6 minute read
MAKING YOUR HOME A HAVEN
from Build & Renovate 27
TURNING YOUR DREAM INTO A REALITY At Misco Joinery we offer a free kitchen design service to help you create the kitchen you have always wanted.
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Considering current circumstances, we are reminded of the importance of the design and space of the home.
Ideally, the home is a haven – yet how many of us came out of lockdown in April with a serious case of cabin fever, just itching to get out? COVID-19 and recent world events are bucking previously predicted 2020 trends in interior design. These times leave us wanting a remedy for our anxiety.
Bringing the outside in
With the uneasiness this time brings, many rely on nature as a natural remedy for anxiety. Bringing elements of nature into the home creates a relaxing living environment. If you’re in the position to renovate or build, windows are an effective way of bringing the outside in. When positioned correctly, large windows can provide natural light, warmth and great views all in the comfort of your home. In addition to windows, incorporating nature-inspired prints and colour palettes into your living space is an easy way to bring nature in. Popular colours include soft blues and earth tones, accented with jewel tones, bright colours and metalics.
Another way to bring the outside in is using natural materials such as unfinished woods, stone, cane and dried flowers. These materials add texture and interest to a space and can be applied in countless ways; anywhere from exposed, timber beams to small, stone carved accessories.
Texture is important when creating a mindful living space because it involves the sense of touch, an important sense that keeps us present and in the moment.
Reasonably, anxiety ensued when COVID-19 disrupted our day-to-day lives. To regain that feeling of control, consumers are considering the effects of something that coordinates with
their purchases on their local communities.
With borders closed to world travelers, now is the time to appreciate all that New Zealand has to offer in regards to home goods. Putting Kiwi ingenuity to practice, some New Zealanders who lost their jobs due to Covid are making the most of circumstances. Dusting off old skills and talents, Kiwis are producing artisanal home décor like pet portraits, sculptures and more. Some of the added benefits to buying local and opting for handmade goods is that you often end up with something unique and one of a kind.
Also, you can often collaborate with the artisan directly to create your existing space and reflects your personality. Although some of these trends were popular before the pandemic, they now have an even greater foothold in the industry.
The Anxiety New Zealand Trust asks anyone occupied with COVID-19 to consider the following question: am I worrying or am I planning? The organisation makes the point that worrying is catastrophising and focussing on things beyond our control while planning focusses on what we can change – like our living space. For whatever reason, if you’re feeling anxious and want to talk with a trained volunteer, call the 24/7, national anxiety helpline: 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389).
At PaintRod Quality Painters Ltd we will offer a well-organized, professional approach to contracting.
• Residential & Commercial • Spray Painting • Roof repaints (tiles, iron etc) • Fences • Warehouses, barns, sheds, stables • Water blasting • Exterior house wash (soft washing) ...and much more!
Training opportunities abound for the post-COVID job market
There’s never been a better time to retrain or upskill in preparation to enter the construction and building sector, according to Doug Rodgers, Head of Faculty – Trades and Technology, at Southern Institute of Technology (SIT).
“With the Government investing in infrastructure and housing, and the subsequent impact of COVID-19, skilled workers will be more important than ever to get industry accelerating again.” The significant job losses that occurred during New Zealand’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic gave SIT the impetus to rapidly respond to the changing needs of the post-COVID workforce. Assisting newly redundant workers find places on specially designed short courses became a priority. By giving support to those who needed it the most, former workers from tourism, hospitality and retail have been able to retrain quickly, in order to return to the workforce as speedily as possible. SIT was able to achieve this redeployment of labour because one of its strengths has been its close and effective relationships with industry. Without their input, the successful collaboration would never have happened. The result of those key relationships is SIT’s capability in producing programmes clearly focused on graduates achieving employment outcomes at the completion of their study, or giving them a clear pathway to further qualifications if desired. “All of SIT’s programmes are designed in consultation with industry to meet the huge demand in the construction sector,” Doug says. Whether the student is a beginner, or has already achieved some qualifications and wants to upskill further, programmes are designed to provide access to study at any level, enabling students to staircase from Level 2 through to degree level. Level 3 is the typical programme at entry level, for those wishing to become construction apprentices. At Levels 6 and 7, the programmes are aimed at those who wish to become construction professionals and project managers. SIT Faculty of Trades and Technology offers a wide variety of programmes in Construction and Building: •
Bachelor of Construction (Specialities in Quantity
Surveying, Project Management and Construction Management)
Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Civil Engineering) New Zealand Diploma in Construction (L6) (Quantity Surveying) New Zealand Certificate in Construction Skills (L3) (Specialities in Carpentry and Joinery) Vocational Pathways - Construction (L2).
And the icing on the cake is surely SIT’s innovative Zero Fees Scheme, still providing one of the most affordable ways to study in NZ for nearly twenty years. SIT has offered an increasingly extensive selection of qualifications, allowing more New Zealanders to receive a relevant education and graduate with less student debt.
Enrolling students at certificate and diploma levels can look for specific courses with the TTAF
logo – these programmes are construction sector. ” currently completely free to study through SIT as they fall under the Government’s new Targeted Training Apprenticeships Fund. Students may be eligible for an SIT accommodation bursary as well. To check this out and to find out more about studying Construction at SIT, go to: https://www.sit.ac.nz/Courses/ Construction or phone 0800 40 FEES (0800 40 3337).
TRADES TRAINING IS ABSOLUTELY FREE @ SIT
Take advantage of the Government’s Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund and study sub-degree trades courses at no cost SIT also offer the Accommodation Bursaries for those training in Invercargill under the TTAF
ENROL NOW
NEW ZEALAND DIPLOMA IN ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY
NEW ZEALAND DIPLOMA IN ENGINEERING (CIVIL ENGINEERING MAJOR) NEW ZEALAND CERTIFICATE IN CONSTRUCTION TRADE SKILLS (LEVEL 3) - CARPENTRY
