KITCHENS + B AT H R O O M S
A LITTLE CHEEKY PLAYFUL INTERIORS, COLOURS AND SHAPES
24-PAGE TRENDS B O O KL E T
RITE OF SPRING GARDENS, GREENERY AND RENEWAL
CONFIDENCE + FLAIR HOMES THAT PUSH BOUNDARIES AND IDEAS
DECOR EVOLUTION
KITCHEN PERFECTION I NTR O D UCI NG O UR NE W Q UAD D O O R R EF R I GE R ATOR
fisherpaykel.com
Contents
22
Shorts
People
22 ____ HOT CABINS
41 ____ DANU KENNEDY
Two tiny cabins inspire us to slow down and take the time to enjoy nature.
From Motueka to New York: interior designer Danu Kennedy takes us into her Brooklyn home.
20 ____ TECHNOPHILE
46 ____ HAYDEN MARTIS
Dean Cornish opens our minds to a range of inventive, and often outright whacky, technology for the kitchen and bathroom.
New Zealander Hayden Martis creates stunning limited-edition designs from his London studio. 50
50 ____ ILLUSTRATORS
27 ____ TOP SHELF
Three female Wellington-based illustrators are making their marks on their city and on their homes.
Greyscale objects provide a cool vibe for summer, softened by reddish pinks and chalky creams. 30 ____ URBIS DRIVE
Andrew Kerr trials the latest luxury vehicles with big road presence. 34 ____ OBJECTIFY
In a nod to Henri Rousseau, this mimesis finds colourful beauty in a natural setting. 30
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Contents
82
Spaces
&
60 ____ MUSIC IN THE MANGROVES
104 ____ HIDDEN HISTORIES
Artist Billie Curly brings stilllife to life with her latest series, Windows.
A young designer has created a fresh, vibrant home by the water’s edge in Auckland’s Point Chevalier. 70 ____ VILL A GONE ROGUE
A heritage home has become somewhat of a rebel amongst its neighbours. 70
82 ____ A HOME OF TWO HALVES
Lovingly restored by its owners, this 16th-century heritage-listed Swiss house near Lake Lugano pays homage to two eras. 94 ____ GARDENS OF THE GREATS
This soon-to-be-released book celebrates philanthropists in New Zealand and overseas, and illustrates how their gardens reflect their personalities and their generosity.
Trends Special 56 ____ KITCHENS & BATHROOMS
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In this special booklet, we bring you the very best in today’s kitchen and bathroom design from around the globe.
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Editorial
Loud, banging, kapow and with a touch of LOL. That’s how I’d describe the kitchen on our cover. We knew it’d be divisive – the Carmen Miranda meets Liberace aesthetic is not for the faint hearted – but that’s what drove us to it. It is daring and explosive. It doesn’t shy away from… well, much. If anything, this Madrid apartment has to be commended for its uniqueness and the bold spirit that conceived it. For this issue we ran across several individuals and spaces that encapsulate a similarly playful, confident vibe. A villa with a bad boy persona, illustrators, pieces of art and textiles with a cheeky side to them, hotels with colourful twists. That sense of fun is also carried through to some of the trends we encountered while researching the kitchens and bathrooms special (starting on page 56). Sculptural moves and kaleidoscopic colours are being used more freely, expressing strong visual personalities within the hardest working spaces in the home. FEDERICO MONSALVE
Editor
Email us federico.monsalve@agm.co.nz Follow us @UrbisMagazine Like us facebook.com/UrbisMagazine Follow us @UrbisMagazine
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Water view
Splish, splash — Luxaflex venetian blinds are perfect for the bath(room). Choosing bathroom window coverings can be a slippery issue. You need to consider condensation, light control and, of course, your modesty. Lightweight, resilient and affordable, Luxaflex Aluminium Venetians are the perfect versatile offering that can add sophistication to any wet space.
Beauty is in the details, find them here luxaflex.co.nz
Masthead
Publisher Nathan Inkpen Editor Federico Monsalve Art Director Thomas Cannings Director of Production AndrĂŠ Kini Contributing Editors Leanne Amodeo, Dean Cornish, Andrew Kerr Editorial Services Amanda Harkness, Camille Khouri
Advertising Manager Mark Lipman mark.lipman@agm.co.nz +64 9 847 9311
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Urbis is owned and published by BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd, publishers of Interior, Architecture NZ, Houses, architecturenow.co.nz, selector.com and urbismagazine.com. Advertising statements and editorial opinions expressed in Urbis do not necessarily reflect the views of BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd and its staff, unless expressly stated. Copyright 2018 by BCI Publishing; all rights reserved. ISSN 1174-6424 (Print), ISSN 2324-4240 (Online). Standard conditions of entry for Urbis competitions: prizes cannot be redeemed for cash; employees, immediate families and agencies of BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd and associated sponsors are ineligible; prizes may be accepted only in New Zealand and Australia; the decision of the publisher, BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd (at whose premises all draws will be made), is final. By participating in competitions, the entrant consents to BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd using personal details for further marketing purposes. Special conditions may also apply. Prices listed are Recommended Retail Prices and may be different from those in store.
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ON THE COVER Cocina Comedor at Casa Decor 2018, Madrid, by Patricia Bustos Studio. Image courtesy of Casa Decor and Patricia Bustos Studio. For full coverage of this year’s kitchens and bathrooms trends turn to the mini-magazine on page 56.
Contributors
E M I LY H L AVÁČ G R E E N Emily is a photographer and director whose work spans travel, portrait, lifestyle and food. She has taught fashion photo workshops in China, worked in-house for Annabel Langbein and now lives in New York. She photographed Danu Kennedy (page 41). What took you to New York? The vibrant, crazy pace of New York has always been a dream and a challenge; I knew I needed to try it. My partner is a creative too; it was a new perspective of career and lifestyle we both were seeking after being in New Zealand. Do you have a favourite spot to hang out in? If I’m not strolling through the midtown flower district or eating dumplings in Chinatown, I’m usually in Brooklyn – meeting friends at a dive bar or drinking coffee amongst the plants at Homecoming in Greenpoint. Tell us about one of your most memorable photographic assignments. Last year, I spent a month in Peru on assignment with Photographers Without Borders, documenting stories of cooperatives of women who spin, dye and weave alpaca wool in the Sacred Valley. We stayed in an isolated town high in the clouds and harvested natural colours from the landscape. It was magical.
LEANNE AMODEO Leanne is an Australian content and media strategist, specialising in architecture and design. She regularly contributes to international publications and works with magazines as a guest or section editor.
JO JEFFY Jo writes for a range of magazines and publications from her Waikato home on the subjects of interiors, architecture, property and design. Jo wrote the Villa Gone Rogue story (page 70).
Of the kitchen and bathroom trends you reviewed, are there any of specific interest to you? I love the strong graphic quality of the straight lines trend and, because I’m not one to shy away from colour, I also have a thing for the kaleidoscopic trend. Bold designs tend to appeal to me most.
You visited two converted villas for us; one for this issue and another for an upcoming one. How did you find that experience? Villas are revered for their nostalgic and quaint street frontages so it was really interesting to visit two villas with two completely different extensions, each of which responds to the topography of its site. I’m a lover of heritage architecture so I was surprised to discover that, in each case, the extension was really the rock star of the project.
Tell us about your own kitchen. I love to cook and so spend a bit of time in the kitchen doing that, although I wish I were much better at it. Having said that, I do make a mean vegetarian fried rice and my roast vegetables are to die for (if I do say so myself). What has been keeping you busy lately? I’ve been writing a lot and also working on a number of different editing jobs. I spend most of my day sitting down so I’ve recently joined the gym (a first for me) to introduce some much-needed movement into my life. I’m very happy to report that I’m loving it, which has come as a surprise to everyone who knows me well.
You recently bought an interesting home in the Waikato. Tell us about it, how it came about and what your plans are. A desire to let my daughters run wild in the countryside meant that, for the previous couple of years, I’d been sitting on the refresh button on real estate websites. I was finally fed up with waiting for ‘the one’ and popped a note in the letterbox of a 100-year-old convent I’d spotted from the roadside, asking if I could please buy the house. The owners said ‘yes’ and I’m now busy turning an ex-convent into a house of fun with loads of warm colour and artwork.
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Shorts
THE RITE OF SPRING The fresh, the luscious and the plain vibrant new offerings in the world of hotels, homewares, colour trends, books, cars and beyond. Pictured here: The Secant coffee table, an elegant piece topped in either marble or Norwegian granite. From the latest Warm Nordic collection available locally from Good Form. goodform.co.nz
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e KITCHENS EXTRAORDINAIRE Kitchen Things – the retail subsidiary of 32-year-old New Zealand appliance company The Jones Family Business – opened its Luxury Collection Showroom in the heart of Auckland’s Newmarket in August. The elongated, 850m2 former mechanical engineering workshop acts as an experience centre for multiple appliance brands and complementary furniture, tapware and bathroom specialists. The list of suppliers reads like a who’s who of the high-end market and includes European and North American offerings, such as Smeg, Miele, Gaggenau, Asko, Neff, Bosch, Wolf and Sub-Zero from the appliance sector. Complementary products from Design Denmark, Artceram, Zucchetti, Samuel Heath and Grohe are included. The showroom’s design was spearheaded by Matthew Godward of Godward Designspace while each individual kitchen brand created its own nook, including fully functional display kitchens with some of the most impressive appliances from its individual range. Cooking demonstrations, chef masterclasses and other activations are expected to take place on a regular basis within this stunning new culinary theatre. kitchenthings.co.nz/luxury-collection
MERINO KIDS ARE GROWING UP d New Zealand natural wool has a new best friend. Hushaberry Heritage is the newly launched natural fibre company aimed at the luxury end of the homeware market. Hushaberry is run by Amie Nilsson and husband James, the co-founders of popular children’s wear brand Merino Kids; they see this as a sort of “growing up” of their wool business. Hushaberry launched with an ambitious range of woollen products, which includes carpets, wall panels, headboards, linen, pillows, curtains and some pieces of furniture. hushaberry.com
c DRAWING ON WALLS A Wellington hotel has handed the keys to all 25 rooms on one of its floors to artists (including one who used to be part of its housekeeping staff) so they can go wild on their walls. The 19 creatives were tasked with drawing, spraying or displaying photography or designs on walls and balconies of all the guest rooms on Level 4 of the QT Museum Wellington. The artists include (among others) DSide (pictured above), Flox, Ngarongo Phillips, Ellie Compton, Johnson Witehira and Maira Müller. All the artworks are to be unveiled on 1 November and Urbis will be sharing the pieces live through our social media.
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SO/ arrives in Auckland Followers of and regular guests at contemporary design hotels, such as Ace and the Habita Group (style and social meccas in Central and North America), and other such destination hotels will rejoice in knowing that a similar serving is scheduled to open in Auckland on 1 November. The SO/ brand (from the company behind the oh-sotasteful Sofitel) is known for energetic spaces which seek to blend the worlds of fashion and hospitality interiors. The SO/ Auckland will boast a hipper-than-thou service attitude, a rooftop bar with expansive city and Rangitoto views, an exclusive lounge space spread across two floors, a spa and a restaurant run by Marc de Passorio, a chef previously at the helm of Michelin-star eatery L’Esprit de la Violette in Aix-en-Provence, France. Yes, we are excited. As expected from such an ethos, the 130-roomed hotel has partnered with local fashion label World and been fitted with several statement pieces from renowned Dutch design brand Moooi. The two eclectic and bombastic design names are expected to add a bit of oomph and chutzpah to the inn’s Britomart locale.
d BENNY CASTLES
THE MOOOI TOUCH c Many of SO/ Auckland’s public spaces are furnished with statement pieces from Moooi, the Dutch brand founded by Marcel Wanders. Here are some of our favourites: The chandeliers: the Mega Chandelier is custom-made by putting together several of Moooi’s pre-existing lamps. It is expected to grace the hotel’s lobby and act as a “grounding force… a grand welcome to the guests; it is both playful and imposing,” according to the hotel’s general manager, Stephen Gould. The Chalice lamp (by Edward van Vliet): this glass bouquet, made from dozens of flower blossoms, will float above the hotel’s bar. “With its warm copper tones and fluted shapes, it provides a perfect balance to the volcanic landscape surrounding the area,” explains Gould. We also look forward to seeing the Charleston seating, which is playful, surprising and just a little flirtatious. It seats two people while enveloping them in privacy and sculpture. It retains the elegance of a classic sofa while turning its basic idea, well… on its head.
Benny Castles (pictured below) is lead designer and codirector of local fashion label World. He joins the likes of Kenzo Takada, Christian Lacroix, Viktor&Rolf and others who have served as Signature Designers for SO/ hotels around the world. According to Castles, “We are not responsible for the whole look and feel [of the hotel] but for creating an inspiration within the environment. We are to create an atmosphere that adds to the already-existing ethos or spirit of the place.” As such, the designer produced the hotel’s emblem: a graphic influenced by Auckland’s volcanic landscape mixed with a somewhat 'retro-futuristic' and hypnotic feel. Iterations of this appear across a variety of touch points, including 3D sculptural pieces, wallpapers, lightboxes, neon light art, livery and more. One of Castle’s most impressive contributions (aside from the yet-to-be-unveiled members’ lounge) is the staff attire. “We wanted to dress the staff in a way that made guests think ‘wow… I want to go to the party she’s going to’… or see a guy walk by and say ‘wow… where is he headed?’” says Castles. His favourite piece from the range (pictured above left) is a lurex, blue, double-breasted suit for women. “There is so much going on; it is literally a catwalk piece. She has exaggerated shoulders with a high cross-over double-breasted jacket, which is quite short and cropped and sits atop a high-waisted skirt with a triple ruffle that scrolls down the front of it in a pencil shape. Knowing that such a person is standing there in a beautiful pair of black heels and will walk me to my room… I’m going to be thinking: ‘I’m in Narnia! This is off the scale!’”
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c TAKING IT SLOW A wish to declutter their own homes spurred into motion a new way of life for two friends, interior designer Martina Blanchard and buyer Sunny Wehrle. In turn, this spawned the concept for a design retailer with a difference: Slow, concept store and coffee studio, opening soon in Queenstown. The pair wanted to open a store that represented a slower, simpler way of life, stocking brands whose products are made ethically and with care. “We feel passionate about bringing in brands that care about the environment,” Blanchard says. “We want to get to know the makers, not just talk to someone at a call centre. A lot of modern objects are so flat and have no life in them because you don’t know anything about their history. If you know what they’re made from and by whom and where, then you attach yourself to them and keep them longer.” Kerr Ritchie has assisted with planning the space for the store, which encompasses design, furniture, clothing and a café. The aesthetic is minimalist, with plastered walls, which give a subtle texture, and custom steelwork playing a large part. “We really want people to come and spend time and enjoy it, even if they don’t buy anything,” says Blanchard. “They will leave with the experience of being in the store and, hopefully, talk to their friends about it.” Everything inside is for sale, including the shelving and display units. “It’s getting hard with retail to make the money to sustain yourself because of online shopping,” says Blanchard, “so when we were designing the store, the drive behind it was that everything has a function and can be showcased, so people can imagine how it will look in their space. It’s an experiential space, like a gallery where you can shop.” The café offering uses a functioning Frama kitchen so visitors can have a coffee and experience the brand firsthand. Much of the furniture is sourced from Scandinavia, including Frama, Bolia and New Works. Many of the brands stocked at Slow are not available anywhere else in New Zealand. Clothing brands include local Kowtow as well as others from overseas, such as Norway’s Tom Wood Project and USA’s Re/Done Denim, which encompass the same minimalist, ethical and environmental virtues Wehrle and Blanchard wish to uphold. “What we’re focusing on now is seasonal collections of staples,” says Blanchard, “so you can have an item in your wardrobe for as long as it lasts. Organic fabrics and natural materials do seem to last a lot longer.” Slow is expected to open in late October at 85 Beach Street, Queenstown. slowstore.co.nz
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INCONSPICUOUS TV f Samsung’s newest QLED TVs feature ‘Ambient Mode’. Through the Samsung SmartThings app, a user can snap a picture of their new Samsung QLED TV on the wall. The app cleverly uses the wall’s texture, pattern and colour, and displays them as the TV’s standby mode background, enabling it to blend seamlessly into its surroundings. It sounds gimmicky but it works. Ambient Mode, combined with the near bezel-less design of Samsung’s new TV, does indeed make that rectangular black hole vanish. The effect is uncanny and, at Samsung’s reveal, I ended up doing a complete double take of the ‘missing’ TV. Using a persistent type of LCD also means power consumption drops by around two-thirds when the TV is in Ambient Mode. All told, it’s a clever move. The new TV is designed to be much easier to mount on the wall, thanks to a tiny semi-transparent cable that acts as an HDMI connector and also supplies power to the TV. As with previous models, the TV’s tuner and other smarts are housed in an external breakout box, which has all the inputs for hooking up games consoles, set-top boxes and so on. Words: Pat Pilcher samsung.com/nz
e COLOURS FOR THE DIGITAL ERA Paint brand Dulux has released its latest colour forecast for 2019. In an attempt to counteract the barrage of information we come across on a daily, pixelated basis, colour forecaster Bree Leech has helped put together colour themes based around “stillness, simplicity and honesty”. “There are a lot of discussions about moving away from screens,” Leech told Urbis. “There is a strong movement towards being aware and knowing when to switch off.” As such, the colour palettes chosen by Leech and her team have been divided into themes such as Repair: a nature-inspired range hoping to capitalise on the growing biophilia movement in interior design. A Wholeself theme explores hues that instil silence and meditation while Legacy and Identity themes seek more individualistic colours. dulux.co.nz
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Food & Drink We explore two recently opened Wellington eateries, which are sating not just our culinary needs but our appetites for good design. WORDS AMANDA HARKNESS / PHOTOGRAPHY RUSSELL KLEYN
e FAST, FRESH AND FUN PASTA
OUR DAILY BREAD f A pastry chef abroad for 25 years, Catherine Adams returned to Wellington five years ago to open restaurant Whitebait with her sister and her brother-in-law. It was here she developed her signature sourdough bread and, before long, the bread took on a life of its own. Selling to an increasing number of wholesale customers, Adams decided to find a hub for her business, Wellington Sourdough, and came across a site in Te Aro’s Left Bank Lane, tucked away inconspicuously off a loading dock. Adams teamed up with her partner, Matthew Whiteman, to open Starta Bread Kitchen & Shop, enlisting the help of George MacLeod-Whiting of Wellington design studio Proffer to transform the space. Cedar and concrete create an industrial edge, which is teamed with a luxury marble countertop – a nod to the bread-maker’s preferred work surface. On one wall hang eight hoppers, to dispense the eight seeds and grains found in #3 of Starta’s small select range of loaves. The #4 sultana loaf with coriander, fennel and orange zest sounds particularly tempting… we recommend a visit. wellingtonsourdough.co.nz
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Right over the road from Leonardo and Lorenzo Bresolin’s Scopa Caffé Cucina, the brothers have opened 1154 pastaria in the old Hallenstein Brothers shop and machine workroom space. This latest offering is all about fresh pasta and classic sauces done really well – it’s simple, casual dining at great prices, with a focus on fresh, organic and local. The wine list is short and changed out daily and pasta fans can also take away 1154’s ingredients to cook at home. The Bresolins enlisted the help of Precinct 35’s Prak Sritharan to design the interior, with Italian mosaics and tiles, vintage prints and hand-picked furniture coming together with the building’s original front door and stained-glass windows to create a well-lived-in, welcoming vibe. Sunday Best worked on the branding – 1154 AD being the year of first documented reference to pasta in Italy. Leonardo says the space is so pared back and simple, there isn’t even a coffee machine... but that’s OK; diners can simply head over the road to Scopa if they feel the need. 1154.co.nz
THINGS TO DO AND SEE THIS SEASON
The Guerrilla Collection 2 – 4 November / Auckland Black Grace, Arts Laureate Neil Ieremia and a host of other bold, Pacific voices join forces in this three-day, free festival. It features 30-minute movement pieces that explore the future of Auckland from a Pasifika perspective. blackgrace.co.nz
BOOKS: THE ALCHEMY OF THINGS: f INTERIORS SHAPED BY CURIOUS MINDS By Karen McCartney, Murdoch Books, $70 “This book aims to show the swing of the decorating pendulum away from the instant gratification of popular culture, the swift satisfaction of the one-stop shop and the look du jour.” That is how this book’s author, Karen McCartney, describes the goal of this 270-page tome. She then goes on to explain the way that the homes within the book’s pages belong to individuals who: “have an instinct for placement that soars above the prosaic, as they find visual commonalities in all sorts of pieces, regardless of their provenance or monetary value.” That anti-establishment premise is well developed by focusing on 18 homes owned by people in the creative industries, whose unique personalities are well and truly expressed through their interiors. Handmade objects and tactile materials are running themes. A masterful use of colour and texture seems to grace all of the homes included here. Carefully grouped collections of objects and the ways in which they relate to the larger interior design is a focus of the photography. Australian architect John Wardle’s beach cottage, Khai Lew’s craft library and Ton of Holland’s House of Discovery are also incredible examples of how architectural history as well as national art and design identity can have an influence in interiors. The book’s design and photography are earthy, wholesome and rustic, and have a touch of analogue and monochrome (think Kinfolk but for grown-ups); the writing is well informed and crafted, finding a great midpoint between narrative and description. Overall, The Alchemy of Things is a true standout in the pre-Christmas release season and, undoubtedly, one of the interior design favourites of the year so far.
Show Me Shorts 6 October – 25 January / nationwide The short film festival launches on 6 October and is followed with dates and showings all over the country in the following months. This year’s festival places South Korean film-makers in the spotlight. showmeshorts.co.nz
Frank Gehry and Paul Goldberger 22 October / New York To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Philip Johnson’s iconic Glass House and to raise money for its preservation, this event brings two of the most distinguished names in architecture to the newly reopened Four Seasons Restaurant for a conversation about architecture and a seated five-star lunch. theglasshouse.org
FESTA 2018 19 – 22 October / Christchurch This year’s biennial ‘public festival of architecture, design and food’ includes a headline event for which artists, designers, musicians and community groups will take to the streets to celebrate all things related to food. festa.org.nz
130 Years of Katherine Mansfield Until 22 October / Wellington
e WERRY / FRANCIS HOUSES: JOHN SCOTT By Mary Gaudin and Giles Reid, $26 This limited-edition, small booklet (A5 size, 36 pages) packs a big punch. Photographed by France-based, New Zealand photographer Mary Gaudin, the little gem focuses on two, somewhat forgotten, Wairarapa houses by iconic architect John Scott (best known for Wellington’s Futuna Chapel). The Werry and the Francis Houses sit beside each other and were constructed using simple materials that were vernacular for their era. “Corrugated iron roofs, reinforced concrete block walls, cork floors and clear-sealed timber joinery… If the materials are quotidian, the detailing is characteristically Scott’s,” notes Reid’s text. There is a gentle and quiet assertiveness at play in these homes and Gaudin’s photographic treatment – subtle, moody and in search of the poetic within the every day – does perfect justice to it. bit.ly/2I9aJE3
Celebrating the 130th anniversary of the birth of arguably the most internationally famous New Zealand author, this festival includes events occurring all around Wellington, including exhibitions and film screenings, plus a Birthday Party at Katherine Mansfield House & Garden. katherinemansfield.com
The Art House Tour 2018 27 October / Auckland This clever initiative is back, combining a house tour with an art exhibition across eight stunning homes and gardens within the Auckland Grammar School community. Works from 44 individual artists, both established and emerging, will feature, along with a selection from Gow Langsford and NKB galleries. arthousetour.co.nz
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Technophile The most tenacious technology lurks in kitchens and bathrooms. These are the most waterproof, heat-resistant and sturdy of our personal tech – some can even be plunged into melting fat or burning barbecues. Some are wholly unnecessary, of course, but that’s all part of the fun. WORDS DEAN CORNISH
e PANCAKE BOT Take the Pancake Bot, for example. It’s a product that allows you to design, download and 3D print your own pancakes. Whilst some may see this as a harbinger of the final stages of Western civilisation, it’s also actually a pretty cool device that allows the family to learn about food science, 3D printing and design. The Pancake Bot comes with software which facilitates the design process and provides access to a database of manufacturer’s templates. Once you upload the design, the machine acts much like a printer – but, instead of ink on paper, it puts batter onto a hot griddle, using the cooking process and layering to achieve lighter and darker shades. It’s fiddly and requires a lot of trial and error, and your batter had better be damned smooth and not too thick – otherwise, say hello to a clogged nozzle and some messy clean-up. But, at least the mistakes are edible. Pancake Bot – $460 – pancakebot.com
CROSSWATER KAI f In the spirit of all things going digital, the shower shouldn’t be left behind. The Crosswater Kai dual outlet digital valve processor allows you to dial in precisely the temperature you want and glows red when the shower water heats up to your desired level. Gone are the old analogue mixer taps with a 1mm threshold between freezing cold and searing hot; the Kai checks the water temperature 10 times per second and constantly adjusts the water to maintain the desired number of degrees. Retrofitting digital shower valves to existing systems is easier than one might imagine and we can confirm that a perfectly dialled-in shower temperature is a great way to start the day. Other models can be activated remotely and controlled by the ever-present smartphone app, natch. Crosswater Kai Dual Outlet Digital Shower Valve with Head and Shower Kit – $1,928 – crosswater.co.uk
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Shorts
e LUV MIRROR If you’re looking for a minimal but stylish touch to your bathroom, then you could do worse than the Luv Mirror from Duravit. This Danish-designed mirror features a specially designed deflector at the rear, which bounces light around the sides of its frame. The result of this is an indirect, ambient light, which is also extremely flattering. Who doesn’t need that first thing in the morning? The premium edition includes surface heating, which prevents fogging, and sensors to enable touchless control of its lighting functions. 160cm Luv Mirror from Duravit – $3,200 – duravit.com
MAVERICK ET-735 f Roasters and barbecuers will like the Maverick ET-735 – a Bluetooth-enabled wireless thermometer system, which isn’t afraid of the searing heat of your oven. Simply pop a probe into whatever you’re cooking, and stay instantly updated on its cooking time and level of doneness. No more overdone roasts or frighteningly pink chicken innards. Two 16cm-long probes are included with the thermometer unit, but the system supports up to four – so you can keep tabs on four different foods simultaneously. The app has two modes: ‘food’ and ‘barbecue’. Food mode allows you to select from recommended cooking times and temperatures for various meats, including lamb, pork, chicken, venison, fish, turkey, and even elk, moose and buffalo – if you happen to get your hands on any of those. In barbecue mode, the app allows the setting of upper and lower temperature limits and sounds an alarm if the barbecue wanders out of that range. The thermometer is capable of transmitting to a smartphone over a distance of 48 metres. Maverick ET-735 – $140 – maverickthermometers.com
e SPARKLE MCRD-400 Whilst pimping the shower – check out the Sparkle MCRD-400 chromotherapy shower head from Aquatica USA. Chromotherapy uses different-coloured light to change the body’s energy vibrations (apparently) so you might want to dial in a yellow light to purify the skin and help with digestion, or a nice blue if you just want to chill the F out. Colour therapy was practised by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Chinese – without the LED lights, obviously. Therapy reasons aside, these coloured shower heads add great atmosphere to a darkened bathroom. Aquatica Sparkle Top Mounted Round Shower Head – $2,600 – aquaticausa.com
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Hot Cabins These two tiny cabins inspire slow living and back-to-nature retreats during the warmer months. WORDS CAMILLE KHOURI P H O T O G R A P H Y M A T T H E W C A R B O N E / A L E X H AY D E N
These pages. The Klein-designed prismatic cabin is a modern take on the classic A-frame but it provides a more effective use of space inside. 22
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A45 KLEIN Hudson Valley, USA This slice of cosy architecture is a prototype constructed in upstate New York for tiny house company Klein. It was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group using the starting point of a cabin staple, the A-frame, explains Klein founder and designer Søren Rose. “The classic A-frame structure has its limitations because it is not able to utilise a lot of the space inside. The A45 is a prismatic shape – it’s basically a square where opposite corners have been elevated and two remaining corners go all the way to the ground. This gives the inside a very spacious feel.” At 17m2, the cabin has a true sense of hygge, with a wood-burning stove positioned at the lower end of the wall and a sleeping nook on the mezzanine level. The floors are Douglas fir and the pine exterior frame is left exposed, with cork panels between the battens. “In Denmark, cork was a big thing back in the 1970s, often used for insulation,” says Rose. “We used a darkened version of cork – it’s three inches thick and provides an excellent acoustic experience, has great insulation capabilities and looks amazing.”
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HOOD CANAL BOATHOUSE Washington, USA Using the footprint and wall structure of an existing boathouse overlooking Puget Sound, architectural studio Hoedemaker Pfeiffer has created this charming, multipurpose waterside cabin. The slab floor and concrete masonry unit walls of the original boathouse remain, and a new opening at the rear of the building allows it to be opened up on three sides in the summer. A benchtop along the back wall provides space for a workshop or food preparation. Metal-clad doors slide aside, adding to the boathouse aesthetic and also allowing it to be fastened securely. Marine ply interior walls create a warm, cabin-like feel for guests, who can retreat up the retractable stair – with its nautical-style pulley system – to a private sleeping loft with a view of the water. “When open, the building reveals its plywood interior,” says architect Steve Hoedemaker. “The marine ply is intended to accept occasional flooding at high winter tides and to be useful when attaching to the walls for storage.” In the winter months, the building is closed up and the retractable stair means the floor is clear for storing boats. The concrete walls and aluminium doors mean it is lowmaintenance and secure when left unused for the off-season.
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These pages. The conversion of this Puget Sound boathouse, near the north-western coast of the United States, has created a multi-purpose waterside cabin.
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Oh-so solid With presence, solidity and timelessness, greyscale is cool concrete, yet a seriously hot commodity.
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01 / Eto desk by Tom Fereday POA; kingliving.co.nz 02 / Pac Table by Klemens Schillinger $800; klemensschillinger.com 03 / Outdoor My lounge chair by Ulla Koskinen POA; matisse.co.nz 04 / Inari table for Living Divani $5,100; studioitalia.co.nz 05 / Normann Copenhagen Pebble cheese collection $300; backhousenz.com 06 / Bio Hazard Bar cabinet by Timothy Oulton $6,239; dawsonandco.nz 07 / Harp sunlounger POA; davidshaw.co.nz URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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Reddish adobe, Mediterranean pinks and sandy or chalky textures
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Crushed rose quartz
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These objects of desire appear so tactile, we can almost feel a soft powder-coat at our fingertips.
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GET THE LOOK ON YOUR WALLS
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01 / Normann Copenhagen Junto cup and carafe $30 and $80; backhousenz.com 02 / Pink and White Terraces, 2018, by Whitney Bedford; whitneybedford.com 03 / Dowel Pendant by Tim Webber $1,187; timwebberdesign.com 04 / UMA lamp by Pablo $675; ecc.co.nz 05 / Bo chair by Philippe Starck $315; driade.com 06 / Baan Natural sneakers by Collective Canvas $119.90; collectivecanvas.com 07 / Londonart wallpaper designed by Marcante Testa $128 per roll; londonart.it 08 / Arbitrary Rug by Nadine Goepfert $3,700; nadinegoepfert.com 09 / Heavy Unbleached Canvas Roll Down bag by Klay $160; tessuti.co.nz 10 / Eikon Circus pendant $635; schneid.org
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Shorts
Urbis Drive Andrew Kerr trials three flagships that combine new dimensions in luxury with big road presence.
e DESIGN DRIVEN: New Ford Mustang V8 GT If sales numbers are anything to go by, the current Mustang must rank as one of Ford’s most successful GT car designs. Its mid-life facelift is wide ranging but most obvious at the reworked business end of the muscle-bound brute. And there’s a noticeable difference in the V8 GT’s ability to impress on open roads, too, with a useful surge in power from the hard-revving Coyote V8. More supportive seats are in keeping with the sportier intent while smarter trim and inserts make the stock car feel more special. A tech upgrade is immediately apparent with the new digital dash and an array of driver assistance features. And the 12-inch TFT screen for Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system is as clear as it is contemporary. A warm-up routine illustrates taut muscularity and good reflexes but also a ride that is supple enough for a sunset strip saunter. Up the pace and revised suspension and stabiliser bars deliver greater stability and confidence through winding country roads. For an even clearer soundtrack and an al fresco sense of freedom, the new V8 Convertible with 10-speed auto promises fine summer cruising, from $86,990.
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SPORTING CHOICE: Jaguar XJR575 f Jaguar’s halo model blends exclusivity and savage performance to delight and thrill the spirited purist. This limited-run XJR supercharged V8 boasts a five per cent power boost (to 575 horsepower) and builds on the XJ’s enduring design appeal with an overtly sporting treatment. Hence there’s a unique exhaust with quad pipes, red-painted callipers, rear spoiler and a low ride height. The driver’s seat is suitably sporty in soft-grain, diamond-quilted leather and the thin-rimmed steering wheel is small enough to keep your elbows tucked in at your sides. A new touchscreen for InControl is accompanied by a host of software updates. It’s set into a gloss-black frame in a curvaceous dash smothered in leather, while the rotary controller on the high-gloss, heavy chrome console marshals an eight-speed auto. At 5.13m, the standard-wheelbase XJ is big but, thankfully, the Park Assist system orchestrates parallel parking manoeuvres and helps position the car in bays while cameras project a 360-degree view of surroundings. Even a city cruise hints at the car’s dynamic character. The more speed builds, the better the ride and the greater the appetite for dispatching slower traffic. The XJR is surprisingly wieldy and always entertaining; you don’t need a disused airfield to enjoy the performance.
e GRAND TOURING: Mercedes-Benz S560 Coupé The S560 continues a lineage of pillarless two-doors in the best Benz tradition. It’s equipped with all the tech and refinements of an S-Class limo and, at more than 5m in length, seats four adults in comfort with relatively quick and easy access. A design hallmark is the stunning ‘harbour bridge’ window line in profile. Big Merc coupés are renowned for their comfort and lasting appeal and the S560 demands a long drive to experience its many attributes. We went touring in mid-winter and, distracted by the cosseting ride and creature comforts, racked up 850km without realising it. Powered by a modestly blown 4.0-litre V8, the S560 feels effortlessly smooth and comfortable to pilot. So good are noise suppression and stability on motorways, you could be on a high-speed train. On a level stretch at 100km/h, you can trickle along in ninth gear at 1200rpm. When the need arises, a right foot flex sees you instantly dropping a couple of gears and accessing peak torque (700Nm from 2000rpm) for swift passing. Maintain the pace and the hydraulic active suspension comes to the fore in bends. In Merc speak, this is Magic Body Control with active ‘curve tilting’ suppressing body roll. The sporting chairs wrapped in designo Nappa leather are an absolute highlight when you’re piling on the miles. Active side bolsters can be set to inflate in bends for optimal lateral support and massage functions range from subtle to intense. We frequently opted for hot shoulder or back massaging, heated seat squabs and armrests, and steering-wheel heating. Such is the extent of Merc’s model range diversification, the S-Class is now also available as a cabrio for the first time and features an ‘acoustic’ multilayered soft-top and standard air suspension for another grand touring masterclass.
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Shorts
e BEST OF BRITISH: Lagonda Vision Concept Aston Martin is relaunching the 114-year-old Lagonda brand as a luxurious alternative to Rolls-Royce and Bentley, and the initial design is defined by electrification. The four-door, four-seat Vision Concept will heavily influence the look of a new Lagonda saloon and a new SUV, which are three years from production. Both will be built by hand and packaged around electric powertrains. Design chief Marek Reichman worked with British furniture designer David Linley to construct the cabin before cloaking it in a body designed to provoke a strong reaction. There’s an absence of wood or leather and, instead, an abundance of carbon fibre, ceramics, silk, wool and cashmere. Long, rear-hinged doors open up out of the roof for easy access. The front seats can swivel 180 degrees to face those seated in the rear and all occupants, unimpeded by conventional car mechanicals, enjoy limousine-like leg room.
ON THE ROAD: New TX6 London Taxi f The TX6 hails the arrival of electric black cabs for England’s pollutionconscious capital. The tight-turning newcomer has a similar slab-sided look to that of the shuddery diesels of old but improved packaging means it seats up to six adult passengers. It’s manufactured near Coventry by LEVC, a company owned by the Chinese giant, Geely (whose brands include Volvo and Lotus). My £40, off-peak fare saw me glide from Putney to Piccadilly in the zero-emissions heart of the city. There was plenty of time to play with the passenger control panel housing intercom, temperature controls and window lifts, spot the USB ports and make use of on-board WiFi. Durability is, predictably, the priority for cabin materials but seat comfort is as impressive as is the conversation-friendly refinement and expansive outward view. Beneath your feet, a 330kg battery pack is spread as thinly as possible across the underside of the floor. The weight is countered somewhat by extensive use of anodised aluminium and composite panels in both the body and the chassis. Much like the BMW i3, the TX6 has a range-extending three-cylinder petrol engine to fall back on when its 125km range is exhausted or the driver wishes to conserve battery power for later use. Charging is via banks of taxi-dedicated rapid chargers that can replenish a battery to 70 per cent during a cabbie’s 30-minute break. The changing of the guard will be gradual; Transport for London expects 8500 TX6s (about 40 per cent of the black cab fleet) will be zero-emissions by 2020 so idling diesels will continue to rattle away at station ranks. And there are two more constants; the TX6 will still require a driver’s sixth sense for avoiding daytime congestion and passengers like me will be just as likely to leave their umbrellas behind.
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e LIMOUSINE LUXURY: Audi A8 L
ENGINE POWER TORQUE TRANSMISSION DRIVETRAIN LENGTH WEIGHT WHEELS TYRES 0-100KM/H FUEL CLAIM PRICE
2995CC V6 TURBO 250KW (336BHP) 500NM@1370−4500RPM 8-SPD AUTO QUATTRO FOUR−WHEEL DRIVE 5.30M 1945KG 20-INCH FORGED ALLOY 265/40 (F) 265/40 (R) 5.7 SECS 8.0L/100KM FROM $174,900
The new Audi A8 has been voted World Luxury Car of the Year for good reason. Beautifully crafted, the new flagship impresses as a high-tech heavyweight but delights with its sense of comfort, safety and isolation from the outside world. Our market has the long-wheelbase A8 L. It sets the luxury standard with vast space, standard air suspension and a 48-volt electrical subsystem. It’s also geared for Level 3 unsupervised autonomous driving. The cabin is a sumptuous cocoon of formal elegance with expansive high-gloss surfaces and a large split-level touchscreen system up front. As with a smartphone, you can select and drag tiles to customise the display and press, pinch, hold and drag to your heart’s content. Haptic feedback and sensitivity levels can be tailored to suit driver taste. An individual Rear Seat package maximises passenger space and seat comfort. For the front seat settings, count on heating, ventilation, seven massage functions and 22-way electric adjustment. Ignition brings to life more than 40 driver assistance systems, with many supported by a laser scanner that complements sensors and cameras with superior range, calibration and detail. If you wish to turn nighttime into daytime, opt for LED Matrix headlights with laser spotlights in conjunction with OLED tail lights. The 48v mild hybrid tech translates into greater efficiency and performance, allowing periodic coasting, more seamless operation and quieter stopstarting. Meanwhile, the serenity of the petrol engine’s surge disguises its potency. The turbo V6 is certainly up to the task of quickly shifting a two-tonne lounge room, while quattro calmly resolves the conflict between agility and stability. Such cars used to cost as much as a sausage block of suburban flats. They’re now twice as good and cost half a flat, which makes for a palatable value equation.
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Spring fibre Are they rare flowers in different stages of bloom or exotic birds in a timid game of hide and seek? ART DIRECTION THOMAS CANNINGS PHOTOGRAPHY TOAKI OKANO
This page. Bengal Tiger fabric from the Majorelle collection from Catherine Martin by Mokum POA; jamesdunloptextiles.com Opposite. Acid Rain Silk Scarf from $240; bess.studio
This page. Tricolour Kitchen Cloth by Hay $19; everyday-needs.com Opposite. Mr Goldie Wool Scarf $270; bess.studio
This page. Una Lambswool Blanket by Røros Tweed $262; everyday-needs.com Opposite. Depths of Desire Silk Scarf $230; deadlyponies.com
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People Inside Story From Motueka to Brooklyn: interior designer Danu Kennedy is at the heart of restaurant and hotel design in North America. She takes us into her home and shares the objects she loves. WORDS SHARON STEPHENSON P H O T O G R A P H Y E M I LY H L AVÁ Č G R E E N
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Donald Judd book Judd is a huge inspiration and his work with minimalist concepts fascinates me. I’ve been lucky enough to visit his private living and working spaces here in New York City and would thoroughly recommend it.
Handcrafted ceramic vase This is actually a light fixture prototype I ‘stole’ from the office – a craftwork from the company founders’ early days. I’m drawn to ceramics and this is a beautiful example of the reason why.
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My wedding ring I custom-designed this ring: the only piece of jewellery I’ve ever designed. It’s pretty robust so I don’t feel as though I have to be particularly careful with it, which suits me!
Hanging pot-plant holder This was a handmade gift from Tyson’s brother and his girlfriend when they came to stay with us. It’s such a cool gift.
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Maison Pearson brush Le Labo perfume This is a classic, original rubbercushion hairbrush that was designed in 1885 in London and my husband stands by it as the best brush in the world. The Le Labo Rose 31 perfume is my signature fragrance. They handblend every bottle and put your name on it.
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My notebook I have a love/hate relationship with my notebook but it’s essential for sketching and note-taking. I typically use a ruled Moleskin version and keep a stack in my drawer at work.
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Art This is by my friend Raukura Turei, an amazing artist and architect currently based in New Zealand. She gifted us this beautiful piece which is in our bedroom. It reminds me of home.
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Horsehair art wall hanging When we design hotels, we typically hand-pick every art piece that goes into the public spaces and guest rooms. This twin-wrapped horsehair piece by artist Alicia LaChance is one of my favourites, from a hotel we did in Nashville.
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Vintage bedside tables I don’t remember where we got these from but I know it was a vintage furniture store in Brooklyn and I was captured by the unique design.
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Vintage stone cocktail tray This is a beautiful piece I found almost by accident in a tiny shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It’s a key part of our home bar and sees a lot of action!
People These pages. Interior designer Danu Kennedy in the Brooklyn apartment she shares with her husband, Tyson.
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DVICE FOR BUDDING interior
designers: be bold, be driven and take creative and personal risks. You only have to look at New Yorkbased Danu Kennedy to see how that strategy has worked out for her. The Kiwi expat is the design director for Parts and Labor Design, one of the Big Apple’s leading architectural/ design agencies specialising in hospitality projects. That includes hotels, bars and restaurants across the US and Hong Kong, from the glamorous 224-room Thompson Nashville hotel and a sleek diner/bar in an historic artdeco former Greyhound bus terminal in Savannah, Georgia, to a lavish restaurant complex on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. Kennedy has worked at the company’s Flatiron HQ for almost five years in a role that sees her managing
something that will always inspire me.” Kennedy, however, always knew she’d wind up in New York, one of the most exciting design hubs on the planet. “It helps that my father is American so I have dual citizenship and can easily work here. But even if that weren’t the case, I would still have tried to make it work because New York is where the big design decisions are made.” The ink on Kennedy’s two degrees – a Bachelor of Design in Interior Architecture and a Master of Architecture from Victoria University of Wellington – was barely dry when she packed a suitcase and headed first to Hong Kong and then to London before setting up camp in Brooklyn. “When I left New Zealand in 2011, I didn’t think I’d be starting my career in New York but, as soon as I arrived, it felt like a good fit.” Freelancing paid the rent until Kennedy met Kiwi architect David Howell of DHD Architecture, who’s renowned for employing fellow antipodeans. “I worked for David for two and a half years, designing residential projects across New York, which taught me a lot about the city and its unique culture of design.” A chance meeting with the cofounders of Parts and Labor Design in 2014, when she realised they were doing work she wanted to be part of, led to her current role. “I did my master’s thesis on the history of hospitality so I’ve always been interested in how designers can push boundaries when it comes to hotel and restaurant design. For me, design large-scale commercial projects. “I started off doing residential projects but wanted to have more of an impact on the city around me and contribute to the urban environment, so I shifted my focus to commercial projects,” says Kennedy. So far, that has included an awardwinning restaurant in Chicago, a café in Philadelphia and a hotel in the deep south. When Urbis met Kennedy, she was working on two different hotel projects in Washington, DC. It couldn’t be more different from Motueka, where Kennedy was born and raised, the older of two children of a naturopath father and an educational facilitator mother. She does, however, credit the tiny South Island town with inspiring her career choices. “Growing up in Motueka and really identifying with those natural surroundings is
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is all about evolving and taking an innovative approach to creating new forms, environments and experiences that people want to use while, at the same time, maintaining a timeless and somewhat classic outcome.” When it comes to kitchens, Kennedy believes there’s a real shift in New York hospitality circles towards spaces that connect and foster greater human interaction. “That includes incorporating lower counters and more of an at-home style of kitchen in restaurants. We recently did a restaurant project in Chicago, called Pacific Standard Time, that has a custom counter-top that people can dine at, which is built into the chef’s prep counter and provides for an authentic dining experience because the chefs are inviting you into their space.” It’s a trend that makes perfect sense in the context of most New York apartments; they are so small that the majority of eating and socialising is done outside the home. “The idea of restaurant kitchens becoming your hearth or kitchen island is a really interesting concept and one we’ll see more of as people increasingly
search for more meaningful experiences.” Future challenges for Kennedy include producing a line of custom lighting and furniture for Parts and Labor Design. “Around 90 per cent of our projects feature custom lighting and furniture so we’re really excited about exploring that avenue.” Home for Kennedy is an apartment in Brooklyn with 3.6m-high ceilings, which she shares with husband Tyson Kennedy, a Grammy-nominated musician and owner of New York salons Fatboy Hair and Cutler, Brooklyn. She admits she’ll never tire of her adopted home’s “relentless, inspiring energy”. “People are very supportive here; there’s no tall poppy syndrome nor any need to feel insecure about your ambitions. I’ve been in New York for only seven years but it feels like I’ve achieved so much: from meeting and marrying my husband and acquiring a dog, to nurturing a passion for hospitality design. I’d never say never about coming back to New Zealand but it’s not something that’s on the cards right now.” This page. Kennedy’s apartment is home to a number of vintage pieces she has collected over the years. The small kitchen space is characteristic of so many New York apartments and this results in much eating and socialising outside of the home.
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Material minded New Zealand-born designer Hayden Martis creates limited-edition design pieces from beautifully finished natural materials in his London studio. He has an unhurried design process, which results in pieces of technical difficulty and exceptional refinement. WORDS CAMILLE KHOURI
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People These pages. Lamps by Hayden Martis. The Tension lamp (opposite page) has an invisible connection between the cylindrical column and the disc, creating a seemingly impossible composition of shapes and light. The Ascension lamp (left) has a solid brass base out of which a carbon fibre form twists upwards, with a tiny LED casting light towards the sky.
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get to the point where I am happy to produce something,” says Hayden Martis. “That is to do with my own internal monologue rather than anything else. You can make stuff and keep making it but I have tended to go the other way and spend more time writing, reading, thinking, drawing and sketching – and the work is now starting to come out. I could have pumped out work to make money but I just don’t feel inclined to do that.” Owning one of Hayden’s pieces is like possessing an artwork. The designer puts a lot of time and legwork into visiting the sites where his materials are found, including journeying to Carrara once or twice each year to see the stone studios there. Each of his Fallon and Falloff plates and bowls is crafted from a single block of stone and is a product of the inspiration he found in Italian and Spanish stone quarries. “It wasn’t until understanding marble and being close to the factories and ateliers in Carrara that I got a feel for how that
material works,” he says. He also travelled to New Zealand’s South Island in 2015 to research materials for his upcoming release, Extract the Light, which comprises pendants made from cored greenstone. “This is the first piece in what is loosely titled the Heritage collection,” says Hayden. “I’m interested in telling stories of place and history through native materials in a very non-commercial, novel way. With the greenstone, I wanted to steer away from carving and look at the material itself.” The core drill process used for the pendants allows the material to be seen in as close to its natural state as possible, with the rind of the stone visible along with the transitions from the rough edge that was tumbled down the river right through to the translucent heart. These are also functional objects with embedded LEDs. Another series of lights which took a long time in development, named Ascension, Equilibrium and Descension, is the result of a quest to create ‘a sense
of movement in space, through light’. Each of these is made with a 6.5kg solid brass base from which a wiggling line casts light upwards (Ascension), outwards (Equilibrium) or downwards (Descension). These were created using the technically challenging and obscure process of advanced carbon fibre curing, which allows the completely freeform 3D curves to be created. London is an apt place for Hayden’s style of work, as it is close to manufacturers that can carry out the types of precision work needed for his designs. There is also a market for his work in the growing number of hybrid art and design galleries, which provide him with a niche audience: something he is not sure he would have in New Zealand. Rather than travel to design fairs, Hayden has mostly made sales through galleries and also through social media.
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People These pages. Extract the Light is a new series made from South Island pounamu core-drilled from the raw stone. Hayden Martis’ desk.
“I have steered away from doing a big show for the moment until I have a decent amount to take and expose to a larger audience. It’s an interesting thing with the rise of Instagram over the last couple of years. People will see work on there and email me directly and I have facilitated a lot of sales that way.” And business is going well – “I could probably not sketch another piece for another 10 years and have enough work, which is frustrating in itself, really!” he says. Hayden studied industrial design at Massey University, where he learned the technical skills behind product, lighting and furniture design; however, he believes that creativity is something that cannot be taught. “The drive to make things and explore: you need that as a designer and you have to find it yourself.”
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Designed for life. Cutting edge urban designs for a lifetime of experiences. Uniquely yours. New Excava™ www.caesarstone.co.nz
People
Where the Art is They’re handy with a spray can, have attitude to burn and no blank wall is safe around them. Three Wellington street artists/illustrators tell Urbis about how they’re making their marks on their city and on their homes. WORDS SHARON STEPHENSON PHOTOGRAPHY VICTORIA BIRKINSHAW
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Kelly Spencer You can barely throw a paint can in Wellington without hitting Kelly Spencer’s work. The 35-year-old has illustrated everything from entrance signs to 6m-high walls, her looping script wrapping around letters and figures, such as whales and birds. The Gisborne-born artist has scaled scaffolds from Auckland to Christchurch and describes her colourful work across both type and illustration as “rounded, smooth and clean” and, increasingly, with an environmental message.
“I want my art to show that we need to start taking care of this planet,” says Spencer. That includes curating Sea Walls, a global public art festival which promotes ocean conservation and is taking place in Gisborne later this year. It wasn’t always this way. Spencer had her heart set on a career in fashion and, after completing a fashion degree, started her own sleepwear/lingerie line. But, while travelling in South America, she met an illustrator and was hooked. Spencer moved to the capital 10 years ago and, although Gisborne’s beaches will always hold the lion’s share of her heart, home is a rambling old house in suburban Hataitai, which she shares with four others. She’s lived there for three years, “longer than anywhere since I left home”, transfixed by its large garden and ko-whai tree filled with duelling tui. Although Spencer shares a studio in the central city, she often works from home, sketching in front of the fire. Her bedroom/sanctuary is filled with a collection of books, which has moved around the country with her. Not surprisingly, there’s also lots of art, including pieces from colleague/friend Sean Duffell, an original drawing by street artist Mica Still and a piece by illustrator T Wei. Frequent travel brings the inspiration but, when she’s at home, Spencer’s ritual is to brew a plunger of coffee and ease into the day. “No one can speak to me until I’ve had my first cup!”
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People
Phoebe Morris On one wall, there are tiny squirrels wearing even tinier trousers, on another, a detailed illustration of Sir Edmund Hillary. Welcome to Phoebe Morris’ world. The 26-year-old artist/illustrator has been working full-time only since graduating from Massey University in 2013 but, already, she’s racked up an impressive CV, including a series of award-winning picture books about Kiwi adventurers, graphic design for Trade Me and even a custom-designed wallpaper for an Aro Street café. There have also been murals: a series for a group dedicated to trapping pests and planting trees in Wellington’s Town Belt, and another which goes heavy on trees and animals for a bookstore. Morris may prefer using paintbrushes over spray cans but the result is the same – big, bold, colourful walls that tell a specific New Zealand story. “My aim is to illustrate New Zealand,” says Morris. “What does it look like? How do we draw our lands and our people?” It’s probably not surprising that Morris went down the artistic route – her father is acclaimed sculptor Bruce Mahalski, who recently opened Dunedin’s Museum of Natural Mystery. Morris works from a studio in the central city but home is a 15-minute walk away in Mount Cook. She rents a two-storeyed house with two female friends; both are public servants, “which allows me to climb out of my artistic bubble and spend time in the real world”. She’s most attached to a vintage David Bowie mirror a flatmate gifted her a few years ago and a Deadly Ponies handprinted silk scarf which adorns one wall of her bedroom. The story goes that Morris mistakenly hoovered up the scarf at the clothing store where she worked as a student. “I eventually bought it from my employer at a much-reduced rate!” One of Morris’ favourite things to do at home is to fold clothes. “I read the Marie Kondo book about appreciating what you own and getting joy from those possessions. Folding laundry has now become a Zen-like activity.”
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Xöe Hall Down a busy one-way street, behind a dusty car park, is one of Wellington’s most Instagrammed sites – a two-storey-high mural of Ziggy Stardust. Artist Xöe Hall spent three windy days in a cherry picker spray-painting one of David Bowie’s most popular characters. “I had to get over my fear of heights,” laughs the 32-year-old. It’s one of around 12 murals (“I’ve lost count”) Hall has completed since launching her artistic career (there are others in Auckland and Taupo-). Art has always been a constant, from her rural childhood in Pa-uatahanui, where her late father painted in between running a pig farm and a kennel/cattery, through school where art and sewing were the only classes she attended. Hall has been a full-time artist since 2008 when she and a former partner ran the Manky Chops Gallery in Cuba Street, which specialised in graffiti, street art and what Hall calls “low brow” art. These days, Hall, who describes her style as “dark, hot surrealism”, spends three days a week illustrating books for TeacherTalk, an early childhood resource company, and the rest of her time painting, leadlighting and upcycling clothing (the day Urbis visited, she was handpainting and sewing 1,500 rhinestones onto a tour dress for singer Tami Neilson). Hall’s studio/home, with its enviable water views, is on the ground floor of a Porirua house owned by her boss at TeacherTalk, Kate Robinson. “I was tired of living in the city
and Kate took pity on me and did up the rumpus room so I could live here.” Robinson gives her free reign so she’s painted the walls green, installed pink tiles and spraypainted a mural on one wall. There’s also a sewing room, two pugs (Lemmy and Bernice) and walls smothered in art, from the Wall of Hall, which features her father’s oil paintings, to pieces by Martin Emond and Ashley Church. Hall’s impressive art collection aside, other treasured items include the teddy bear she’s had since she was three and a collection of ceramic cups from Taranaki artist, Ruthie Frank, which hold the buckets of milky coffee she consumes daily.
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“It was very pleasant to savor its aroma, for smells have the power to evoke the past, bringing back sounds and even other smells that have no match in the present.� Laura Esquivel, Like Water for Chocolate
SPECIAL REPORT
Kitchens & Bathrooms
Presented by
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Kitchens + Bathrooms
Architects,, designers g and their clients can spend p days y or even weeks discussing g solutions for the kitchen and bathroom – and with good g reason. If those two spaces are p right, g , everything else falls into place. While every room in the house has to work hard to deliver design outcomes conducive to the client’s lifestyle, the kitchen and bathroom need to work that bit harder, as anyone who’s ever lived with a dysfunctional bathroom (I can raise my hand here) or illogically planned kitchen will agree. So where to look for inspiration? In researching this year’s kitchens and bathrooms supplement, it became obvious to me that inspiration comes from all over. Of course, major industry events like EuroCucina, Euro Bagno and Casa Decor set the tone. Yet, architects and designers are also looking to the visual arts for inspiration: from Mondrian’s paintings to Anish Kapoor’s sculptures, as well as other sources like traditional Japanese aesthetics, hotel design, nature and even a children’s literary classic. Such scope hints at the diversity of projects in the coming pages, promising a broad mix of concepts and character. It was my pleasure to compile this supplement to bring you the very best in today’s kitchen and bathroom design from around the globe.
The task was a challenging one – only because there’s so much good work to choose from – but it’s ultimately rewarding for that same reason. As it stands, we’re proud to showcase designs from some of the industry’s finest, including Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Colombo and Serboli Architecture (Spain), Herbst Architects (New Zealand), Mops Studio (Russia), Anacapa Architecture (USA), Doherty Design Studio (Australia) and many more. Identifying current trends was a definite highlight and, of the eight featured, some may come as a surprise, while others are staples we’ve come to rely upon. Indeed, the Minimalist and Sanctuary trends are timeless and, although both are prone to visual shifts, they’re here to stay. While the more flamboyant trends, such as Dramatic and Kaleidoscopic, will probably transform into something altogether different in a few years’ time. Either way, each is a reminder that attention to detail is a requirement, comfort is a priority and the most outstanding designs are always individualised. We hope you enjoy. – Leanne Amodeo
Kitchens & Bathrooms
This page. Nulla Vale house, Victoria, Australia, by MRTN Architects, photographer Peter Bennetts. Cover, from left. IN 3, MontrĂŠal, by Jean Verville, photographer Maxime Brouillet; Ivanhoe Residence, Melbourne, by Doherty Design Studio, photographer Derek Swalwell.
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Kitchens
KITCHEN TREND 01
Kaleidoscopic This trend is the design equivalent of falling down the rabbit hole in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and ending up somewhere unexpected. Visual interest is created through a kaleidoscope of colour in harlequin patterns, boldly patterned terrazzo or bright swatches. The effect is as engaging as it is immersive and that’s the idea; it’s about pushing the limits of experiential design within a residential context to transport the end-user to another place. And it’s also an opportunity for designers and architects to have some fun and create an aesthetic that’s visually surprising and playful. The emphasis is well and truly on decoration and, in this respect, colour is used as a tool to style the kitchen, without having to rely too heavily on other elements to achieve the desired outcome. Colour was used without restraint in kitchen
installations within Casa Decor 2018 in Madrid and the trend is evident in homes from Australia to Russia. The use of block colour is also popular and often riskier to pull off than is a multi-coloured palette, so choosing a shade or tone the client won’t tire of anytime soon is absolutely imperative. Then again, it’s a particular type of client who embraces colour in this way: one who is sure of what they want and relishes the idea of living with their colour-saturated kitchen for many years to come. There’s genuine joy and delight to be found in this trend, such is colour’s positive impact on the human psyche. From left. Cocina Comedor at Casa Decor 2018, Madrid, by Patricia Bustos Studio, image courtesy Casa Décor and Patricia Bustos Studio; North Perth Apartment, Perth, by Simon Pendal Architect, photographer Robert Frith; Stripe Apartment, Moscow, by MOPS Studio, image courtesy MOPS Studio.
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KITCHEN TREND 02
Dramatic With open-plan living shifting attention towards the kitchen, designers and architects have put subtlety aside and are responding with statement spaces nothing short of striking. This trend was evident at EuroCucina 2018 in Milan where black dominated, followed closely by grey, blue, green and brown in the darkest of shades. Material palettes were also robust and characterised by blackened steel, dirty timbers and dark stone, alongside supermatte surfaces and brushed-metal details. It used to be that a judiciously positioned accent detail or hero finish was enough but, now, the emphasis is on combining all these elements within the one space for maximum visual impact. This all-encompassing treatment, inclusive of walls, ceiling and joinery as well as of light fittings, splashbacks and appliances, also sets the tone for the dining
and lounge areas, ensuring they are not lost in the overall scheme. But it really is all about celebrating grand gestures, from hyper-moody colour palettes and heavily patterned marble to sublime structural elements created from recycled rustic materials. The only requirement is that there’s plenty of floor space to accommodate the drama. This works best in a generously proportioned kitchen, which is able, spatially, to carry off a combination of the boldest design motifs and expressions. From left. Elwood Residence, Melbourne, by Doherty Design Studio, photographer Derek Swalwell; Armadale Residence, Melbourne, by Flack Studio, photographer Brooke Holm, styling Marsha Golemac.
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...it’s about celebrating grand gestures, from hyper-moody colour palettes and heavily patterned marble to sublime structural elements...
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Kitchens
KITCHEN TREND 03
Sculptural A love of maximalism drives this trend and, as a result, it has a multitude of influences and inspirations. It embraces the dynamism of baroque architecture and nods its head to a number of well-known three-dimensional works of art, from Umberto Boccioni’s futurist masterpiece, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913) to Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (2006) in Chicago’s Millennium Park. The emphasis is on bold forms that curve, sweep, cantilever and plunge and, often, this statement is expressed in the kitchen’s island bench, a centrally positioned ‘punctuation mark’ that is hard to miss. The rest of the scheme either recedes into the background to give the island due prominence or echoes its shape, extending its sculptural qualities to the joinery. This trend also lends itself to a built-in dining table and benches, integrated into the island
or some other design element to form a custom modular unit. However, form is not always driven solely by aesthetics and, sometimes, an oversized feature, such as a stand-alone built-in cabinet, actually hides a powder room, so positioned to maximise the spatial constraints of a small apartment. In this respect, bright colour is used to highlight the joinery, making it the focus of the scheme. More so than any other trend, this one relies on the skill of the project’s craftspeople and contractors to deliver engineered forms and structures, which is limited only by the designer or architect’s imagination. From left. Born Apartment, Barcelona, by Colombo and Serboli Architecture, photographer Roberto Ruiz; MAX, Melbourne, by SJB, photographer Nicole England.
Kitchens
KITCHEN TREND 04
Minimalist The trend for minimalist interiors is nothing new and, while other fads may go out of style, this one seemingly won’t. After all, the pared-back kitchen has strong foundations, inspired as it is by Scandinavian and Japanese design principles, both of these prove that reductionist aesthetics are as visually attractive as they are functional. There have, of course, been visual shifts in this trend over time and the most recent one gives rise to a far more streamlined appearance. At EuroCucina in Milan this year, and within residential projects all across Europe, the emphasis is on seamless integration between joinery and appliances. Built-in ovens and cooktops are more popular than ever, and hardware, such as door handles, are nowhere to be seen. These have been replaced by modern push-to-open cabinetry. Schemes are overwhelmingly
uncomplicated and feature one or two materials; colour palettes are either all-white or of some other mono hue, and finishes and details are so neat and simple they practically blend into their surrounds. Some of these kitchens don’t even resemble a traditional kitchen and, in this respect, the new minimalist space is genuinely multi-functional. It is able to be used for socialising and entertaining as much as for cooking. Surfaces are unadorned and clean lines and angles are emphasised, with any design flourish kept discreet: a blonde timber accent or slim neon light fitting here or a pop of deep gold there, but nothing more. This trend has an undeniably timeless elegance to it and that’s why it’s here to stay. From left. Saint George House, Vancouver, by Falken Reynolds, photographer Ema Peter; IN 3, Montreal, by Jean Verville, photographer Maxime Brouillet.
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Q& A
Morgan Cronin Cronin Kitchens’ founder talks to Leanne Amodeo about his creative process and the big trends in kitchen design for 2019. Leanne Amodeo: What are the ingredients for creating a timeless kitchen? It’s about keeping it simple and trying to minimise colour and material palettes. Most of my kitchen projects are renovations and often there’s a lot going on in the rest of the home that I can’t change, so I like to create designs that are pared back. What is the biggest challenge you face in designing residential kitchens? Kitchen renovations are both challenging and rewarding because I have set parameters in which I have to work. It always begins with a site visit to the clients’ home and having an in-depth discussion with them. When I sit down at the drawing board, I’m always excited by what’s achievable and how a space can be transformed. How did you arrive at the concept for Cook Kitchen? This is a renovation and, for the clients’ convenience, I really didn’t want to disrupt the space too much. The home is only about eight years old so I worked with the existing flooring and wall finishes. It’s also a beach house that’s literally right on the water – you have to drive along the beach to reach the house. For me, the home has a real ‘James Bond Goldfinger’ feel to it and that’s what inspired the brass detailing, which makes the space feel warm despite the minimalist white aesthetic. The clients are a very glamorous couple and love to entertain and so the new kitchen also had to be about having fun with friends
and family, while still being comfortable and relaxed. What do you think the big trends in kitchen design will be for 2019? At EuroCucina this year, I really liked the faux marble ceramics. They’ve been around for a few years now, but this year they’re being expressed as fake marble. Designers were blatantly exposing the edges of slabs or tiles and not trying to make the material out to be something it’s not. We’ll start to see more of this ‘honest materiality’ and I think we’ll see more in the availability of metallic finishes in the near future, although brass and bronze will still be popular. croninkitchens.co.nz
Above, from top. Sandelin Bar; Cook Kitchen; Wilkes Kitchen. Photographer Kallan MacLeod.
Kitchen Detail
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These appliances and finishes take a modern kitchen to the next level. 01. Ilve’s 200 Series Double Oven 02. Sashimi from Wattyl's 2019 High Expectations (Midnight Green) colour palette 03. Maxima 2.2 by Cesar kitchen design system 04. Limousine from Wattyl 2019’s High Expectations (Pink) colour palette 05. Midnight Seas from Wattyl 2019’s High Expectations (Midnight Green) colour palette 06. Smeg’s FAB50 fridge in pale blue 07. Caesarstone’s Excava from the Metropolitan Collection 08. Ilve’s Versa Induction and Gas Cooktop 09. Harissa from Wattyl 2019’s High Expectations (Pink) colour palette 10. Retrostone from Neolith 11. Dolce Stil Oven by Guido Canali for Smeg.
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Natural space Biophilic design is on the rise within the residential sector and kitchens and bathrooms are prime for its responsive approach to well-being.
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The focus on biophilic design has grown in recent years as its benefits in workplace and health-care settings are being recognised. The idea that humans innately seek out connection with nature and that the places we inhabit should support this behaviour for improved well-being is resoundingly logical. Ask anyone to name the locations in which they’ve been happiest and chances are most people will list spots that are close to water, in full view of natural light or somewhere with plenty of green space. It also makes sense that if the places we work in and visit when we’re sick are informed by natural connections, then our homes should be too. And, with the recent introduction of the international WELL Buildng Standard, designers and architects now have a formalised checklist of seven core concepts, comprising hundreds of
features including biophilia, which can be addressed in order to provide healthy built environments. A biophilic plan features interaction with nature, the inclusion of natural elements and nature’s patterns incorporated throughout the design. This approach works particularly well in warmer climates, from California to the Asia-Pacific region, where blurring boundaries between inside and outside, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, creates a sense of place through connection with the home’s natural setting. It’s about including courtyard spaces and full-height glass doors and windows, as well as using natural materials and colour palettes. All these strategies are capable of achieving so much in one small gesture, with the big takeaway being a comfortable lifestyle that promotes happiness.
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Clockwise from left. Bathroom featuring Confetti tiles by Marcante Testa for Ceramica Vogue, image courtesy Mercante Testa; Minimalist Urban Residence, Santa Barbara, by Anacapa Architecture, photographer Erin Feinblatt; Outdoor kitchen featuring Dekton by Cosentino’s Industrial Collection in Nilium and Orix; Brighton Canny Concept Home, Melbourne, by Canny Group, photographer Derek Swalwell.
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A biophilic plan features interaction with nature, the inclusion of natural elements and nature’s patterns incorporated throughout the design.
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Bathrooms
B AT H R O O M T R E N D 01
Straight lines The bathroom is that one space where designers and architects are inclined to be more experimental in their approaches, with spatial constraints often giving rise to innovative design outcomes. And, while curved corners, penny round tiles and smooth-edged vanity units have been popular in recent years, the straight line is making a comeback. It finds its most basic expression in the ubiquitous subway tile and is taken to the next level with schemes that resemble a Mondrian painting or the most minimalist two-dimensional works of the Hard-edge movement. While square or rectangular tiles provide the backdrop, grouting in a contrasting colour provides the accent. Other ‘layers’ are built into the scheme via angular bathtubs and joinery, and the trend’s signature feature is clearly defined shower frames, windows and towel rails.
These elements are also distinguishable for their contrasting colour and the strong geometry they contribute to the space. In many ways, it’s a very utilitarian aesthetic that doesn’t concern itself with decorative flourishes; rather it focuses squarely on the functionality of the scheme to gain the maximum efficiency out of a tight space. For this reason, the trend works well in both large and small bathrooms. From left. Ivanhoe Residence, Melbourne, by Doherty Design Studio, photographer Derek Swalwell; Lumiere, Melbourne, by LSA Architects, photographer UA Creative; Vlrd11, Madrid, by Plutarco, photographer Asier Rua.
Bathrooms
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Bathrooms
The idea of sanctuary is especially pertinent in this digital age where new technologies make it increasingly difďŹ cult to switch off.
Bathrooms
B AT H R O O M T R E N D 0 2
Sanctuary One of the most common client requests designers and architects hear when designing a new bathroom is for a spalike retreat. Inspiration comes from the Japanese onsen, new hotel designs and boutique wellness centres, and the emphasis is on creating a calming, quiet environment that offers respite from the stresses of everyday life. The idea of sanctuary is especially pertinent in this digital age where new technologies make it increasingly difficult to switch off. And simple pleasures like being able to soak in a bathtub after a long day at work have become even more valuable because it’s so difficult to find the time for it. A bathroom offering an immersive experience is an asset to any contemporary residence and for many people, it’s an absolute necessity. A scheme clearly demarcated from that of the rest of
the home is also highly desirable because it represents entry into another world. Designs may range from rustic earthiness to high-end glamour, depending on clients’ personal tastes. But the sanctuary trend is generally characterised by an organic, pared-back materiality, featuring either stone, timber or concrete, and a resulting colour palette that’s rich and nurturing; deep greys, caramel browns and sea greens are prevalent tones. It’s all about providing the ideal setting for rest and relaxation and, to this end, each element is seamlessly integrated, with nothing taking visual precedent over another. This makes for a genuinely comforting experience. From left. Kawakawa House, Piha, New Zealand, by Herbst Architects, photographer Lance Herbst; Writer's House, Victoria, Australia, by Branch Studio Architects, photographer Peter Clarke; Clovelly House ll, Sydney, by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects, photographer Prue Roscoe.
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Bathrooms
B AT H R O O M T R E N D 0 3
Handmade This trend celebrates the hand of the designer or architect and very much emphasises fine craftsmanship and the artisanal qualities of bespoke design. It also serves as a gentle reminder that the handmade isn’t about presenting ostentatious or overly laboured outcomes of complicated skill and technique. Instead, it revels in thoughtfully considered simplicity and relishes the single treatment executed well. Revealing the way an interior was created is at the core of this trend and that’s why it often finds its most compelling expression in the adaptive reuse or renovation of a hotel because this type of project always comes with history. To peel back the layers and expose existing brick, paint and whatever else may be hidden is a satisfying process that gives rise to unexpected yet welcome outcomes. It’s quite possibly
the most appealing aspect of this trend and in this respect, it shares sensibilities with the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. Highlighting the imperfections within various treatments, from timber-boarded concrete to rammed earth, is emphasised and therein lies this trend’s beauty. The flaws are what give each project, whether large-scale hotel or small residence, its distinct design personality and make it truly unique. From left. Santa Clara 1728 hotel, Lisbon, by Aires Mateus, photographer Juan Rodríguez; Los Terrenos, Monterrey, by Tatiana Bilbao, photographer Rory Gardner / OTTO / Raven & Snow.
Bathrooms
B AT H R O O M T R E N D 0 4
Pattern A few years ago, designers and architects were introducing pattern into the bathroom via a feature wall finished in wallpaper. It was an incredibly effective device for creating visual impact and, depending on the printed design, it made for an aesthetic ranging anywhere from stylishly sophisticated to outrageously extrovert. While wallpaper is still used in the bathroom, it’s now often juxtaposed with different textures, colours and materials in wonderfully explosive schemes as refreshing as they are eclectic. The trend undoubtedly began with terrazzo’s recent comeback and it was only a matter of time before designers and architects were seeking out new marbles with distinct markings too. Certainly, strongly patterned materials were a key focus of this year’s Euro Bagno event, which is held every two years in Milan,
and it also seems as though tiles are now available in more shapes, sizes and colours than has ever been the case before. Mixing finishes gives rise to highly tactile interiors, where everything, from curiously shaped tiles to smooth, polished surfaces begs to be touched. And every material’s inherent properties are allowed to shine so there’s a bespoke quality to each bathroom. Even those spaces reliant on colour, where decoration is used judiciously, feel as though they’re one of a kind. From left. Stripe Apartment, Moscow, by MOPS Studio, image courtesy MOPS Studio; Ester’s Apartment 2.0, Berlin, by Ester Bruzkus Architekten, photographer Jens Bösenber.
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These new products are welcome additions to any bathroom. 01. Confetti tiles by Marcante-Testa for
Ceramica Vogue 02. Vitesse from Wattyl 2019 Well Rounded colour palette 03. Kohler’s Purist tapware collection in PVD finishes 04. Plateau bathtub by Sebastian Herkner for EX.T 05. Cloud from Wattyl 2019 Green Scene colour palette 06. Arco combined mirror and basin by MUT for EX.T 07. Kallista’s Grid sink faucet and cube handles 08. Phantom Grey from Wattyl 2019 Well Rounded colour palette 09. Kohler’s Moxie showerhead + wireless speaker 10. Peahen Egg from Wattyl 2019 Green Scene colour palette 11. Tape tiles by Raw Edges for Mutina.
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Books
On the shelves A look at some recent titles featuring exemplary kitchens and bathrooms. Architects’ Houses Author: Michael Webb Publisher: Thames & Hudson Architects’ Houses delivers what it promises – 30 of the world’s leading architects talking about the houses they designed for themselves over the past decade. It’s an engrossing journey into the lives of the likes of Norman Foster, John Wardle, Jim Olson and Jennifer Benningfield and it’s a real treat to see them in their own homes. The projects themselves are impressive architectural statements (as one would expect) and the publication’s design perfectly complements the imagery, running each chapter’s header and pull quote in a large sans-serif font. This book is the ideal gift for anyone with a fine appreciation for outstanding accomplishments in residential architecture.
Urban Sanctuary: The New Domestic Outdoors Authors: Anna Johnson and Richard Black Publisher: Thames & Hudson The authors have compiled an outstanding selection of contemporary houses from Australia and New Zealand to demonstrate new ways of living with the outdoors and urban landscapes. Projects feature rooftop gardens, micro-green spaces, courtyards and vertical gardens, all of which offer insight into how best to engage and interact with nature in an urban setting. The book’s main theme may be connection with nature but it also expertly explores ideas of refuge, well-being and social interaction.
Take A Bath: Interior Design for Bathrooms Editors/Publisher: Gestalten This book is a definitive source of inspiration for anyone who has a thing for good bathroom design. Featured projects range from the luxuriously high end to the utilitarian, with details and finishes most definitely the stars of the show. Designers and clients discuss the process involved in creating their main bathroom, en suite or powder rooms. There’s also plenty of information on combining materials for maximum effect, perfecting a statement look or finding the perfect balance between form and function.
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Destinations Shoreline Waikiki Hotel is an explosion of bright colour, furnishings and artwork, located a stone’s throw from Honolulu’s beach. Recently redesigned by BHDM, the interiors reflect the colours and textures of Hawaii, all with Instagramable appeal. The rooftop pool deck is especially photogenic; it features a vibrant mural painted by Californian artist DJ Neff. Photographer Adam Macchia.
Swept away These aspirational hotels and retreats are simply impossible to resist. These days, there’s no shortage of holiday destinations to choose from, with new hotels and resorts opening on a weekly basis around the globe. The most striking and appealing ones have pools, bathrooms and other wet areas that are grand in aesthetic and meticulous in design. After all, these places are about rest and relaxation and the spot for these is on a comfortable day bed by the pool or in an oversized bathtub.
Located in Tulum, the Casa Malca hotel is a former home of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar. It was recently renovated by art dealer Lio Malca and features original paintings, prints and sculptures throughout. The underground pool area lights up in different colours and provides the perfect immersive getaway experience. Image courtesy Design Hotels™.
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The 5-star Olea All Suite Hotel sits on a hill surrounded by olive trees on the Greek Island of Zakynthos. It has views for days and the shallow pools positioned around the resort’s buildings and 93 luxury suites make the hotel appear all the more sublime. Image courtesy Design Hotels™.
Architect Teresa Nunes da Ponte has recently restored the exquisite Verride Palácio Santa Catarina hotel in Lisbon’s Chiado quarter, modernising the 1750 four-storeyed building while maintaining its heritage character. The details and finishes of this luxury getaway are what make it stand apart and create a sense of sophistication and decadence that’s hard to resist. Image courtesy Verride Palácio Santa Catarina hotel.
Holding g the p perfect p peach. Condensation on gg a drinking glass. The y g crunch of a satisfying p Charbroiled snow pea. p g days. y Succulence. Spring First bite’s flavour. Al dente. Showertime reflections. Bathtime introspections. p A p g progression of morning scents. Refresh and recharge. g Groom and beautify.
Daring to be disruptive Tasked with reinventing the Mumm Champagne bottle, internationally renowned Welsh product designer Ross Lovegrove created what is considered to be the most innovative champagne bottle in history. Lovegrove worked in collaboration with Cellar Master Didier Mariotti to design a revolutionary new bottle, which would both challenge tradition and enhance the aromas of the cuvĂŠe. The result... a true technological exploit. M U M M .C O M
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A REVOLUTIONARY IN THE FIELD OF DESIGN f Lovegrove created a limited-edition stainless-steel champagne sabre for G.H. Mumm. The design of this perfectly weighted and balanced sculptural tool honours a ritual that dates back to the 19th century when, after battle, Napoleon would ceremoniously strike off the top of a champagne bottle with his sabre: “In victory, you deserve champagne; in defeat, you need it.”
“To me, design should always push barriers and challenge tradition and, as a Welsh guy, I wanted to shake up an icon of French luxury.” – Ross Lovegrove
e THE EVOLUTION OF AN ENDURING SYMBOL In 1876, Georges Hermann Mumm changed the destiny of Maison Mumm and created an icon when he wrapped a red silk ribbon around the neck of every bottle of Cuvée Brut produced by the company. The decoration, inspired by the red sash bestowed upon those receiving the highest French honour, the Légion d’Honneur, established Mumm as an ambassador of French excellence. Now, in a feat of technology, this emblem has been transformed into a genuine red lacquer ribbon indented in the glass. At the same time, Mumm’s branding is silkscreened in gold directly onto the glass – a first within the Champagne industry – and the bottle has a longer, more slender neck to help develop the aromas of Cellar Master Didier Mariotti’s new Grand Cordon.
BLACK BEAUTY From this black-clad Point Chevalier home and a Herne Bay villa through to a heritage structure beside a Swiss lake and beyond: these and other houses feature in the following pages.
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Spaces
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MUSIC IN THE MANGROVES
An award-winning musician and his partner team up with an up-and-coming young designer to build a fresh and vibrant home overlooking Auckland’s Meola Reef. WORDS AMANDA HARKNESS P H OTO G R A P H Y J E S S I C A G E R N AT
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ROWING UP AT THE END OF A QUIET
cul-de-sac in Auckland’s Point Chevalier, Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper perhaps never thought that he would one day be building more than a tree house at the bottom of the garden. But, when he started to look for his own home about 10 years ago, it soon became apparent there was little on the market to accommodate his requisite music studio space. A violinist from the age of six, Bridgman-Cooper is a composer, producer and orchestrator, who has created award-winning film scores and countless television commercials, and produced records for prominent New Zealand artists. Amongst other musical ventures, he is also a founding member of local ensemble The Black Quartet. When Bridgman-Cooper and his partner, management consultant Mindy Pilbrow, approached lead designer at Fabricate, Hamish Stirrat, they had some preconception of how their house would look. “It was always going to be a long, rectangular box,” says Bridgman-Cooper, “partly referencing the house I grew up in but also in response to the site.” It had to have a roof terrace as well, given there was no flat lawn area on the property’s steep site leading down to the mangroves.
Stirrat describes the project as being “one of those cool client relationships right from the get-go” and the outcome is, quite fittingly, a finely tuned piece. The roadside elevation of the two-storeyed home is very visible from a distance so it is purposefully stark and black. Yet, the deep-troughed black corrugate cladding somehow picks up the greys and blues of the sky above and the greens of the surrounding native trees, pronouncing the reflections in an ever-changing manner. “We reduced any visible window framing to a minimum,” explains Stirrat, “so the windows look like punched openings in a bigger mass. The roofers really came to the party, crafting, tweaking and executing with elegance what was an evolution specific to this house.” The house itself is an exercise in composition; as we move about the space, it starts to open up, with extensive decks along the northern side on two levels and a large interior atrium that serves as a light-filled stairwell leading to the rooftop terrace. Inside, there’s a clever play between layers and levels. “The original concept was very long internally and not really sitting on the site,” says Stirrat, “so I broke the house about a quarter of the way through and it drops a metre to absorb some of the contour of
Facing page. Bridgman-Cooper and Pilbrow designed their kitchen cabinetry along with Mood Designs. Above. The home, also known as The Boat (House), is built over a stream and sits just metres from the water’s edge.
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Above. The furniture-grade birch ply flooring was whitewashed, leaving a hint of the grain coming through. It runs up the stairs and balustrades, providing a consistent element throughout the house. Facing page. Designer Hamish Stirrat positioned the staircase within a light-well: “a sculptural object in the space that can pop up and go out, letting in a lot of light and serving a multitude of functions”.
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the landscape.” This feature provides identification for different zones, doing away with the need for walls, and also effectively separates the music studio from the three bedrooms on the ground level. Acoustics specialist Marshall Day was called on to provide input for the music studio space, which is essentially a room within a room on a floating floor. The resultant surrounding air gap works to absorb the sounds. “Their technical advice was invaluable,” says Bridgman-Cooper. “They offset power points so there are no direct lines of acoustic leakage and recommended we drill holes in the subfloor to remove any resonant chambers.” The studio is used every day for both writing and recording and there’s room for up to seven people. “It’s a fantastic space,” Bridgman-Cooper says. “Studios have had a hard time in the last 20 years because of the digital revolution. No one buys records these days so no one is paid to make them, and spaces are expensive to upkeep so this little boutique studio is amazing.” There are small quirks throughout the 220m2 home that are the creative sparks of both BridgmanCooper and Pilbrow. In amongst the instruments and the movie posters are vintage light fittings Pilbrow
has found in far-flung shops and the whitewashed birchwood ply floors are inspired by their desire to give the living space a New York loft feel. The guest bathroom wall has been sprayed in a beautiful gradient from lavender to pink by an aerosol artist and the couple’s en suite and daughter Mo’s bathroom are tiled in a colourful Artedomus mosaic collection, which is part Skittles, part arcade game. Stirrat was impressed by Bridgman-Cooper’s involvement in the project and how quickly he came to grips with the building process. “I put it down to the fact that, as a musician, he’s thinking about individual notes and what they mean next to each other – not solely in the composition but when you break it right down – so, he’s actually working on quite a microscopic scale anyway. So, it was easy for him to get in and go ‘I understand that that’s a wall but tell me about the composition of it’.” In terms of the overall process, it seems both designer and client were equally invested in the outcome, with each happy to push the other when necessary and the other happy to push back. “Every now and then you have clients like that,” says Stirrat. “They really elevate the project and make everyone around them want to do the best they can.”
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This page. Artedomus mosaic tiles feature in both the family and en suite bathrooms. Facing page. The master bedroom looks over the mangroves. Bridgman-Cooper’s boutique music studio was designed in consultation with Marshall Day Acoustics.
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This page. Pilbrow sourced the kitchen lighting from vintage shops. Facing page. The black corrugate cladding reflects the many shades of green that surround it.
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“Every now and then you have clients... [who] really elevate the project and make everyone around them want to do the best they can.” Hamish Stirrat
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VILLA GONE ROGUE Strict heritage protections did not stop this villa from becoming somewhat of a rebel among its neighbours. WORDS JO JEFFY PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON WILSON
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This page. The back-to-back fireplaces service both indoor and outdoor pavilion spaces, while the sliding three-metrewide sectional doors slot neatly out of sight between them. Facing page. The pavilion at the rear of the villa is soaked in sunlight from both the north and the east. The bright light is countered with bold interjections of black steel and concrete.
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W
HEN YOUR VILLA IS ON one of
four streets in Auckland with an extra-high level of heritage classification, and row upon row of villas sit side by side – like school children with their arms folded and legs crossed – facing the street, it feels just a tad naughty to create something with a bit of theatre: something that makes your jaw drop when you open the front door. Of course, tampering with the villa frontage and format was never an option. Despite the fact that all possible ‘villafications’ had been committed to this abode in the past – filledin verandah, aluminium joinery, central hallway wall removed and ceilings lowered – it was crucial to reinstate that history. Yet, from early on, it became apparent that bringing the traditional look back to this butchered house was harder than expected and, at times, the remaking of history felt like a farce. In fact, after stripping away all the nasty additions and atrophied limbs of this building, all that was left was the front bay of
the villa. To the neighbourhood, it looked like a massacre and it didn’t go unnoticed in the media. “We ended up having a crisis meeting at council because we were in the newspaper as ‘destroyers of heritage’,” says project architect
“We’ve called it ‘villa gone rogue’ because, basically, we wanted to do the least sympathetic addition you could do,” says [the architect] with a smile. John Irving. “Obviously, we needed to play the villa game and sort all that out. But we actually raised the house as well and created a ‘mythical’ villa that was much longer than the original.” What’s great and, shockingly, different
about the site is that it’s much wider than all the other sections on the street. The section initially accommodated a double garage to the right of the house and, in the re-imagining of the villa, the width of the section allowed so much more creative scope than a typical section would have permitted. The bedrooms and the double garage now sit in an area of the house that has retained the ‘traditional villa’ feel. But, once you go down the classic, wide hallway, it drops down a small set of stairs and into a modernist pavilion of black steel and glass. “We’ve called it ‘villa gone rogue’ because, basically, we wanted to do the least sympathetic addition you could do,” says Irving with a smile. Thankfully, the council played along with this design, which called for a graphic juxtaposition of old and new. But perhaps that’s not surprising as the pavilion beds so neatly into the site, wrapping itself around a private oasis with pool and lawn, hiding itself so completely from neighbours that all you URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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Facing page. The original villa hallway was extended to accommodate the number of rooms the client desired on either side, before dropping down to the pavilion. This page. A cantilevered arm of the living pavilion stretches right over the outdoor seating area; its louvred roof and sliding screen doors blur the line completely between indoor and outdoor.
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can see are the comforting angles of various villa roof lines from the rear of the site. The pavilion itself has a sense of the rebel child – the only materials used are steel, concrete and glass, in a complete rejection of the villa’s vernacular of timber and frippery. “That’s why we went with black – when you have a lot of glass, you need to temper it with a dark palette; otherwise, it’s just too bright. It’s all either concrete, metal or glass and that’s it – any softness was introduced with the furniture and art,” says Irving. Openable louvres and huge glass sliders mean that many of the walls in the pavilion retract and slide completely out of sight. The temperature in the various living spaces can be moderated entirely by opening a combination of glass walls so that living areas can breathe in a cross-breeze or insulate against it. The degree of openness of rooms to each other and the interior to the exterior is also modulated in the same way, with glass sliders slotting neatly into internal walls or between the two fireplaces. This allows the 76
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pleasure of simply cutting across a corner of the home, blurring the lines completely between interior and exterior environments. But the success of this space is in its surprising warmth: counter-intuitive to the modernist, gallery-like materiality. Irving says spaces like these can often feel stark, as though you have to whisper, but the warm villa half of the home with its soft surfaces and oak flooring, marries nicely with the sunlit pavilion. “They seem to get along quite well. It’s a house of two halves but they don’t seem to be fighting each other.” Coming back out to the street after visiting the space, it’s hard to spot any clues about the rogue modernist oasis hidden out the back like a smug little secret – and the owner has an amused smile when he says that those who were scandalised in the initial build stages, now wander past singing the praises of the immaculately restored villa.
Above, from left. The study sits at the end of the villa’s hallway and the open steel dividers mark the beginning of the transition down to the ultra-modern pavilion. The concrete, brown and black palette makes this villa minimalist and contemporary. Facing page. Nostalgic peeks at the many neighbouring villa roof lines juxtapose with the experience of sunbathing in a very modern backyard.
The pavilion itself has a sense of the rebel child – the only materials used are steel, concrete and glass, in a complete rejection of the villa’s vernacular of timber and frippery.
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Facing page. The living pavilion is nestled into the slight down slope at the rear of the villa, and its low profile allows it to be hidden almost completely from the street view. This page. The kitchen, like the pavilion, is constructed in black and keeps within the purposely narrow materiality of the space.
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Facing page. The traditional villa street frontage. The outdoor fireplace. When the pavilion sliders are closed, the living space acts as a glasshouse. This page. The walls of the pavilion slot entirely away, dissolving completely the division between indoor and outdoor spaces.
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A HOME OF TWO HALVES A SPRAWLING 16TH-CENTURY SWISS HOUSE NEAR LAKE LUGANO PAYS HOMAGE TO TWO ERAS AND TO THE COUPLE THAT HAS LOVINGLY RESTORED IT. WORDS KERSTIN ROSE / IMAGES CHRISTIAN SCHAULIN
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A
NTON MAGNANI and Birgit Kollhof,
the owners of this Swiss house, are the type of people that seem to be at home anywhere in the world. They have roots and connections in many different countries and speak multiple languages. Yet, regardless of their urbane nature, this cosmopolitan couple has decided to settle down in the countryside. True, their village of choice, Morcote, has recently been selected as the most beautiful village in Switzerland by a group of local TV and publishing companies. But, even before this enchanting spot on the shore of Lake Lugano was officially designated as such, the pair had already been toying with the idea of buying a centuries-old stone house in the centre of the historic village. Their lucky break came when the selling price finally fell in line with their budget, and they pounced and began to transform the house soon after settlement. The project was not without its challenges,
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however; the property is situated on a terraced slope and is spread over a series of levels, each with its own views and atmospheres, and home to a number of nooks and crannies. It is also a heritage-listed building, therefore subject to strict planning
[The living area] is accessed directly from the front door via a narrow staircase... [and] forms a boundary of sorts (both aesthetic and thematic) with the older part of the building. conditions and restrictions – it was built in the 16th century and extended in the 18th. In addition to all of these parameters, the couple had one very specific starting point when they moved in; they would have to
find a place to hang one of their favourite paintings, Riding Awareness by the Icelandic artist Katrin Fridriks. At more than four metres long, one room was suitable, luckily, for hanging the hexaptych (six-panelled painting). Although this was, at least, a start, Magnani and Kollhof had to do some serious thinking about what to do with the remainder of the 450m2 house. The task was made easier by the fact that they both work in creative industries – Kollhof designs shoes and bags in Milan, and Magnani is currently helping to re-energise a venerable firm of bag manufacturers in Florence – so they have considerable experience in employing materials and colours to create and develop their unique visions. The newer part of the house (which is still more than 300 years old) was designated as the ‘modern’ area, with the walls painted in shades of grey and a concrete floor laid. In this area, selected vintage armchairs by
Previous spread. The dining table is the Waste table in scrap wood by Piet Hein Eek. Chairs are Kreuzzargen Stuhl by Max Bill for horgenglarus. Facing page. The living room features Danish 1950s’ lounge chairs by Finn Juhl. This page. Birgit Kollhof and Anton Magnani.
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This spread. The living room features a 1929 Barcelona chair by Mies van der Rohe and a 1960 Asymetrical sofa by George Nelson.
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These pages. The house is centuries old and made from stone. To merge with this, the home-owners used local stone for the kitchen floor. A Corita Kent silk-screen print graces the kitchen wall. 88
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Finn Juhl and a couch by George Nelson form a restrained cluster of furniture around the fireplace. Mid-century references, such as diamond-like hanging lamps by Stilnovo and oak panelling, give the modern area a
... the couple opted to use local stone for the floor of the kitchen. Optically, this area transitions seamlessly onto the terrace and the zen-like patio. level of glamour tinged with nostalgia. A favourite space for socialising, this part of the house is accessed directly from the front door via a narrow staircase – an architectural move which forms a boundary of sorts (both
aesthetic and thematic) with the older part of the building. The library functions as a ‘security gate’ between the two sections of the house, in part because Magnani likes to lock himself away in there to watch sport and also because this is where he keeps his favourites from an extensive collection of street art. One such piece is the stencil painting Portrait of Samuel Beckett by Orticanoodles, which is sprayed onto old wooden boards. The dark-brown walls here act as a prelude to a different world of colour, consisting of earth and mud tones. They signify the older epoch and also act as a demarcation of the private areas of the house. Here, warm oak flooring is echoed in the hall and the dining room, as well as in the three bedrooms on the storey above, where there’s enough space for Kollhof and Magnani’s four grown-up children when they come to visit. In order to emphasise the connection with
the building’s exterior, the couple opted to use local stone for the floor of the kitchen. Optically, this area transitions seamlessly onto the terrace and the zen-like patio. Outside, a small stream cascades past the house, flowing beneath the terrace before joining the nearby lake, a glimpse of which can be caught through the narrow alleyways and over the rooftops of the village. Prior to moving to this house, the German/ Italian couple lived for many years in Milan: a city they both love and which provides them with great inspiration. However, their new home in Morcote represents the essence of everything that binds them together; it is filled with carefully chosen pieces and with a colour scheme and interior design they both developed. Magnani admits that: “It’s exactly as we imagined it – if I could, I would never leave this place.” If only it weren’t for the job in Florence, the exhibition in Madrid and the wedding in India the week after next… that might just be possible.
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This spread, clockwise from top left. A bedroom with bold wallpapering; serene blues in a second bedroom; a French turnof-the century basket armchair in a prominent position off the living room and beside Katrin Fridriks’ Riding Awareness; a beautifully tiled bathroom; the library. URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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This page. A sauna is located in this cavern-like bathroom. Facing page. The village is on the shores of Lake Lugano.
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... the German/ Italian couple lived for many years in Milan: a city they both love and which provides them with great inspiration.
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GARDENS OF THE GREATS The soon-to-be-released book Gardens of the Greats: Expressions of Extraordinary People celebrates philanthropists in New Zealand and overseas who have devoted their love, time, money and energy to the causes they care about. The book illustrates the ways in which their own gardens reflect their personalities and generosity. W O R D S A R N AU D DAU R AT A N D C H R I S T I N A D U T H I L I M A G E S D AV I D S T R A I G H T A N D S T E P H E N G O O D E N O U G H
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The following pages are abridged extracts from the book Gardens of the Greats: Expressions of Extraordinary People. Minor changes have been made to the original text to adapt it to Urbis’ editorial style.
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These pages. A mix of native and exotic plants creates a work of art around the home; Sir Michael Hill.
SIR MICHAEL HILL
Support the shine in everyone On The Hills golf course, metal dragonflies hover over a peaceful pond, views of dramatic kinetic sculptures merge with snow-capped mountains in the distance and, on the last fairway, more than 100 cast-iron wolves provide an epic battle scene. Art and craftsmanship are the hallmarks of Michael Hill’s international jewellery enterprise, and they are also to the fore in his garden and adjoining private golf course near Arrowtown: home to the New Zealand Open. More than a dozen installations by local and overseas artists bedeck the fairways, cleverly sited to suit the works and the landscape. The natural elements are just as stunning. In the sylvan setting of an old glacial valley, the light dances amid thousands of shimmering red and silver tussocks. Hill has had a lifelong interest in golf and created his first course on the lawns around his family’s home in Whanga- rei. His love of music and art began there, too, along with his first steps into an enterprise that now spans the world. The grand home that he and his wife, Ann Christine Roe, had taken four years to build was lost to a fire. This dramatic event made him reassess his life and gain new resolve, and it was the catalyst to opening his own jewellery store. Hill opened seven more jewellery stores in seven years and, before long, was opening many more in New Zealand and then in Australia, Canada and the United States, with more than 300 operating today. Hill’s love of the violin prompted him to establish the prestigious biennial Michael Hill International Violin
Competition in 2001 for emerging young musicians and his service to business and the arts has received numerous recognitions. The garden around his home, designed by Suzanne Turley, is also a work of art that reflects the ethos of ‘think bigger’ and challenges convention, using plants in the harsh alpine conditions that you would not have thought would prosper. Careful planting of native grasses allows the house to blend naturally into its alpine setting. Dramatic bursts of colour resemble a symphony in which the conductor leads you along various paths based on your mood and the season, while still providing a sense of cohesiveness. URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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SIR MILES WARREN
A pleasurable, constructive game Renowned architect Sir Miles Warren began work on Ohinetahi at Governors Bay in Christchurch in 1977 with his artist sister and architect brother-in-law, Pauline and John Trengrove. When they bought the house, it was half ruined and looked as though it sat amidst a jungle. Restoration of the house and garden “took considerable time and money but it was great fun. If you don’t enjoy the journey all along, you don’t begin. We did it for pleasure.” Warren later purchased his fellow owners’ shares and, in 2012, gifted his house and what, by that stage, was a garden of international significance to the people of New Zealand. Warren was instrumental in developing the ‘Christchurch School’ of architecture, in which the ruggedness and structural expression of Brutalism met the clean lines and straightforward approach of Japanese and Scandinavian design. He has accumulated a long list of awards, amongst them Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1985 and the Order of New Zealand in 1995, receiving an Icon Award from the Arts Foundation in 2003 and being commemorated as one of the Twelve Local Heroes of Christchurch. In 2006, Warren established the Warren Trust to promote architectural education to the profession and the public. Arriving at Ohinetahi, you are immediately impressed by the mature trees that frame the garden majestically amongst the sweeping views of Lyttelton Harbour and the Port Hills rising behind Governors Bay. Warren’s involvement in gardens was sparked with the very first building he designed at 65 Cambridge Terrace: both his house and a studio for the Warren and Mahoney architecture partnership. The way he looks at a garden is not only from the form, colour 98
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and distinctiveness of the plants but also from the expert perspective of structure and space that derives from his architectural background. “It is not a static entity, instead providing you the opportunity to create constantly in what is a ‘pleasurable, constructive game’, a work in progress.” Legacy is important to Warren, as not many gardens have survived after their original owners have departed and it is important to him that this one does not fall into neglect. Nowadays, he reflects: when you look at how new dwellings are being built on small sites, there is little connection with nature. “Christchurch used to be called the Garden City but attitudes have clearly changed. You are lucky if you get a scrap of lawn.” His advice is: “However small your outdoor space, ensure you have somewhere you can sit in the sun and enjoy the moment.”
This spread. The house and garden at Ohinetahi sit in a natural amphitheatre on the edge of Lyttelton Harbour, with the Port Hills rising behind. URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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This spread. The native planting and sculptural elements in this Queenstown garden, overlooking Lake Wakatipu, soften the strong architectural lines of the house; Sir Eion and Lady Jan Edgar. 100
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SIR EION AND LADY JAN EDGAR
Leading and encouraging others “Christina, we would be happy to meet you at Tussocks. I should add my wife Jan is the gardener; I just pay the bills and water the vegies.” With characteristic modesty and humour, Sir Eion Edgar, who has contributed significantly to many causes, downplays his role. His generous philanthropy is well known and has extended into various fields, including education, youth, arts, sports and health. Lady Jan, however, is happy to declare she is a garden lover, and her calm and thoughtful nature is reflected in their peaceful garden. The setting in Queenstown overlooking Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand’s South Island, on the other hand, offers a dramatic and spectacular contrast. Landscape architect Ralf Krüger designed the garden and, years after its creation, the varied plantings soften and enhance the bold lines and materials of their home. Extensive use of native plants maintains harmony with the alpine surroundings and creates stunning textures and forms. The result is a magnificent example of a home blending effortlessly into the landscape. Cleverly laid-out paths wind amongst large clusters of planting that frame stunning lake views or lead to unexpected areas in which to rest and contemplate, while also showcasing sculptures from local artists, reflecting the Edgars’ dedication to the arts. In keeping with their genuinely giving personalities, their garden has no fence nor obvious boundaries and merges seamlessly into its environs, sloping down to the public path around the lake. There is no ‘Private Property’ sign here and the garden with its sculptures is for everyone to savour, while privacy is maintained by flax bushes that prevent people peeking in and hide walkers from the house.
Lady Jan spends time most days in the garden and there is not one corner that she does not know well and enjoy. Seats scattered in the garden provide places from which she can watch the kinetic sculptures dancing in the wind. She was not convinced at first about having a completely native garden (their previous house in Dunedin had a typical English garden, which fitted well with the house). Krüger persuaded her of the merits of native plants, including an ability to withstand the cold climate and, 14 years later, they are still very pleased with the decision. “I dislike roses very much, so there was not a hope that we would have any of them in the garden,” adds Edgar. They both cherish the stream that greets you as you approach the entrance of their home. It was purposely created but its natural appearance and music add to the tranquillity of the garden. Edgar takes pleasure in hearing its gentle burble when working in his office, and both he and Lady Jan also enjoy time in their vegetable garden. “I am allowed to do the watering in it,” says Edgar, “as I can’t muck that one up.” URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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Gardens of the Greats: Expressions of Extraordinary People We spoke with Arnaud Daurat and Christina Duthil about the journey behind their new book. What inspired you to write Gardens of the Greats? Daurat: Being in the landscaping business, we really believe that our environment shapes who we are and we wanted to write a book that would add value in a different light. The book has two purposes: it celebrates philanthropists from both within New Zealand and overseas who have donated their love, time, money and energy to the causes they care for; and it illustrates the philanthropists’ gardens and how they reflect their personalities. How did you choose the people you profiled in the book? Duthil: We were looking at diversity of personalities, philanthropic actions and gardens. We came up with a selection through either meeting these people or hearing about them and their philanthropy. They’re all really inspiring people whose stories we wanted to tell and we wanted to look at them in a personal light. We wanted to get to know them in their environments. Daurat: In the book, there is diversity both through how these people give back and through their gardens – some are grand and majestic, and some are more modest. It’s about the people and their connection with nature and how it resonates with them. Did you find it hard to limit yourself to just 14? Duthil: We set out to profile between 10 and 15 but we fully expect we will produce further editions. Whenever we meet inspiring people, we will add them to our list. Some of these people lead private lives. How did you convince them to take part? Duthil: We didn’t have a personal connection with many of them so we produced a 45-second video telling them about the project and why we wanted to include them in the book. They could see us and get a feel for what the project was about. I think the angle attracted them; it was about them and their personal connection with nature and their garden. Can you tell us about some of the gardens? Daurat: The Misners founded global networking organisation BNI, which now has 240,000 members. Their motto is ‘Givers Gain’ and we really connected with that. They’re very down-to-earth people and they support myriad causes. They wanted to extract themselves from their busy lives and go into the country for a more restful environment. 102
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We were curious to learn how one of New Zealand’s most well-known architects, Sir Miles Warren, sees a garden. He is very free when designing and implementing. There are many rooms of different styles, vistas, formal structures, formal ponds, a pool, a gazebo, strong lines and designs, but everything else is very free. Duthil: The alpine plants and tussock grasses in Sir Michael Hill’s Arrowtown garden blend naturally into the landscape, but added exotic plants provide seasonal interest and form, strong structure and colour throughout the seasons. The Edgar’s landscape architect, Ralf Krüger, created a true masterpiece when he designed a native garden that fits with the very strong architecture of the home and its landscape. The garden is only about 14 years old but it is performing so well. Many of the people you profiled are patrons of the arts. Was that by design? Duthil: It just happened organically; we weren’t focusing on that. They give to many causes but, yes, many were also great supporters of the arts, which made even more sense, given that some of the proceeds of the sale of this book are going to the Arts Foundation. Who do you expect will buy Gardens of the Greats? Daurat: It’s a book designed to inspire people to give more and to give back – from business people to garden lovers and everyone in between. It was created in that spirit. branchelandscapes.com/our-book
Above. Bev McConnell’s Ayrlies garden in Auckland; Gardens of the Greats: Expressions of Extraordinary People, available December 2018; Christina Duthil and Arnaud Daurat, authors of the book.
Chee Family and Parisi Table designed by Tom Fereday for SP01
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Hidden histories Billie Culy’s latest photographic series, Windows, is made up of compositions of found household objects from second-hand stores, brought to life with fruit and flowers. Offering us a window into the lives of those we would otherwise never have known, Culy invites us to consider the hidden history behind each object; what was its use and who was its owner? Pictured is The New Noah, printed with archival pigment ink on Hahnemßhle 100% cotton rag paper. parlourprojects.com
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Conspicuously inconspicuous: Sensys hinge in obsidian black Hettich applies nature‘s principle of camouflage with award-winning hardware that blends into cabinetry. Define high-end design and understated luxury using natural and harmonious tones.
www.hettich.co.nz