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free DESIGNER WRAPPING PAPER INSIDE

The deﬁnitive festive guide

The

Christmas INSPO FOR LUXE, MODERN & RUSTIC DECORATING STYLES

issue

Eat, drink & be merry An Insta--worthy menu

BEST IN BAUBLES Creative takes on Christmas traditions

DIY PROJECT

DECEMBER 2021 $9.50 (INCL. GST)

Easy bedside table updates

DECK YOUR HALLS

HOW TO GET HIGH IMPACT YULETIDE EFFECTS WITH MINIMAL EFFORT

SOUTHERN ALPS

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Photo: Lisa Cohen. Stylist: Bree Leech. Artwork from left: ‘This Life We Share’ by Jasmine Mansbridge, Fenton & Fenton, ‘Untitled no.23’ by Max Lawrence White, Modern Times, ‘Blue Savana’ by Mim Fanning, Studio Gallery.

Find your colour at dulux.co.nz

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One of our most popular whites.

CONTENTS December

12 Shopping 12 14

F R E S H F I ND S T HAT ’S A WR AP

Homes 38

T R E E CA NDY

Classic tree decorations

20 GO GREEN STO C K I N G F I L L E R S

Most are under $20 24

READ THE ROOM

Books as presents 26 34

L I V I N G WE LL

A mindful Christmas 1 4 6 L AST LO O K

Gift ideas from a stylist 4

YOUR H O ME A ND GA R DE N

FAM ILY T R E E

Mid-century living at its best

ME R RY D EC O RATI N G

Yuletide styling

A HE A D O F T H E C URVE

Modern, organic and ready for the festive season, this house is a natural crowd-pleaser

Sage tips for an eco season 23

H O M E FO R T H E H O L I DAYS

A classic villa is beautifully reimagined in time for Christmas

Festive paper 16

H A P PY HO US E

An ’80s bungalow is updated with lashings of colour and interesting ﬁnds

Renovation 8 4 F R O M G R U TO G L A M

A ramshackle villa is relocated to west of Auckland for some TLC and transformed into a much-loved, light-ﬁlled family house

Makeover 94 BA NG ON

Make your own Christmas crackers 96 HEA RT O F TH E CI T Y

A couple have taken a Cuba St apartment in Wellington and unleashed their formidable creativity on it 1 0 4 T H E B LO C K N Z

It’s been two years coming, but The Block NZ houses have been auctioned and there are winners 1 1 0 D I Y B E D S I D E D R AW E R S

Nikki Kettle updates some drawers – three ways

138

116 Food 11 4 D R I N K UP

A bevvy of pretty cocktails 11 6 H OL I DAY F EAST

A Christmas spread with something for everyone 124 AMAZING GRAZE

The mother of all grazing platters for easy summer get-togethers 128 SOUND BITES

New and appetising food, drink and serveware

Gardens 132 SCENTS OF TRADITION

The Christmas lily is the ﬂower of the moment 1 3 4 C O N STA N T GA R D E N E R

Mary Lovell-Smith’s December list – because the grass keeps growing over Christmas 1 3 8 U P T H E GA R D E N PAT H

Not all paths are created equal. Some are purposeful to get you from A to B, while others are more meditative. Find what works for you

On the cover Fiona Goddard’s soft pastel Christmas tree decorations received an injection of lipstick-pink hydrangeas for our cover shoot. Turn to page 38 to see if you can spot the special ornament on the tree made by four-year-old Billie, who was chief shoot assistant on the day. Photography Helen Bankers Styling Catherine Wilkinson Artiﬁcial ﬂowers by Curated Botanics.

YOU R HO M E AND GARD EN

Hello

Fiona Hawtin, Editor

This month I’m…

Hoping for these Pols Potten Roman vases. In fact, I’m not going to wait for Santa. $415 for the set of four. smithandcaugheys.co.nz

Getting up at the crack of dawn each day so I can open another drawer in this Glasshouse advent calendar box, $279. The reward is scented candles, creams and perfume miniatures. I may also have to invest in the Spinning Carousel, $34.99, which twirls when you put it on top of a candle and light. Truly enchanting. glasshousefragrances.com Slathering on Emma Lewisham’s Illuminating Face and Body Oil, the latest product from the skincare line that is taking the world by storm. It’s shimmery and hydrating, plus the oil-soluble hyaluronic acid means skin is plumped for more than eight hours. In love. $92, emmalewisham.com 6

YOU R HO ME A N D GA RD E N

In need of these Tencel Videris pyjamas. I need to get them ahead of Christmas so I can lounge around on Christmas morning. Actually, I may spend the day in them as they do double duty as easy daywear. $180 for the shirt, $150 for the pants. viderislingerie.com

PHOTOGRAPHY, HAIR AND MAKE-UP CAROLYN HASLETT. FIONA WEARS HELEN CHERRY JACKET, LONELY CAMI AND ZOE & MORGAN NECKLACE.

o this is Christmas and what have you done? Well, like many, I’ve been in lockdown for much of the year, and my home has become my universe. Has that stopped me getting excited about Christmas? Not a chance. In fact, having got the jump early in the November magazine, just like this issue, my festive preparation is reaching fever pitch. Christmas really is the ultimate mood enhancer. Everything is so much better with baubles, so going all out is a way of defying the sucky year, celebrating family, friends, resilience and our collective humanity. We’ve got plenty of decorating ideas from our cover house’s pretty Yuletide treatment on page 38 to the organic, earthy style of the home on page 52. There’s even an idea for a Christmas tree made of parasols on page 26. We’ve got stocking filler ideas on page 23. Or you could buy a subscription to Your Home and Garden for a friend or renew your own and be in to win a Mitsubishi car (page 106). On the food front, there’s a menu with plenty of posh festive salads and a genius grazing platter starting on page 116. You’ll also find a sheet of one of our two designs of Your Home and Garden x Studio Bon designer wrapping paper included in your issue. It’s our way of saying Merry Christmas from the team at Your Home and Garden.

Freedomfurniture.co.nz

Sorrento Leather Modular Sofa in Bendigo Tan

Design Your World

Social club

Runway-worthy homewares and Christmas inspo

ART & EDITORIAL Deputy editor Bea Taylor Art director Nicola Feeney Chief sub-editor Michelle Joe Garden editor Mary Lovell-Smith Senior designers Béla Trussell-Cullen, Tanya Wong Designers Demelza Callesen, Alice Bush CONTRIBUTORS Kate Alexander, Helen Bankers, Anna Briggs, Jackie Brygel, Florence Charvin, Sarah Ellison, Shelby George, Debbie Harrison, Carolyn Haslett, Nikki Kettle, Claire Moriarty, Eleanor Ozich, Jessie Prince, Sarah Rowlands, Emily Suyee, Catherine Wilkinson

Hat or lampshade? The latter, but we’re easily fooled, Lana brings a fashionable approach to her handmade lampshades.

WE LOVE

EDITOR Fiona Hawtin

@shadeslaunay

PET OF THE MONTH Glass artist Amanda’s painterly pieces are a hit – and her glass baubles are exactly what your Christmas tree is mising.

Despite an initial reluctance to having people in his home, Scottish short-hair Bear relaxed into the shoot after a quick cat-nap. Page 38

@amanda_dziedzic

CONNECT WITH US We love seeing images from our #yourhomeandgarden community.

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Celebrate the silly season with these eye-catching trees

A mother-daughter team complete an epic reno together

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YO U R HO M E AN D GA RD E N

Joy to the dining room Make merry this Christmas by adding plenty of Meri Meri’s cute honeycomb trees, festive princess crowns and super-cute crackers to the table. Who cares if there’s no room for the food? Meri Meri Rainbow Forest Honeycomb set, $68 (pack of 10), and Sausage Dog Crackers, $79 (set of six); both from Tea Pea Home.

YOUR H OME AND GAR DE N

SHOPPING 12

Fresh ﬁnds Festive trends and cool presents.

We love A wrap party with all the trimmings.

Merry decorations Get jolly and deck the halls. YO U R H OME AN D GA R DEN

House of card Here’s an advent calendar you’ll be tempted to leave up all year – Rifle Paper Co’s Night Before Christmas with 24 windows featuring sweet illustrations. $48, madamefancypants.com

SEW FESTIVE While away the hours until

Santa arrives with this charming Night Before Christmas embroidery project. $49.90 for the supplies, from cleverpoppy.com

Be-leaf it Celebrate GIRL’S BEST FRIEND If you love a bit of bling, try your hand at some diamond art. It’s like paint-bynumbers but with gems. Sparkle art kit in blue moon, around $51 from journeyofsomething.com 12

YO UR H OM E A ND GAR D EN

Christmas with a festive foliage garland that will last all season. $36, teapea.co.nz

WIRED M A KE WF H A STYLI SH A ND C ORDL ES S S PACE W ITH LO G I TEC H’S NEW MI NIM ALIST W IRELES S KEYB OA RD, T HE MX K EYS M INI , I N PA LE GRAY, GRAPHITE OR ROSE. $ 199, LO GI TECH.C OM

Making shapes Earthy colours meet a popping mid-century geometric pattern for a cushion that makes a statement. $54.95, freedomfurniture.co.nz

Line up FULL OF BEANS KICK BAC K AND R EL AX I N STYLE WI TH SAGE & CLA RE ’S HA NNA PRI NTED B EA N BAG. $299, MOIONGEORGE.NZ

A stalwart of Christmas decor: 34cm Nutcracker assorted, $10, from kmart. co.nz

FORCE OF NATURE

Kensal flowers and our very own photographer Kate Battersby have teamed up to create a striking limited edition floral photographic print that would make the perfect Christmas gift this year. From $150, find it at kensal.nz

IIT TALA N APP U LA PLA NT POT I N DA RK GR E E N , $169, FR OM BO LTOF CLOTH .C OM

STAINED GLASS These Maroyaka vases come in five different colour combinations, each one expertly blended for full spectrum colour. $71 each, noxudesign.com

YOUR H O ME A ND GAR DE N

WE LOVE

That’s a wrap Make your gifts the talk of the silly season with these festive trimmings ings

6 7

1 50m Christmas craft bakers twine, $3, from Kmart. 2 Printed gloss wrapping paper in pōhutukawa, $59.50 . (50m), from Ribbon & Blues. 3 Printed matte wrapping paper in ivory with gold stars, $59.50 (50m), from Ribbon & Blues. 4 Printed gloss wrapping paper in reindeer pine cones soft f red, $20 $ (10m), ffrom Ribbon & Blues. 5 Wrapping paper band roll in gold, $5.99, from Typo. 6 Christmas tree gift tag, $3, from Tea Pea Home. 7 Merry Christmas gift tag, $4, from Father Rabbit. 8 Crosses wrap, from $5.90; Ho Ho Ho gift tag set in neon, $14.50 (10-pack); and Paper gift string, $8.95 (set of three), from Made Paper Co. 9 Rifle Paper Co Letters to Santa card, $7.90, from Father Rabbit. 10 Jolly & Joy Holly gift tags in multicoloured, $5.50 (pack of 12), from Spotlight.

YOU R HO ME A ND GA RD E N

2 1 4 3

S T Y L E S TA L K E R

Winter wonderland

Celebrate the Yuletide in classic Christmas style 8

7 10

1 Gingerbread man and woman tree decoration, $35, from Father Rabbit. 2 Jolly & Joy glitter snowflake decoration, $11 (pack of two), from Spotlight. 3 Home of Christmas glass circus bauble, $19.99, from Farmers. 4 Home of Christmas pear shaped finial tree decoration in red, $7.99, from Farmers. 5 Winter Wonderland rocking horse decoration, $8.99, from Adairs. 6 Jasmine pink & gold sequin bauble, $9.99, from Adairs. 7 Home of Christmas glass deco finial in gold, $14.99, from Farmers. 8 Mini stocking with pom poms decoration, $28.50, from Father Rabbit. 9 Home of Christmas glass matte white bauble with gold glitter, $19.99, from Farmers. 10 Reindeer decoration in grey, $17.99, from Shut The Front Door. 11 Folklore Christmas house tree decoration, $3 (pack of four), from Kmart.

YO UR HO ME A N D GA RD E N

THE BEST KITCHENS BEGIN WITH BLANCO

PYROLYTIC CLEANING

Introducing Pyrolytic cleaning with BLANCO Tired of cleaning your oven? The BOSE699PIX oven has a Pyrolytic self-cleaning function. Pyrolytic self-cleaning is the fastest way to clean an oven. At a 400°C temperature everything turns to ash, so no chemical cleaners are necessary with this great cleaning method. When the program is ﬁnished, just let the oven cool down and wipe it out with a damp cloth. Discover the BOSE699PIX and other great kitchen appliances at blanco.co.nz Monaco Corporation Ltd. is proud to be the ofﬁcial partner of BLANCO in the New Zealand market. @BlancoNewZealand @blanco_newzealand

2 3

S T Y L E S TA L K E R

Out of the ordinary

Up the quirk factor with decorations that surprise and delight 7 8 9

11 10

1 Home of Christmas glass chips in red and white, $11.99, from Farmers. 2 Glass effect dark aqua bauble, $9.99, from Adairs. 3 Red lobster vintage glass decoration, $16.99, from Adairs. 4 Espresso martini resin Christmas ornament, $5.99, from Typo. 5 Star Wars stormtrooper resin Christmas ornament, $5.99, from Typo. 6 Sewing machine resin Christmas ornament, $5.99, from Typo. 7 Felted mini mice Christmas decoration, $39 (set of three), from Father Rabbit. 8 Kiwifruit vintage glass decoration, $10.99, from Adairs. 9 Fairy felted pink tutu mouse, $14.99, from Adairs. 10 Red beetle vintage glass decoration, $14.99, from Adairs. 11 Home of Christmas Glass shell bauble in aqua, $14.99, from Farmers.

YO UR HO M E A N D GA R D EN

ENCOURAGE GREEN FINGERS If you’re stuck for what to get a family member or friend, why not encourage them to start thinking about garden-to-table produce growing with a chic garden box? The Garden Bunch gift box, $122, from fatherrabbit.com

Rethink your wrapping It’s hard not to fall for wonderful Christmas wrap, but if the mountains of glossy paper left over after the giftgiving extravaganza leaves you wincing, why not wrap your gifts in fabric this year? Either buy your own fabric and hem it so your gift recipient can use it as a tea towel, or wrap it in a reusable bag. Essentially giving them two gifts in one. Lucky them!

ECO CHRISTMAS

Go green A few ways to be kinder on the planet this festive season

A SHOPPER’S BEST FRIEND

OH, HONEY Urban

apiarists Bees Up Top rescue bee swarms before they’re exterminated. This Christmas, support them and the bee population by purchasing their honey, or even gift a rented hive. Swanson Honey, $16.95, beesuptop.co.nz

TAK E TH IS WI TH YOU W HE N YOU GO SH OPP I NG TH IS CHRISTMAS, OR GIVE O NE TO S OM EO NE E L S E . K I N D R E U SA B L E BAG IN MED I UM T RI COLOU R, $22 , FR OM G O O DT H I N G.C O. N Z

ANOTHER CRACK If you love the tradition of pulling on Christmas crackers, but hate the waste, you’ll find your sustainable solution at Waste Free Celebrations. Their reusable crackers are filled with plastic-free, locally made gifts, reusable cotton crowns and are designed with a clever inter-locking tube to ensure you’ll get the satisfying ‘crack’ when you reuse them next year. Christmas Re-Crackers in Have a Holly Christmas, from $199.95 for six, wastefreecelebrations.co.nz 20

YO UR HO M E A N D GA RD E N

Handmade gifts Nothing shows thoughtful gifting more than a home-made present. Sometimes simplicity is best, if you aren’t a painter, potter or sewer, a jar filled with treats (shortbread, rocky road, peanut brittle) could be just the thing. Or, create a gift voucher to take them out to their favourite local cafe.

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TABLET PERFECTION The new Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE WIFI makes a great gift for all ages. A refined design houses a vibrant 12.4” display, complemented with powerful Dolby Atmos audio and a long lasting battery*. Available in silver, pink, black and green for $899. *Actual battery life may vary depending on network environment, usage patterns and other factors.

Gift guide Spread the Yuletide cheer with these great ideas

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

One power to rule them all Mow smaller lawns with the RYOBI 18V ONE+ 4.0 Ah 33cm Lawn Mower Kit. It includes a RYOBI 18V 4.0Ah battery and charger, which powers over 100 ONE+ tools. This battery-powered mower starts with the press of a button and is the perfect Christmas gift for yourself, a family member or loved one. ryobi.co.nz

When it comes to Christmas gifts, we all know that it’s the thought that counts. So, this year, make it count for even more, with a Bunnings Gift Card. Nothing beats that feeling of receiving a gift card and thinking, “I can put this towards something really special, something I’ve been wanting for ages!” This Christmas show that you’re really thinking of them with a Bunnings Gift Card.

Just Great Designs Pene Hinu crayons, $15.99, from Shut the Front Door.

Bon Bon Lotus Flower Body Butter, $19.95, from Ecoya.

100 Yoga Poses cards, $19.90, from Nood.

Donovans Strawberry Pavlova Clusters, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bites and Raspberry Ambrosia Clusters, $4.29 each.

Living & Co digital alarm clock, $14, from The Warehouse. Marvel cap, $12, from The Warehouse.

STOCKING FILLERS Little Animal camel, $5.50 from Father Rabbit.

Mini Punch needle kit, $6.90, from Iko Iko.

most for $20 AND UNDER

Gibson & Green Rosemary and Tomato seeds, from $5 each, from Father Rabbit.

Thirsty Skin Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum, $20.99 from Bondi Sands. 10-in-1 survival tool, $11.90 from Iko Iko.

Duck dish cloth, $8.99, from Nood. Tony’s Chocolonely Gingerbread bar, $9.90 from Cook & Nelson.

Flourish wildlife cosmetic bag, $19.90, from Bed Bath & Beyond.

Living & Co ceramic oil burner, $8, from The Warehouse. Blue Q pencil case, $12.90, from Iko Iko.

YO U R HOM E AND GARD EN

Read the room Books make the best presents and are always gratefully received

12 9

1 Wonderland by Annie Leibovitz ($140, Phaidon). A brilliant anthology of 350 of her fashion images. 2 Under Coconut Skies by Yasmin Newman ($65, Smith Street Books). A colourful cookbook from the Philippines. 3 Three Birds Renovation Dream Home How-to by Bonnie Hindmarsh, Erin Cayless and Lana Taylor ($45, Murdoch Books). The Aussie reno trio’s latest ideas and inspo. 4 Taste by Stanley Tucci ($45, Penguin Random House). The food-obsessed actor’s life of eating. 5 Fantastically Great Women ($45, Bloomsbury). Inspire young women with the real exploits of extraordinary women. 6 Planting: A New Perspective by Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury ($90, from Dear Reader). The go-to tome from a Dutch master gardener and a naturalistic British gardening writer on sustainable planting design. 7 Last Shot by Jock Zonfrillo ($49.99, Simon & Schuster). The MasterChef Australia judge’s no-holds-barred memoir. 8 Scandi Rustic by Rebecca Lawson and Reena Simon ($49.99, from Father Rabbit). Perfect for those who like their Scandi rather rustic. 9 Bayrut by Hisham Assad ($65, Smith Street Books). Mouth-watering recipes from Lebanon. 10 Every Room Should Sing by Beata Heuman ($155, from Dear Reader). Decorating joyously from the in-demand Scandi designer. 11 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ($42.99 by Bloomsbury). A retelling of Homer’s Iliad in novel form. 12 High Vibe Home by Kirsten Yagouda ($44.99, Chronicle Books). Feng shui meets interior design for stylish, restorative spaces.

YO U R HOM E A ND GA R DE N

Blur the boundaries between your indoors and out, with lounge suites worth lounging on – by the pool or your favourite shady spot. Make sure you have everything you need, because soon you’ll be too relaxed to move.

Your better outdoor living Shop the new outdoor range

briscoes.co.nz

Merry decoration Decking the halls is a great mood enhancer, so try some of these on for size Throw some shade The creatives of the world will always seek to find new ways to represent the Christmas tree. This is a brilliant and easy take on it. Take five parasols and fix them in various states of openness. Secure one on top of the other and it’s job done.

Grand entrance We may have moved on to putting wreaths up anywhere and everywhere but still the best place for one is the front door. This wreath ups the ante by adding a pair of ice skates, a big advance on the more traditional red berries (faux or otherwise), ﬂowers, ribbons and pine cones. If you have a skater in the house, it’s a novel idea. Otherwise, go with what you’ve got.

Gracious Objet des Fleur wreath, $355, from French Country.

Jolly & Joy berry garland wreath, $45, from Spotlight.

Bauble candle wreath, $35, from French Country.

YOU R H OM E AND GAR DEN

So chair-ful Pay attention to the smallest details – even the chairs around the table. Whip out to the garden and rustle up a ﬁr or pine branch, or whatever greenery is close to hand. Tie a classic Christmas tree bauble or two to it and wrap it onto the back of a chair with a bright ribbon. It’s a favourite and will make everyone feel that little bit special.

Ceramic star, $11.99, from Farmers.

Black satin ribbon, $27.50 (2.5cm, 45m), from Ribbon & Blues.

Wonderland Evergreen Grove baubles, $5 (25-pack), from The Warehouse.

YO UR H OME A N D GA R DE N

S Mantel as anything The mantelpiece is, of course, an area that usually receives a great deal of festive decorative emphasis. Stockings, garlands and candles are the go-tos but how about an eclectic mix of whatever you can ﬁnd? Ideally, you’ll be able to hunt out a large reindeer to oversee proceedings. Trailing some LED twinkle lights through your rambling arrangement and the odd bit of real ﬂora and fauna is also recommended. Gracious Objet des Fleur dome, $455, from French Country.

Reindeer candle holder, $129, from French Country.

Pre-lit spruce Christmas tree, $499 (7ft), from Farmers.

Potted pine Christmas tree, $59.90, from French Country.

Berry light-up Christmas tree, $309, from French C Country.

O Christmas tree It’s still one of the most beloved festive decorations regardless of whether it’s real or faux. It can be ceiling-scrapingly tall or a petite version in the corner, but it is the centrepiece of Christmas activity from unwrapping presents to standing around it at night, marvelling at the sparkly lights. There must be 1001 ways to decorate it – it all comes down to individual preference. This tree though (right), is a lovely example of deliberate under-decorating to allow the glamorous gifts underneath to sparkle and shine.

Jolly & Joy brush tree, $8.50 (three-pack), from Spotlight.

Felt ball garland, $29.99, from The Party Room.

Simple pleasures One for the ‘less is more’ types. This pared-back pink garland on a wall could be overshadowed if you have a whole lot of things going on. But if you’re all about pulling back on the decorations, then a few of these scalloped on walls will have maximum impact. There’s also less tidying away come January.

Lavender fan garland, $7.99, from The Party Room.

YO UR HOM E AN D GA R DE N

Ombre Home boho bloom garland beads, $10, from Spotlight.

YH&G + NEXGARD SPECTRA

Pest patrol Ready for action against pet parasites? To keep your dog free of nasties, all you need is a little know-how and regular treatment from the experts at Nexgard Spectra

ne of the major challenges for pet owners is keeping our fur babies safe from parasites. It’s extremely common for dogs to bring fleas, ticks and worms into the home, and once these nasties have made themselves comfortable, they’re hard to remove. Initially causing your pet moderate discomfort, if allowed to thrive, these pests can create serious health issues. Happily, you can easily save your four-legged friend – and yourself – from the pain, stress and cost of infestations. The experts at Nexgard Spectra are passionate about ensuring your pet’s lifelong health and are on a mission to dispel common myths about those pesky parasites. MYTH 1: I keep my house and my dog clean, so fleas won’t be an issue. Unfortunately, there’s no escaping fleas, they are extremely prolific, lurking on wild and domestic animals, and easily hitching a ride into your home on your dog. The only option is to kill the fleas and keep killing them, by treating all pets in your home. MYTH 2: If I treat fleas when I see them, my dog will be fine. This is one of the most common reasons flea infestations develop. Treating fleas once they’re visible is too late because more will hatch from all the eggs and pupae in the environment. Killing a flea within 24 hours of it landing on a pet is key to breaking the lifecycle and ensuring it doesn’t lay eggs. Treatment with Nexgard Spectra kills fleas fast, constantly and for a whole month.

MYTH 3: Ticks aren’t really a problem in New Zealand. We are lucky in New Zealand that our ticks do not transmit disease. However, they can cause discomfort, and lead to scratching and associated skin infections, so controlling them is important. MYTH 4: I can’t be infected by worms from my dog. Dogs can be infected by lots of different worms, and most won’t affect your family. But roundworms can be a real danger to humans. These pests enter the environment from infected dog poo and can quickly spread. A human infection can lead to lots of different health issues, including asthma and epilepsy, and has been linked to reduced learning ability in children. So protection is key for both your dog and your family. MYTH 5: There are effective treatments that will protect my dog against all parasites for longer than a month. Killing ﬂeas fast all the time is key to getting an infestation under control. Nexgard Spectra kills ﬂeas in less than 12 hours for the full treatment period. It’s also important to know that worming every three months is not enough to stop roundworm eggs from spreading – but monthly worming can.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. Level 3, 2 Osterley Way, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand| NEXGARD SPECTRA® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health France. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997 | No. A011184 | © Copyright 2021 NZ-CAN-0061-2021

Want to save your fur baby from all these issues? For fleas, ticks and worms done in one, treat your dog every month with Nexgard Spectra – comprehensive protection delivered in a tasty, beef-flavoured chew. Find it at all good veterinary outlets. Visit nexgardspectra.co.nz

Tangles of tinsel Yes, it’s made of plastic so it’s not great for the environment, but if you have any stray tinsel falls left over from that age of innocence pre-Greta Thunberg, how about hanging it over a doorway and giving it a fringe trim?

Cirque bauble, $22.50, from French Country.

Unfurling lengths of ribbons in different colours and affixing them to a wall behind a console is a fitting background for Christmas and non-Christmas ephemera. What you display is entirely over to you but it could have personal significance, such as a mask you picked up earlier in the year for a craft project or something simple, like a cork from a bottle of champagne you popped the week prior and a favourite paper decoration.

Wonderland battery star with foliage Wonderland hanging LED light, Grove Evergreen $9, from The foliage star, $9, from TheWarehouse. Warehouse Honeycomb Christmas tree, $14.99, from The Party Room. 32

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PHOTOGRAPHY FUTURE PUBLISHING, ARE MEDIA SYNDICATION

Straight lines

Rehydrates you faster than water alone. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. USE ONLY AS DIRECTED. IF SYMPTOMS PERSIST, TALK TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL. DISTRIBUTED IN NZ BY HEALTHCARE LOGISTICS 0800 226 598.

PHOTOGRAPHY ELEANOR OZICH

Try these classic gingerbread cookies with a twist. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and a hint of cocoa, the dough only takes minutes to whip up, making them a fantastic homemade gift. Just 8-10 minutes in the oven, and they’re perfect. Top with a drizzle of melted chocolate if you’re feeling fancy.

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S Chocolate & maple gingerbread cookies MAKES 24 INGREDIENTS

21 ideas for fun stocking ﬁllers

1½ cups ﬂour ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp sea salt 75g butter, cut into cubes 1 free-range egg ½ cup pure maple syrup 1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two trays with

baking paper. 2 Add all ingredients to a food processor, and pulse until the dough starts to come together. 3 Bring the dough together into a ball and roll out onto a lightly ﬂoured surface, about 3mm thick. 4 Cut out shapes using cookie cutters, then place them 2cm apart on the baking trays. Re-roll any scraps of dough to cut out more shapes. 5 Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until crisp around the edges. They will harden as they cool. 6 Allow to cool on the trays. Decorate, if preferred, with melted chocolate and toppings of choice. Store in an airtight container.

LIVING WELL

A planet-positive gifting guide ELEANOR OZICH Home wellness expert

Spread some joy in a considered, mindful way and have yourself a merry, eco-friendly Christmas

hen it comes to Christmas, I value slow, sustainable and intentional gift giving. I opt for quality over quantity, and believe that less is always more. Most conventional stocking stuffers involve plenty of plastic and excess wrapping, which often ends up in the landﬁll – something I don’t enjoy thinking about. But not to worry, as I’m here to offer some lovely, thoughtful alternatives. In a time where we’re mostly shopping online and trying to spend less money, I’ve curated a list of 21 ideas that inspire a feel-good Christmas. Not only are these gift ideas friendlier on the earth, they’re also an excellent opportunity to share the joy of local or artisan-made goodies with your loved ones.

A few of my favourite online stores offering beautiful gifts · Paper Plane Store paperplanestore.com · Sunday Homestore sundayhomestore.co.nz · Trade Aid tradeaid.org.nz · Mt Atkinson mtatkinson.co.nz · Garden Objects garden-objects.com · Father Rabbit fatherrabbit.com · Citta Design cittadesign.com · A&C Homestore achomestore.co.nz · Ornament ornament.co.nz · Tessuti tessuti.co.nz eleanorozich.com

1. Plastic-free lip balm. 2. A considered book or novel. 3. Beeswax candlemaking kit. 4. Reusable sandwich bags. 5. Fancy herbal tea, chai or hot chocolate mix. 6. Fun patterned underwear. 7. Artisan or fair-trade chocolate. 8. Reusable cotton mesh produce bags. 9. Natural beeswax crayons. 10. Homemade gingerbread cookies (see recipe). 11. Bamboo or melamine plates for summer picnics. 12. Homemade layered cookie or cake mix in a jar. 13. Sweet little packets of wildflower or vegetable seeds. 14. Small ceramic vessels such as a jewellery holder or soap dish. 15. Knitted reusable dishcloths or tea towels. 16. Mini jigsaw puzzles or card games. 17. Natural watercolour paints. 18. Quirky patterned socks. 19. A beautiful notebook for journalling. 20. Bamboo or wooden cutlery set. 21. Neat wall hooks.

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PHOTOGRAPHY HELEN BANKERS STYLING CATHERINE WILKINSON

Come dine with me Bringing family together round the table to celebrate Christmas is even sweeter when your dining room has been remodelled. For more about this updated villa, turn the page.

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HOMES 38

Home for the holidays An Auckland villa blossoms for Christmas.

Ahead of the curve Maiko Nagao Irvine remodelled her home in her signature natural style. The same goes for Christmas.

Family tree Mid-century style rules in this family home. YOU R HOM E A ND GA RD EN

LIVING ROOM Fiona Goddard stands in the living room of her Birkenhead home. The artificial flowers on the mantel, tree and wreath (right) are from Curated Botanics. The Yves marbled round votive on the shelf is from Father Rabbit. The black ticking stripe cushion on the windowseat is from Thread Design. The hammered brass bowl on the coffee table is from Ornament. The Flaxmill linen cushion in winter moss is from A&C Homestore.

Home for the

HOLIDAYS An Auckland villa has blossomed over the past three years and is now the merriest of places to be for the Goddard family Text Debbie Harrison Photography Helen Bankers Styling Catherine Wilkinson

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SEASONAL CHEER Fiona is looking forward to creating some Christmas traditions with her children Billie and Ruben, including hanging striped stockings, which are from Citta. The artificial flower garland on the mantel is from Curated Botanics. Broste cocktail glasses in smoke from A&C Homestore.

or Josh and Fiona Goddard, Christmas this year will be their most exciting yet. For the ﬁrst time, they get to celebrate as a family of four, including adorable toddler Billie and new arrival Ruben. Covid restrictions will decide whether they get to spend it as they usually do – with family in Whakatāne, Taupō and Ohakune – or at their home in Birkenhead, Auckland, but whatever the case, the run-sheet of the day will be the same as it always is: lots of good food and relaxing. Well, hopefully. “It’s always good to see Josh relax on Christmas Day and that holiday stretch. His business is usually so busy that those few weeks over Christmas are the only ones he gets. But if we stay in Auckland this year, chances are we’ll end up getting stuck into jobs around the house as it’s a never-ending to-do list with villas,” says Fiona. She is looking forward to creating a few new traditions with her children this year. “We always have Secret Santa as a family, but this year we will start some of our own traditions with Billie and Ruben. I love hanging knitted striped

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stockings on the mantel and am so looking forward to having four hanging up this year with our newest member Ruben having his first Christmas.” To bring the festive spirit into the lounge of their large villa, the Christmas tree will be decked in decorations she’s sourced over the years from Farmers, Citta, Bed Bath N’ Table, as well as various florals she’s dried herself. A Tibetan lambswool rug at the base of the tree both looks good as a finishing touch and hides the tell-tale feet of the faux tree. “Usually I buy a real Christmas tree but we have a high stud in our home so last year I decided to invest in a big faux tree. I thought it would be worthwhile to get one and I’m glad I did – it looks amazing in our lounge. I don’t have a theme when it comes to decorating – I just buy and decorate with what I love,” she says.

The renovation journey This will be the Goddard’s third Christmas in the home. Through hard slog and many, many weekend hours, the 1910 four-bedroom, two-bathroom house has slowly but surely transformed over the past three years.

Meet & greet Josh Goddard (owner and director of shopﬁtting company PRSA), Fiona Goddard (freelance hairstylist and make-up artist, brand content creator and stay-at-home mum), Billie, four, Ruben, eight months, and British shorthair cats Bobbi and Bear.

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CHRISTMAS TABLE The brass tube vases/ candlesticks and the gold salt and pepper shaker set are from Ornament. The washed cotton olive-striped napkins and Beldi medium green recycled glasses are from The Waste-Free Home. The artificial foliage garland and the mirror adornment are both by Curated Botanics.

“There was so much to love about this house. The details throughout are beautiful and unique, and true to the villa style.” F I O N A G O D DA R D

When the couple ﬁrst looked at the house it wasn’t the pretty picture it is today. “The last time it probably had a paint job was 30 years ago. There were gaudy curtains, old carpet and dark green walls inside. The garden was very well established but overgrown. But we fell in love with the character. I remember walking into the home and looking up to the ceiling in the main bedroom – the Victorian details quite literally took my breath away. It was in that instant I fell in love,” Fiona recalls. It had been a long road for the couple to get to this point. They’d spent two years actively looking for a house, going to open homes and putting lots of offers on houses but were unsuccessful. When they spied this villa, they immediately saw the potential and were up to the challenge of renovating, thanks to Josh being a qualiﬁed builder. “There was so much to love about this house. The details throughout are beautiful and unique, and true to the villa style. The hallway is almost like a room itself – it’s so wide and has the lovely arch. I love the colours of all the stained glass and we

have always loved how much light our home gets – it has a real bright and airy feel about it,” she says. The good bones were there – they just needed some manipulation. Thankfully, the layout worked so they didn’t need to embark on any structural construction. Since moving in, the couple have renovated all four bedrooms and the ensuite, they’ve added a new roof and painted the exterior, given a fresh lick of paint to the hallway, kitchen and dining room, and most recently tackled the laundry, which was a lockdown project. They say one of their best decisions was having the ﬂoorboards redone when they bought the house – getting rid of the gaps between the original heart matai ﬂoorboards made the house a lot warmer, healthier and friendlier to crawling babies.

The kids’ rooms Billie was only six months old when the Goddards moved in so they prioritised her room and gave it a makeover before anything else. “I knew I wanted her to have a pink

SET THE SCENE Layer round placemats from Citta. The Phoenix dinner cutlery is from French Country. Series dinner plates and Relic side plates from Freedom. The Broste champagne glasses in smoke (above) are from A&C Homestore.

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MAIN BEDROOM The orchids are from Orchis Orchids. The dusky pink tassel throw, light pink linen cushion and rose linen cushion are all from French Country. The vintage blush artificial flower arrangement on the bedside drawers is by Curated Botanics.

room so we painted her walls Dulux Punuromia Quarter, which is just the perfect shade of pale pink. Billie’s room is always changing as she grows – she really loves her little space.” Instead of a piece of art above the bed, Fiona had a dried ﬂoral wreath made that adds both texture and interest to the room, making it a real feature of the space. Mismatched bedding in pastel tones, bookshelves custom-made by Josh, and a retro set of drawers the couple painted all give the room a loved, cosy feel. Ruben’s room has also received some love and attention, and the result is a serene space perfect for a baby boy. “It’s the smallest room in the house so I wanted to brighten it up with crisp white walls and soften it with a soft grey loop pile carpet. With Ruben’s bedroom I have been really drawn to sage green so I have a few accents of the colour splashed around.”

The main bedroom Fiona was clear on what she wanted to be the hero in the main bedroom: the original ceiling. “It’s just so beautiful and I wanted it to be the main feature in here. But it needed lots of restoring so we spent many late nights sanding and ﬁlling before painting. The whole room needed a lot of work. Josh ﬁxed up all the window framing and replaced one as the borer was really bad. We gutted the wardrobes, put new shelving in there and added new doors and hardware, which made a huge difference to the room,” she says. Josh built the ledge behind the bed, which adds another dimension of interest and a place to place art or picture frames. Fiona went light and tonal with the bedding and rug to make it feel like a calming and relaxing room for rest.

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GUEST BEDROOM Bear relaxes in the guest bedroom. Como lumbar cushion in olive from A&C Homestore. Orchids by Orchis Orchids. ENSUITE Vida organic hand towel in olive from Father Rabbit.

The ensuite The main bathroom is still in its original state and awaiting attention – “it’s not tasteful at all” – but the ensuite has had a makeover and now it’s one of Fiona’s favourite rooms in the house. “It’s my own little haven. Josh and Billie use the main bathroom so you won’t ever ﬁnd toothpaste smeared in the basin or kids’ stools cluttering the ensuite. It’s such a serene place to shower, blowdry my hair, apply skincare and take some time out for myself.” Like the main bedroom, a ledge along the wall adds a point of difference as well as adding practical storage space.

Clean slate “From a design perspective it took me a long time to ﬁnd my groove with interior choices that complemented the character of the home. Almost everything we owned prior to moving in looked awful and it made it really hard for me to have a vision in the beginning. Once we realised we needed to start again with new furniture, it made it easier to see 46

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where I was heading. Eventually, it all came together,” Fiona says. The couple prefer to buy quality for longevity, going for classic timeless pieces that they’ll have for years to come. This includes the Philippe Malouin ‘Offset’ coffee table, was a dream piece for Fiona for years before she ﬁnally bit the bullet and purchased recently.

The outdoors The home has a decent-sized section – not that you could tell when it was for sale. “It was really overgrown and crowded with hedging and random trees,” Fiona explains. “We have stripped it back a lot – removing trees and ripping out old hedging and rose bushes – and now we’ve cleared it so there’s a good-sized lawn, which is nice for the kids. The bamboo hedge at the back gives amazing privacy but it’s such an eyesore and is a beast to maintain.” The couple have their sights set on a big extension out the back of the house, landscaping, and a new driveway and garage

LAUNDRY During the level 4 lockdown Josh was unable to work, so instead dedicated his time to renovating the laundry. HALLWAY Bobby waits for guests in the doorway and a Silly Season wreath by Curated Botanics hangs on the front door.

Style tip In a wide hallway with high ceilings use a long runner to be a focal point, then match it with a standout pendant to draw the eye along the space.

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“Billie’s room is always changing as she grows – she really loves her little space.” F I O N A G O D DA R D

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H RUBEN’S BEDROOM The black ticking stripe cushion is from Thread Design and the side table is from Simon James. BILLIE’S BEDROOM Bear naps on Billie’s bed. Fiona upcycled the vintage desk in pastel hues using Dulux Hagley Park, Tītahi Bay, Lakeside and Tuakau.

underneath with internal access. But these plans are being pushed out due to Covid. “For now, we get indoor-outdoor flow by flinging open the French doors that lead from the dining room onto the deck. We love to have these open every day in summer,” says Fiona. After a massive year of family, running a busy business and renovating a villa on weekends and late nights, the Goddard family are looking forward to enjoying their first Christmas a family of four and a few weeks of downtime. They’re happy to put down the tools for a well-deserved rest, right after they attack some landscaping and plan for their future kitchen makeover.

Lessons learned What did you learn from this renovation? We have had to have a lot of patience – when I say ‘we’, I mostly mean ‘me’. It’s so easy to look at homes that are ﬁnished and want that, but we have to remind ourselves it doesn’t all happen overnight, especially when you are mostly doing it yourselves. And ask anyone who has a villa – things are always cropping up to be repaired. What advice do you have for others about to start a reno? If you tackle one room at a time, it makes your reno easier to live through and it’s good at making you focus on that one space and completing it. Also, it’s always good to live in the home for six months before you start making any changes, it helps you to get to know the home more. YO UR H OM E AND GAR DEN

SHOP THEIR STYLE Pops of soft green and pink, and accents of brass elevate a neutral backdrop of crisp white walls and delicate linen furnishings 2

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1 Fold bedside table in white, $99, from Made of Tomorrow. 2 Samsung 50”” LS03A LS The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV, $2499, from Harvey Norman. 3 Shell-shaped plant pot, $22.99, from H&M Home. 4 Aston 6L pendant in brushed brass, $349.90, . , ffrom Lighting Direct. 5 Ferm Living small pond mirror, $375, from Slow Store. 6 Resene Finch paint, $4.90 (testpot), from ColorShops. 7 Silly Season wreath, $279, from Curated Botanics. 8 Baina towel, $110, from Paper Plane. 9 Black Blaze foundation candle holder, $139.99, from A&C Homestore. 10 Resene Bud paint, $4.90 (testpot), from ColorShops. 11 Resene Gelato paint, $4.90 (testpot), from ColorShops. 12 Westport fabric armchair in washed canvas ivory, $1099, from Freedom.

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H Floor plan 14

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Honesty box

Contacts

What Christmas dish do you always prepare or look forward to? I make a pretty good potato salad. That sounds boring but it’s very labour intensive and always a crowd favourite – it has all the trimmings. Josh is all about slow-cooking meats on his Traeger grill so he’ll usually do a short rib that I always look forward to. What areas of the renovation did you save on? We saved so much on labour costs with Josh doing it himself. Splurges? The shutters and the new roof. What gave you the best bang for buck? I always think paint is so transformative. Most of the home interior walls were a dark green and it was the first thing I wanted to get rid of when we moved in. What would you never do again? Perhaps this is a message better targeted to whoever planted the agapanthus around the home prior to us owning it. Any DIY disasters? Surprisingly, none that I can think of. Josh is such a master of his craft. Most memorable experience you’ve had in your home? Recently giving Billie a little brother – we feel so complete now as a family.

Plumber Deluxe Plumbing and Gas, deluxeplumbing.co.nz Roof North Shore Roofing, northshoreroofing.co.nz Electrician Strike Electrical, strike.net.nz

KEY 1 Entry 2 Bedroom 3 Ensuite 4 Closet 5 Main bedroom 6 Fireplace 7 Living

8 Kitchen 9 Dining 10 Laundry 11 Toilet 12 Bathroom 13 Study 14 Deck

Suppliers Citta, Freedom, Simon James Store, Tessuti, A&C Homestore, Sunday Homestore, Republic Home, Snelling Studio.

Palette 1

1 Dulux Half Haast 2 Flooring Xtra rugs in Nebraska 3 Flooring Xtra Samurai 100%

wool loop pile in Kawa 4 Matte white subway tiles from Tilespace

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AHEAD OF THE CURVE

In artist Maiko Nagao Irvine’s newly renovated home DIY comes naturally – as do the Christmas decorations Text Bea Taylor Photography Helen Bankers Styling Kate Alexander, Places and Graces

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DECKED OUT Maiko Nagao Irvine and Mike Irvine’s new deck gave them something they never knew they had – a picturesque view of Rangitoto. THE EXTENSION (opposite) The new part of the house wraps around in a backward ‘L’ shape and is clad in striking Colorsteel, which provides a modern contrast to the original brick.

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Meet & greet Maiko Nagao Irvine (artist), Mike Irvine (electrical apprentice), Kaito, six, and Zenny, 16 months.

n 2018 Maiko Nagao Irvine and Mike Irvine’s Birkdale home in Auckland graced the cover of Your Home and Garden magazine. Small, cosy and filled with Maiko’s ingenious DIY projects and interior hacks, it was perfect for their family of three. Today their family has a new member and, while the house appears relatively unchanged from the street, it’s a completely different story inside. “When we first bought the home, we hadn’t really thought very far in terms of renovation plans,” says Maiko. “All we were really focused on was getting it liveable.” Yet, when asked about future plans in her house feature three years ago, Maiko said, “We’d love to turn one of the wide windows in the lounge into French doors that open out to a deck for indoor-outdoor flow. And do some landscaping, build a fort, a sandpit and a mini skate ramp so Kaito can spend all day outside.” And if they could change anything? “We’d love to be able to add an ensuite or another toilet one day.” At the time those questions were more like a fun game of ‘what if’ than actual plans, but fast forward to 2021 and they have done exactly that. 54

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LIVING ROOM The flooring in the extension is cork by Quantum Flooring, which Maiko says is comfortable underfoot and provides welcome heat and sound insulation. The wall-to-wall cabinetry is three Addi buffets from Mocka with their legs removed. The large round coffee table was a Trade Me find and the wooden-topped table was an old Citta buy, which Maiko has updated with new PVC pipe legs. The terracotta side table is from A&C Homestore.

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KITCHEN (above and opposite) Maiko’s friend, interior designer Hayley Dryland from August & Co Design, helped with the kitchen design. The dining chairs are from A&C Homestore, the splashback tiles are from The Tile Room, the timber lining was created especially for this space by Genia, the tapware is from ABI Interiors and the orb pendant lights are from Early Settler.

While the fort, sandpit and mini skate ramp are still pending, Maiko and Mike have added an extension that now encompasses a new living room with large sliding doors leading onto an expansive deck – and a great view of Rangitoto they never knew they had. A new bathroom and ensuite have been created within the original structure of the house and – it wasn’t on the wish list back in 2018 – a bright new kitchen has been built inside the extension too. “I was most excited to redesign the kitchen,” says Maiko. “To have a space where everything functions is amazing. It’s really nice to have high-pressure water and cupboards that close properly.”

Custom on a budget Function aside, the kitchen was also a space where Maiko could use the full force of her creativity. “I didn’t want just another white-on-white kitchen,” she explains. “We managed to do it all for $19,000, which people are always shocked by.” Standard white cabinetry lines the back wall of the kitchen and a white engineered stone benchtop sits 56

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on the island. But that’s where the conventional stops. Striking marble tiles with a hint of moss green vein make a highlight of the splashback and the stone benchtop curves gracefully at one end. Beneath the bench is Maiko’s favourite feature – the rounded dowel lining, which was sized and cut especially for this island by timber manufacturers Genia. This look is mirrored on the living room wall with slightly thinner dowel. “I thought it might be a bit boring to have the same proﬁle on both feature surfaces,” says Maiko. “The smaller size difference enriches the texture in the space.” The main bathroom presented a similar challenge. “I found the search for bathroom vanities in New Zealand quite difﬁcult,” says Maiko. “There are heaps of lovely higher end options and the lower end options weren’t very exciting design-wise. There was no happy medium.” After voicing this frustration on her Instagram account, New Zealand business The Custom Creative got in touch and they collaborated on a custom vanity, which Maiko designed, and is now available to buy from their website as the ‘Maiko Curved Vanity’.

“I was most excited to redesign the kitchen... to have a space where everything functions is amazing.” M AI KO NAGAO IRVIN E

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OUTDOOR CELEBRATIONS Ceramic tableware from A&C Homestore add to the relaxed, welcoming style of Maiko’s Christmas table along with dried hydrangeas, linen napkins and rattan placemats.

“We were very fortunate to be able to collaborate with a few local businesses, which helped cut costs for us,” says Maiko.

DIY DNA There are few items in Maiko’s home that have remained in their original purchased condition. In fact, you’d struggle to directly ‘shop the look’ of this home as most of pieces have been upcycled, modiﬁed, or created by the artist herself. There’s the mirror in the main bedroom, which many mistake as a high-end buy, but is actually just a budgetfriendly one from The Warehouse with little wooden balls stuck to the sides with shoe glue. The cabinetry running down the hallway from the front door is three Ikea shoe cabinets with their legs taken off and attached to the wall off the ground so the vacuum cleaner can get underneath. Maiko repeated this idea in the lounge with the white entertainment unit that runs from wall to wall, which is made of three Mocka cabinets with their feet removed. The decorative vases and interesting pieces lining her shelves and the entertaining unit are lockdown creations, all of which started out as unused vessels, dishes and 58

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bowls lying around the home. Maiko explains, “I needed some new vases, but we couldn’t buy anything new when we were in level 4, so I went around the house and found all these little items we weren’t using.” She then transformed them into chic decorative pieces using shoe glue, cut out cardboard shapes and paint. “I mixed baking soda and paint to get some texture – on one of them I even used coffee grounds to get even more texture and it worked really well.” Other DIYs include the wooden nesting tables in the lounge, which originally had thin black metal legs but now sport on-trend tubular feet made from PVC pipe ﬁnished with chalk paint. And it seems the mum-of-two’s creativity gene has been passed on to six-year-old Kaito, who has just launched a print collaboration with his mother. “It’s been a really happy experience for us to be able to spend time together and be creative,” says Maiko. The Kaito x Maiko Nagao prints feature positive phrases such as ‘human kind’ and ‘cover me in sunshine’ – which is one of Kaito’s favourite songs – with $1 of each sale going to KidsCan, and $1 going to the artist himself (order from maikonagao.com). “It’s also been great to be able to teach him about giving back to others too,” says Maiko. “Positive afﬁrmations for my sons sparked the inspiration for this.”

On the bright side These core family values; repurposing old into new and being kind to one another, make their way into Christmas traditions too. Their Christmas tree is a $2 find from an op-shop and is normally decorated with dried flowers. “We try not to buy anything new, there are lots of DIYs and we always make our own decorations,” Maiko says. The children’s advent calendar is another DIY treasure, it’s made from brown paper bags and filled with creative tasks and games. You wouldn’t expect anything less from this DIY queen, who says, “For me, what sparks joy is staying creative.”

Style tip To successfully mix patterns without clashing, pair larger shapes with a smaller intricate design in a tonal colour scheme. KAITO’S BEDROOM (above left) Jedi Builders constructed the bunk in Kaito’s bedroom from Maiko’s design. She and Mike created the curved desk themselves using a curved benchtop made by Sage Doors Ltd and PVC pipes wrapped in a kitchen roller door for the legs. ZENNY’S BEDROOM (above right) The gingham linen is from A&C Homestore, pillowcase from Castle, and throw and cushion from Freedom. MAIN BEDROOM Two of Maiko’s prints sit on the built-in ledge above the bed. The striped cushions are from A&C Homestore and the gingham sheet set is from Spotlight.

BATHROOM The Maiko Curved Vanity is from The Custom Creative and the basin is from Eden Stone. The tiles are from The Tile Room.

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SHOP THEIR STYLE Warm ochre accents, pops of brass and plenty of texture give a gentle tonal space pockets of interest 2 1 3

1 Double vase, $57, from Estilo. 2 Etta organic bath towel in chestnut/bone, $44.90, from Citta. 3 Mount cushion in multi, $64.95, from Freedom. 4 Kazoku print set, $240, from Maiko Nagao. 5 Hugo occasional chair in natural, $849, from Cane Collective. 6 Salsie fabric modular sofa, from $3999, from Freedom. 7 100% French flax linen duvet set in linen, $295 (queen), from Frankly & Co. 8 Eden square kitchen mixer in brushed brass, $318.90, from ABI Interiors. 9 Fazeek wave glass set in amber, $89, from Superette. 10 Cosh table lamp in white, $54.95, from Freedom. 11 Addi buffet, $349.95, from Mocka.

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H Maiko’s top tips + Create a Pinterest board for every room and project. Be as specific as you can, such as ‘kitchen sink’ or ‘tapware’. We shared our boards with our builder and draftsman. It’s such an easy way to communicate your vision and helps bring your ideas to life. + Do the painting yourself if you can. You can save so much and it’s relatively straightforward. + To create a designer look in a basic kitchen, add timber lining along the island or add a curved benchtop. We did this and now our kitchen is one of the main features of our home. + Go nuts at outlet stores. Some of the brass shower tapware and heated towel rails are from outlet stores. The vanity in our ensuite is from an outlet store, but it was black, so I painted it white to suit our style. It ended up being something like 70 percent off retail and the quality is amazing. Our tiles in our ensuite are also from an outlet store. We only spent around $350 for the whole lot – and we absolutely love them. + We are doing the landscaping ourselves. There are so many great resources on YouTube and Instagram for retaining walls, growing a lawn and choosing the right plants for your space. I’ve been turning to my (social media) followers for all the tips and advice on Instagram stories, which has been a lifesaver.

Floor plan 2

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KEY 1 Bathroom 2 Bedroom 3 Entry 4 Main bedroom 5 Ensuite 6 Kitchen 7 Dining 8 Living 9 Deck 10 Garage

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1 Natural Paint Co Low Tide 2 Natural Paint Co Milk Bottle

3 Maiko curved panel, Genia 4 Cork flooring, Quantum flooring

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Family

tree

Text Jackie Brygel Photography Jessie Prince Styling Sarah Ellison

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STYLING ASSISTANT EMILY SUYEE HAIR & MAKE-UP CLAIRE MORIARTY

The decorations are up and the kids excited to spend Christmas in their mid-century inspired home

Meet & greet Megan (full-time mum) and Mike Fishwick (fashion-industry design manager) and their three daughters, Ivy, 10, Violet, eight, and Maple, three.

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o say the least, this was an ambitious project – a couple with three young children deciding to tackle their vision of designing and building every corner of their home. And so it was that Megan and Mike Fishwick crafted their mid-century-inspired sanctuary on the fringe of a coastal town. The result? High among the trees on a pristine plot of bushland, this new home is testament to the pair’s unwavering vision and tenacity. Soulful and serene yet family focused, the elevated house is defined by a sense of tranquillity and a seamless connection to nature. Megan, a former model born and raised in California, and Mike, a design manager in the fashion industry, fell in love with their local area long ago. “We’ve lived in the area for 12 years,” she explains. “We renovated our last house ourselves and had all of our girls there. In 2017, just as we were outgrowing it, we found this block of land.” The somewhat secret and undeniably special pocket of land was undoubtedly ‘the one’. “There are native trees all around as it’s hidden in a reserve,” says Megan. “You’ve got this beautiful feeling of nature, privacy and space yet it’s only five minutes’ drive from the town. There’s also a wonderful little community here.” Embarking on their life-changing journey within the constraints of a relatively tight budget, the family of five – including three daughters now aged three to 10 – lived in a caravan off site for eight months. “Looking back, we wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was fun,” says Megan with a laugh. “There was less to clean and I cooked easy meals for us. We were all together and I’m very much a fan of the simple life.” Through it all, she and Mike never lost sight of their goal. “We have always wanted to design our own home and make it a creative space to live in. Doing so was a very collaborative process,” says Megan. They also knew that their new home would pay loving respect to their shared appreciation of iconic modernist architecture. “We love the fact that everything from the mid-century design era has a purpose,” says Megan. “The simplicity of those houses speaks to us. For me, it’s also an emotional directive as my family has lived in Southern Californian homes like this.” Within the walls, the instant impact of organic timber lends warmth and texture to the understated base palette. “I love the blackwood we’ve used throughout,” says Megan. “It’s so moody, and the effect is almost like living in the 64

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“We have no one overlooking us. It’s hard to imagine ever leaving this house.” ME GA N F ISH WI CK

DINING (previous page) Megan and daughter Maple in a cosy corner among the Christmas decorations. Those on the tree are mostly made by the family, the Christmas lights are from Bunnings Warehouse and the artwork is a vintage Picasso replica from the 1940s. EXTERIOR (previous page) The girls outside the Californian-style home built by Mike. Its Axon cladding by James Hardie is painted Dulux Lexicon Quarter. Fitting in perfectly with the VW bug in the drive is their ‘desert garden’, inspired by those in Palm Springs. Feature plants include Livistona palm, golden barrel cactus and a number of agaves. BUILT-IN SEAT (above) This gathering point looks out to the grassy slope at the back. The diner-style seating was designed by Mike, who also made the dining table. “I love built-in furniture and the old-school look and feel of a banquette,” says Megan. The brown paper stars were made by Ivy and Violet.

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LIVING ROOM “We love the slower pace of life,” says Megan, as her daughters work on the decorations. KITCHEN (opposite) Organic textures in the blackwood joinery and finger mosaic splashback combine for effortless style. The floor is compressed concrete cement sheeting. “It sits on top of the floor beams and we had it polished,” says Megan. “So, in a way it is the structure of the house.” The Quantum Quartz engineered benchtop is in Alpine Matte and the white industrial stools were a budget-friendly find from Kmart.

“I love earthy colours, especially the blackwood with the concrete, and the terrazzo running from the hallway into the bathrooms.” ME GAN FI S H W I CK

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bush.” Other key features are the sandstone rock walls (one in the entry, another at the gate) and a roughly hewn seat in the living room. The family’s stonemason friend Paul Squires has achieved a fantastic result. Though perhaps the home’s greatest success lies in the fact that its considered design, by Mike and Megan, allows light to flood the rooms, with the house opening seamlessly to its natural surroundings. “We’re so proud of how well Mike has done,” says Megan. “He was on the tools the entire time, from sunrise to sunset. The only person he consulted with during the planning process was an engineer – and anything he didn’t have to contract out, he did himself. Mike also read a lot of books on how these homes are built, and his father is a builder so he would give us his opinion, while I handled the financial side.” Not surprisingly, there were occasional and not insignificant bumps on the journey. “One corner of the swimming pool – which sits in front of the house, soaking up the slope – was slightly over the building envelope,” says Megan. “Mike had to dump about $6500 worth of concrete and redo the steelwork, which was upsetting. Then there was a huge storm one night and the ceiling started to warp and bow a little. That had to be fixed with 2000 screws and resealed. It has certainly been a process but now we’re beginning to make memories.” The home’s bush setting is certainly helping. Much to the family’s delight, there’s wildlife aplenty – with the girls often exclaiming about catching sight of creatures visiting their backyard at breakfast time. “It’s just magic,” says Megan. With the family excited about their first Christmas in the house, most of the trimmings are already in place. “I always decorate; we buy and put up a tree, and the girls like to make something special for their rooms,” says Megan. “But Christmas for us is really just a day at the beach with friends and family. We set up our spot on the sand and the kids open their presents, then we hang out there for hours, playing games and eating. It’s low-key, relaxed and natural.”

AT THE TABLE As the family hangs out at the beach for most of Christmas Day, celebrations at home are kept elegant but simple. SITTING AREA (opposite) Louvre windows ensure the flow of fresh air throughout the home. A green conifer wreath adds an elegant, festive touch to the wall.

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VIOLET & MAPLE’S ROOM (left) Above one bed in the girls’ sunny space is a treasured artwork bought in Los Angeles during a recent holiday. “Everything we own, we cherish,” says Megan. “Most of our pieces have a story behind them.” All the furniture came from the family’s previous home. The gold flag garland is from Spotlight. HALLWAY (above right) This out-of-bathroom vanity was inspired by the Fishwicks’ international travels. “It breaks up the usual hallway feel,” says Megan. MAIN BEDROOM (opposite) Megan’s decorating style is fairly minimal, featuring pieces she’s had for years. The small side table was found from an online auction site, while Megan painted the monochrome artwork above the bed after being inspired by something similar on Pinterest. The feature wall is blackwood and the quilt cover is made of French linen.

Floor plan 3

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KEY 1 Entry 2 Kitchen 3 Dining 4 Laundry 5 Living 6 Playroom 7 Bedroom 8 Toilet 9 Bathroom 10 Main bedroom 11 Walk-in wardrobe 12 Ensuite 13 Pool 14 Garage 15 Workshop/store

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Ground level

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Basement level

Style tip Rome wasn’t built in a day — and neither was this home. “It’s important to take everything day by day,” says Megan. “If you do that, it’s easier to persevere and know that there will eventually be a solution to every problem. And you really can do anything if you put your mind to it.”

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H A PPY HOUSE An ’80s suburban bungalow in Cape Town was given a charming makeover by its owner Kirsten Goss

WELCOME PARTY Prickly pear cacti and ceramic guard dogs are the first clue that the outwardly demure bungalow houses a fantastic collection of unusual objects and bold design decisions. Kirsten, pictured, with son Cosmo. HAT TRICKS (opposite) Juggling a busy family life with a successful design career, Kirsten’s love of colour and fun approach to style is apparent throughout the home. It can be seen in this playful wire coat rack and choice of accessories. The art above the coat hooks is by an artist from Seville.

Meet & greet Kirsten Goss (jewellery designer) and Clive Will (ﬁlm-maker/ photographer), Farren, 15, Ozzie, 10, and Cosmo, one.

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TALL ORDER Connection and flow were priorities so the pair chose to have near ceiling-height glass and steel doors fitted to link the rooms.

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“I love the notion that we are having a regular family dinner but have disco lights on too. It’s all about being playful.” K I R ST E N G O S S

ows of cacti, china dogs, a wacky cluster of retro flush-mounted lights on the wall, and a glass cabinet brimming with vintage cameras – all before you have stepped beyond the lobby. This is the kind of quirkiness that one has come to expect from the design dynamite behind Kirsten Goss Jewellery. Kirsten admits they took on the transformation of this home with the same out-of-the box intentions as she has when fitting out a new shop. Capturing views of the Constantiaberg Mountains, clearing the garden and shifting the bearing of the house proved to be the making of the home. The ever-changing shades of the slopes now dominate the outlook, and Kirsten and her film-maker/ photographer partner Clive Will chose to contrast this placidness with a sweeping lawn dominated by a sexy circular pool and a series of round beds of water-wise plants. “I call it our ‘crop circle garden’,” laughs Kirsten. “We wanted it to be an inside-outside house. So much so that we chose to use artificial turf in the garden so it feels like a carpet. At night the lights make it a really dramatic space and our family moves in and out, and we don’t need to worry about the kids getting dirty. It feels like we have another room to use,” she explains. With children ranging from toddlerhood to their teens the home had to cater to flexible needs, but that didn’t mean they had to scrimp on fun. The kitchen features light functions that can transform it from a family hub into a strobe and colour-filled ‘party’ zone at the flick of a switch and the near ceiling-height doors in bold colours reflect Kirsten’s weakness for striking combinations. “Every time I fit out a new shop my house ends up looking like it,” laughs Kirsten referring to the disco and strobe lights that are fitted into the kitchen cabinets and inspired by her ‘karaoke-look’ new store on Cape Town’s Foreshore. “I love the notion that we are having a regular family dinner but have disco lights on too. It’s all about being playful,” she says. “I’m not afraid of mixing shades together,” she continues, “but you almost have to be deliberate about it to pull it off. I’m not big on decorating. I’m more about throwing something down to see if it works.” Kirsten’s partner Clive has added his own conspicuous contributions. A series of Clive’s eye-catching prints and his

ALL ABOUT FAMILY Kirsten wanted a ‘bomb-proof’ area where the children could watch TV and relax. “They run in from the pool and jump on the sofa; they have sleepovers here,” she laughs. “Every home needs a space you don’t feel precious about.” A striking mix of shades in the lounge gives it a playful temperament, but the choices of a clean-lined modular couch and graphic steel yellow coffee table ensures it retains a grown-up edge. The black and white photographs are by Clive and the pink and black Lesotho blanket is a collected piece.

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“We have a penchant for the unexpected, the sometimes unloved and the brave, but we are also big on quality, longevity and comfort.” K I R ST E N G O S S

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H insatiable appetite for objets collected from artists, craftspeople and markets across Africa are curated throughout the home. “I think we have a penchant for the unexpected, the sometimes unloved and the brave, but we are also big on quality, longevity and comfort,” explains Kirsten of their design choices. “I’d say we lean towards a clean, bold style, but we also get a lot of joy out of eccentric pieces.” Furniture choices range from antiques, to mid-century modern and contemporary pieces, so the addition of oak parquet floors provided an anchor for the otherwise eclectic vibes. “The furniture might change as the children grow up, but I loved the idea of having a sophisticated floor that would stand the test of time. It gives the home a great foundation,” says Kirsten. With an open-plan TV room, dining room and kitchen opening onto the garden the flow of rooms is both effortless and practical. An expansive (and it has to be said, irreverent) lounge forms a link between the family zone and the couple’s bedroom/ bathroom – which is again a single zone that opens on to the garden. The children’s rooms can be found off a corridor that lies behind the kitchen. Kirsten chose to replace all the doors and windows with oversized bespoke pieces made of oak or steel, and porthole and strip windows make for surprise views. This injects a plethora of natural light into the home and is indicative of the way she chose to experiment with shapes and scale throughout the property. Kirsten has previously lived in heritage-style homes, so the switch to a more austere build provided the opportunity for a new design adventure. Brimming with fine art and vintage finds, Kirsten and Clive’s home reflect their down-to-earth sensibilities and makes for an engaging family home. Kitchen disco lights and all.

READY TO LOUNGE The sapphire-blue velvet bucket chairs, a pink occasional chair and mustard sofa are all striking pieces in their own right but are unified by the colourful area rug. The nest tables, modernist black pendant light, glass and wood cabinet, brass-topped side table and stuffed bird add an irreverent touch.

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YOUR HOME AN D GA RD E N

DINING (opposite) New and old can be seen in the bespoke glossy pink and white modernist console and vintage dining chairs. The Turned table is by South African furniture maker Gregor Jenkin. The photogaphs are all Clive’s work. STAIRS A red carpet leads to Kirsten’s office, which sits on top of the main bedroom. The colourful artwork is by Angela Murray. SIDE TABLE (right) The top is made of brass and is an heirloom piece.

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TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BUREAUX

MAIN BEDROOM (top left) This is one of Kirsten’s favourite spaces. “We can sit on the bed and look out on the garden and take in the mountain views. In the evenings it’s spectacular. You have the lights on the cacti, the mountain looming above – it’s a great space for sundowners, never mind sleeping,” she laughs. FAMILY BATHROOM (top right) This room features a beaming Mandela portrait by Job Magwaza and bath by Villeroy & Boch. ENSUITE This spa-like bathroom is injected with unusual elements, like the colourful artwork. The floor and wall tiles with black grout give it a graphic feel.

H ROOM TO PLAY An unkempt garden that masked the mountain views was replaced with a structured plot with artificial grass to give the family “an outside room the kids could use without the dirt and upkeep element”.

“We wanted it to be an inside-outside house. We chose to use artiﬁcial turf in the garden so it feels like carpet.” K I R ST E N G O S S

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Back up One of the most common ways to renovate is to push the back of an old villa out, extending the kitchen, living and dining into a large open-plan space. Make the most of the opportunity and consider banks of large, ﬂoor-toceiling picture windows and sliding doors to let the light in and create that all-important indooroutdoor ﬂow.

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PHOTOGRAPHY ARE MEDIA SYNDICATION

RENOVATION 84

From Gru to glam A dark, gloomy Despicable Me-type villa gets reanimated.

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From Gru

to glam A dark and unwelcoming Despicable Me-type villa was reanimated into an Auckland family’s dream home Text Debbie Harrison Photography Helen Bankers

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Meet & greet Chloe (stay-at-home mum) and Shaun Lincoln (plumber), daughter Orly, 23 months, and Louis the French bulldog.

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Style tip Save up and take your time when choosing an important piece of furniture, such as a sofa. Go for quality, you won’t regret it.

he calm feeling that envelops you as you walk into Chloe and Shaun Lincoln’s home belies the hard work that went into making it the serene space it is today. The 1910s villa wasn’t always this polished – in fact, when Chloe and Shaun bought it, it looked a lot like Gru’s home from Despicable Me: the brooding, black house on the street. “Most of the period features had been removed and, what little bits remained, had been disguised with the harsh black paint job. Inside, it had been painted in vibrant heritage colours,” says Chloe. The couple relocated the three-bedroom, one-bathroom villa onto their section in Riverhead, West Auckland, in 2016 before embarking on an extensive renovation that would take them until 2019 to complete. “We both loved this era and style of house, and were excited to embark on a renovation project that had so much history. We fell in love with the two front rooms, sash windows and high ceilings – it offered so much potential – and we loved the idea that we could be part of its century-old timeline,” Chloe explains. “However, there were some days where I deﬁnitely had regrets about taking on a villa. Nothing is ever straightforward when working on a 100-year-old house. But we wouldn’t have done it differently as we’ve ended up with the dream we envisioned.”

The reno It wasn’t easy to get the home from Gru to glam. It needed plenty of work once the villa was on-site – some of which was necessary due to the move, some due to the age and condition, and some because of layout changes needed to bring it into line with 2020 living. They reroofed, re-plumbed, rewired, re-ﬂoored and repainted inside and out. For three years there was certainly no time for ‘relaxing’. One of the biggest challenges the couple faced was trying to keep everything well-proportioned to maximise space. “This was a constant battle as a wrong decision could result in compromising on living space,” explains Chloe. In the end, they managed to separate the laundry from the bathroom to give it its own space, and they moved the kitchen to

KITCHEN The vivid red kitchen is now a light and airy galley style with Calacatta Quartz stone countertops. The stools are from Freedom. DINING The new table is also a Freedom find.

BEFORE

make that area work better. In making these changes, they gained more room for the living room and the indoor-outdoor ﬂow suddenly worked better with the existing French doors. During the renovation, the couple lived in a shed at the back of the property – a sanity-saving move. Being on-site made it convenient to make decisions for contractors and the short commute home to bed was a blessing on the countless late nights they worked. To save on cost, the couple tried to do as much of the reno themselves. Shaun’s skills as a plumber came in handy, and both of them quickly became dab hands at painting and planting.

The kitchen The hub of the home sets the tone for the calm vibe throughout the rest of the home. The couple chose a Calacatta Quartz stone with waterfall edges for the island and it’s the quiet scene-stealer of the space. “It was an easy decision as light and airy was what we wanted to achieve, and we thought it worked so well with the light grey kitchen,” says Chloe. “We really liked the idea of having a galleystyle kitchen with a walk-around island – it meant this space YO U R HO ME A ND GARD EN

style kitchen with a walk-around island – it meant this space became more versatile and open, for both indoor and outdoor living, and really made it the heart of our home.” Chloe and Shaun went with layered cupboards along the back wall for aesthetic purposes, but the added bonus is the shallower cupboards don’t encroach on the workspace lighting while still providing plenty of kitchen storage. Track lighting above the island – instead of hanging pendants – gives the kitchen the task lighting it needs while keeping the openness of the high ceilings. It also means the couple can add extra lighting if they need it or the ability to reposition the existing ones. Solid American oak flooring was laid throughout the kitchen and living space to replace the original flooring, which sadly had sections missing and was too far gone to fix.

Living it up Chloe confesses to being a minimalist when it comes to her decor choices, but her thoughtful use of materials and textures stops the rooms from feeling cold and sparse. “The idea of interior style here was to be aesthetically pleasing to us, but at the same time be easy to maintain and clean with a new baby, creating a calm environment for us as a family,” she explains. All the furniture was purchased to ﬁt the new layout, as opposed to trying to build a house around existing furniture and the frustrations that come with that. “It saved us from forcing things and compromising on the layout and design. We quickly got used to the concept of listing and selling what didn’t work and starting again. It became a joke with some of our friends, actually – ‘Is that a new sofa?’ they’d always ask,” Chloe laughs. They ﬁnally met their match with the Contempa sofa and chair in the living room. “We are so happy we spent a bit more and got

ON DISPLAY (above) The shoe-robe was a genius way of using the leftover pieces of oak flooring. MAIN BEDROOM The eye-catching beaded lightshade is from Wallace Cotton, the linen from Foxtrot Home and mushroom lamp from Freedom.

good quality. They have been so great for kids (Orly and her friends) and the dog – it’s such a change from having countless ones we were disappointed with,” she says. The couple also bit the bullet and invested in integrating a wall sound system in the lounge, which they say was money well-spent because it saves on space and gives a cleaner ﬁnish to the room. The room with the bay window is a family favourite – it was a guest bedroom, but during the second Auckland lockdown, they decided to turn into a TV playroom to get better use out of it as a family. “It means we now use every room in the house, instead of just gravitating to the same spaces. It’s given us a great room to use as a family to relax and watch Orly play, plus it keeps the house tidier and me sane as this is the room I keep all her toys in,” she says. “It gets beautiful afternoon sun and the bay sash windows are so lovely when they’re open in summer – we’ll sit and relax, listening to the wind blow through the trees, and Orly loves to stand on a footstool and wave to people passing by.”

The bathroom A new bathroom was most deﬁnitely on the cards, but the couple were thoughtful in the way they executed it. They aimed for a timeless look, while also blending old with new as a nod to the

BEFORE

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Style tip A wallpaper feature wall in a child’s room is easy to update as they grow and their tastes change.

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history of the home. “The tongue-and-groove vanity and dado rail helped retain the period features of the room as well as drawing your eye up to take in the ceiling height. Using large tiles, an LED mirror, black shower and gunmetal ﬁttings gave it that modern sophistication look that we love.” The free-standing bath is the piece de resistance, adding a touch of luxury and a boutique-hotel feel to the room.

BATHROOM Modern and sophisticated, the space features large Venus light grey matte tiles from Tile Space, a LED mirror from Newtech, vanity from Bath Co and bath from Elementi and gunmetal fittings.

Adding the wow factor Chloe and Shaun’s taste might be minimalist and pared back, but they’re good at adding features that give each room a focus point. For example, the wallpaper in Orly’s bedroom has completely elevated the space – it captures your eye as soon as you enter the room and adds to the calm yet playful vibe they wanted in here. Both Shaun and Chloe immediately loved the woodland-themed wallpaper, Chloe especially so, as she’s from the UK and the squirrels reminded her of home. The wow factor in the main bedroom, other than the gorgeous beaded lightshade hanging over the bed, is a little more hidden – pull back one section of the ﬂoor-toceiling mirrored doors and you’ll ﬁnd a shoe-robe. “This was an idea Shaun had to utilise a small section of otherwise wasted space in the bedroom. As well as giving us a dedicated place to store our shoes, it also

“The tongue-and-groove vanity and dado rail helped retain the period features of the room as well as drawing your eye up to take in the ceiling height.” C H LOE L I N C OL N

allows space for the mirrored doors to roll in front of to give us complete access to the rest of the wardrobe. The racking is made out of our leftover oak ﬂooring. Genius,” Chloe laughs.

The outdoors Having essentially plonked an old villa on a section of land meant the couple had to start from scratch with their landscaping. They added a concrete driveway (perfect for children and their bikes) and planted a mix of Buxus sempervirens and camellia hedging in keeping with the home’s classic style. The covered deck that comes off the living room effectively doubles their living area. It gets plenty of use, both when entertaining and when it’s just the family of three. “Because it’s covered, we can still sit out there with the doors open when the weather isn’t so great,” says Chloe. “It is also a great coffee spot in a morning as that’s the side where the sun rises – it’s the perfect place to start the day.” The house is certainly no longer a dark, brooding hulk of a home – instead, it looks like a smart, welcome addition to the street with its classic grey and white paint job and blush-pink front door. 90

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R LAUNDRY The benchtop is Laminex in Elemental Concrete and the splashback is Marlo Cloud from Tile Space, which was also used in the kitchen. The vase is from Husk Home, dried flowers by Chloe and storage containers from Simplify My Home.

EXTERIOR (above) The weatherboards are painted in Resene Silver Chalice. LITTLE REPLICA (left) Orly’s adorable playhouse.

Lessons learned “We work really well together as a team – I don’t think many couples could do this scale of renovating and be on the same page through the whole process,” says Chloe. “We have similar ideas and like the same designs, which is very helpful when renovating and making decisions. I would have a lot of the interior ideas and Shaun would be the one to figure out how to execute them; he always found a clever way to make it possible.” The couple spent a lot of time planning and found the free software Floor Planner was a great tool to get their heads around a plan and figure out if an idea was even possible. At times they found the renovation was exhausting, both mentally and physically, with Chloe doing some of the renovating while pregnant. “If you’re doing a lot of it yourself there will definitely be days you wonder why you’re doing it, but once we had finished, we just loved the result and what we had achieved. We really love the family home we made. “Our biggest learning was to try and live in the home for at least a year so you can experience every season in it before making changes,” says Chloe. “This really helps you to get a feel for the best and worst bits of the house, such as where it’s sunny and hot, or dark and cold.”

What advice do you have for others about to start a reno?

Plan ahead and stick to the original idea you love. Floor Planner and Pinterest are a must, as is mood-boarding so you can make sure the style you want works throughout the house and with your choice of materials and furniture. Plant any areas for privacy as soon as possible in order to get that established look faster. It really transformed our property and we wish we had done this sooner. Remember that in the end it will all be worth it. We look back at photos now and are still blown away. We’re so proud of all the work we have done.

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Floor plan

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Honesty box What areas of your renovation did you save on and splurge on? We splurged on the bathroom and our tapware. Every kitchen and laundry needs a spray tap – they’re a complete game-changer. What would you never do again? We would never want to strip back a house and paint it again; that killed us. What do you prefer – high-end or bargain buys? Getting high-end for bargain prices. We both shop around to find the best deals. What was the most memorable experience you’ve had in your home? Creating Orly’s nursery was the finishing touch to our family home and renovation.

Suppliers Citta cittadesign.com Freedom freedomfurniture.co.nz Husk Home huskhome.co.nz Little Gatherer littlegatherer.com Lighting Direct lightingdirect.co.nz (kitchen track lighting)

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KEY 1 Entry 2 Main bedroom 3 Bedroom 4 Bathroom 5 Kitchen 6 Dining 7 Living 8 Laundry

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Finishes Exterior The weatherboards are painted Resene Silver Chalice, the trims in Resene Eighth Black White, the front steps in Resene Double Stack and the pink front door is Resene Just Right. Interior The walls are painted Resene Double Alabaster and the ceilings in Resene Eighth Black White. In the kitchen and laundry, the tiles are Marlow in cloud from Tile Space. The bedroom carpet is Ravine in cobblestone from Carpet Link.

YO UR H OM E A N D GA R D E N

1 Resene Double Alabaster 2 Resene Just Right 3 Ravine carpet in cobblestone from Carpet Link 4 Marlow tile in cloud from Tile Space

if you if you like like today’s gas, today’s gas, you’ll love you’ll love tomorrow’s. tomorrow’s. Gas energy has a bright future in New Zealand. For tomorrow’s energy, we’ll look to new gases like hydrogen, biogas and bioLPG to energise our homes and businesses, and help us achieve our 100% renewable energy aspirations. The good news is that, right now, most modern energy efficient gas appliances are already able to run on bioLPG, or a blend of natural gas with renewable hydrogen gas or biogas, so you can be confident that the gas energy you love will continue to flow and is here to stay.

Find out more gasenergy.org.nz FS_YH&G_001

Bang bang There will be less moaning at the tired jokes inside the crackers if you make your own. Buy some bonbon snaps from Spotlight, thread through a cardboard tube, put in your choice of booty, wrap some crepe paper round the lot and secure with bows at both ends. Job done for hours of fun.

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MAKEOVER

PHOTOGRAPHY ARE MEDIA SYNDICATION

Heart of the city The loving transformation of a Cuba Street apartment in Wellington.

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DIY Drawers Nikki Kettle tackles bedside drawers – three ways.

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FAMILY COLLECTION Royal New Zealand Ballet artistic director Patricia Barker and her guest ballet master husband MIchael Auer brought furniture from their home in the US to Wellington, and many of the pieces have been in their family for generations.

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HEART OF THE CITY

It must have been fate that led two globe-trotting Royal New Zealand Ballet leading lights to a neglected, historical Cuba Street pad in Wellington Text Fiona Hawtin Photography Anna Briggs

YO UR H OME AND GAR DEN

Meet & greet Patricia Barker (artistic director, Royal New Zealand Ballet), Michael Auer (guest stager, coach and guest ballet master, Royal New Zealand Ballet) and rescue dog Lola.

efore settling in Wellington as the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s artistic director, Patricia Barker and her husband Michael Auer had only spent three days on a whistle-stop tour of the country as a quick break from their company’s tour of Australia in 1979. Between then and now, Patricia has been the artistic director of the Grand Rapids Ballet and been a principal dancer. Aside from the RNZB keeping her busy, she’s undertaken a two-year makeover of her inner-city Wellington apartment.

HERE COMES THE SUN The apartment, which is spread over the two top floors of an inner-city building, has views to the mountains and sea on the top level. The home gets all-day sun, and their dog Lola can often be found in the warmest spot. A VOTRE SANTE (below right) Nicknamed ‘the adult cabinet’, this piece of furniture was found in Sanson at BB French Antiques.

Can you tell us about your apartment? We live in the heart of Wellington, in Cuba Mall. We are part owners of a historical building that, collectively, we are preserving by earthquake strengthening to ensure its survival for future generations. We occupy the top two floors. There are Juliet balconies on the first floor overlooking Cuba Mall. We have additional balconies, one with a view of Glover Park and two larger balconies on the top floor with panoramic views of the city, mountains and water. The space has all-day sun, when we have sun, which Lola the dog we adopted from the SPCA during the first lockdown, follows throughout the day. The open concept spreads itself over the two floors with three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. A kitchenette on the second level extends to one of the balconies, which allows for great entertaining and plenty of room for guests. What drew you to the apartment? I love living in the city and being a part of its heartbeat. I like taking part in all the vitality that a city has to offer. In the beginning, I sublet a beautiful place on Cuba Street – way up at the top. Walking to and from the St James every day, I just fell in love with the vibe of Cuba Street – the restaurants, boutique specialty shops and the eclectic individuals. Something fun is always taking place. When we decided to buy, my husband and I (him still in Grand Rapids, USA, me in Wellington), both found the space on Trade Me. I told him I was going to go see a place and he sent me an email asking me to go see the same place. It was fate. I loved the space the moment I walked in: high ceilings, lots of light, balconies, space for friends and a block or so from Kaffee Eis and Duck Island – what could be better? We made an offer and got it.

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LIVING The couple brought with them four crystal chandeliers from their home in Grand Rapids, which was built in 1870. Luckily, the fixtures suit their new home, which was built in 1913. Michael collects Italian pottery and many of the couple’s artworks have been collected over time, including original movie prints found in Cuba.

GLASS ACT This light-filled area is called the ‘glass room’ and is one of Patricia’s favourite spaces. On a sunny day, she says it feels like ‘you’re in a cafe on the promenade’. KITCHEN (opposite) Wood floors and a gas stove were must-haves for Patricia. The Black Forest granite countertop is from Bramco Granite and Marble. The oak parquet flooring is from VidaSpace.

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“Whether I live in a conventional home or apartment, it needs to be inviting, comfortable, light and spacious.” PAT R I CI A BA R K E R

Had you previously lived in apartments and did you particularly want one or were you open to all types of dwellings? I’ve lived in apartments and houses. I spend a fair amount of time on the road during each season and am a bit of a workaholic – I spend an incredible amount of time in the studio and in my ofﬁce. I’ve always relied on my surroundings at home to keep me in good spirits and well-balanced – the space I live in has everything designed for our wellbeing. Whether I live in a conventional home or an apartment, it needs to be inviting, comfortable, light and spacious. What was the apartment like when you moved in? The apartment had style but was a bit outdated and not our style. The brick walls were hidden, the ﬂooring was carpet and dark, the dining room and simple kitchen were raised by three steps from the main living area; and the balconies forgotten and unkempt. You’ve been working on making it over – what’s been done? We gutted the main rooms, living room, dining room and kitchen. We exposed the beautiful brick walls and steel work that was put in place for earthquake strengthening. We took the carpet out, broke down and removed the raised areas, taking the space back to all the same level, we gutted the kitchen all the way back to the studded walls. We put in a chef’s kitchen, including a six-burner

gas range and stove, double fridge and freezer – the largest we could fit in the elevator – granite countertops and installed the largest sink we could find. We found extra space for an open pantry, cleaned up the decks, and brought in new trees and plantings. You’ve laid parquet flooring – was it a mission? When we stripped everything out to the original floors, we were hopeful they would be in decent enough shape to fix and polish but that was not the case. There were too many boards missing and the floor we did discover was not salvageable, so new parquet it was. In hindsight, I am happy we went with a new floor – the light oak keeps the space bright and elegant. We went with a basketweave mosaic, with dark oak squares for the entry and kitchen, and herringbone for the now-open dining and living area. You’ve lived in plenty of places internationally – did you draw from this when you were deciding on the renovation process? Michael grew up in Vienna and in the summer vacationed in Italy. We have taken trips along the Italian shores together, all the way to Nice and Monte Carlo. I worked in Slovakia and Hungary, and Michael in Switzerland. Since this is not our first pony ride owning and restoring a home, we pulled from our favorite memories for inspiration. Michael jokingly calls the style ‘postmodern baroque’. YOU R HO ME AN D GA RDEN

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What was non-negotiable for you to have? Wood ﬂoors, a gas range, spa and our beautiful antiques. Where did you save and where did you splurge? We didn’t save, we splurged for how we wanted to live, and the joy we wanted to have living here.

URBAN FOREST An abundance of greenery is seen throughout the couple’s home from the bathrooms to the balconies and trees on the deck. CHILD’S PLAY In a sweet nod to their American roots, a Radio Flyer little red wagon makes the perfect receptacle for a host of colourful daisies in a corner of the living area. BEDROOM A palette of white, green and grey was chosen for this pitch-roofed room. The couple created their own bespoke paint colours.

How long has the process taken? There are always new projects to embark on, but it has taken two years. The middle of a pandemic has been an interesting time to remodel, especially when all the building supply stores were closed. When the first lockdown was announced, we walked through every room with a pen and paper writing down everything we could think of that we would need so we could continue our projects during lockdown. We rushed to as many stores as possible and purchased as many things on our list as we could find. We were very busy during lockdown – balancing work over Zoom with working on the house, and training our new puppy, lovingly nicknamed ‘Lockdown Lola’. What’s your favourite place in the apartment now and how do you use it? I have two. One is the glass room. If there is even just the smallest bit of sun you feel as if you are in a garden, and if there is full sun, it feels as if you are in a cafe on the promenade. My second is the living room area, sitting among the plants, fire blazing and close enough to the kitchen where another glass of wine is within reach while Michael makes dinner, it’s sublime. Due to Covid restrictions, the RNZB nationwide tour A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been cancelled but a broadcast of the production will be available online in early December. Visit rnzb.org.nz to buy an access code. Next year, RNZB will be performing Venus Rising in Feb/ Mar, Swan Lake in May/June and Cinderella in August.

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YH&G + DULUX

DULUX Tītahi Bay

DULUX Tuakau

DULUX

No small wonder STYLING BREE LEECH PHOTOGRAPHY LISA COHEN LIVING ROOM ARTWORK EMPTY WISHES BY GABRIELLE JONES, STUDIO GALLERY

Celebrate summer ease with the Wonder palette from the Dulux Colour Forecast 2022

he typical New Zealand summer revolves around the great outdoors, with hiking, camping and exploring some of the favourite pastimes for Kiwis. It’s also about spending time with friends and family, and the meaningful connection that brings. In short, there’s a real sense of freedom to be enjoyed over the holidays. These are our golden days, exploring our environment with an almost child-like enthusiasm. The Dulux Wonder palette brings that playfulness and exuberance into spirited colours, so we can be adventurous with our interiors and capture the irrepressible, fun-loving mood of summer. These colours are tinged with ’80s nostalgia when soft tones such as cornﬂower blue, lilac, lemon,

green quartz and rose-gold reﬂected the boundless optimism of the time. This is precisely what the Wonder palette is offering up – dreamy, carefree days and all the possibilities the future holds. Of course, they’ve been reinterpreted for the 21st century, as this living room beautifully illustrates. It features none other than lilac Dulux Tuakau – the colour of the moment. Life-afﬁrming, yet soft, it really does create an ultra-modern, gentle space for contemplating 2022 and what it has to offer. In a similar vein, the bedroom’s fresh yellow-based green tones of Dulux Matauri Bay is the essence of tranquility and positivity, offering good vibes no matter what. By featuring the crisp white accent of Dulux Southern Alps on the ceiling and trims of both rooms, these summery pastels are perfectly complemented.

DULUX Matauri Bay

DULUX Southern Alps

To explore more colours and order up to four free Large Colour Swatches visit www.dulux.co.nz/colourforecast

Dulux and Colours of New Zealand are registered trademarks of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd. Due to the limitations of the printing process, printed images and swatches may not represent the true colour. Always confirm your final colour choice with a Dulux Sample Pot.

k c o l B e h T NZ

finale

WIN-WIN

For The Block NZ contestants, the auction may have been a year late due to lockdowns, but when it ﬁnally came, it was a huge pay day for all

eam Blue’s Tim Cotton and Arthur Gillies were the judges’ favourite. They also came away as the biggest winners The Block NZ has ever seen, pocketing $660,000, plus the $100,000 prize money for netting the biggest profit over their reserve of $2,270,000 when their house sold for $2,825,000. Each team keeps the profit their house makes over the reserve price. “Had you said at the start of 2020 that we’d be crowned Block NZ champions in November 2021 we’d have been pretty discombobulated,” said Tim, who thinks he’ll get back into the market with his winnings. The flatmates’ Pt Chevalier house was the first to be auctioned – a decision brothers Dylan and Keegan may regret as it was them who

HOUSE PARTY (above) Jubilant Tim (left) and Arthur celebrate their recordbreaking win.

HOT PROPERTY Team Blue’s kitchen and dining room (left) helped earn them the top spot.

“We’re overjoyed we get to share the success with the other teams.” T IM C OTTON

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decided the auction order. They opted to go second. They won the People’s Choice Award and came away with the second-highest pay day of $590,000. “I don’t have a mortgage anymore,” said 25-year-old Keegan. “I’m only spending half on that.” The auction was life-changing for Christchurch couple Meg and Dan, who took home $478,000. “We can’t complain about that,” said Megan. “This is a huge dent in the mortgage. It’s massive.” Finally, friends Connie and Rachel snafﬂed $422,000. “I just went from poor to rich,” said Connie. The DIY programme will be back for its 10th season next year called The Block NZ: Redemption, in which four previous Block teams come back for a second chance.

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For full terms and conditions see www.magshop.co.nz. Competition opens 1/11/21 and closes at 11.59pm AEDT on 31/1/22. Draw will take place on 8/2/22 at 9:30am AEDT at promoter’s premises and winner will be published at www.magshop.co.nz by 15/2/22. Total prize pool is up to $54,990 NZD. One entry per person permitted per transaction. Open to NZ residents. The Promoter is Are Media Group (NZ) LP of Level 1, 317 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland City 1021, New Zealand.

COLOUR HOME AWARDS FINALIST N° 2

Out of the blue This determined homeowner didn’t rest until she found the perfect nautical hue Text Bea Taylor Photography Florence Charvin

COLOUR HOME AWARDS 2022

Meet & greet Holly Spooner (upholsterer and soft furnishing designer), Brett Cameron (owner of Coverup Upholstery) and Skeeter the French bulldog.

n pursuit of a shade of blue that seamlessly ﬁt into the ’50s nautical bach vibe for her Taupō home, Holly Spooner tried and tested too many hues to count. It wasn’t until a friend shared a picture of her newly renovated kitchen, painted in Resene Half Kumutoto, that Holly found she had discovered one that ﬁt the bill. “It was the exact shade I’d been looking for,” she explains. “It’s a gorgeous bold blue that creates a statement without being too dark.” When paired with fresh window trims in Resene White, it delivered the More Resene colours to try:

RESENE Half Escape

RESENE Scrumptious

RESENE Golden Sand

nostalgic bach feel Holly was after – with a twist. Because, simply having bright blue walls wasn’t enough for the furniture upholsterer, she then added a hand-painted striped mural in Resene Poppy, Resene Laser, Resene Rose of Sharon and Resene Ashanti. “I love using paint in different ways and experimenting with colours,” says Holly. “I also love painting furniture and old-fashioned lamps for the custom shades I make.” Resene Rose of Sharon is becoming a fast favourite with Holly, who is planning on utilising its warm desert hue in other rooms in her home.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR: • Clever interior colours • Inventive paint projects • Exciting exterior paint

Get your entry in by December 1, 2021 and you could be our third ﬁnalist HOW TO ENTER Email photos and a 200-word or more description of your space to yhg@aremedia.co.nz with your last name and ‘Resene Colour Home’ in the subject line. Please include your name, home address, email address, daytime phone number, the names of the Resene colours used, and details of when your space was painted. Please credit anyone who assisted you in choosing your colours. The six finalists will each appear in Your Home and Garden. Every finalist will receive a $250 Resene voucher and a feature in the magazine, with the winner taking out the Resene Colour Home Awards and $5000 cash. An extended story on the winning home will feature in the May 2022 issue.

TERMS & CONDITIONS Instructions on how to enter are part of the conditions of entry. This competition is open to New Zealand residents, except employees of Are Media, Resene and their immediate families and agencies. The six finalists and overall winner will be notified by telephone and/or email. All entries are eligible for consideration for the Resene website. Any non-finalists selected for the Resene website will receive a free gift from Resene.

DIY PROJECT

Take sides Our DIY expert Nikki Kettle shows us three clever ways to transform a simple wooden bedside table

NIKKI KETTLE DIY expert

Photography Anna Briggs

You will need • Bedside table • Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer • Paint brush • Roller • Dowel 8mm • Handsaw • Caulking gun • Construction glue • Ruler • Fine grit sandpaper • Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer Undercoat • Resene Dusted Blue • Drill and drill bit the size of the handle screw (mine is 4mm)

Prep the bedside table by making sure it is clean and dry. Apply the Resene Smooth Surface Sealer with a brush or a roller to the exterior surfaces – leave the drawer face as it is – and allow to dry. Measure the face of the drawer and cut the dowel accordingly. I required 51 cut dowels for each drawer face. Use a handsaw and a sturdy surface (I used a standard horse) to cut the dowels, keeping ﬁngers safely out of the way. I cut the dowels 2-3mm longer than the drawer face, which will be sandpapered later. Apply construction glue to the drawer face (a little goes a long way – you don’t want it to seep out between the dowels). Place all your dowels onto the glue. Make sure they are straight and sitting snuggly next to each other. Use a ruler to line them up, then allow the glue to dry completely,

3 RESENE Dusted Blue

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RESENE Rivergum

Paint tip Up the ante and add a touch of glamour by painting the legs and handles with Resene FX Metallic Gold paint. 4

7 this may take overnight. Once the glue is dry, sand the edges of the dowels so they are smooth and even. Wipe down with a cloth. Apply Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer Undercoat to the exterior surfaces of the bedside table and the face of the drawers. Allow to dry completely. Apply the ﬁrst coat of Resene Lustacryl Dusted Blue to

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8 all surfaces. Allow to dry completely, then apply another coat. If you desire, do a very light sand in between coats. Do the same to the drawer handle. Redrill the hole for your handle (from the inside of the drawer). Make sure you do this gently and with a sharp drill bit so you don’t damage the dowels. Your screw should be long enough to go straight back in. Attach handles.

TRY THIS LOOK Leave the bedside table legs as they are and paint the body in a striking dark blue, I used Resene Coast. Replace the wooden handles with leather straps made from an old belt.

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RESENE Coast

RESENE Glorious

• Wallpaper, I used Resene Tropic Exotic Wallpaper 36519-2 • Soft sewing tape measure • Ruler • Pencil • Craft knife • Wallpaper adhesive • Small bucket (to mix glue in) • Large wallpaper brush • Large sponge

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RESENE Wonderland

You will need

TRY THIS LOOK If you can’t find the correct colour wallpaper, buy a roll of anaglypta and paint it. I used Resene Anaglypta Wallpaper RD576 with Resene Wonderland and Resene Glorious.

Measure the inside of the base and sides of your drawers. Use a soft sewing tape measure for this so you can get right into the corners.

Measure and mark the base and two side pieces of the wallpaper. If you want the pattern to line up, make sure there is sufﬁcient wallpaper to mark up the pieces in one long rectangle. Cut out the three pieces using a craft knife. Dust the inside of the drawer so it is completely clean. Mix the wallpaper adhesive, then apply the glue to the wallpaper with the brush. Carefully place the wallpaper inside the drawer, one piece at a time. Use a sponge to smooth the wallpaper from the inside toward the edges to push the bubbles out. Repeat with the other pieces.

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YH&G + RESENE R E S E N E P OW D E R R O O M AWA R D S 2 02 1 F I N A L I ST

Brave heart There are no white walls in this power powder room – even the ceiling called for colour Photography Sarah Rowlands

hen dreaming up the look for her Christchurch powder room, Rebecca Taylor knew she wanted it to be “surprising and a bit fun.” She found Resene Tropic Exotic Wallpaper 220122 ﬁt the bill for the ‘fun’ aspect, but it was friend and interior designer Victoria Gibbons who suggested adding in the surprise element of icy grey Resene Loblolly on the ceiling and the dark forest green of Resene Canyon for the doors and the window trims. “It’s deﬁnitely my bravest room in the house,” Rebecca says.

More Resene colours to try:

The Resene Powder Room POWDER ROOM Awards 2021 winner will be in our January 2022 AWARDS 2021 revealed issue, and receive $1000 cash.

RESENE Aquamarine

RESENE Casper

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PASSIONFRUIT PISCO PUNCH

GREEN TEA & LYCHEE COCKTAIL

SERVES 8 (MAKES 2 LITRES)

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup caster sugar ¾ cup water ¾ cup fresh passionfruit pulp 1 cup sugar syrup 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1½ cups pisco or white rum 3 cups ice 3 cups soda water

1½ cups caster sugar 8 green tea bags 1.25L water 560g canned lychees 1½ cups crushed ice 1 cup chilled vodka 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

1 For the sugar syrup, stir caster sugar and water in

1 For the tea syrup, stir caster sugar with tea bags

a saucepan over a medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil. Refrigerate until cold. 2 Press passionfruit pulp through a sieve over a jug. Add 1 tsp passionfruit seeds to passionfruit juice, discard remaining seeds. 3 Just before serving, combine the sugar syrup with the passionfruit juice mixture, lemon juice, pisco (or white rum) and ice into a large jug. Stir in soda water.

and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat, discard tea bags. Refrigerate the tea until completely cool. 2 Half ﬁll a large serving jug with crushed ice; add lychees and their syrup, vodka, Lebanese cucumber and mint leaves. Stir in chilled tea syrup until combined.

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FOOD ELDERFLOWER & RHUBARB MOJITO SERVES 8 (MAKES 2 LITRES)

RECIPES AND PHOTOGRAPHY ARE MEDIA SYNDICATION

INGREDIENTS

1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthways 300g rhubarb, chopped 2 cups caster sugar 2 cups water 8 limes, chopped 1 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed 1 cup white rum ½ cup elderﬂower cordial 1 cup ice cubes 1.25L soda water 1 Scrape vanilla seeds into a saucepan. Add rhubarb,

sugar and water; bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool. Strain mixture over jug, reserve syrup. 2 Place limes and fresh mint in a large jug. Crush with a muddling stick or rolling pin. Add syrup, rum, elderﬂower cordial and ice cubes. Top with soda water.

CUBA LIBRE SERVES 8 (MAKES 3 CUPS) INGREDIENTS

Ice cubes 2 limes, thinly sliced 1 cup golden or white rum 1 cup lemonade 1 cup soda water 1 Fill highball glasses with ice cubes and

lime slices. 2 Combine rum, lemonade and soda water in a large jug. Divide evenly between the glasses.

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Holiday feast Create a stunning, buffet-style festive spread.

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Amazing graze Easy entertaining ideas to get on board with.

128 Sound bites Pull out all the stops at Christmas time.

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Holiday F E A ST Create a stunning Christmas dinner buffet-style. Everyone can serve themselves and you can relax

Baked cherry ham with cherry and nectarine relish

Red rice salad SERVES 8-10

3 medium green apples, sliced very finely ½ cup dried figs, chopped 2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves 150g goats’ cheese, crumbled

INGREDIENTS

½ cup whole hazelnuts 1 cup red rice, rinsed well 3 cups water ½ cup mixed tri-colour quinoa, rinsed well 1 cup water, extra 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp honey

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. 2 Place hazelnuts on an oven tray and

roast for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer hazelnuts to a clean tea towel. Using the tea towel, rub away the skins of the hazelnuts. Cool and chop coarsely. 3 Place rice and water in a saucepan; bring to the boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until

just tender. Drain any residual water. 4 Meanwhile, place quinoa and extra water in a small saucepan; bring to the boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Cover, remove from the heat and allow to steam for 10 minutes. 5 Place lemon juice, oil and honey in a large bowl. Season to taste and whisk to combine. Add the apple and toss to combine. Add the rice, quinoa, hazelnuts, ﬁgs and parsley. 6 Arrange on a large serving platter. Top with the goats’ cheese. YO UR HOM E AND GA RD EN

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Asian vegetable salad SERVES 8-10 INGREDIENTS

1 Place the cauliﬂower, fennel, carrot,

¼ cauliflower, sliced finely 1 medium fennel bulb, sliced finely 2 carrots, sliced finely 1 small red capsicum, sliced finely 1 telegraph cucumber, peeled, cut finely on the diagonal 1 fresh large red chilli, sliced thinly ¼ cup micro herbs, loosely packed 1 Tbsp black sesame seeds, toasted 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

capsicum, cucumber and chilli in a large bowl. 2 For the Mirin Dressing, place the ingredients in a small screw-top jar. Shake to combine. Pour over the prepared vegetables and toss to combine. 3 Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter and garnish with the micro herbs and mixed sesame seeds.

MIRIN DRESSING

½ cup mirin 2 Tbsp Japanese rice wine vinegar 3 tsp light soy sauce 1 Tbsp pickled ginger, ﬁnely chopped

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Turkey, cherry & pomegranate salad SERVES 8-10

1 cup whole almonds, toasted, chopped coarsely

INGREDIENTS

18 preserved vine leaves, rinsed, dried on paper towel 8 thin slices prosciutto 1 turkey breast fillet, halved lengthways 1 cup chicken stock 1 Tbsp lemon juice 200g green beans, trimmed, sliced in half lengthways ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 500g cherries, halved, seeded 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded, chopped 1 pomegranate, arils (seeds) removed ½ cup fresh mint leaves, firmly packed 4 spring onions, trimmed, finely sliced

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. 2 Place a large sheet of baking paper

on the bench. Arrange vine leaves slightly overlapping the paper to form a rectangle about 30cm x 35cm. Cover leaves with the prosciutto slices and lay the turkey breast halves along the centre (joining the thinner ends together to form an even thickness). Wrap the prosciutto and vine leaves around the turkey breast. Wrap the paper over and around the vine leaf-wrapped turkey, twisting the paper ends together, then place in a baking dish. Pour stock and lemon juice around the parcel.

3 Bake for 40 minutes or until the turkey

is just cooked through. Leave covered and set aside to cool. Slice the turkey into 1cm slices, then return the slices to the tray to soak up some of the cooking juices. 4 Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and blanch the beans. Drain and refresh under cold water. 5 Place oil, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the turkey cooking juices in a screw-top jar, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake until well combined. 6 On a serving platter, combine the cherries, tomatoes, pomegranate arils, mint, onion and blanched green beans. Pour over the dressing and toss gently to combine. Top with the sliced turkey and the chopped almonds. YOU R HO ME AND GARD EN

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Baked cherry ham with cherry & nectarine relish SERVES 16 INGREDIENTS

680g jar morello cherries ½ cup brandy 2 Tbsp brown sugar 8kg leg ham 1⁄3 cup hot English mustard ½ cup ﬁrmly packed brown sugar, extra CHERRY & NECTARINE RELISH

Want more glaze options? Try these.

CHILLI JAM & STAR ANISE

ORANGE & MAPLE HERB & GARLIC

250g fresh cherries, pitted, halved ½ red onion, peeled, chopped ﬁnely ½ cup white sugar 2⁄3 cup cider vinegar ½ tsp ground cinnamon 4 nectarines, chopped ﬁnely 1 Strain the bottled cherries over a small

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GINGER

GINGER GLAZE

ORANGE & MAPLE GLAZE

½ cup honey ½ cup glace ginger, chopped coarsely, ½ cup brown sugar, ﬁrmly packed ¼ cup water Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Blend or process until well combined. Brush over ham occasionally during baking.

1 cup orange marmalade 1⁄3 cup maple syrup ½ cup brown sugar, ﬁrmly packed 1 cup dry ginger ale Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Brush over ham occasionally during baking.

HERB & GARLIC GLAZE

CHILLI JAM & STAR ANISE GLAZE

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves 1 Tbsp fennel seeds 3 cloves garlic, peeled 1-2 tsp sea salt ﬂakes 1 cup alcoholic cider ½ cup honey Pound herbs, garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle until bruised and fragrant. Rub into the scored fat of the ham. Combine cider and honey in small saucepan; stir over low heat until combined. Brush over ham occasionally during baking.

¼ cup soy sauce 2 tsp grated fresh ginger 4 whole star anise ½ cup white sugar 1 cup chilli jam ¼ cup Shaoxing wine Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Brush over ham occasionally during baking.

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY ARE MEDIA SYNDICATION

saucepan to catch the juice. Reserve cherries for relish. 2 Add brandy and brown sugar to the strained cherry juice; bring to the boil. Boil until the mixture has reduced to about 100ml or has formed a rich glaze. 3 For the Cherry and Nectarine Relish, combine fresh cherries, reserved morello cherries, onion, white sugar, vinegar and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add nectarines and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the mixture has reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool. 4 Preheat oven to 220°C. 5 Cut through the rind of the ham about 12cm from the shank end of the leg. To remove the rind, run your thumb around the edge of the rind just under the skin. Start pulling the rind from the widest edge of the ham; continue to pull the rind carefully away from the fat up to the shank end. Remove the rind completely. Finely score the fat at 5mm intervals, cutting lightly just through the surface of the fat, but not through the meat. 6 Spread mustard all over the ham, then sprinkle with extra sugar and press on lightly. Place ham on a large wire rack in a large baking dish. Add 1-2 cups of water to the dish. Wrap the shank in foil. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the ham is browned. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C. Remove from the oven; brush the ham with some of the cherry glaze. Bake for a further 20-30 minutes or until well browned, brushing with the remaining glaze halfway through cooking. 7 Serve with the Cherry and Nectarine Relish.

Spiced flatbreads with parmesan mascarpone (recipe over page)

Spiced ﬂatbreads with parmesan mascarpone MAKES 8 INGREDIENTS

1¼ cups plain flour 1¼ cups self-raising flour 1 cup buttermilk ¾ cup ground almonds 2⁄3 cup cup dried cranberries, finely chopped 2 tsp mixed spice 2 tsp sea salt flakes ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp vegetable oil PARMESAN MASCARPONE

250g mascarpone 1 small clove garlic, grated finely ¾ cup finely grated parmesan 2 Tbsp milk 1 Sift flours into a large mixing bowl. Add the

buttermilk and mix until combined. Turn mixture out onto lightly floured surface, knead for 5-10 minutes or until it forms a smooth elastic dough. Cover with a clean damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes. 2 For the Parmesan Mascarpone, combine the ingredients in a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to serve. 3 Meanwhile, combine the ground almonds, cranberries, mixed spice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. 4 Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll into balls. Roll one of the balls out on a sheet of baking paper to form a thin 30cm x 20cm rectangle. Lightly brush with a little of the oil and sprinkle with a quarter of the ground almonds mixture, leaving a 2cm border. 5 Starting from the long side, roll the dough up to form a long snake of dough. Cut in half and pinch ends to enclose, then coil each piece into a spiral. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and almond meal mixture. 6 Roll out each of the spirals into circles of approximately 17cm in diameter. 7 Heat a large frying pan over medium heat with a little vegetable oil. Cook flatbreads for 4-5 minutes on first side, then for 2 minutes on second side, or until golden brown. Serve the flatbreads warm with Parmesan mascarpone.

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F Rosy peach & panettone triﬂe SERVES 10 INGREDIENTS

Tip On Christmas Eve, make the Parmesan mascarpone for the ﬂatbreads and the Rosy peach and panettone triﬂe, up to step 7. Store both, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge.

2 vanilla beans 1 cup caster sugar 1 tsp rosewater 1 litre water 6 large peaches 1½ cups cranberry juice, approximately 5 titanium (25g) gelatine leaves 4 eggs, separated 500g mascarpone ½ cup coffee-flavoured liqueur ½ cup caster sugar, extra ½ cup strong coffee ¼ cup sweet Marsala wine 500g panettone 11⁄3 cups flaked almonds, toasted Whipped cream, silver cachous and raspberries, to decorate 1 Rub vanilla beans between your fingertips, then

split in half lengthways. Place in a large saucepan with sugar, rosewater and the water. Bring to the boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to a simmer. 2 Lightly score peaches at the base along their natural groove. Lower peaches into simmering syrup (in batches if necessary) and cover with a piece of crumpled baking paper. Simmer for 5 minutes, rolling the peaches over halfway through cooking time if they are not completely covered by syrup. Test if the fruit is ready by inserting a skewer into the flesh – it should give but not be too soft. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon to a bowl. When cool, remove and discard skin. Cut peaches into thick wedges. Pour over ¼ cup of the syrup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. 3 For the jelly, bring the remaining syrup to the boil and reduce by a third. Strain the syrup over a bowl; discard the vanilla beans. Return the syrup to the saucepan. Add the cranberry juice and heat until hot. Remove from heat. 4 Soak gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until soft and pliable. Stir gelatine into the hot cranberry syrup until dissolved. Pour into a 1 litre container and refrigerate for 4 hours. 5 Whisk egg whites in a small clean bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. 6 Place egg yolks, mascarpone, liqueur and extra sugar in a separate bowl and stir until combined. Fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture. 7 Combine coffee and Marsala in a small bowl. Tear panettone into bite-size pieces; dip into coffee mixture. In a 3.5-litre trifle dish, layer panettone, mascarpone mixture, jelly, peaches and almonds. Top with a final layer of mascarpone mixture. 8 Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with whipped cream; decorate with silver cachous and raspberries. YOU R HOM E AN D GA RD EN

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A M A ZING GR A ZE Make it easy on yourself when entertaining and whip up a colourful 1 24

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grazing board for Christmas get-togethers this season YOUR H OME A N D GAR DEN

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Antipasti selection SERVES 12 Head to the deli to get most of the provisions required for this board. Ideally, have meats sliced to order and ask to see the ﬁrst slice to ensure it’s the desired thickness. If possible, request that the slices be separated by wax paper for easy arranging later. If you have a steady hand and a sharp knife, it may be more economical to buy a whole sausage and slice it yourself.

MAKE

+ Grilled zucchini flowers + Mushroom arancini + Cracked green olives with pecorino + Tonnato dip or smoked fish pate + Grilled vegetable sandwiches

BUY

DRINK

BUILD

Salumi Prosciutto, bresaola (cured beef), ‘nduja (chilli-infused spreadable salami), garlic and fennel salami, mortadella (see below) Cheese Parmigiano-reggiano, gorgonzola dolce, burrata (cream-filled mozzarella), bocconcini Fruit Melon, pears, fresh figs, grapes Bread-like things Grissini, fresh or char-grilled bread, focaccia

Prosecco Italian soft drinks Sparkling mineral water

Arrange the bowls on a large wooden board (use the picture on previous pages as a guide). Place burrata, bocconcini and melon wedges in the medium bowls, and the tonnato dip or smoked fish pate and cracked green olives with pecorino in the small bowls. Arrange arancini, focaccia and sandwiches on the board, then fill gaps with store-bought items such as cheeses, fruit and salumi. Finally, add grilled zucchini flowers and serve.

SERVING You will need: • 1 large wooden board • 3 medium shallow bowls • 2 small bowls • Baking paper • 1 knife • Serving utensils (cheese knives, tongs, spoons)

Say hello to salumi Salumi is the Italian name for charcuterie or cold cuts, of which salami is just one of many styles. Like the French, Italians are passionate about the subject and the array of mostly pork-based products is extensive. Once you have an idea of the differences, you will be able to order conﬁdently and build a fabulous tasting board.

Bresaola (4) A salted and air-dried lean beef with a firm texture and a mild beef-jerky taste. Serve thin slices dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan flakes.

’Nduja (2) A spicy spreadable salami of Calabrian origin. Leftovers can be put to use on pizza or stirred into pasta and other dishes where you want a little heat kick.

Coppa (5) This pork-based salumi option is a rolled cut formed from meat sourced from the back of the neck and shoulder. If you like your salumi with a bit of a kick, look for the chilli style.

Sopressa (3) Another pork-based sausage that comes in an assortment of shapes and sizes depending on the region of origin. Common among them is a coarse texture and reddish hue from paprika.

Prosciutto (6) A generic term that encompasses a variety of cooked and cured uncooked hams in Italy. Prosciutto di Parma and Prosciutto San Daniele are some of the benchmark prosciutto styles

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to look for. The rose-coloured meat is simply made from a pork leg that has been salt-cured for a year or more. Mortadella (7) A pork-based sausage that is studded with cubes of fat, flecked with pepper and sometimes pistachios. It has a smooth, almost hammy, taste. This one will get a tick of approval from the kids.

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Salami (1) This pork-based sausage comes in a huge variety of styles. Here, an Italian salami is used to keep in with this antipasti board theme. Popular flavours include fennel, garlic, truffle, red wine and red pepper, or a mix of these.

F 1

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I SAID NO, NO, NOGRONI Best news ever for those abstaining this summer – the NOgroni is about to be unleashed. Seedlip (of non-alcoholic spirits fame) is doing a limited edition, alcohol-free take on the classic Negroni cocktail. Ready mixed, it’s made from just the right mix of Seedlip Spice 94, and from sister company Æcorn Bitter and Æcorn Aromatic. Pour over ice and garnish with an orange twist, the NOgroni is vegan, calorie and sugar free. We can but hope it becomes a regular offering. $34.99 for 200ml from cookandnelson.com

FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Express yourself

Sound bites All the ingredients for kitchen and entertaining success

GET FIGGY WITH IT

Cheese with fruit paste on a cracker – it’s a time-honoured way to get drinks under way. Rutherford & Meyers’ latest fruit paste offering Fig & Orange is a brilliant combination to elevate the experience. It works particularly well with a soft goat’s cheese. $6.99. rutherfordandmeyer.co.nz 128

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K E N W O O D ’S M U LT I P R O EXPRESS WEIGH+ FOOD PROCESSOR IS A BIT OF AN ALL-R OU NDER . IT C O ME S WI TH IN TE GRATE D D IGI TAL WE IGH ING AND DIC IN G CAPAB IL ITI E S , A M E TAL W H I S K , D O U G H TO O L AND C IT R US J UI CE R . THIS WILL DO ALL THE GRUNT WORK THIS FESTIVE SEASON. $499. KE NW O O D.C OM

TEA TOTAL Dilmah’s new Arana range of natural tea is inspired by Ayurveda, India’s ancient holistic practice of harmonising mind, body and spirit. The spices, roots and herbs in these teas have been hand-picked by Auyrvedic specialists for everyone to enjoy the blends as part of a balanced lifestyle. $3.79. dilmah.co.nz

SIMPLY ONE OF (THE 50) BEST

Te Pa Chardonnay 2020, $20.99, Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2021, $14.99, and Lindauer Special Reserve Rosé, $16.99.

The wine judges have come up with another list of 50 stellar wines in the 2021 New World Wine Awards. The criteria: each wine has to be under $25. You’ll be able to spot them all from the gold, silver and bronze medals in-store but here’s a glimpse of a few champions that will go down well this summer. newworld.co.nz

TAKE A TONIC G I N A F I C I O N A D O S A R E F U S SY A B O U T T H E I R TO NIC. LO CAL E N TR AN T ALC H E MY & TO NI C CAUSED A SPLASH LAST YEAR WITH ITS DEBUT, WITH FLAVOURS SUCH AS GRAPEFRUIT & THYME TONIC WATER. NOW, THERE’S RHUBARB & SMASHED MANDARIN – SO GOOD, YOU’LL HAPPILY DRINK IT ON ITS OWN. FROM $8.99 (4 X 250ML). ALCHEMYANDTONIC.COM

CLEAN-UP JOB MAKES SENSE Commonsense Organics opened their first shop in Wellington in 1991 and are celebrating 30 years in the health food business. To mark the occasion they’ve done a couple of collabs: Commonsense x Six Barrel Soda Strawberry Ginger Soda Syrup, $16.50 – the berries come from the Commonsense farm; and Commonsense x Wellington Chocolate Factory Birthday Bar, $9.99, with hints of marmalade and citrus. commonsenseorganics.co.nz

Totally sold on these Eco Turtles tabs that are decanted into a reusable spray bottle so there’s minimal packaging waste. The Degreaser is an absolute wizard around the hobs, but there’s also a bathroom, floor and multipurpose cleaner as well as a sanitiser. $5.99 for the spray bottle, and each of the Eco Turtle tablets. ecoturtles.co.nz

The collectors

GO NUTS UTS

These Nom Double Dipped Almonds are Nom by name, nom by nature. The Creamy Mocha has a kick of espresso; Raspberry Tang’s milk chocolate encased almond is dipped in white chocolate, then dusted with raspberry; and Caramel Love is smothered in caramel chocolate. Protein at its most decadent. $6.99. nomnz.co.nz

N EW W ORLD ’S SUM MER PR OM OT ION IS BACK ! FR OM NOW UNTIL JANUARY 2 3, FOR EV E RY $20 YO U SP END ON QUALIFYING PRODUCTS, YOU’LL RECEIVE A STICKER. COLLECT ENO UG H A ND YOU CA N RE DE EM THEM FO R SOM E KI TC HENA ID WAR E S – T H E C O C OT T E I S 2 0 ST I C K E R S . T H E R E A R E T HREE STONEWA RE PI E CE S AND TWO CAST IRON OPTIONS. NEWWORLD.CO.NZ

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At your service

Pull out all the stops for a festive table 9

13 11 12 1 Studio serving bowl, $54.95, from Freedom. 2 Vienna platter, $35, from French Country. 3 Menu Norm brushed brass grinder set, $285, from The Urban Studio. 4 Sparkling wine glasses, $120 (set of four), from Le Creuset. 5 Stardust platter, $44.99, from Adairs. 6 Wonderland plate, $3.50, from The Warehouse. 7 Micro tablecloth, $64.95, from Freedom. 8 Fazeek vice versa carafe, $169, from Paper Plane. 9 Cooper & Co trifle bowl, $27, from Spotlight. 10 Fusion martini glasses, $44.95 (set of four), from Freedom. 11 Salt & pepper pincho oval plate, $99.99, from Farmers. 12 Steelite craft pourer, $39, from The Urban Studio. 13 Vitro wine glasses, $25 each, from Father Rabbit.

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YH&G + DILMAH

Take a moment Self-care is as simple as sipping a cup of Dilmah’s Arana blend, inspired by ancient Ayurvedic traditions

iving in today’s fast-paced world can be complex. Often we are pulled in many different directions as we face daily demands and pressures. Maintaining our health and wellbeing is critical, however, all too often it can be the last aspect that gets our attention. The world of wellbeing can be overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that often the simplest ideas are the most effective – it’s about making easy changes to your day-to-day routine. Arana by Dilmah, the experts in tea, is a revolution in simple self-care. The antioxidant beneﬁts of tea are well known, but Dilmah’s Arana, which means “forest” in Sinhala, an ofﬁcial language of Sri Lanka, takes that principle to a whole new level, inspired by Ayurvedic traditions that are almost 3000 years old to create an exciting evolution of herbal tea. Ayurveda, pronounced “ai-uh-vah-dah”, is the knowledge of life and longevity that originated in ancient India. It works on the principle of health from the inside and celebrates keeping things as close to the natural source as possible to create positive reactions within the body. Ayurveda, a traditional form of medicine, is all about balance. The philosophy works with the body’s natural cycles and provides a holistic approach to wellbeing in key areas such as detox and digestion. Dilmah’s plant-based Arana collection has been carefully created under the guidance of Ayurvedic physicians and specialists, with authentic and ethical purpose, to produce expert-blended teas that are rich with natural goodness to help support the essential pillars of health. Your self-care can be as simple as taking a moment out of your day to sit and enjoy a cup of Arana infusions. In four minutes you can brew a caffeine-free wellbeing tea that has been thousands of years in the making.

Digestive

Detox

Having an effective digestive system is essential for maintaining good health. Using a naturally caffeine-free base of red rooibos tea, which is low in tannins and rich in antioxidants, Arana Digestive combines lemongrass, coriander, curry leaves and cinnamon to help support your body’s natural digestive function. A blend like this might gently stoke your digestive ﬁre so your body is able to absorb and utilise nutrients better. Lemongrass can soothe the stomach lining, while cinnamon may have a stimulating effect on gastric juices and stomach acids. According to Ayurvedic principles, curry leaf is said to have digestive enzymes to aid your digestion and coriander is known for helping with indigestion. A gentle brew with a mild spice ﬁnish, this infusion can be enjoyed morning and night.

Ayurveda believes detox is important for building strong immunity and a healthy metabolic system. This blend uses honeybush tea to create a naturally sweet brew with a honey-like taste and aroma. It is naturally caffeine-free and milder than both black and green tea, and contains essential minerals like potassium and magnesium, as well as vitamin C. The tea is combined with holy basil, which is said to help optimise liver and kidney function, alongside Indian sarsaparilla, which can help stimulate detoxiﬁcation within your body and aid ﬂuid retention. It’s a warm and comforting medium-strength beverage that can be taken throughout the day.

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PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

Constant gardener Mary Lovell-Smith tells what to sow, grow and give this Christmas.

Scents of tradition Watching summer ﬂowering Christmas lily buds open in the garden and inhaling the sweet scent is a sign Christmas isn’t far away. Given perfect drainage, they’re easy to grow if you bear in mind they like their ‘heads in the sun and feet in the shade’.

138 Up the garden path Take a journey without leaving the comfort of your garden.

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The constant gardener What to plant, sow, grow and give in the lead-up to the festive season

MARY

December

LOV E L L- S M I T H Garden editor

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PRETTY GOOD When picking Christmas lilies for the vase, choose stems with the buds just beginning to open. Leave at least one third of the stem on the plant because if it is cut too short the bulb may not flower the next year. Sow anemones and ranunculas for winter.

That joy of summer, basil, can now be sown directly into the soil, or seedlings planted outside, in a sunny spot. Keep the soil moist but try to keep it off the leaves. In the summer heat, to avoid bolting (that is, going to ﬂower and seed prematurely) lettuce and coriander are best out of the midday sun. Check if early potatoes are ready to harvest by burrowing your ﬁngers into the base of one of the plants and feeling how big the potatoes are, a method also known as bandicooting.

FOOD FOR FORTITUDE Give hedges, trees, shrubs, climbers and perennials a health-enhancing drink of liquid fertiliser to help them through the growing season. Feed roses with fertiliser or compost after the first flush of flowering and keep watering during dry periods as dry roots cause unsightly, and sometimes damaging, mildew. Give butterflies a food source by planting the likes of coneflowers, cosmos, hebes, zinnias, and salvias.

CUT IT OUT Prune spring-flowering shrubs, but not azaleas or rhododendrons, to just below the flowers after flowering is over. Prune rosemary and keep the stems. With their leaves rubbed off, they are excellent to use as kebab or toasted marshmallow sticks.

Pro tips From the experts at Kings Plant Barn

Landscape 101 – Pots As aficionados know well, plants in pots and containers add interest and versatility to the garden. The almost infinite combination of pots and plants to work with makes for interesting and sometimes challenging decisions. Here are 10 tips to help. 1. Group pots of the same material, such as terracotta or concrete. Likewise, if glazed, clusters of similar or complementary coloured containers work best. In small areas, a couple of bigger pots look better than a handful of smaller ones. 2. Match plant sizes and shapes with the container and with each other. And only combine plants with broadly similar soil, water, sun, shade and food requirements. 3. Restrict the palette of flowers and foliage. Leaping about the colour wheel is fun but not recommended. 4. A mix of plant shapes and habits from tall to trailing to puffy, from spiky to large leaves ensures interest and impact, but more than four

different ones in a container risks looking messy. 5. Plant more densely than you would in a bed for a more impressive display, and feed and water more regularly to make up for the crowded conditions. 6. Be imaginative with placement – up steps, on a deck, by a gate or at the base of a tree. 7. Move the pots around, bringing them out when in flower, then shifting away once it is over. 8. A pot liner takes the pain out of moving big and back-breakingly heavy pots. The plant – soil and all – can be removed from the pot during the shift. 9. Gravel, stones, broken pottery or terracotta in the base of the pot below the soil will ensure good drainage – vital to plant health. 10. Empty pots, if of a beautiful shape and substantial size and thoughtfully placed, can look stunning. Imagine a large urn-shaped one in a clearing in the shrubbery or in a woodland, where its ample curves might contrast pleasingly with the straight tree trunks.

TUTTI FRUITY WATER FRUIT TREES deeply and regularly to encourage good-size fruit. PRUNING EXCESS growth on pipfruit trees will contain growth and control tree size. Selective tip pruning of lateral branches will improve next year’s crop. KEEP FRUIT trees free of weeds, which compete for nutrients and moisture and can harbour pests and diseases. After weeding spread a hefty layer of organic mulch, such as peastraw, compost or leaf mould, around the root zone but away from the trunk. Mulching will also help the soil retain moisture.

I want to start a worm farm – how do I make it a success? It will pay to look into your options and gauge how much space they require. Standing worm farms are easy to use and can be kept outside on the patio or even a balcony. They produce both worm castings and worm tea from your kitchen scraps. When you ﬁrst set it up make sure you have organic compost and the worms, which are sold separately.

What are companion plants? Companion plants are planted together to beneﬁt one another mutually. This can include plants that encourage better pollination in the area, attract prey insects (for sacriﬁcial/trap crops such as nasturtium, which attracts veggiedestroying aphids) and plants that put nutrients back into the soil.

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CONSIDER THIS GOOD GIFTS FOR GARDENERS AND G A R D E N PA R T Y F A N S

The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Vegetables (Allen & Unwin, $29.99) by Helena Dove, from Father Rabbit Kew’s Kitchen Gardener Helena Dove can do wonders with a few packets of seeds. Helena shares her secrets from growing rocket and radishes through to unusual species – oca, tomatillo or sea kale anyone? And if you ever wanted to force rhubarb or create an asparagus border, or know someone who does, this would make a great gift.

Be it an early morning orange juice on the patio or a martini on the veranda watching the sun go down, a stumble, a slip of the fingers and smash, there’s broken glass everywhere. Which is why we are keen on the latest acrylic and polycarbonate “glassware”. It looks, feels and pours like glass, but it bounces. No one has yet managed to catch it on the rebound, let alone with the contents intact but we’re working on it. In the meantime, make this summer shard-free, especially when children are around. Elvira acrylic pitcher, $29.95, hi-ball glass, $10.95, wine glass, $14.95, and bowl, from $16.95; all from Freedom.

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Steal this look It’s difficult travelling to foreign shores at the moment, but we can easily bring the world to our gardens. How about a touch of Morocco? Take inspiration straight from one of its very finest, the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech, which was created by French Orientalist artist Jacques Majorelle from 1923 until his death in 1961. There it lay neglected for nearly 20 years until it and the villa was saved by French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge. Like many of the country’s numerous oases, the garden is based around palms; its lushness augmented

by thickets of bamboo, extravagant bursts of brilliantly coloured bougainvillea and scented jasmine and datura, cooling weeping willows, tropical coconut and banana plantings, structural agaves, yuccas and aloe. The fabulous avenues of towering thuya, the shrub-like, aromatic conifer, is indigenous to the area. In the arid section, pictured, cacti of many shapes dominate, their striking forms contrasting with the softer smaller palms. Colour is provided by pots and paint trims; cobalt blue in particular but also lemon, pumpkin and mint green. Bold is back.

HOW TO… KEEP POINSETTIA ALIVE FOR ANOTHER YEAR OR SO Along with conifers, Christmas lilies and amaryllis, the beautiful scarlet poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is a much-loved part of our Christmas trimmings yet, despite being easy to grow year to year, inside or out, it is commonly biffed once the festive season finishes. Indoors, it does best in a light spot out of direct sunlight. Keep soil moist – but if the leaves start to yellow or drop reduce watering. Naturally, this Mexican native flowers in winter, which is when their distinctive bright red bracts appear. To be ready for Christmas in New Zealand, they are grown in glasshouses with heat and light controlled to mimic winter. This can be done at home by keeping them in the dark for 14 hours a day for about eight weeks. This is possible but demanding, as any light will upset the cycle. Rather, enjoy the green plant as a deluxe pot plant. Or plant outside in a sheltered spot with well-drained soil in full sun to half shade, and protect from frosts, then let it grow and grow and grow.

we help you

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At Kings, we love helping our plants and our customers grow. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, we make things easy every step of the way. With our exclusive range of top quality plants grown with care in our own nurseries, expert advice from our team of plant specialists plus ongoing support from our Plant Doctors when you need it, and a Sure To Grow Guarantee to back every plant, we’re here to help you grow well.

kings.co.nz

0800 PLANTS

T AN

ARBOUR VIEWS The pretty vista from the paved patio to the garden beyond promises adventure with the help of stepping stones and a braided tree archway.

Up the

garden path There is so much more to paths than just perfunctory straight lines. With long-distance travel out, it’s a great opportunity to go on a journey without leaving your garden Text Mary Lovell-Smith

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“Another joy of lawn paths is they can look lovely when viewed from beyond, rather like a knot garden.”

seful as they are for getting from A to B, from the back door to the washing line or the front door to the gate, paths need not be purely practical. As they say, it is as much about the journey as the destination and few patches are too small for a path. Even simple stepping stones allow access to another world. It is time to get a lot more trails into your life.

A wide berth Conventionally, main paths are broader than lesser ones. One 120cm wide allows two adults to comfortably walk along it, side by side. Those with space can be more generous with their main path; one to two metres or so wide enable groups of people converse and dally. Those who cannot afford the space could let a narrower path 140

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open out into a bigger circle before narrowing again – to a similar convivial effect. Single width paths are not as unsocial as they ﬁrst might seem. Once the person in front stops, those behind have no choice but to follow. However, there is something philosophically satisfying walking alone down one, for that is how we all essentially experience our own journeys through life. Paths along boundary hedges makes trimming easier. It is rather like how not having all the furniture of a room lined around the walls makes the rooms seem bigger. Having a gap (aka alley) of up to 50cm between the garden and the boundary hedges or fences gives the heightened illusion of space, and offers another perspective on the garden.

Through a lawn Lawns, both petite and expansive, are underrated places for paths and offer

possibilities limited pretty much only by the imagination. First, map out in your mind’s eye what sort of route or look you want. If you have children, you might want a grid with crossing paths to run and play in. Or one long path to run down. You might like a spiral to meander or a sunburst – another joy of lawn paths is they can look lovely when viewed from beyond, rather like a knot garden. Next, let the grass get a little longer than usual, then get out the mower and carve out your path. The paths needn’t stay the same all summer, they may get wider as the season progresses, or smaller as ﬂowers, grasses and garden escapees emerge.

A sensory route Paths through a shrubbery or ﬂower bed let the wanderer in amongst it all. No longer just a bystander or observer, they become immersed – seeing, smelling, hearing, feeling and sometimes tasting all the

WALK THIS WAY Selecting colourful plants with a fragrance is both a visual and olfactory invitation to take a stroll. There are few things lovelier than catching the sweet perfume of a rose in bloom or smelling the aromatic leaves of an old-fashioned geranium while wandering in the garden.

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G garden has to offer up close. Better access to tend the garden is a spin-off benefit. Wind the path between, behind, around under trees and smaller plants and don’t be afraid of letting it go back on itself. No one is in any hurry on this track. When the paths through shrubberies or woodlands are defined with distinct materials and clear edges, the essential differences between the path and the garden are emphasised. The wanderer may feel more secure on this obvious path and by comparison the woodland or shrubbery may seem wilder, any frisson of anticipation or danger intensified.

IT’S ABOUT THE JOURNEY Add a sense of adventure to the garden with plants that spill over the pathway and to blur any hard lines. Adding a bench seat will encourage visitors to linger and take in the surrounds.

Make it interesting Should your paths be immutably in place, clever planting at the least can help make them more interesting. Consider an arbour or arch over them – a tunnel, of some sort to add to the sense of adventure and journey. Having plants spill over onto the path will blur any hard lines. One effective ploy is to have a border, or hedge, of one species, then leave a gap. Behind the gap, plant another type of plant and let it grow through – to give a slightly unsettling hint that all is not as under control as one might ﬁrst think. A nifty trick used by garden designers is to taper a straight path making its end appear further way and thus the garden longer.

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES

Get lost A vague, ill-deﬁned path through, one that tapers off here and there, maybe even with the odd dead-end makes the journey a little saltier, lost in the wilderness. Or it may make the traveller feel even more embraced by the environment. If there is room, pop in a simple bench seat to encourage visitors to linger. Sinuous paths give depth to a garden, especially when they lead out of sight (and even back in and out again). Seemingly, more organic and natural, a winding path tends to be most tranquil and usually slows the walker – as does rough or uneven surfaces – giving more time to appreciate all. Having curves also increases the anticipation (what is around the next bend?) and offers a sense of adventure as a new scene at each turn is uncovered. Strolling the path should be replete with pleasurable experiences, be they dramatic or inﬁnitesimal.

The destination path Offering a reward at the end of the path is like dangling a carrot at the end of the stick for the nature lover. Maybe the path can

climax with something special – be it a piece of sculpture, a bird path, a particularly captivating horticultural vignette, a seating area, or fine view. Zigzag paths are commonly used in traditional Japanese gardens. Apparently, evil spirits cannot negotiate right angles so these types of darting paths were seen to be safer. The geometry of a zigzag suits many modern gardens, especially if steps can be incorporated. Never let a flat section deter you from ups and downs. Artificial alterations to path heights are easy and inexpensive enough to achieve and hugely effective in adding interest. Small bridges are sometimes used, but seldom with as much integrity as digging out an area and using the fill to create a small hill or mound somewhere else. YO U R HO ME AN D GA R DEN

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“The pure excitement and belief in Santa, which my children still have (just).” G INA MAR IE R IL E Y

01 Ferm Living bowl candle holder is style guru Ginamarie’s go-to present to give. $149.

F I N A L S AY

Give a little Ginamarie Riley’s homewares store, Ornament in Pt Chevalier, Auckland, has a beautifully edited gift selection. The stylist shares some of her favourites What’s going to be your go-to present to give this year? My go-to present would have to be Ferm Living’s bowl candle holder. A practical gift would be our enamel gravy pot paired with a Natural Dishcloth and pot scrubber. As a small Santa gift, I adore the felted gingerbread man and woman set, or the felted acorns along with a pair of twisted taper candles. The books I’d give would be The Natural Home and The Kinfolk Garden. My go-to for kids is the Little People, Big Dreams range of books. The Big Dreams Journal is the most gifted children’s gift of mine. A girlfriend gift would be the Linda Tahija stud earrings – we have a pretty good range now. Best thing about Christmas? The pure excitement and belief in Santa, which my children still have (just). 14 6

YO U R H OM E AN D GA R DE N

Setting the table a week ahead and changing it three times before the day. My family used to host a degustation on Christmas Day where each of us kids did two tasting meals each with matching wines. This all got a bit hard once kids of our own came along, but this tradition will return in time, I’m sure. Sometimes we couldn’t ﬁnish the last two courses. Favourite tradition? My husband’s eggnog. It’s perfection, light yet creamy and he makes his drinks really strong, which I love. Tree – real or fake? Ornament has a pretty good fake tree but I, hand’s down, love a real one. It just needs to look good by Christmas Day, so it’s all about the wet sand and a good set-up if you are opting for real. How are you going to wrap your gifts this year? Brown paper, string and mistletoe. What are you hoping for under the tree this year? A swimming pool – and some new togs. Best gift you ever received? My youngest son, though he wasn’t born until the 27th; he is my Christmas baby. Other than that a miniature TV for my room when I was about 10 years old. It was cream, had a remote and I felt like the luckiest kid alive. What was the worst present? Some shoes that weren’t my size.

02 The Kinfolk Garden: How to Live with Nature by John Burns. $98.

03 Enamel gravy pot paired with a natural dishcloth and wooden pot brush is practical and thoughtful. $29. All from ornament.co.nz

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Articles inside

LAST LOOK

SOUND BITES

SCENTS OF TRADITION

UP THE GARDEN PATH

AMAZING GRAZE

HAPPY HOUSE

HEART OF THE CITY

MERRY DECORATING

LIVING WELL

BANG ON

HOLIDAY FEAST

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

GO GREEN