and matching is easy, but it sucks. It is okay to have something that doesn’t quite go if it’s beautiful. It will make a home feel effortless and real. Something old, something new, something unexpected and something worldly is a great recipe for a successful room.
Scroll through the rest of this home’s gallery, and share your own home by using #meetmyhouzz and your abode might be featured in our next story!
With the whole family gathering in the main bedroom, comfort is essential and Bucknall swears by her Egyptian cotton sheets which she bought from Target.
The living room has large windows which boast views of the beautiful natural surrounds.
This TV stand was a roadside find. Bucknall gave it a new lease on life by painting it a vibrant blue.
Having studied visual art and film in Santa Barbara, California, Bucknall has a keen eye for great art. She admits she still favours the authenticity of American painters’ work, but has grown to love a number of works by Australian artists too. She is also a great supporter of local art when it comes to suggesting pieces for clients’ homes.
The worn kilim rug in the living room brings warmth and character to this central space. Bucknall says that despite having a lot of decor in the home, it’s all kid-friendly and nothing is too precious that it can’t be used or touched. The leather club chair is from an op-shop and Bucknall had it reupholstered in vintage leather. The coffee table is another one of her designs.
Silver Coptic cross and coral on coffee table: Eco Chic
Silver Coptic cross and coral on coffee table: Eco Chic
The ‘family wall’ in the living room is a popular feature that many of Bucknall’s clients request to have in their own homes. Bucknall likes having this collection of memorable images of family and travel to personalise the space.
This charming little desk is made from recycled walnut and the family refer to it as the ‘homework desk’.
Another nod to eclectic styling is seen here against the grey feature wall, with a collection of diverse pieces artfully arranged on this cane stand.
A striking original artwork by Linda Keough hangs in the dining room, providing a real focal point and a sense of elegance.
The bar stools also came from the side of the road. They got a fresh coat of paint and some new cushions to provide the perfect place to perch at the kitchen benchtop. More original artwork adorns the walls, providing a splash of colour.
Bucknall’s eldest daughter Kira’s bedroom is full of character and fun. This wallpaper is from Etsy, and the bold turquoise chest of drawers provides great storage.
A mixture of pattern, colour and handmade pieces pack lots of personality and brightness into Kira’s room, despite it receiving less natural light in the afternoons.
Eight-year-old Emery’s bedroom is just as colourful and fun as her older sister’s. Another rug design by Bucknall can also be seen here.
The balcony is almost as big as the whole interior of the home, and looks out over the Terranora Inlet to Boyds Bay and Cook Island beyond. It is south-east facing and gets a cool breeze, but is protected from the hot western sun as it dips down behind Mount Warning. Bucknall inherited the cane chairs and had the cushions covered in fabric by Fab Outdoor Fabrics.
Meet My Houzz is an ongoing series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes in Australia and New Zealand, and interview the people who inhabit them. If you would like to submit your own home for a tour, please email aueditor@houzz.com.
This rental home was built in the ’60s and Bucknall fell in love with the beat-up timber floors and real brick wood-burning fireplace. It has high ceilings with decorative cornices, and takes in amazing views out over the nearby Terranora Inlet to Boyds Bay and Cook Island.
Bucknall knew she could make this older house the perfect home for herself and her daughters, and as an interior designer by trade she could dress it up to look amazing.
We spoke to Bucknall to find out more about her home.