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HAPPY PLACE
Get into your comfort zone
home style
DEC/JAN 2021 NZ/AUS $11.50 INC GST
9 421022 130048
Announcing the best Aotearoa design
Ways to ace your outdoor space
Interior innovations that make living easy
Auckland | Wellington | Christchurch
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CONTENTS
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64
Contents
December/January
HOMES
78 54
Crowning glory A standout design feature makes this once ordinary villa wholly unique.
64
As far as the eye can see This beach house ushers in the ocean through apertures here, there and everywhere.
78
Can’t hurry love The revamp of this home rolled out at its own pace, allowing the owners to get it just right.
92
Don’t stop believin’ Any time’s the right time for these renovators, who make magic with whatever comes their way.
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Full-height doors for a seamless transition outdoors
nd a l a c i t c Pra ndle a h h s i l sty
See more from this home
DES IG LED AL
TED INS T IBU
FRSTHS 12/20
MANUF A
ED DIST UR R CT
D NE
CONTENTS
20
STYLE 14
Scout Covetable stuff and things.
16
Colour palette Summery South-of-France-ness.
18
Bookmarks Your other favourite reads.
20
Product profile TV that plays with fire.
22
Colour forecast New-season palettes.
24
Buyer’s guide Outdoor furniture.
29
Best Awards Gold Pin winners.
People 40
Artist profile Jen Sievers.
44
Design profile
29
Yu Mei.
48
LIVING
Artist profile Tom Mackie.
122
Well & good Everyday luxuries.
106
DESIGN
125
Outside in
131
Kererū Retreat.
Smart thinking.
114
Product profile
ETC
Woman in architecture Louise Wright.
118
Store profile West Supply.
Fabric’s secret weapon.
116
Small space
Case study Let location take the lead.
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8
Editor’s note
138
Subscribe
Design Your World
Spring Summer 2020
Freedomfurniture.co.nz
“We’re fizzing with the anticipation of summer days ahead.”
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I love putting together our December/January issue — we’re always fizzing with the anticipation of summer days ahead and the chance to down digital tools. Having a stack of must-reads on hand is one of my top offline priorities for the holidays, so figuring you might feel the same, we’ve filled this issue with more great stories for you to get stuck into. In the past few months, we’ve dodged the spring rain to capture some truly inspiring homes and pulled together a selection to share with you based on the idea of home as a summer sanctuary. This concept can be expressed in many different ways, and we’ve included projects that vary in scale, style and budget, but what they have in common is a certain sense of ease. Their highlights designed to offer respite and raise the spirits include a kitchen island that doubles as a hub for connection (page 92); kids’ wings cleverly distanced from grown-up zones, and outdoor areas in which the whole family can be entertained (pages 78 and 106); and a garage turned into a studio for the ultimate creative set-up (page 40). Although unwinding will be the mode of many once this year is done and dusted, if you do fancy a project, on page 36 we’ve come up with an easy one for creating a courtyard haven you can relax in afterwards. Or if you’re in the market for updated outdoor furniture, turn to page 24 for a few of our favourite pieces that’ll help you make your backyard the place to be. I’m thoroughly looking forward to taking a load off and being kind to myself these holidays, and for me home will be where it’s at. Had enough of your own four walls and want to hit the road instead? You’ll find all the inspiration you need at the cool new outdoor-adventure store on page 131. Wherever this summer takes you, I hope you discover your happy place among the family, friends and finds that bring you joy.
Alice Lines, @alice.lines
Portrait: Larnie Nicolson. Alice wears: Micky T T-shirt and Calla culottes, juliettehogan.com
EDITOR’S NOTE
HAMPTON
A modern classic vanity collection with 10 on-trend colour options. Auckland Showroom 23 Davis Crescent, Newmarket | 09 526 0136 Wellington Showroom 1 Antilles Place, Grenada Village | 04 568 9898 Available from all leading bathroom retailers. Visit plumbline.co.nz/wheretobuy
EDITOR Alice Lines DEPUTY EDITOR Philippa Prentice ART DIRECTOR Juliette Wanty CONTRIBUTORS Monique Balvert-O’Connor Bonny Beattie Holly Jean Brooker Beth Eastell Sarah Ell Wendy Fenwick Stephen Goodenough Jackie Meiring Larnie Nicolson Emma Orchard Yaroslav Priadka Hazel Redmond Simon Wilson ADVERTISING & COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS Nicholas Burrowes General Manager nick@homestyle.co.nz +64 21 505 992 SUBSCRIPTIONS Online homestyle.co.nz Email subs@homestyle.co.nz Phone 0800 246 637 International phone +64 9 360 5700
PRINTER Image Print DISTRIBUTOR Ovato SSN 1177-0015
homestyle is a member of the MPA, and circulation is independently audited under the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Contact us for our latest circulation and readership information. homestyle is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either whole or in part, without written permission from the Publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labelled ‘not for publication’. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material. Paint colours may alter in the printing process.
PUBLISHER The Pluto Group Ltd Physical 326 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland 1021 Postal PO Box 911577, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142 Phone +64 9 300 7544 Email info@homestyle.co.nz
Subscribe to homestyle and save on page 138.
COVER STYLING Juliette Wanty COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Larnie Nicolson
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FURNITURE & HOMEWARES | INTERIOR DESIGN WWW.COCOREPUBLIC.CO.NZ
STYLE
Style 14
Scout
16
Colour palette
18
Bookmarks
20
Tech teamwork
22
Colour forecast
24
Buyer’s guide
29
Best Awards
36
Paint trends
Recreate this grounding courtyard space with a brush, paint and some solid furnishings. Discover how to get the look on page 36.
homest yle 13
STYLE —— Shop
Scout We’ve been shopping for your home. Burning g love
Un ndulating g candleholder,, $ $270 0, theriver.co.nz
Candles by Piera Bochner, from $120 each, dandiestore.co.nz
Candle, $20, @sundaymarketstore
CALIFORNIA, HERE IT COMES For decades, California has been more than just a place — it’s a dream, a vibe, a way of life. As inspired by travel as ever, for their Summer 2020 collection, Coco Republic has brought the Golden State’s enticing ethos and aesthetic to you in the form of new furniture, lighting, objects and then some in organic tones and textures redolent of its iconic coast. With a satisfying solidity and textural finishes, a few of the pieces on our wish list include the Monaco coffee table, Miran vase and Tilo storage box pictured front and centre. cocorepublic.co.nz
Beehive candleholders by Walk in the Park, $142 each, tessuti.co.nz
Checks are having a moment and we’re keen to get our hands on these ones. Wellington maker Ruby Joy Eade’s linen and cotton Checkerboard cushions are machine-quilted but have a pleasing handmade quality you too can enjoy in Chartreuse (seen here) and Paprika. rubyjoyeade.com
Twist candle by Lex Pott, $90, crystalcylinder.com
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Words: Philippa Prentice
CHECK ’EM OUT
Shop —— STYLE
GET IN BEHIND Pull your bed into line with a headboard that’ll take your sleep space from snooze to swish. Christchurch interior designer Jessica Close crafts custom upholstered ones; simply select your preferred style, size and fabric (she updates her chosen fabrics every few months, or you can provide your own) and you’ve got it made. jessicaclose.com
MODERNIST REDO New to Arrowtown are vintage furniture and homeware stockists Fehn Store. They work with India’s artisan collective Phantom Hands to deliver re-editions of late Swiss architect Pierre Jeanneret’s teak and cane chairs, which are handmade to the original specifications of his celebrated mid-century designs. fehnstore.com
MAKE THEIR DAY Melbourne-based Kiwi designer and illustrator Kelly Thompson has turned curator too, starting Makers’ Mrkt, an online store that sells super-cool stuff while supporting craftspeople, freelancers and small businesses. Her edit is exceptional — and timely as a trove for Christmas gifts for those who have everything and/or impeccable taste. makersmrkt.com
STYLE —— Colour palette
Come spy with me Covid can take our freedom to travel to the South of France, but it’ll never take our ability to steal chic interior styling ideas.
You’ll get to Hôtel le Sud in the resort town of Juan-les-Pins in good time, and for now you can easily borrow ideas for updating your boudoir in its image. Interior architect Stéphanie Lizée drew on the hotel’s relaxed, southeastern France setting in her use of crafted details that effortlessly articulate a laid-back summery ambience. That classic French je ne sais quoi strikes again in this bedroom in the understated yet highly effective trim painted around the headboard and at the top of the wall, and in the combo of organic shapes, natural materials, sunshiny yellows and calm neutrals. We’ve sourced some stuff to help you get le look: 1
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Resene Half Doeskin
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OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT 1. Hans console table, $579, freedomfurniture.co.nz. 2. Knot cushion by Design House Stockholm, $215, slowstore.co.nz. 3. Talia Muses vase by Ferm Living, $189, bauhaus.co.nz. 4. Wells cushion by Missoni, $920, tessuti.co.nz. 5. Bob outdoor side table, $349, designwarehouse.co.nz. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT 6. Bolster cushion by Klay, $175, tessuti.co.nz. 7. Checker mugs by Sam Young, $59 each, dandiestore.co.nz. 8. When a Shell was a Flower print by Hotel Magique, $95 (A3, unframed), fatherrabbit.com. 9. Sun Rise bench, $899, sittingprettydesign.co.nz. 10. Dayo platter by Ferm Living, $225, slowstore.co.nz. 11. Annex side table, $249, freedomfurniture.co.nz. 12. Pear storage basket by Ferm Living, $89, slowstore.co.nz. 13. Dandie Double vase by Sitting Pretty, $160, dandiestore.co.nz. 14. Lunar lamp, $529, thecanecollective.co. 15. Mackenzie throw, $499, coastnewzealand.com. 16. Otis Alabaster table lamp, $2995, cocorepublic.co.nz.
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Colours from Resene’s Multi-Finish range, available at Resene ColorShops and selected resellers.
www.resene.co.nz 0800 RESENE (737 363)
STYLE —— Bookmarks
On the shelf Your other favourite reads.
Caterers and food stylists Arno and Mireille always take the scenic route and believe you can eat well on it. With this book, the drive to get organised and the odd supermarket stop-off, you can forgo takeaways for days and everything on toast on your next roadie in favour of a much more delicious and nutritious menu that we predict will be a highlight of your trip. In four key chapters, you’ll find super-simple recipes for morning, afternoon, evening, nibbles and drinks. Give eggs and bacon sizzled in paper bags over your campfire the green light, and bread baked in a tin on the barbecue. Prep some spiced apples, secure them under the hood, then serve them sweet and hot at your next destination, or make a warm tomato and mozzarella caprese dish in the same way. Step on it using couscous as a speedily cooked base for a salad made tastier but no more taxing with a bit of goat’s cheese, cook fresh fish lickety-split in newspaper to impart a smoky flavour, and upgrade your standard s’mores with berries, peanut butter and fudge. Hacks to make all this as easy as possible while streamlining your luggage include using your wash bag as a sieve and keeping ingredients cool by stashing them on the ground under your sleeping mat. You’re welcome — so where to? 18 homest yle
ABOVE Authors Arno and Mireille. LEFT This campfire French toast cooks unsupervised. OPPOSITE, LEFT For this caprese dish, simply combine the ingredients, get your motor running and head out on the highway. OPPOSITE, RIGHT Fish grilled in newspaper with fennel, dill and lemon thyme.
Words: Philippa Prentice. Road Trip Cooking photography: Liesbeth Disbergen, Simone van Rees and Mireille van Elst
Road Trip Cooking by Arno & Mireille van Elst (Hardie Grant, $33)
2021 CO LLE C TIO N
IN BRIEF Christchurch Architecture by John Walsh (Massey University Press, $20) Lace up your sensible shoes and go for a wander in Christchurch with this great walking guide. Its six routes will take you to 60 buildings representing a century and a half of architecture, transporting you from Gothic Revival through Brutalism, Modernism and more. This is the second in a series by John and photographer Patrick Reynolds — there’s an Auckland one as well. The Kinfolk Garden by John Burns (Artisan, $65) It’s not just about having a good-looking garden anymore, guys — caring for our natural world and encouraging plants to thrive among us are small steps we can take to save the planet and humankind. So, no pressure, but also this chic book will teach you how others are letting more nature into their lives and how you can too, while hugely improving your wellbeing. It’s a win-win-win-win. Interior Voyages by Matthieu Salvaing (Rizzoli, $180) Continue your journeying with some armchair travel courtesy of this magnificent tome. Matthieu grew up in France but has spent years exploring the world. Here, he has compiled a selection of amazing international homes, telling their tales almost solely with imagery. Among the incredible dwellings, keep your eyes peeled for the Acapulco pad owned by Frank Sinatra during his romance with Mia Farrow.
Discover our 2021 Collection including our new Terrazzo inspired range, Medley at TILES.CO.NZ/LATEST
SAMSUNG & ESCEA —— Product profile
Room with a view
Look at this space and what do you see? Virtually unrecognisable from other offerings, this fireplace and TV form a minimal focal point you can customise to your liking. Available in various sizes and finishes and a range of fuelbeds, Escea’s DS Series fires use Zero Clearance tech to keep the wall cool, so Samsung The Frame 4.0 TVs can become part of the architecture above them. The latter provide high-end entertainment when they’re on and high art when they’re not by displaying your picks from an online gallery within a bezel in the colour of your choice. Ours is screening Aleph by Anuar Patjane Floriuk, its natural wonder well suited to this palette of raw, textural materials. Learn how you can go bespoke at: escea.com/flame-meets-frame. 20 homest yle
BACK, FROM TOP Hanoi lampshade by Pop Corn, $618, madeindesign. co.uk. Samsung Frame 65” TV, $4499.95, samsung.com/nz. Escea DS1650 gas fireplace, from $11,495, escea.com. FRONT, FROM LEFT Togo Fireside chair by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset, POA, domo.co.nz. Persian Knot Babylon rug by Armadillo, $7870, theivy house.co.nz. Epic coffee table by GamFratesi for Gubi, from $5282, cultdesign.co.nz. Brumbury table lamp by Luigi Massoni for Guzzini, $3301, 1stdibs.com.
Interior design: Juliette Wanty. Render: Yaroslav Priadka
And it’s all about you, thanks to a hot new combo that’s customisable in all kinds of ways.
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DULUX —— Colour forecast
In it together
The Dulux Colour Forecast 2021 aims to foster connection through colour.
Reset. Retreat. Nourish. The names of the palettes alone are uplifting and soothing. And the paints themselves? Let’s take a look… The Dulux Colour Forecast 2021 is both a reflection of where we are now and where we’re headed. At its heart is connection — with ourselves, our loved ones, our communities, our environment, our homes. Each of the three hero palettes has been curated with a focus on natural colours and textures that provide familiarity and security while looking to a brighter future. Off-whites to blue-greens to energetic reds, the Reset palette provides gentle encouragement to keep your chin up and remember to have some fun. Renew your outlook with this playful range of shades that includes subtle hints of the ’70s. Enrich your interior with a blend of hues and eye-catching finds, revisit your travels through collected mementos and incorporate some retro-chic to provide a connection to the past as you begin your next chapter. The Retreat palette examines the blurred boundaries of our new normal, in which the concept of home has expanded to become not just a place to recuperate but also to work, work out
Reset
ds
Dulux Prebbleton
oo W k x e lu D u C re
Dulux Hot Chillie
LEFT Reset colours Dulux Prebbleton and Dulux Woods Creek revive this room pepped up with other playful accents.
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Colour forecast —— DULUX
LEFT Dulux Olive Blend from the Nourish palette is a grounding backdrop in this bedroom styled with fresh flowers and organic forms. BELOW LEFT A feature wall in Dulux Five Fingers Peninsula from the Retreat palette makes this home office nook a tranquil addition to a living space.
Nourish
Du
lu x
O l i ve B l e n d
Dulux Kūaotunu
Retreat
Dulux Franz Josef Quarter
Dulux Five Fingers Peninsula
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Artwork: (this page from top) Katie Wyatt and Georgie Wilson, and (opposite) Kimmy Hogan, all from Greenhouse Interiors. Dulux is a registered trade mark of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd. Please note that due to limitations in the printing process, photographic and printed images and swatches may not represent the true colour. Always confirm your final colour choice with Dulux sample pots
Dulux Kāpiti
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and do everything else, necessitating more flexible interiors. Embracing traditions such as home cooking is one way in which we’ve sought to find comfort amid uncertainty, and Retreat is born of this sense of nostalgia. Designed to help you create multitasking rooms that feel like a refuge, it includes essential whites, greens, greys, browns, blues and burgundy that combine well with authentic textures like timber, linen and wool. Has 2020 Zoom-ed you into a state of total overload? The antidote as we see it is unplugging often, nurturing our link to nature and prioritising mindful self-care rituals that ground us in the present. A visual interpretation of this, the calming Nourish palette features elemental shades of sandy beige, earthy green, turmeric and tan. They’re naturally beautiful Dulux colours that will inspire you to let the outside in as much as possible, through paint, indoor plants and natural materials — while taking a few deep breaths. Find out more about the Dulux Colour Forecast 2021 and order free large colour swatches at dulux.co.nz/colour homest yle 23
STYLE —— Buyer’s guide
The next level
Outdoor furniture has really come into its own, letting you take your exterior spaces to infinity and beyond.
Best interest Wh hen styling outside, seek to surpass the expec cted with interesting shapes and materials tha at echo your carefully cultivated interior aesthetic. Define your comfort zone with piece es like these that set a relaxed mood while plaacing equal value on form and function.
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Oyster Linen Gauze
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Calathea Sunset
Freemans Linen Teal
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OPPOSITE, MAIN IMAGE Luxury lilos by Oliver James, from $1849 each, dawsonandco.nz. OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT 1. Kopi lounge chair, $3338, devon.co.nz. 2. Sammy side table, $549, designwarehouse.co.nz. 3. Tibbo XL lounge chair by Dedon, $9259, dawsonandco.nz. 4. Sway hammock chair, $90, cittadesign.com. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT 5. Sina armchair, $349, freedomfurniture.co.nz. 6. Gio fire pit, $845, cocorepublic. co.nz. 7. Tom coffee table, $649, designwarehouse.co.nz. 8. Quadro nesting tables, $359, freedomfurniture.co.nz. 9. Montmartre lounge chair, $2395, cocorepublic.co.nz. 10. Pali sofa, $5995, cocorepublic.co.nz. 11. Pillow beanbag, $139, cittadesign.com. 12. Breu lounge chair, $2395, cocorepublic.co.nz. 13. Rome sun lounger, $3219, boconcept.co.nz.
A unique range of designer interior textiles, direct to the public at affordable prices. Available Nationwide. Free samples via our website.
www.marthas.co.nz
STYLE —— Buyer’s guide
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Dream teaming You may love a matching table and chairs, but don’t shy from outdoor dining furniture that creates a more personalised moment. Team timber with concrete, chairs with a bench seat or rounded edges with hard ones.
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MAIN IMAGE Anchorage dining table, from $2695; Malmo dining chairs, $845 each, cocorepublic.co.nz. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT 1. Tibbo dining chair by Dedon, $3114, dawsonandco.nz. 2. Bench, $499, designwarehouse.co.nz. 3. Palermo dining chair, $1595, cocorepublic.co.nz. 4. Malmo dining table, $1895, cocorepublic.co.nz. 5. Adelaide dining table, $3399, boconcept.co.nz. 6. Adelaide dining chair, $679, boconcept.co.nz. 7. Tokio dining chair, $549, designwarehouse.co.nz. 8. Cirql dining chair by Dedon, $1584, dawsonandco.nz. 9. Bellevie dining chair by Fermob, $660, jardin.co.nz.
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Bring home the exotic A unique deep cushioned modular sofa finished in a boucle’ fabric that entices you to relax back and drift off to a foreign place that is out of reach. Reset your schedule and your mind with the Morocco sofa available exclusively from Dawson & Co
DAW S O N & C O .
ecc.co.nz
Artemide
Tolomeo Bicolour
Best Awards —— DESIGN
Gold standard A window to the worlds of the bar-raising winners in the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards’ spatial residential category.
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DESIGN —— Best Awards
Waiheke House by Cheshire Architects SUPREME WINNER PURPLE PIN & GOLD PIN — Residential architecture Covered with native bush and with a steep contour running down to the water’s edge, much of this property located on the furthest reaches of Waiheke Island is unhabitable, but the owners had long used it as an escape from their fast-paced city lives and saw an opportunity to establish something special here. Entertainers, they sought a home in which they could dine with up to 30 guests, and wanted to concentrate on this living aspect without the need for endless supporting spaces such as guest bedrooms. This presented Auckland’s Cheshire Architects with a wonderful opportunity to build with control, placing value on space and selecting just a few special materials with which to gild the home’s surfaces. The owners had camped and picnicked on the building platform for many summers, developing a close relationship with the lawn, the vines below it, the Gulf and its islands. This was the natural resting place for their 30 homest yle
new home. It’s very exposed up on this ridgeline, though, so a sense of permanence in the shifting landscape was important, balancing exposure with containment. The home needed to sit low and be discreet within the landscape. It needed to be made from natural materials that offered a sense of mass and perpetuity, as if the house had always been here. The dwelling was intended to support a version of life that rejects the digital and leaves the hum of the city far behind, delivering a slower rhythm that’s tuned in to the environment. The expert planning of the spaces, their volume or lack of, the degree of exposure to light and view, and the sound of footsteps crunching on fine pebbles or pattering softly on solid stone bring into focus what already existed. Tall and full of light, the living rooms are open to the outlook, while the more private spaces face inward and are contained by stone rather than glass. >
Best Awards —— DESIGN
Photography: Samuel Hartnett
The dwelling was intended to support a version of life that leaves the hum of the city far behind, delivering a slower rhythm that’s tuned in to the environment.
homest yle 31
DESIGN —— Best Awards
Split House by Pac Studio
How do you design a beacon of cosiness in a way that connects to the landscape and provides spaces large enough for a growing family to come together and celebrate in them? This was the challenge of the alteration of this villa in Sandringham, Auckland. Pac Studio’s response addressed two main elements: space and palette. The site has a reasonably steep crossfall over the northern end, so the house gradually steps down through three split levels to create an easy connection between the landscape and the living spaces. The lofty spaces are enclosed within two split hip roofs that span over the stepping spaces below. The form of the roof also separates the acoustic qualities of each space, reducing the transmission of sound. Along with an addition that provides a new kitchen, dining room, living room, media room, bathroom and even a ‘G&T nook’ with an integrated drinks cabinet, this project included the restoration and interior design of the original villa. The architecture forms spaces that are visually linked but carefully composed as individual entities in their own right. Key diagonal views between the different levels of the home were imagined during the design. These views cut across the orthogonal planning of the interior and create dynamic connections between the spaces. The palette is one of rich, warm colours, materials and fixtures that 32 homest yle
filter and reflect light. It begins with the sarked cedar ceilings, which throw rays from high-level windows down into the spaces below. Providing visual weight, the flooring is boards of deep walnut timber, which meet a generous amount of bespoke walnut cabinetry. Mustard and burnt-orange upholstery softens the daybed in the sunken living room and the seating booth of the G&T nook. The window trims are painted in a deep heritage red to match the villa’s existing exterior accents and provide warm, reflected light off the joinery. A darker dado, set to the height of the original home’s floor level, is carried through the new spaces as a quiet measuring of the shift in levels between them.
Photography: (this page) Simon Devitt and (opposite) Jackie Meiring
GOLD PIN — Residential interior
Best Awards —— DESIGN
Awaawaroa Bay House by Cheshire Architects GOLD PIN — Residential architecture Winding over a landscape of valleys and vistas, the journey to Waiheke Island’s Awaawaroa Bay prepares you. Nevertheless, it’s a surprise when a steeply pitched form punctuated by a single aperture appears on the skyline. The owners of this home fell in love with the site and the idea of turning it into a retreat — a place just for them, a place for others, a place to gather inside and out. In kind, Cheshire Architects proposed not a house but an encampment connected to nature, a home that celebrates its location, and its owners’ deep connection to the land and dream of a different way of life. A single gable and a couple of cabins, the home was conceived carefully, built simply and dressed informally. The three buildings are clustered around a courtyard that forms an outdoor room to move through and congregate in. The strong, sculptural external forms enclose finely detailed interior spaces, full of materials that add warmth and
even scent. The canvas-cloaked sleep spaces are lined with timber; window boxes offer framed views; there’s a bunkroom that feels intimate yet comfortably sleeps 10; and a sofa is carved into the living area, a space where fabric lines each face of the aperture and dampens the sounds of the site. Canvas let Cheshire Architects intensify the intricate woodiness of the cabin thresholds by contrasting them with a skin that’s both taut and soft — a detail that’s important in shaping an atmosphere of relaxed encampment. What the canvas hides is the clever engineering required to keep the apertures taught, enable occupation of the thresholds and dissipate wind load on the fabric. The canvas is held precisely at the apertures but lashed and overlapped at each corner to allow maintenance and tensioning as the material stretches in response to climate and time, creaking softly like a yacht’s sail. > homest yle 33
DESIGN —— Best Awards
Island Bay House by Alex Walls & Special Projects GOLD PIN — Residential interior Amplified through floor-to-ceiling glazing, the natural beauty of this home’s outlook on Auckland’s North Shore is so arresting it could easily have outshone the interior elements; however, through the considered and creative use of natural materials, subtle texture and colour, a synergy was achieved between the home’s décor and surrounds that enhances the overall experience of this sophisticated family residence. The guiding proposition of the interior was to achieve interest in the details, yet simplicity in its totality. A mix of materials and textures such as split-face travertine stone, American oak timber, custom-routed panelling, plaster, paint and tiling creates points that catch the eye at every turn, harmoniously balanced with neutral tones and open spaces for a modern, minimal aesthetic. On entering the house on the upper 34 homest yle
level, you’re welcomed by an open-plan kitchen, designed to be the centre of the home. On either side of this, it’s a tale of two living spaces: one designed for everyday family living and the other for quiet time. They’re linked by a grand travertine wall that adds texture to the length of the upper level and is complemented by timber flooring. As you descend the floating staircase to ground level — home to the bedrooms and bathrooms — the interior takes on a subterranean mood. The travertine remains an important element, only now it’s teamed with the gentler textures of wool carpet, linen window coverings and earth-toned soft furnishings. With a nod to the environment outside, the main bathroom and nearby ensuite have been designed to offer a feeling of being outdoors, with floor-to-ceiling windows and finishes with an organic nature, such as white-brick tiles.
Best Awards —— DESIGN
Furniture & lighting GOLD PINS
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Città Design Studio’s modular Point Lighting series can be combined to form everything from a single pendant light to a grand stairwell feature using a daisy-chain connector system.
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Inspired by the fluted detailing of ancient Greek pillars, the Io pendant by Astro uses gravity-fed glass extrusion to take a circular 2D design and extrude glass upwards to create a perfectly ribbed cylindrical form.
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By Cheshire Architects, the Fulcrum lamp has a shade that can be gently rotated, allowing it to take on new forms and altering the light output.
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The dynamic Noho chair by Formway promotes freedom of movement and comfort via its auxetic pattern that enables the seat shell to change form, flexing with you to support your body. bestawards.co.nz
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Photography (opposite): Sophia Bayly
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RESENE —— Paint trends
Inside out
Reinvent your courtyard as a sheltered exterior room via a simple paint project or two. ST YLIN G
PH OTO G R APHY
Juliet te Want y
Wendy Fenwick
Get the look
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Design an outdoor space with an indoor feel by creating a private room-like look using solid furniture and a screen. Follow our lead and elevate an inexpensive trellis with a dark stain. We painted ours with Resene Waterborne Woodsman CoolColour in Resene Sheer Black — an easy weekend project that brings a satisfyingly instant and sophisticated finish to an off-the-shelf item.
OPPOSITE, BACKDROP, FROM LEFT Walls and bench seat in Resene Lumbersider in Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow, and Resene FX Paint Effects Medium with Resene Bastille; plant pot in Resene Half Hairy Heath; screen in Resene Waterborne Woodsman CoolColour in Resene Sheer Black; deck in Resene Woodsman in Resene Driftwood, resene.co.nz. OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT Milford Moss Stitch cushion, $99, indiehomecollective.com. Antique Duck outdoor fabric (covering squab), $50/m, marthas.co.nz. Goblet vessel by Lightly, $219, babylongardens.co.nz. Roly Poly chair by Faye Toogood for Driade, $1611, statementid.co.nz. Cestita Alubat lamp by Santa & Cole, $1610, ecc.co.nz. Cubo concrete stool, $189; Hardwood Stump side table, $655, indiehomecollective.com. Bamboo plant and flowers stylist’s own. ADDITIONAL ITEMS LEFT Ruth Calathea rufibarba plant, $25; Eva pot,$66, babylongardens.co.nz.
Resene Woodsman stains are also ideal for timber decking — ours is in Resene Driftwood. If you prefer a darker finish, just apply another coat or two. To add weight to the sense of solidity, we opted for a concrete-like wall. On top of our base coat of Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow, we brushed on Resene FX Paint Effects Medium coloured with Resene Bastille in a loose criss-cross pattern, before rubbing it dry with a clean cloth to blend.
Stylist’s tip Customising planters with Resene testpots is another cost-effective way to communicate your colour scheme and bring personality into your outdoor room. We painted one with Resene Half Hairy Heath.
Resene Quarter Scarpa Flow
Resene Bastille
Resene Woodsman in Resene Driftwood
R Resene Woodsman in Resene Sheer Black
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LIVE LIFE OUTDOORS.
At Mitre 10 we’ve got quality outdoor settings in the latest styles for every space and budget. So you can enjoy your outdoors even more this summer. Shop the new season collection in-store and online.
PEOPLE
People 40
Artist profile
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Design profile
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Artist profile
Full-time artist Jen Sievers wishes she had an easy answer for creatives wondering whether to ditch their day job. “I think the best advice I can give is don’t quit too soon — make sure you’re making some money and have a plan for how to build your business when you do leave. Also, get to know and trust your intuitive voice, then take the leap!” Find out how she did it overleaf.
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PEOPLE —— Artist profile
Spiritual
practice Jen Sievers says her art is pretty much the contents of her soul.
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INTERVIE W
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Alice Lines
L arnie Nicolson
Artist profile —— PEOPLE
LAND LOVER “I feel like landscapes have been trying to come through me since I first picked up my brush again,” says Jen of her current focus. “I’m pretty much obsessed. All of my early studies were based on the hills and plants surrounding my home, but each time I tried to paint an abstracted landscape, it never felt quite like I wanted it to, so I’d go back to abstracts or portraits. It really bugged me that I hadn’t nailed my landscape style, so at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, I set aside two weeks to play. It was such a great process, with varied results, but in the end it worked. I found my landscape flow and haven’t stopped ever since. I feel like I’m just getting started.”
For Auckland’s Jen Sievers, creating colours and applying them to a surface to see what will emerge is the embodiment of happiness. She describes the act of painting as a soulful expression of pure joy, one that lets her lose herself in her colours for hours at a time. So, Jen, tell us about the pivotal moment when you really engaged with painting… It came about five years ago, just after I’d moved up into the Waitakeres with my husband Jorin and our daughter Mila. I hadn’t really painted much since dropping out of art school in 1998 and had been working as a graphic designer for 15 years. Mila was two at the time, and one spring day, after spending a lovely morning with friends, I took her home for a nap. As she went to sleep, I had an overwhelming urge
to paint. I found a piece of ply, some house paint and a few craft paints, and started swishing paint around in the sunshine. Even talking about it makes me feel quite emotional — I felt like I came alive. You weathered a health scare in 2019 — how did it affect your passion for your practice? My breast cancer diagnosis was a big shock, and for a while it felt like my future might be slipping away from me. It’s crazy how life works, though, because at the time I was in the thick of painting for a solo show, one depicting goddesses, so my painting not only provided a place to feel joy and be present in the moment, but also allowed me to reflect on some of the world’s strongest female archetypes right when I needed it. I was very fortunate that my cancer was
treatable and, in the end, one of my life’s greatest blessings. Was this what led you to become a full-time artist? There’s nothing like a cancer diagnosis to give you a good wake-up call — the whole ‘life is short’ thing becomes very real. I’d been mulling over the idea of going full-time for ages and had made deals with myself like: ‘If you make the same amount of money from your art as your day job for a year, then you can quit the job’ — but I’d reach these goals, freak out and hold onto my job, just in case. It didn’t help that I actually loved my role and was working with a wonderful team of people, but I was exhausted. I was working three-and-a-half days a week, doing the school runs, and running my art business in the evenings, on Fridays and in the weekends. > homest yle 41
PEOPLE —— Artist profile
I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue that level of work with radiotherapy coming up, and I absolutely couldn’t quit painting, so I had to let go of my job. That was in February 2020, and it was the best decision I ever made. I think if I hadn’t had cancer, I might still be worried about quitting, so I have it to thank for this magical life I’m now living. Can you talk us through your creative process? At the moment, most of my pieces are landscapes, and this process is always a play between freedom and control, intuition and planning. I start by looking for beautiful places online or in my own photographs, listening for a specific feeling to guide me to the correct pic; I need to get butterflies in my tummy when I see it. Once I’ve picked the reference scene, I usually look for a few more pics of the 42 homest yle
same place, so I can get a better feel for it, then patch together a few photos in Photoshop to create my composition. When I’m happy with that, I draw over it in Photoshop, mapping out the main shapes, picking colours and forming a basic plan. Then the fun starts! I paint my underneath layers, always starting with my fluoro coral outlines, which bring a vibrant aliveness. I then paint without thinking too much, layering until I’m not sure what to do next, then photograph the painting, pop it back into Photoshop and sketch some possible next steps. I repeat this until the painting is done, using my intuition to guide me. What inspires your use of such bold hues? Colour is the reason I paint and one of my most powerful tools for creating the sense of joy I’m after.
I just love how it makes me feel and how changing the hue of a colour by one or two percent can completely change the outcome of a painting. What’s coming up for you? It’s a strange time to plan anything, but I know I’ll definitely be painting more landscapes in 2021. I’d like to host some workshops in my new studio and I’m hoping to pull together a new solo show. A long-held dream of mine has come true recently too: a linen collaboration with artist collective Greenhouse Interiors. I truly believe that art, particularly original art, holds the energy of the artist and passes an emotion on to the person who views it. I hope that my work will continue to spread joy around as many homes as possible. jensievers.com
Artist profile —— PEOPLE
TRUE CALLING Jen and Jorin recently turned the garage on the ground floor of their home into a studio, installing bifold doors in place of the roller door at the front and painting the walls with Resene Black White and floor with Resene Wafer. Jen says her go-to tools in this fresh new space are her “fluid acrylics, for their flexibility and the textures they create; good-quality canvases, which are addictive and worth every cent; my phone, for podcasts and audiobooks; and way more tea than any normal human should consume.” Motivation to paint has never been a problem for her — “I struggle to tear myself away from it. I wake up in the morning and rush down to the studio while Mila eats her breakfast. When I’m not painting I’m thinking about painting, or planning a painting, or wishing I was painting.”
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PEOPLE —— Design profile
Great pride Beautiful bags aren’t the only thing Yu Mei’s Jessie Wong is deservedly chuffed with.
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INTERVIE W
PH OTO G R APHY
Alice Lines
B onny B eat tie
Design profile —— PEOPLE
ABOVE Designed by Rufus Knight of Knight Associates, Yu Mei’s Wellington store features a counter made from giotto marble. “Like our bags, it looks deceptively simple,” says Jessie. ”It houses storage and a wine fridge, and at one end are Osso stools by Mattiazzi from Simon James guests can park up on to enjoy a drink, chat to us and learn about the brand. In this way, our flagship has been designed to function as a lounge — inviting and comfortable.” OPPOSITE Jessie in the studio upstairs. Behind her hangs House at Dawn by Alan Ibell, and to her left is an untitled work by Olly Zander-Jones.
These are productive times for founder Jessie Wong and her team at luxury leather-goods label Yu Mei. Among the many irons in their fire, they’re currently working on their Autumn and Winter 21 ranges, taking their already robust commitment to sustainability even further by creating collections and colourways that run together like chapters in a story, allowing you to build a wardrobe of bags that’ll never go out of style. We spoke to Jessie about her work life and philosophy. The past couple of years has been busy for Yu Mei — what have been some of the highlights? I consider us lucky that we get to come to work every day, but one of the main highlights has been opening our two Yu Mei retail lounges in Wellington and Auckland’s Commercial Bay. It’s pretty special to have spaces in which our community can connect with the people who design their products.
These stores were orchestrated from your Wellington studio in the heritagelisted Mibar building— how long have you been here for? Four years; we had a smaller space on level two for about a year before moving up here to take over level four, where the light is incredible. I love the Modernist features of this building: the terrazzo stone in the lobby, the warm wood, the wave-shaped awning that defines the exterior of our shop on the ground floor… All of these features, including the temperamental original elevator, give it so much soul. Did you have to do much to it when you moved in? Not really — it’s still very reflective of the bootstrap nature of Yu Mei’s beginnings. We made the linen curtains ourselves and hung them to divide the space. They work well because there’s little separation between our office area and the atelier side, so we can still laugh at each other’s jokes.
How many people work here? We have seven up here in our office team, and usually a dog too — one of the three on rotation; they’re all oodle breeds and a happy, tail-wagging presence. There are six people in our sales team — they work from our beautiful Wellington and Auckland lounges. What’s a typical day like in the studio? It depends on the day, but I usually head to the studio between 8 and 9am, grab a cup of coffee from our Moccamaster and chat to the team. I might have a few meetings here or off site, and either are great, because living in a walking city like Wellington is such a pleasure and it’s easy to get around at short notice. My head of design and production Adrian Williams and I might work on new designs, or I might be developing the brand strategy with my brand manager Kirsten Nagel. > homest yle 45
PEOPLE —— Design profile
At 1pm, we usually have lunch together around our meeting table, then in the afternoon I might head down to the store and have a chat with our head of retail Grace Gaudin. Sometimes my head of operations Brigette Thomas will be shooting in the studio with our photographer Nick Shackleton. There’s never a dull moment. If it’s a Thursday and there’s a new opening at Jhana Millers Gallery on level one, we’ll head down there after work. On Fridays, we enjoy a glass of something together; across the street from us is Wineseeker, a boutique wine shop that’s never short on chardonnay suggestions. I love our community here on Victoria Street — we all know each other and there’s a great vibe. So how would you describe the Yu Mei aesthetic? It’s a combination of simplicity, utility and the South Island 46 homest yle
deer nappa we use that informs our aesthetic. Our ethos is ‘Simplicity is complexity resolved’, so everything we design is pared back. Attention to detail is ingrained in what we do as it takes a lot of refining to get to this point; one particular piece of hardware took about 19 iterations to perfect. Utility is also at the core of every design, so everything we produce is of the highest quality, fit for purpose and designed to weather your journey with you. What role does sustainability play at Yu Mei? It all starts with our key material: our buttery-soft premium nappa. A material that would otherwise be wasted, it’s a by-product of the venison industry, which means it’s heavily regulated and the deer are farmed according to Deer Industry New Zealand’s Five Freedoms. We have respect for the life that the animal had
before its skin became a beautiful bag, and that carries through every process and design, manifesting in a supply chain with integrity. We’re working to formalise and record all processes throughout our supply chain and become a certified B Corp [a business that balances purpose and profit]. Leather is one of the most renewable natural materials and with proper care, your leather bag should last a lifetime. We offer education around this to ensure a quality stock of secondhand bags are submitted to our Buyback initiative, which works to promote circularity and extend the useful life of a product through mending and refurbishing. Customers can submit their pre-loved Yu Mei bag for a credit towards their next purchase and we’ll refurbish the bag and sell it on at our Archive events, held annually as a way to reduce waste; our production team works from the Wellington studio to
Design profile —— PEOPLE
repurpose our leather offcuts and excess hardware from the year into one-off colourways we sell at reduced prices. During lockdown back in March, we held our Archive event virtually for the first time and the outcome was an innovative new offering. As items were selling out, we had people messaging us in real time asking if we could make this bag in that colourway; we saw a gap for a market driven by demand, and so our Atelier was born. The Yu Mei Atelier now makes custom orders from a menu of styles and swatches. This initiative is so special because it involves the user in the design process and means we can match supply to demand, so there’s no excess stock. It’s also a great way for our team to trial new processes that they’ve learned from our manufacturers, and create new designs. Can you tell us a bit more about your production process? In searching
for a manufacturer, it was our responsibility to find a partner who’d put as much care into the product as the other hands in our supply chain. We were introduced to our manufacturers in China through our tannery, New Zealand Light Leathers. They’ve worked with everyone from Prada to Céline, and I’m still having a hard time believing they agreed to work with us — we’re definitely the smallest fish in their pond. But like everyone in the Yu Mei supply chain, we have a familylike relationship; they’re a family-run business themselves that has been around for more than 50 years. The owners are from a village very near where my family’s from, so I feel a real connection to them. Quality, longevity and product stewardship are all part of our wider view on sustainability, and we take great pride in the supply chain we’ve built to last. shop.yumeibrand.com
ABOVE An Underline workstation by Simon James anchors the studio office space beneath a floral installation by Love Stomp Floral. “We recently refreshed it after three years,” says Jessie. “We commissioned it for an early event and it never left.” OPPOSITE, LEFT In this corner of the studio (arranged with a Noguchi coffee table, Cigarette side table by Eileen Grey and Coconut chair by George Nelson) is a Barcelona sofa by the late architect Mies van der Rohe for Knoll that Jessie just loves. “I’ve been obsessed with the Barcelona Pavilion [he co-designed with Lilly Reich] since I visited it at the age of 15 and still look to his work for design cues — it’s referenced in the travertine floor of our Commercial Bay store.” OPPOSITE, RIGHT Meetings are held at a table and chairs from Kinetic Design.
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PEOPLE —— Artist profile
Now you see it Artist and framer Tom Mackie’s work draws attention to what might otherwise go unnoticed. INTERVIE W Alice Lines PH OTO G R APHY Simon Wilson
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Artist profile —— PEOPLE
After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking, a lack of money and equipment saw Wellington’s Tom Mackie fortuitously move from creating works on paper to experimenting with sculpture. For his early exhibitions, he created site-specific works that highlighted galleries’ inherent qualities and celebrated their subtleties — works that sat in corners, for instance. He’s since experimented with a wide range of mediums, but keeps coming back to exploring a hybrid of print and sculptural, reworking found and readymade materials to evoke new narratives and draw attention to what often goes unseen. Right now, his work questions how the painting and picture frame work cohesively together.
for me, the frame is often the more important part. I like to draw attention to what viewers often look past. And you use a lot of repurposed materials? I use wooden offcuts and found objects to reinvent the frame, then pair this with discarded paintings or canvas objects that I rework to show the hand or craft of the maker. An example of this is inverting an old painting to show markings on the underside that were never intended to be seen, allowing viewers to slow down and think about more than just what’s on the surface.
So the painting came before the sculptural exploration? Yes, but I’d overthink it and question my hand in the making. I’m more interested in conceptual painting — transforming materials and objects into visual puzzles that question our understanding of paintings.
Where do you work from? I mostly work from my inner-city studio. A regular art-making day usually starts with coffee with an artist friend, which helps to kick-start my creativity. Then I settle into the quiet and still of my studio, where I can concentrate on research and construction. I often have a lot of noise in my head, so I find comfort in the quiet, and I think that’s reflected in my work.
Talk us through how these 2D and 3D elements come together in your work… Through my work in the picture-framing trade, I began exploring what the fabrication of an artwork means. A frame is typically the final step in presenting a work, but
What other spots in the area do you like to hit up? My studio’s close to Cuba and Ghuznee streets, which are home to my favourite café, Milk Crate, and independent galleries like McLeavey, Robert Heald and Precinct 35. >
ABOVE Tom in his studio making finishing touches by waxing a timber frame. OPPOSITE “Works often take months or years to resolve, so I hang them on the wall to contemplate,” says Tom. “Most ideas are discarded, but it’s the moment that a work or object has the energy to levitate that keeps me coming back for more.” He says when he hits a creative block, “removing myself mentally or physically is the only way I can overcome it. Heading somewhere remote without my phone helps, as does reading or listening to podcasts.”
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PEOPLE —— Artist profile
How do you split your time between your art making and your fine art framing business? My framing business, Elliot Creative, keeps me busy behind the tools at least four days a week, but also provides me with a good amount of quiet time to think about what I want to create. It’s always hard to find the perfect balance between the two, but I’m grateful the business allows me to work with so many amazing artists, curators and collectors. You have a show coming up at SPA_CE in Napier in December — is there a specific theme this body of work is shaped around? I’m very excited to be working with SPA_CE’s Megan Poppelwell for my exhibition. My ongoing ideas explore slowing down the process of looking and evoking new narratives. The works will be playful yet structured, with elements of humour. I’m looking forward to constructing a show that’ll end the year on a high. What else is on your agenda this summer? My wife Meg and I are hosting our family on Christmas Day for the first time, then we’re off to find a secluded camping spot in which to welcome in the new year. Here’s hoping next year is a little less dramatic than this one’s been. tommackie.net; thisisspace.co.nz
TOP Posterior ll, 2019, made with found jute fabric in a hand-carved wooden frame. ABOVE RIGHT Tom’s been in this studio for a year and loves its central location and natural light. Here, he’s stretching canvas on his work table. The artwork on the left of the wall behind him is Hands & Knees by Mary Teague, an Australian artist whose work he was introduced to by a friend. He says, “It’s a luxury to be surrounded by great artworks every day that inspire me to think and create.“
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Club Tropicalia - Mokum
Fusion Cocoon - James Dunlop
Overland - Zepel
OUTDOOR | INTERIOR | HIGH PERFORMANCE | COMMERCIAL | RESIDENTIAL
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HOMES
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Crowning glory
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As far as the eye can see
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Can’t hurry love
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Don’t stop believin’
With an entire floor to itself, the homeowners’ top-storey suite in the house on page 78 is quite something — this beautiful sleep space isn’t even the best bit. Flip through to see its other high points.
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HOMES
A standout design feature makes this once ordinary villa wholly unique.
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Philippa Prentice
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EXTERIOR The couple installed a new fence and grass, and worked with Xanthe White on garden plans they’re rolling out gradually. Sarah says, “We want to feel like when we’re inside we can just see nature, with lots of white and evergreens. We’re not quite there yet, but we’ve got the growing wall and Tecomanthe speciosa climbing up to mimic the protective benefits of the bamboo.”
HOMES
THE PROJECT With architects Pac Studio, graphic designer Sarah Melrose and her PR consultant husband Gez Johns renovated this threebedroom home in Auckland’s Freemans Bay for themselves and their daughter Stella (9).
ABOVE Appliances and storage are arranged along the kitchen walls, leaving the island free to function like a piece of furniture and as a multi-purpose zone for food prep, casual dining and entertaining. The oak cabinetry by Sharp & Page concealing the utilities continues up to the ceiling, emphasising the home’s vertical form. Other highlights here are the splashback in Pacific Gris Natural from European Ceramics & Stone, Parma 200 wall light by Astro from ECC, pendant light by Monmouth Glass Studio and stools by Hay from Cult.
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HOMES
KITCHEN The Corian benchtop by APT includes an integrated sink to allow even easier cleaning of the seamless surface. The brushed platinum Icon mixer is by Astra Walker from The Kitchen Hub. Open shelving transitions the cabinetry into the dining area; decorating it is an Eames House Bird by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra from CittĂ .
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ABOVE The 4.7m-high ceilings and big doors (Wrightstyle suite steel joinery from Southern Steel, zinc-sprayed black) of the extension work together to make the dwelling seem much bigger than it is. Says architect Liz of the home’s ‘twin peaks’, informed by villas’ traditional peaked roofs: “I love that the house is a small but crafted object — it doesn’t lose sight of the main design move.” The extension’s patio cut-out and soffit are clad in stained narrow-profile cedar from Hermpac. The Basket chair and Vimini table are from Studio Italia, the Disc cushion is by Klay from Tessuti and the glassware is by Monmouth Glass Studio.
You don’t need to be a regular churchgoer to appreciate a cathedral-esque space — just ask Sarah Melrose and Gez Johns, whose update of a 1900 villa in Auckland’s Freemans Bay has turned a typical student rental into a glorious, light-filled sanctuary with soaring ceilings they can really look up to. “We definitely followed the mantra of buying the worst house in the best street,” jokes Network Communication senior account director Gez about their purchase of the home with its nicotine-tinged walls, cheap carpet and mounted TVs in virtually every room; ’80s extension tacked on the back with a ceiling so low you could touch it; and “scary” amount of bamboo framing the garden. At the time, he and Sarah, who’s creative director at branding studio Milk and co-founder of gift registry The Lovely, were living in Mt Albert in what had been a state house, but when daughter Stella made three, they needed more space. With their inner-city purchase came compromise in the form of a smaller section and a house that needed some TLC to make it a home. Although they’d DIYed their Mt Albert abode, Gez says, “It’s fair to say the experience was instructive enough to ensure we knew what to leave to the experts this time around.” The pros they put their faith in were architects Pac Studio, builders Olley Construction and landscape designers Xanthe White Design who, inspired in part by the couple’s admiration of late US designers Charles and Ray Eames’ > homest yle 59
HOMES
DINING Sarah and Gez are big fans of designer Simon James — their Facile dining table, Seam sideboard and The Knack sofa (the latter is pictured opposite) are all his creations. This artwork is by Karl Maughan, and suspended over the table with Elementary chairs by Jamie McLellan are Dome pendant lights by Monmouth Glass Studio. A central heating system has been ducted under the house and up through iron grilles in the floor.
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ABOVE LEFT A bay window forms a TV nook that pops out of the wall. On the sofa are a cushion by Missoni from Tessuti, a bolster from Città and a throw from Madder & Rouge. The paintings are by Amy Unkovich. Sun is Sarah’s religion and this house offers ample opportunities to worship it. “It’s amazing lying on the sofa looking up at the skylight,” she says. “My favourite thing is when the afternoon sun shines through the doors and hits the oak herringbone engineered timber floor [from Vienna Woods].” ABOVE RIGHT Tio outdoor furniture by Mass Productions from Simon James on a coloured concrete paver by Peter Fell.
“the windows and doors help keep us warm in winter and give us total indoor-outdoor flow in summer.”
plant-fringed timber and glass home and studio in LA, replaced the main living, dining and kitchen area at the rear of the house, laid new flooring throughout, upgraded the main bathroom and redesigned the garden. This being a narrow house on a skinny section, Pac Studio had only so much room to devote to reinvention, so they turned their talents to creating the illusion of space. Project lead Liz Tjahjana says, “We had no hesitation in stripping out the failing lean-to to create an extension that would be more sympathetic to the original home, incorporating the parts of villas we love, such as high ceilings and generously proportioned windows. Although the home had flat ceilings, it also had a double-hipped roof, so our key architectural intention was to extend the roofline to form a new extension with a skillion ceiling. The formal gesture of the double-pitched roof has created strong geometries and some beautiful moments. The steel joinery echoes the verticality of the house and roof, and includes bifold doors that open onto the backyard and a covered patio.” Inside, every inch is purposeful. The two tall roof forms make the extension feel light and generous, despite the footprint not growing significantly. Other dextrous details that answer the prayer for space include the recess in the living area, which houses appliances without encroaching into the seating zone. Pac Studio designed the built-in cabinetry here to mimic > homest yle 61
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a special sideboard housed in a similar nook in the adjacent dining room. Minimising the windows on the sides of the house (while maximising the openings at the rear) has provided sacred privacy, and skylights let in still more light yet no prying gazes from the neighbours. To focus the attention on the grand design, the material palette has been tightly edited, the congregation of steel, glass, and cedar and oak timber meeting off-white walls and black accents for contrast. “Working with Pac Studio was great,” reflects Gez. “We loved the double high-pitch effect and were sufficiently drawn into the aesthetic to revisit the bank manager.” “We had a budget but wanted some hero features, which are the cathedral-like ceiling, steel doors and herringbone flooring — but the biggest thing they did was take a small footprint and make it feel epic,” adds Sarah. Life here is as you’d expect it to be with two working professionals, an energetic nine-year-old and a “slightly mad” dog — rinse-and-repeat busy but also a lot of fun. “The biggest change is that now when we walk through the door, we feel like we’re home, rather than just back at the house,” says Gez. “The combination of space, wood and greenery provides a pervading sense of calm — at least until you step on a stray piece of Lego or squeaky dog toy that reminds you it’s a home full of life!”
dining
ABOVE LEFT The spirit of the original home is honoured in the existing leadlight windows, intricate mouldings and board-and-batten detail. Sarah and Gez have recently revamped the bedrooms with the Resene Wan White paint used in the extension, plus new window coverings, wardrobes and carpet. Some of the understated accents in their bedroom include a Random light by Moooi from ECC, photography by Lewis Mulatero, blue pillowcases and a throw from Città, and a Vida duvet by Seneca. ABOVE RIGHT Stella’s bedroom is decked out with a bed by Urban Kids, artwork by Penny Stotter and a bolster by Klay from Tessuti, and Tussore carpet from Cavalier Bremworth.
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HALLWAY This renovation also saw the existing laundry separated from the bathroom and rehomed in a nook in the hallway in place of some redundant brickwork. As a result, the bathroom is now spacious and functional, with both a shower and a freestanding bath. “Finding room for a tucked-away laundry and having the dishwasher and fridge behind panelling in the kitchen means we’re not constantly reminded about the more menial aspects of life,” says Gez.
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This impeccable beach house ushers in the ocean through apertures here, there and everywhere.
As far a s the eye can se e
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Monique B alver t- O’C onnor
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THE PROJECT This four-bedroom home in Papamoa was designed by Herbst Architects.
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This waterfront site in the Bay of Plenty’s Papamoa deserved something spectacular. And that’s exactly what it got. Its owners called on the talents of the team at award-winning Herbst Architects (led by principals Nicola and Lance Herbst, and including project architect Andre Fourie) to design their beach house, and the result thrills them and intrigues passersby alike, whether viewed from within, the street or the sand. It was also met with an enthusiastic response from the judges of 2020’s New Zealand Institute of Architects Awards, who declared it a Waikato/Bay of Plenty winner. This retreat makes no secret of the fact that the rolling ocean out the front is the hero feature of the property. With the home’s entrance positioned closer to the beach than the road, it’s apparent from the word go. The architecture takes guests on a journey to the front door; the streetfacing wall is on an angle and combines with the landscaping to lead visitors to the arrival point. Opening the front door, the close relationship with the beach is obvious — you’re immediately wowed by the view framed by the doorway. There’s no need, says Nicola, to move through the house to reach a point where you can see the sea. The position of the entryway grants easy access to the public hub of the house, where the open-plan main living space ensures maximum enjoyment of the outlook. This >
EXTERIOR Rising out of the dunes, the house affords a view from the sand to and through the front entrance on the left, while on the right (where there’s a concrete table and benches from Design Warehouse), you can see through the dining room and lanai to the grassed courtyard and garage beyond them. The sliding panels at the front of the home are made of cedar, which is also the prominent material chosen for the exterior cladding. Nicola says it performs very well, staying true, working with a stain and weathering nicely.
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COURTYARD Connecting to the grassed courtyard (with the bedrooms doing the same on the right), the lanai is positioned to catch the afternoon sun and includes a built-in barbecue framed with kwila to match the decking. The Duffel ottoman is by Tim Webber Design and the hanging Outdoor Pod chair is by Thread Design.
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objective is achieved through various means, such as the inclusion of a sunken lounge facing the water, which has built-in seating to keep it free of obstructive floating furniture and allow the kitchen behind it to fully capitalise on the blue view too. The sea- and street-side walls of this living space are made of glass, but the others are windowless, training the eye towards the horizon. The same approach is at play upstairs in the main bedroom suite. “It’s like a monocle effect,” says Nicola. There’s little need for outdoor dining furniture at this address — not when the dining room itself can be opened to the elements by sliding and bifolding the east and west walls. Connected to this transseasonal space is an exterior one inspired by an open-ended Hawaiian lanai (outdoor rooms being a hallmark of Herbst Architects’ work). Here, the roof is made of cedar battens overlaid with translucent polycarbonate sheeting that lets the sun shine through, the warmth of which is taken up a notch in winter by the dining room fireplace. Along the seaside face of the home, the dining and lounge areas connect to a deck that’s fronted by a pair of sliding cedar panels. They take the bite out of the wind and are perfect for privacy while offering lovely light and an interesting spatial quality. Timber is very much celebrated at this abode. Cedar is king on the exterior and has a place inside as well; the ceilings, walls, cabinetry and floors are a mix of stained >
Opening the front door, the home’s close relationship with the beach is obvious.
ENTRYWAY The path to the front door traverses a landscaping zone and runs beside the bedroom corridor. At night, light seeps through the cracks in the screen, creating a lantern effect.
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LEFT In the kitchen, open shelving crafted from stained birch ply functions as storage and display. This floral arrangement is by On My Hand in a vase from Paper Plane. BELOW The back benchtop is stainless steel that rises up to meet the stained cedar that forms the splashback and the rangehood shrouded in black steel. The fridge and pantry are integrated in birch ply cabinetry on either side of the stove, matching the ceiling, while the island teams kwila with stained birch ply cupboard fronts. The Osso stools are by Mattiazzi from Simon James, the Muffins lamp in the adjacent living area is by Brokis from ECC and on the right is a ladder-like Verso Shelf by Hem from Tim Webber Design.
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cedar, kwila and birch ply. Raw black steel and stainless steel are prominent and sophisticated inclusions to this paredback material palette. Stained birch ply has been used on the kitchen ceiling and stretches across to top the sleep zone, where there’s a bunk room and two other bedrooms. All open onto a narrow deck that steps down to the lawned courtyard. Timber screens on this deck provide privacy between the bedrooms and from the lanai; also with seclusion in mind, horizontal battens below the soffit hide the bedrooms’ glass doors from view from the top storey of the house next door. In a break from the norm, the corridor to the ground-floor sleep spaces runs down the southern side of the house. It’s covered and walled (with battened cedar and polycarbonate sheeting) but not completely sealed, and wraps around to the angled front of the house, providing a veiled-wall ambience. >
DINING Dressed cedar clads the interior of this space, with its band-sawn counterpart beyond it; a Stovax Riva Studio 2 fire heats both the indoor and outdoor dining areas. Among the crafted accents here are a Leaves pendant light by Kateryna Sokolova from Slow Store, Spin candelabra by Tom Dixon from ECC, Cross table by Case from Simon James, Tokyo chairs by Bensen from Tim Webber Design and Egyptian rug by Armadillo from The Ivy House.
LIVING Dark timber has been used inside the home to amplify the sense of warmth when looking outside towards the light, creating a heightened sense of summer. “It also offers a cosy, introspective experience in winter,� says Nicola. The Monuments magazine holder at the right of this shot is by Menu from Simon James.
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“It’s a ‘lay it bare’ approach, with the focus on the sensory,” says Nicola. “The idea is that you feel the chill or warmth of the outside temperature and the timber decking underfoot. It’s all specific to a holiday in such a location. “With beach houses, our approach is to delight with the connection to nature,” she continues. “The translucent sheeting lets the light through but can’t be seen through. Hidden behind it is a spa and garden with beautiful planting. There’s no roof here, so this area functions as an open-air courtyard.” An outdoor shower is located nearby. Everything about this home is gorgeous, even the timber-clad garage. “It’s a ‘quiet’ garage — we didn’t want the entry to scream ‘Cars!’” says Nicola, adding that working on this project was an absolute pleasure. “The clients are wonderful, as is what’s been achieved in terms of a distraction from the noise of life and a concentration on the sea. It’s focused on the light changing and sea changing — and that’s all you need.”
RIGHT The veiled-wall corridor leading to the downstairs bedrooms bears a likeness to Japanese shōji doors/dividers. BELOW The sunken lounge’s structural posts are made of steel inlaid with kwila that softens the steel and echoes the shell of the built-in furniture. Side tables at the end of the sofas offer hidden storage and a perforated sheet of stainless steel conceals the TV. Some of the refined furnishings here include a Pivot coffee table by Tim Webber Design, Paragon rug by Armadillo from The Ivy House and Sparks wall lamp by Vibia from ECC.
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TOP LEFT Pale grey and charcoal porcelain tiles by Winckelmans from Tile Space clad this wall in the main bathroom, where a built-in ledge runs under the mirror designed by Herbst and handily continues into the shower. LEFT Black steel and kwila combine again in the bunk beds, which have storage drawers underneath them. On the wall here are hooks found at a store in Clyde. The bedding is by Foxtrot Home and the Marigold rug by Armadillo is from The Ivy House.
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Timber is very much celebrated AT this abode. Cedar is king of the exterior and has a place inside too.
MAIN BEDROOM With bedding by Thread Design, this bed abuts a birch ply partition with cantilevered side tables that provides privacy for the dressing room behind it. The brass Halo vases on the ledge are by Powersurge.
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EXTERIOR Sliding the panels at the front of the house shelters the deck from both sun and wind while letting light dance across the timber. These moveable elements allow the home to respond expertly to the changeable coastal environment. This spot links to the living area.
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The revamp of this home rolled out at its own pace, allowing the owners to get it just right.
Can’t hu rry love
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THE PROJECT With Studio John Irving Architects and Material Creative, co-owner of Superette Rickie Dee and her clothing designer husband Onny Kaulima renovated this five-bedroom home in Auckland’s Pt Chevalier for themselves and their children Rocco (10), Hawk (9) and Kai (5).
ABOVE The louvre roof system over the deck is great for all-weather entertaining and complements the linear forms of the battened wall in the living area, exterior cladding and first-floor bedroom windows. OPPOSITE Onny, Kai, Rickie and Rocco on their Cannes outdoor suite from Freedom. PREVIOUS PAGE Inside, where the walls are in Resene Alabaster, meals are served at a Hudson dining table on Maki chairs all from St Clements, below a Tri pendant by Resident from Simon James. The concrete sculptures are by Levi Hawken, the vase is from St Clements and the framed photograph, Nostalgia, is by Reuben James.
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It’s a dilemma many of us face at some point. As our family grows bigger along with our weekly grocery bills, do we renovate our existing abode or sell up and search for one that’s a better fit? For Rickie Dee and Onny Kaulima, the former option was the perfect choice. From the street, their Pt Chevalier home looks like your typical Auckland bungalow, with weatherboard cladding and bay windows showcasing the architecture of its time. Step inside, though, and it exceeds expectations, the interior having been updated by a strikingly modern renovation. It’s a clever trick that’s created exactly the juxtaposition the couple were after. But it didn’t happen overnight. Rickie, Onny and their three children lived in the original three-bedroom home for four years before embarking on the reinvention. “Although we really loved our home, we simply outgrew it,” says Rickie. “We needed more space and a lot more light, but we love our neighbourhood, so we decided to stay put.” Decision made to upgrade, which architect they’d engage to achieve the transformation was never in question. “When Rocco was born, we used to walk around Ponsonby with 82 homest yle
him in his buggy, doing the rounds along John Street, where one of John Irving’s renovations stood out to us,” says Onny. “It was a design he became known for, with the front facade kept as the original bungalow and the back transformed by a contemporary design. We loved it, and 10 years later when it was our time to renovate, we knew he was the guy.” Rickie and Onny’s property provided plenty of space to extend, but good things really do take time. The couple spent a full year at the concept stage and eight months at the resource-consent stage before the building finally began. Then the family of five, plus their cat and dog, moved out and stayed with Rickie’s parents for almost a year while the construction by Colab Group was underway. It goes without saying that these two aren’t afraid to push their limits, and in this case it’s really paid off. The home now has large living spaces inside and out, an entertainers’ kitchen with a separate scullery, five double bedrooms and two bathrooms. A panelled light well above the floating stairs in the entryway divides the house in half, flooding the downstairs kitchen area and upstairs dressing room with natural light, while casting intriguing shadows. >
ABOVE LEFT On this side of the battened stained cedar wall that divides the living area into two distinct yet connected spaces are Tonk stools and a Joe sofa by St Clements teamed with a vase by Tom Dixon, cushions by Injiri and Madame Stoltz from Superette, and a rug by Armadillo from The Ivy House. The Canadian oak flooring throughout the house is by Forté and custom-coloured to be light and bright. ABOVE RIGHT Cabinetry crafted by Fluid Interiors using the same Super White granite as the kitchen discreetly hides the TV. Carvings by Lee Ralph keep an eye on things beside it. The Azteca Temple oil burner by Mr Pinchy & Co, crystals and books are from Superette, and the sculpture is a memento from a trip to Bali.
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LIVING Here, a Boxster sofa from St Clements sits with a coffee table from Indie Home Collective decorated with a vase from Blush Flowers, and a Tribe Bone tray by Mr Pinchy & Co and No 27 Fragrance House candle both from Superette. The statement concrete surrounding the Escea fireplace gives the home a certain rawness, lit by black downlights by Brightgreen from ECC set into the tongueand-groove ceiling.
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KITCHEN In the kitchen decorated with large-scale artwork Fears by Sonia Welford, Super White granite from CDK Stone continues the monochrome scheme with Osso stools by Mattiazzi from Simon James, Gaggenau appliances and accent tapware by Zucchetti Kos from Robertson. Surveying the scene from the steps are ceramic Candymen by Simon Lewis.
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It’s a clever trick that’s created the juxtaposition the couple were after.
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BELOW LEFT & RIGHT Super White granite appears again in the dressing room, where the doors look like they lead into a wardrobe but instead open onto the ensuite, and a Bleeker ottoman from Coco Republic is an extra touch of luxe. Rickie’s home office is also tucked into this space. You can see the black bridges that connect to the bedroom in the background of these shots. OPPOSITE A view to the dressing room is offered from the front door, where a light well creates a welcoming feel and ever-changing patterns on the walls and floor.
Upstairs, two black steel bridges leading from the main bedroom to the ensuite and walk-in wardrobe/dressing room allow a view down into the living zones, offering interesting new angles and sight lines. For specific design decisions involving elements such as the kitchen, bathrooms and dressing room, the couple engaged the services of interior designer Toni Brandso of Material Creative. “We knew what we wanted and Toni helped us to achieve it,” says Rickie, pointing out that this process was also a long game. “We finished the house in November 2018, yet I only had my wardrobe installed this September. We were being careful not to overspend, and I knew if the areas the kids enjoy were sorted, I could wait for the rest. I wanted my dressing room highly spec-ed, and it’s so awesome now to have a home for everything.” Today, this dwelling ticks all of the family’s boxes, and the extra time hanging out in it thanks to Covid-19 has highlighted just how well John and Toni nailed the brief. “We’ve really enjoyed spending so much time here
lately, and after busy work weeks, I look forward to weekends at home with the kids,” says Rickie. “We love staying local. Friday night is always Uber Eats or dinner out at a nearby eatery, and Sundays are all about family lunch and having friends over.” In fact, Onny’s mother Nellie lives here too, and his eldest son Jason Panapa lives just around the corner and visits most days. “We’ve always got people stopping in, and the barbecue and outdoor fire are often cranked up to feed guests,” says Rickie. “It’s the perfect space for it.” This year, they’ll continue their tradition and invite their extended family for lunch on Christmas Day. Friends will also flit in and out, but that’s no big deal in this house. The new indoor-outdoor flow is designed to facilitate these types of gatherings, with wide sliding doors opening the house onto the backyard landscaped by SGLA. Along with the covered outdoor room with its fireplace, heated swimming pool and spa, it’s a combination that ensures this cityfringe pad can be enjoyed year-round.
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MAIN BEDROOM Photographs by Tom Gould beautify the couple’s sleep space along with bedding by In Bed from Superette, a light fitting and cushions from Indie Home Collective, and bedside tables from SM Interiors.
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ABOVE Set below a skylight that bathes it in rays, the shower in the ensuite is fitted out with mosaic finger tiles from Tile Space on the walls (that segue nicely into a built-in ledge that houses self-care items) and large-format tiles from Artedomus on the floor. The tapware by Elementi from Robertson echoes the cabinetry handles by Powersurge. The handy, hardy Arnold Circus stool is by Martino Gamper.
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ABOVE LEFT “The kids have double beds, but Kai has only spent three nights in hers because they all room-hop,” says Rickie. “They don’t want to be alone.” “Even the cat and dog jump in,” adds Onny. Rocco’s room is the kids’ favourite destination when they want to watch movies. Its décor includes a pendant light by Ay Illuminte from Indie Home Collective, a velvet throw and matching pillowcases from Città, a bench seat from Mocka and carpet from Cavalier Bremworth. ABOVE RIGHT Kai’s room features an artwork by Blacklist from Superette; a throw, duvet, and velvet and cacti cushions from Città; and a cloud cushion from Nature Baby.
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Any time’s the right time for these serial renovators, who make magic with whatever comes their way.
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THE PROJECT Stylist Gem Adams and her husband Nathan Speeden, owners of Blackbird Goods, renovated this three-bedroom home in Raureka, Hastings for themselves and their children Margot (3) and baby Sunny.
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ABOVE LEFT Gem chose white for the hallway, to lift it a bit, then styled it with a light fitting from Ikea, peg rail from Blackbird Goods and bench seat found on Trade Me. OPPOSITE In the living area, she opted for a linen-coloured sofa from Me & My Trend and brought in a darker double love seat to sit next to it; it’s Danske Møbler, from the local auction house. Steve built the coffee table Gem designed from the same wood used for the benchtops. PREVIOUS PAGE The couple had in mind a true heritage palette for the home’s exterior, as opposed to the paler ones often used in villa reinventions: Resene Double Tapa with Resene Double Gravel for the trim and Resene Quarter Villa White around the windows.
You could roll a ball from one side of this house to the other when Gem Adams and Nathan Speeden moved in. So wonky were the piles, Gem, who was pregnant with their daughter Margot at the time, says, “I’d feel the slope of the floor as I went into the bathroom and almost had to steady myself!” Add that to a list of laments that included carpet thick with animal hair and ceilings lowered so far they partially concealed the stained-glass clerestory windows, and it presented a bit of a challenge. Despite appearances, though, the Hastings couple had a hunch the circa 1915 villa was actually a lovely old lady — and hunches are kind of their speciality. “I can’t help but see the potential in something, so I think with houses, where others wouldn’t touch them, I get excited about what they could be,” says Gem. “Nathan and I love beautiful homes but we don’t have the budget to buy them, so we have to think outside the box. We believe that if we want to get to the places we want to get to, we need to take the opportunities that arise, so we just take a leap every time.” Having already fitted out their Napier homeware store Blackbird Goods and overhauled their first home, the couple arrived at this one ready for another reno they planned to
roll out room by room. Four years and two babies on, the old dame has been returned to her former glory — but with a modern sensibility. With kids (Margot and baby brother Sunny) in the mix, this project was Gem and Nathan’s biggest juggle yet, so they relinquished some of their signature DIY wizardry in favour of employing their builder fathers Steve Adams and Roly Speeden, along with Nathan’s brother Dave, to make the major changes. Instead, the couple took on painting, tiling and other finishing tasks, incorporating their taste for natural colours and materials, and the perfectly imperfect Japanese wabi-sabi approach. The villa originally had only two bedrooms, so they borrowed a bit from the generous bathroom to create a third sleep space. That gross carpet gone for good, they restored the matai floorboards along with the coffered ceilings, doors, skirting boards and magenta stained-glass windows. Gem dreamed of classic timber countertops, so Steve fabricated cost-effective ones for the kitchen and bathroom using pre-laminated sheets of beech; they go so well with the tongue-and-groove cabinetry he crafted for these rooms and the splashbacks Gem and Nathan > homest yle 95
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The little wins kept the couple keeping on. “The rewards of what we accomplished were awesome.”
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LIVING “This house solidified for me that you do need new furniture with each home, because so much changes in terms of the way it needs to work and the tones. But we still have the shelves that my pop made,” says Gem of the Ladder shelves made by her late grandfather and now sold through her dad’s brand Adams & Co. “They’ll always be in our home.” The new Oxford fire is by Kent.
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ABOVE LEFT With its benchtops made of timber laminate from Bunnings, “The kitchen is one of my favourite rooms,” says Gem. “Before, it was a super-narrow galley kitchen, so we opened it up and now it’s such a nice little hub. At any given time of the day, you’ll find us in here with Margot standing on her stool; it really encompasses the feel I wanted for the house.” ABOVE RIGHT A lot of Gem and Nathan’s décor comes from Blackbird Goods, but they also favour second-hand finds and inherited pieces. “Our dining table is my childhood dining table that my dad built,” says Gem. “It’s so beautiful I keep telling him he needs to make it and add it to his shop.” The Effezeta dining chairs are another Trade Me acquisition.
created using handmade tiles. The open shelving throughout the house is another simple, chic touch. Colour-wise, Gem says she did her “typical white-ish-ness”, opting for soft Resene Wan White “because I felt with the heritage aspect of the house it needed to have a bit of warmth to it. I then brought in some colour, including greige Resene Fifty Shades in the kitchen and green Resene Waiouru in the bathroom. Sunny’s room is in nudey pink Resene Rascal and Margot’s is the same, but we did a paint effect on her walls; it changes quite a lot when it’s diluted — you get a much more peachy tone.” Gem went for bolder colour on the exterior of the house too, without straying from her and Nathan’s preferred tonal look that helps to create an atmosphere of calm. “I tend to view and incorporate colours in a textural way,” she says. “The other parts of the house we added colour to are tongue and groove, because I think it brings more dimension to it than painting it white. “Renovating a family home with our family has been a cool experience,” she says. “Margot has been part of the process, painting with our hands on the brush to help her 98 homest yle
and passing Nathan the screwdriver when he put on the bathroom doors. This home has been exactly what we needed for this time in our lives.” Now it’s looking so swish, it’s bittersweet to be leaving this place where they’ve nurtured two newborns, but their next project beckons – a 1984 Ian Burrow design they hope to stay in for the foreseeable and make only minor tweaks to. While they’re finding their feet there, they’ll also be fitting out a new Blackbird Goods store in Hastings, secured in their signature fashion. They lost out on the retail space two years ago, but recently, right after learning they’d been outbid on their new home, they were offered a second chance to lease it. Ink still drying on the contract, they got back in the car to find a missed call from their real estate agent… The competing offer on the house had just fallen through and it was theirs if they wanted it. “Perfect timing is a complete and utter myth — or I believe it is anyway,” says Gem. “We’ve always taken opportunities where we’ve found them.” She’ll be the first to tell you committing to two new projects is a crazy prospect, but what do you do? You see the potential, and take the leap.
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KITCHEN Gem recommends a breakfast bar to anyone with kids. “Margot stands there with us making her own breakfast or snacking while we’re prepping dinner, and whenever we’ve got friends over, everyone congregates in this area.” Pendants from Lighting Plus shed light on this scene, with its vintage bar stools and Margot’s stool from Ikea.
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BATHROOM Using handmade tiles by Atelier from Tile Warehouse here and in the kitchen created the look the couple wanted and meant that slight imperfections in their DIY wouldn’t matter — though that’s not such a problem with perfectionist Gem and meticulous Nathan on the job. Other highlights here include DIYed lighting from Lighting Direct, Resonance tapware by Mondella and a stool from Trade Me.
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ABOVE LEFT The previously “dark and horrible” main bedroom is now a calming sanctuary thanks to additions such as the sheer curtains from EziBuy that provide privacy but still let in light and the soft, pink glow of the stained glass behind them. Gem created the large-scale artworks herself. ABOVE RIGHT Basically a closet before they moved the bathroom wall, this third bedroom was one of the couple’s smartest moves. “I’m really proud of the way we configured this, and the bathroom still functions really well,” says Gem. The walls here are in Resene Rascal and the trim and floor are in Resene Wan White. Sunny sleeps in a cot from Ikea on a Turkish rug from Blackbird Goods.
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ABOVE For the colourwashed walls in Margot’s room, the couple used Resene FX Paint Effects Medium tinted with Resene Rascal, brushing it on, then rubbing it with a damp rag to create visual texture. The lower halves of the walls are in Resene Santa Fe and the floors are in Resene Rascal. New pieces (such as the duvet set by Dehei from Blackbird Goods) are deftly combined with old (including the vintage pram), and others made by Margot (the framed whÄ nau portrait) and her parents (like the mini kitchen in Resene Grey Olive).
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DESIGN
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Case study
Overlooking Hamilton city and the rolling Waikato hills, this boxy family dwelling has some serious design smarts. Turn the page to study its clever tricks.
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FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS —— Outside in
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Cleverly conceived forms and lots of glass make this abode smarter than many in terms of both form and function.
Outside in —— FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS
Making your way through a valley where Hamilton’s city limits meet Waikato pastures, you can’t miss Kylie and Noel Jessop’s new home. A dark form rising from the ridgeline catches your eye on approach, though it’s not until you’re much closer that you realise this glistening upper storey is clad with a glossy membrane of fish-like scales. “The metal scales were an idea I wanted to experiment with to give the exterior depth and texture,” says Noel. When you’re an architectural designer, that’s the sort of thing you get to trial when you’re crafting your own abode. It becomes a testing ground for pushing ideas further than you might get to with your clients.
The couple hadn’t really been looking for a personal project, but their blended family with four kids in the mix had fuelled a need for more space and a desire for a carefree rural lifestyle. “After working with a client of mine in the area and mulling over subdividing with them, I spotted this section on Trade Me purely by chance,” says Noel. He and Kylie had spent a bit of time in the area and already had an emotional connection to it. They knew they’d found the spot in which to build a home designed to bring them all together. The intelligent architecture here is guided by the aspect of the site. What was once a hilly paddock with an old shed plonked in the middle now houses a ground floor clad in timber topped >
ABOVE & OPPOSITE The build of this home was expertly led by Hayden Johnstone of Johnstone Building. Larch battens clad the ground floor, where the entry is hidden behind a hinged door. The upper floor features a custom rain screen made from black powdercoated aluminum scales individually installed in situ. First Windows & Doors joinery powdercoated in Matt Black recedes into the textural surface treatments.
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FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS —— Outside in
ABOVE So as not to interrupt the flow between house and garden, the kitchen was kept minimal, with integrated appliances plus the pantry and plentiful storage stowed behind soft-touch acrylic cabinetry by Laminex in Pitch Black and White Linen. Laminam in Naturali/Bianco Statuario Vento was used on the splashback and Laminam in Nero Assoluto features on the island benchtop. The built-in nook in the dining area includes a picture window with a First Windows & Doors Metro Series over-the-wall slider that opens right up to provide cross-ventilation.
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with a smaller second storey that’s cantilevered out on both sides of the building. This upstairs structure does double duty as a veranda over the outdoor dining area at the front of the house and as a carport at the back. “I could make a joke about how my friends view my architecture,” says Noel. “They say we’re really good at designing boxes, but we could only afford the two-box option for our place: the long box and the short box.” The ground floor spreads out from the entry at the rear of the house into an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area at one end, and the main bedroom and ensuite at the other. This level is divided in two by stairs that lead up to the kids’ zone, where Carter (11),
Aja (8), Jayden (6) and Layla (4) each have their own bedroom, along with a shared bathroom and hang-out space. A monochrome scheme that doesn’t detract from the view, the interior palette includes surfaces selected to withstand the hard knocks of family life. Larch battens on the ceiling and concrete underfoot add texture and warmth. Organised around a long island bench, the simplicity of the kitchen belies the plentiful storage behind the handleless cabinetry that extends along the wall to form built-in rest stops also used for stashing books and displaying mementos. Interconnectedness was a key consideration that allows the kids to roam inside and out, and Kylie and Noel >
Outside in —— FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS
ABOVE The home’s smart design responds to the environment, maximising the sun and harnessing the wind that whistles over the hills to create an optimal internal climate with passive solar gain and natural ventilation. The physical connection it allows to the outdoors was also really important to the couple. “One of the big components is being able to have the doors full height,” says Noel. “At 2.7m high, the floor-to-ceiling sliders provide an expansive view that’s unobstructed by joinery.”
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FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS —— Outside in
ABOVE Kylie’s brief for the ensuite was “light and bright, with a resort-like feel”. To achieve this, Noel designed a room that lets the sun shine in from all angles through a ThermalHeart roof window and a Metro Series over-the-wall sliding door, both by First Windows & Doors. The view from the freestanding bath is one of the best in the house. “Being orientated to the east means that from the minute the sun comes up over the hills, you get the most incredible glow across the sky,” says Noel.
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Outside in —— FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS
“The flexibility to increase the size of the spaces here is great for accommodating a large family in not a large house.”
to keep an eye on them from wherever they are. APL Architectural Series sliding doors with a fixed window at one end span the communal zone, allowing the entire space to be opened up to the deck and lawn. At the end of the living area, a covered deck extends toward the west — the ideal spot for a sundowner. The couple’s bedroom and ensuite make use of First Windows & Doors Metro Series over-the-wall sliding doors to access the pool and take in the sweeping 180-degree view across the city to Mt Te Aroha beyond. “We didn’t want any walls because we didn’t want anyone to be left out anywhere,” says Kylie. “So whether you’re in the kitchen or the lounge
or out on the deck, you’re never far away from everyone else. With four kids, we’re really thankful for the massive backyard too. That was a huge thing for me. I wanted the kids to be able to be kids — to ride their bikes and do whatever they want outside and for us to know they’re safe.” “On the practical side of things, the flexibility to increase the size of the spaces here is great for accommodating a large family in not a large house,” says Noel. Their ability to expand and contract different areas to allow inside and out to function together works well for both the family’s everyday life and the regular stream of visitors who drop by to soak up some of the rural good vibes. firstwindows.co.nz/brain-boxes
ABOVE Multiple outdoor living areas can be enjoyed by the whole family all day long, whether they’re eating al fresco, kicking a ball around, or taking time out on the sun loungers custom-made by Fibreglass Developments.
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FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS —— Outside in
ABOVE At the western end of the house, Metro Series bi-fold doors connect the living area to a deck that catches the last of the day’s rays. The kids like to toast marshmallows over the concrete fire pit that sits between Kuba outdoor sofas from Design Warehouse. Cedar panelling finished with Dryden WoodOil shelters this space from the wind, making it ideal for cosy evening downtime.
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JAMES DUNLOP TEXTILES —— Product profile
The new guard
No longer must your lifestyle dictate your aesthetic! Where there’s a will, there’s a way to make your favourite furnishings work. When your good taste in upholstery says yes but your love of red wine, children and pets says no, there is another option. Introducing your new secret weapon: FibreGuard. How often have you coveted furniture or furnishings only to conclude they’re just not practical? With this anti-stain technology developed in European laboratories and available exclusively in Aotearoa at James Dunlop Textiles, those days are over, because there’s little FibreGuard-protected items can’t handle. FibreGuard fabrics feature a stainresistant coating that’s infused through 114 homest yle
the yarn at the textile mill, and undergo rigourous tests to rival even the tipsiest guest, muddiest dog or snack-wieldingest toddler; common stains covered run from lipstick and pen to ketchup and crayon, and every hot mess in between. The result is fabrics that are highly durable, and not at the expense of style — they’re in all the latest materials and colour trends. These fabrics couldn’t be easier to clean, either. Just add water (and in some cases a smidgen of soap), dab with a clean cloth and stains are erased. A permanent coating
embedded during the manufacturing process, FibreGuard won’t deteriorate not matter how often you spot-clean or wash it — it’ll last for the life of your fabric. All this and independent Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification gives you top-quality, enduring, attractive upholstery entirely free of harmful chemicals and produced by socially and environmentally responsible methods. Spaghetti bolognese for dinner on the sofa? Get ready to relish it with a side of peace of mind. jamesdunloptextiles.com
Product profile —— JAMES DUNLOP TEXTILES
GOT YOU COVERED There’s a five-year residential stain-resistance warranty on all FibreGuard fabrics, and they’ll retain their rich colour and luxe touch for their natural lifespan. James Dunlop Textiles offers hundreds of FibreGuard interior fabrics, including (this page, clockwise from left) Omni, Braveheart, Omni and Trailblazer, and (opposite) Aviator.
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DESIGN —— Woman in architecture
A positive difference In the latest installment of our Architecture+Women NZ series, we speak to member and Wirihana Leadership Award winner Louise Wright. INTERVIE W
Louise, what inspired you to take up architecture as a profession? As a child, I loved building blocks, Lego, drawing, and making huts in the bush by our home near the Hutt River. My father was a ministerial secretary in Wellington and I’d spend weekends with him in the Beehive and his corporate offices, which fascinated me. I was interested in the city and drew a lot of houses, castles and other structures. I studied design and technical drawing at high school and went on to architecture school at Victoria University, where I was awarded a scholarship to study architecture in Rome, Italy. From then on, I was quite hooked on architecture and its influence on living. You and your husband Justin have been running your studio Assembly 116 homest yle
Architects for 15 years — has your business evolved much in this time? Our business is entwined with our life and has proved to be agile as we’ve changed locations and economic contexts. We established it in Wellington in 2005, where we primarily worked on residential projects and some public projects at Wellington Zoo. We had our children — Sabina, and twins Thomasin and Lido — in 2007 and 2009, and remained in Wellington until 2011. Then, in a post-GFC, slightly depressed climate, we pitched and won a number of prefabrication projects, including Auckland’s Britomart showcases in the lead-up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup, a widespread marae upgrade project in the central North Island for Tūwharetoa, and student accommodation pods for Auckland University. We made Kākahi in the King Country our temporary base
from which to deliver these projects, then in 2012, when they were completed, we moved south to Arrowtown, which we still call home. The focus of our practice has naturally shifted since then. Our reputation is quite solidly for houses now, with some bespoke commercial/tourism and minor public works projects in the mix. We also work with developers on residential developments. In the North Island, we practised construction efficiently, but here our attention has moved to highend residential projects and thermal performance in construction. A number of our projects include rammed earth, which is now a defining speciality. What shapes your aesthetic? The aesthetics of our projects are the result of many factors — it’s not something that’s predetermined but instead
Photography: (this page) Leigh Jeffery and (opposite) Simon Devitt
Alice Lines
Woman in architecture —— DESIGN
RIGHT & FAR RIGHT Assembly Architects’ Adobo Wood showroom in Cardrona Valley is an exploration of singular materiality that showcases the vast possibilities of timber, from structure to cladding to finishings. BELOW Unadorned rammed earth in the interior of Assembly’s Mt Barker House in Wanaka. BELOW RIGHT Orientated east to west to face its Remarkables backdrop, the practice’s Bendemeer House in Queenstown rests lightly on the land while providing shelter for a northern outdoor living space.
develops in the concept stage in response to environmental factors, then is refined as a project develops. We address the environment, views, wind, local materials and clients’ desires, and are also influenced by the materials we think are appropriate, combinations of materials and textures, and budget. Each project shapes the next, as we continue to learn. Over time, our projects take on more similarities, but some still come along that establish a whole new base consideration and new strategies emerge. It’s always interesting. How has Aotearoa’s architecture industry changed for women since you started your career? Increasing numbers of women have been registering as architects in New Zealand, so that’s positive, and these days, more people refer to me as
an architect than a “female architect”. We’ve always involved women in our practice. Right now, half our studio is female, which works for our team and the wider team of builders and contractors. I’ve noticed increasing specialisation and leadership from women in the past decade around culture, climate and urban issues, which brings increased awareness and accountability into the profession. The work/family juggle is often considered challenging for women in architecture — how do you make it work for you? It is a juggle at times, but I’ve operated like this for more than a decade now. It seems to be getting easier as the kids get older and more independent, and of course I rely on having a great team around me at Assembly. Working with Justin is brilliant, as we can rely on
each other, and living in this village community also helps. Outside of work, I enjoy gardening, and in this mad year have taken up deliberate and determined exercise with my neighbour. These things do add to the juggle, but are valuable pieces of the puzzle. What keeps you motivated to keep doing what you do? I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing our designs realised and our clients living in and enjoying these buildings. I also thrive on the personal relationships we develop with our clients, contractors and consultants, which last long after a home has been built. As architects, we can make a positive difference in our clients’ lives, which is hugely rewarding for the whole team. assembly.co.nz; architecturewomen.org.nz homest yle 117
DAVID REID HOMES —— Case study
Place setting
Letting your home’s location lead its design can serve up some serious rewards. Homes in harmony with their surroundings possess a particular kind of cohesion that goes beyond the visual to encompass feel and functionality as well. This dwelling is one such place, custom-designed specifically for its setting in Waikanae on the Kāpiti Coast. By David Reid Homes, the monopitch structure has been expertly crafted to work with the site’s established native trees, and includes pillars and a pergola that’ll deepen the link with nature when new planting winds its way over them. 118 homest yle
Utilising the full width of the section, it’s orientated to make the most of the sun and outlook (dramatically captured by opening skylights and tall windows in the living area that also increase the home’s thermal efficiency), while taking into account practicalities such as the prevailing wind and the owners’ need for privacy. The extensive glazing in the living spaces further champions the connection to the landscape by drawing in a view of kānuka that’s enjoyed from the main bedroom as well. The textural exterior cladding of this bespoke home also speaks to its coastal
position. Locally sourced macrocarpa weatherboards contrasted with bagged brickwork, it has an appealing tactility that continues inside, where plywood ceilings, cedar and brick feature walls, oak and cork flooring, and engineered stone are natural additions to a colour scheme that’s based on neutral and earthy hues. This design- and location-driven home fits its site to a T — and, like all David Reid Homes custom or pre-designed plans, it could be tailored to suit yours too. Get the lowdown at: davidreidhomes.co.nz
Case study —— DAVID REID HOMES
ABOVE Extra height afforded by the 3.6m stud in the openplan kitchen/dining/living area creates a relaxing sense of spaciousness ideal for a beach town. The kitchen by Kitchen Creators features soft-touch acrylic cabinetry, stainless steel and Uniquartz engineered stone benchtops, and oiled engineered oak floorboards from Creative Flooring. LEFT One of three sleep spaces, the main bedroom has an artful panelled wall that connects to the walk-in wardrobe sitting between here and the ensuite. OPPOSITE Made from garapa timber, even the wrap-around decking and boardwalk-style entry have a coastal quality.
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Store profile
“We’re conscious not to alter the landscape and instead let the grass wear down gradually in areas that are frequently walked on,” says architectural designer Ben Comber of his tiny retreat’s minimal impact. He tells us more on page 125.
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LIVING —— Shop
Well & good
Everyday luxuries that make life more liveable.
ALL BASES COVERED They had us at ‘three-way tilt mechanism for all-day shade’, plus we also love how deeply Raglan’s Tātahi Merchants care about their environmental impact. As well as their Koi umbrella being made from recycled plastic and aluminum with no unnecessary waste, they offer great tips for upcycling it later as a beach mat, drying rack, kids’ teepee and all sorts. taatahimerchants.com
TWITTER & FEED Our feathered friends won’t appreciate that this Bird Silo is crafted from recycled plastic to look like art, but thanks to the many years its creators Mika and Julie Tolvanen of Pidät spent studying birds feeding from prototypes in their garden, they may have something to say about the way it caters perfectly to little tweeties who like to cling vertically when they eat. garden-objects.com
Never not on a mission to stock our self-care cabinet with all-natural potions, we jumped on Sans[ceuticals] new Superdose Luminosity Masque. Packed with actives, it promises to deliver a whole host of skin benefits (such as enviable radiance) with just one application a week, and it visibly does the trick, while smelling really nice — kind of cinnamon-y. sansceuticals.com
LADIES OF LEISURE A stylish, wearable, intergenerational embodiment of chippie-sandwich picnics past, this nostalgic gingham print is a highlight of Mina’s SS21 collection, which celebrates the sentimental, sun-bleached memories summer faithfully brings and the connections between mothers and daughters. Pictured are the Mali pants and Elle dress, designed for women of all ages. minaforher.com
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Words: Philippa Prentice
SUPER NATURAL
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YOU ARE SEEN SEEN… That’s what the name of new lingerie label Videris translates to from Latin, and everything from its inclusive sizes to its focus on wearers’ wellness lives up to it. By New Zealand designer Chloé Julian, who honed her skills at Stella McCartney Lingerie, Agent Provocateur, David Beckham Bodywear and Savage X Fenty, every facet of these garments is scrupulously considered to deliver smalls you’ll love living in. viderislingerie.com
PUT A RING IN IT Auckland’s Mel and Daryl Holt searched high and low for pool floats that resonated with their interior aesthetic and came up empty-handed. In true Kiwi style, there was nothing left to do but do it themselves, so they did, founding &Sunday, which now sells tasteful oversized tubes like this one — Shapes from the Summer 20/21 collection — and mini versions for kids. andsunday.com
Vegan
EDITIONS
A curated offering of furniture and lighting designed and made in Aotearoa. homestyle-editions.co.nz
Small space —— LIVING
Spread your wings Get away from it all at a petite retreat that’s designed to take flight. INTERVIE W
PH OTO G R APHY
Alice Lines
Stephen G oodenough
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LIVING —— Small space
An hour from Christchurch, 10 minutes from Methven and 2km from the Mt Hutt ski area, Kererū Retreat in Canterbury’s Pudding Hill is a micro-cabin that reinterprets the rural New Zealand vernacular and blends effortlessly into the landscape. It also has the ability to be relocated — similar to the way birds migrate with the seasons (its name also references the kererū that roost in the kōwhai trees currently surrounding it). We spoke to its owner, architectural designer Ben Comber of Studio Well. So Ben, what was the inspiration for your Tiny Retreats project? It was born 126 homest yle
from a desire to find balance from our jobs in the city and have a space where we could relax and reconnect with nature. My partner Jasmine Truman and I both have desk jobs in Christchurch, and unplugging from those modern demands became a focus for us. With my background in architecture, it became a true passion project that I lived and breathed for months on end. Were there specific building principles you wanted to follow? The antithesis of ‘bigger is better’, the retreat focuses on achieving quality finishes within a small but seemingly spacious footprint of less than 18m2. We can make
buildings as energy-efficient as possible, but the most meaningful way to reduce our negative impact on the environment is to reduce our footprint. A strong sense of localism was also employed, from the New Zealandgrown timber to a wool blanket grown, spun and woven just down the road at Mt Somers Station. The design is quite simple at first glance. The real challenge was to design something that functioned like a permanent retreat but was nimble enough to be transportable. The compact footprint driven by the transport dimension limitations was the starting point, then the principles
Small space —— LIVING
THE BEST NEST Ben and Jasmine sought to use natural, local materials wherever possible. The exterior draws on the simplicity of barns, with a Zincalume corrugated iron roof and walls teamed with a weathered Douglas fir rain screen on the gable faces. Manually operated shutters over the anodised window joinery provide shading during summer and protection during inclement weather and transportation.
of living were overlaid to see how the space could best be utilised. The floor area is modulated to a 2.4m x 7.2m rectangular footprint, with the interior layout based around the orientation of the sun. The entry and living spaces are at the centre, providing a strong connection to the surrounding kōwhai trees. Sleeping is focused towards the morning sun, with the kitchen and bathroom at the opposite end tucked under a loft space for additional guests; the raised bed with uninterrupted glazing behind it becomes a captivating focal point once you’re inside. The handcrafted barnstyle shutters can be closed to enable
you to hide away in shelter, or fully opened to unveil the framed view. A built-in sofa with ample storage and a drop-leaf dining table positioned next to a miniature woodburner complete the interior planning. The other more technical challenge was that the retreat needed to be fully off-grid. We achieved this by integrating a solar and battery storage system, composting toilet and rainwater tank. Our hope was that by removing that reliance on services connections, we wouldn’t be limited to where the retreat could be located and could at the same time have a truly light environmental impact.
What inspired the aesthetic? I’ve always been drawn to the vernacular structures scattered throughout our rural landscape. They’re such unassuming forms, driven purely by the need to function for the basic purpose of providing shelter for livestock or materials, and their ability to adapt to different landscapes was something I wanted to reflect here. The linear gable form offers a sense of timelessness that helps to complement this adaptable aesthetic and allows the building to blend into a range of landscapes. This retreat is very much inspired by the basic principles of shelter that > homest yle 127
LIVING —— Small space
many of our backcountry huts display. We knew that our connection with the surrounding environment would be all the better if we stripped away any unnecessary distractions. The level of comfort in the retreat is certainly improved from your typical hut, but the focus is still on those basic experiences like reading a book, boiling the kettle, stoking the fire and stargazing. Our modern lives are full of distractions, so it’s very wholesome to shift that focus to those simple tasks that we’ve forgotten to appreciate. How does it feel to wake up here? It’s such a unique and natural experience, waking up with the sunrise filtering through the gaps in the shutters. It 128 homest yle
was very intentional not to install any interior window treatments where possible and instead celebrate that daily ritual of manually opening and closing the shutters from the exterior. Is it something that you’re wanting to make available for people not only to stay in but to buy? Absolutely. At this stage, we’re looking at a build-toorder model as they’re quite bespoke spaces and we’re conscious that mass production would take away from the essence of what makes the retreat unique. Kererū Retreat is also available on Airbnb, so people can book a getaway and experience tiny living firsthand. tinyretreats.nz
INSIDE JOB The interior of the cabin is enriched with locally grown, chemical-free timbers, including pine, Lawson cypress, poplar and macrocarpa. These are gently accented with stainless steel surfaces, handcrafted copper tapware and natural fabrics. Ben says the build “was truly a collaborative effort, with my sister Jess Comber’s partner Myles Stanaway of Erksine Bay Builders heading up the construction.”
Astep ‘Model 2065’ Pendant Lamp by Gino Sarfatti
Designer Furniture, Lighting and Objects
15 Williamson Ave, Ponsonby
goodform.co.nz
Consider your own Zen garden space complete with furniture that transports you into a place of calm tranquility. We are pleased to offer you the Mayo Relaxing Chair, one of the many beautiful, chic, outdoor furniture products from Design Warehouse for you to relax in this summer.
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Store profile —— LIVING
GOOD Avid explorers of Aotearoa Beth Eastell and Joel Hedges are all about outdoor adventures, and have set up a store to help you get in on the action.
TIMES INTERVIE W Alice Lines
PH OTO G R APHY B eth E astell & Emma Orchard
LIVING —— Store profile
COME ON IN “I wanted the small store to feel spacious yet cosy, so we used warm macrocarpa throughout, then filled the space enough to feel lived in,” says Beth. The result is a homely vibe that makes you feel welcome.
It’s long been Beth Eastell and Joel Hedges’ dream to create an HQ like their new store West Supply in Auckland’s Waimauku. For six years, they’d been based in nearby Kumeu in a barn they turned into a workshop for their rooftop-tent brand Feldon Shelter, and it had its charms, but they had designs on a space in which to showcase everything they love about the outdoors and travelling the country — with fewer spiders and less dust. How did you guys discover this rad spot? Beth: We looked at several buildings over the years — basically anything quirky, including a rubber-shoe warehouse and an old orchard building. We wanted to stay based out west, where we grew up, and when the iconic Waimauku Food Station became available, we knew it 132 homest yle
was the one. Looking past the decaying weatherboards and abandoned feel, we could visualise the cosy-cabinmeets-surf-shack it could become. The building had changed hands numerous times but never really found its groove, so we’re so stoked to be able to bring it back to life in all its heritage glory. What did you want West Supply to be? Joel: Essentially, somewhere people get excited about visiting when they head out west. We’ve aimed to offer everything you need for a good time on the road: camping gear, 4x4 gear, our Feldon Shelter tents — you name it. We couldn’t call West Supply ‘The home of good times’ without good coffee, so we teamed up with Kōkako to create our very own hole-in-the-wall in the space we’ve called West Supply
Coffee. Being near Muriwai Beach, we knew we’d need good surfboards too, so Dan Marsden of By Marsden has set up his shaping bay in the shed out the back and now offers his hand-shaped boards and other surf essentials in store. Beth: What you’ll find here is all the gear we’ve used on our six-year journey with rooftop living around the country. It’s essentially a massive packing list. And it’s good gear you can trust — all the brands we love. We’re proud of the quality we create at Feldon Shelter and want the other products we offer to reflect the same high standard. What informed the aesthetic? Beth: I drew inspiration from both the building itself and its location. The wedgeshaped canopy that was added to the >
Store profile —— LIVING
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE “Good coffee, boards being shaped, trucks getting fitted out and quality outdoor gear — I think there’s a lot for people to get excited about,” says Joel. It doesn’t stop there, though. “The idea was to create something that adds to this area of West Auckland, so we’re aiming to create a hub for various types of community activities,” he continues. “Bikes, trucks, horses, artists, beach clean-ups… We’d love to open our doors and offer this as a place for it all.”
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LIVING —— Store profile
FILL YOUR CUP “Coffee’s an essential part of camping, so it’s essential to West Supply too,” says Beth. “When you’re on the road, it’s time to slow down and enjoy a good brew in the fresh air — and if you’re going to go to the effort of hand-grinding your beans and boiling a kettle over the fire, you want a tasty brew. We’ve always enjoyed Kōkako for the beans, the people and the purpose behind the company, so it was a no-brainer to ask them to join us on our new journey.”
exterior in the 1970s led me to take notes from the American diners you find in the Pacific Northwest, and being on the road to the coast, I got excited about classic surf shops with their exposed beams, tongue-and-groove, natural light and plants. Because we’re also a camping and outdoors store, I wanted to create a cabin feel, and I drew from those you’d find tucked away in the snow-capped mountains of Canada. Who helped bring the look to life? Joel: We’re a small team, so as with everything, family and friends were a huge part of it. My brother Adam Hedges can probably take 99% of the credit. We fired our dreams through to him and he made it happen — everything from the building work, cabinetry and tiling, to the steel134 homest yle
fabricated furniture and displays. Dan has also done an amazing job fitting out his shaping bay, and the team from Kōkako helped us nail our coffee corner. Beth: Our family has taste, talent and a lot of patience. Over the 18 months we spent on the build, I ran every idea I had past them. Should it be inspired by Wes Anderson colours? What stain should the macrocarpa be? Should we plant cacti? We spent weekends thicknesing old rimu floorboards together, pulling thousands of lino staples out of the floor and sourcing all sorts of second-hand things from all over the show. We couldn’t have done it without their help. What are some of your favourite aspects of the design? Joel: Our good buddy, graphic designer Jason Domancie, helped us with the external signage,
along with Beth’s sister Veronica Eastell. She’s pretty darn talented with a brush and every bit of artwork and signage you see on the building was hand-painted by her. It took a lot more time and effort than modern signwriting methods, but the finish is bang on. Beth: For me, it comes down to the details. I love the handcrafted surfboard hooks above the entryway, made by Adam from the same painstakingly recycled rimu floorboards used for the shelving, architraves and product labels throughout the store. There are details you’ll only discover if you take a few slow laps around the space, like the ‘West is best’ mosaic fireplace plinth and the vintage wall-mounted bottle opener — plus a few more I’ll keep under wraps for your first visit. westsupply.co.nz
Palliser Estate RosÊ Summer’s Exclamation Mark palliserwine 100% Martinborough Pinot Noir. Shop on-line at palliserwine.co.nz
CATALOG
POWERSURGE —— Homeware
DULUX —— Colour design service
THE IVY HOUSE —— Textiles & rugs
Elevating essentials into artisanal accents, Powersurge’s Spring 20 collection sees arches and spheres find form in mirrors, hooks and soap holders, while handles (also available in custom lengths) are reimagined, pairing luxurious brass with timeless oak that can be matched to your cabinetry. Visit the website for the full Home collection of furnishings and accessories handmade in Powersurge’s Auckland studio.
With Dulux’s Colour Design Service, a skilled interior designer can help you select the right hues for your home. Choose either the In-Home option (from $125 per hour) or the new Online Colour Consultation service ($89 for one hour). Conditions apply; to book and for more information, visit the website or call the number below.
The Ivy House understands the importance of home and how it makes us feel. When you bring natural, handmade texture into your interior, you add both beauty and well-being benefits. If you’re seeking the soulful and richly layered look of Armadillo rugs, contact The Ivy House to experience their service and genuine care for you and your home.
info@powersurge.co.nz powersurge.co.nz
0800 800 424 dulux.co.nz/services
hello@theivyhouse.co.nz theivyhouse.co.nz
BLUM —— Hardware
PLUMBLINE —— Bathrooms
BOCONCEPT —— Interior design
Blum has opened its new destination for storage inspiration in Christchurch at 16 Avenger Crescent in Wigram. Featuring high-tech, sustainable designs and materials, it’s an innovative space where South Island customers can experience how creative interior design can be implemented throughout your home in the form of high-quality fittings. Come and see for yourself.
Plumbline’s range of contemporary and traditional bathroom and kitchen products are carefully selected for their enduring quality, exceptional design and outstanding value. With one of the most extensive bathroom collections in New Zealand, it’s your one-stop destination for your bathroom or kitchen project. Visit a Plumbline showroom or the website for the latest ideas.
BoConcept are experts at making design, furniture and colour come together in your home. If you need someone to bounce ideas off, their interior decorators are on hand to help you complete any scheme — single rooms, small apartments, big houses or corporate spaces. Book a free consultation with one of BoConcept’s interior decorators today.
blum.com
plumbline.co.nz
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info@boconcept.co.nz boconcept.co.nz
CATALOG
ESCEA —— Heating
THREAD DESIGN —— Interiors
YALE —— Home security
Escea’s latest release, the DS Series of gas fireplaces, gives you less of everything to offer more than ever before. Less unnecessary detail places a greater focus on the flames; less wasted heat means a higher efficiency rating; and less depth results in a sleek look with a small footprint. The DS series is available in both single- and double-sided designs.
The Lewis Pass Road collection is a beautiful addition to Thread Design’s Art series, created in collaboration with New Zealand artist Angus Collis. His artworks, inspired by winter trees in rural landscapes, have been printed onto luxurious velvet and merino throws and cushions.
Yale Access is a mobile app that enables users to remotely access and control compatible Yale locks (Yale Access module and Yale Connect Wi-Fi bridge required). It allows you to lock and unlock, share access and receive instant notifications on the lock’s status, and also has a nifty feature, auto-unlock, whereby your home is opened for you whenever you return.
escea.com/ds-series
threaddesign.co.nz
yalehome.co.nz/yaleaccess
PHOENIX —— Tapware
FREEDOM — Furniture & homeware
HOMESTYLE —— Content creation
The Axia collection from Phoenix is a modern twist on tradition. Every design has been meticulously crafted with crisp detailing and a strong presence, along with unique features such as the ultra-thin outlet and lever-less handle. Axia’s innovation and cutting-edge design has been recognised internationally via multiple design awards, including the Red Dot Best of the Best.
Freedom believes great design should be accessible to everyone, so for almost 25 years, they’ve been sending you home with quality furniture and homeware at affordable prices. Now, they’re excited to be launching a new collection curated especially for you — a beautiful range of objects and textiles that seamlessly fit your style and your home.
At homestyle, we’re specialists in working with brands to create innovative, integrated, bespoke home and lifestyle content. From initial concept to polished finish, our clients benefit from our in-depth understanding of these categories and our expert design, styling and editorial advice. Gain exposure across multiple channels, including print and online. Contact us to learn how to further the reach of your next campaign.
phoenixtapware.co.nz
freedomfurniture.co.nz
09 300 7544 nick@homestyle.co.nz
If you’d like your business to be featured in the homestyle Catalog, please email us at advertising@homestyle.co.nz. homest yle 137
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Handmade brass fittings and accessories, elevating home essentials into artisanal accents. Solid yet refined structures paired with gentle formations and delicate detailing.
Contemporary products encapsulating functionality and design forward thinking, instantly enhancing residential & commercial environments. Made from solid brass in our Auckland studio.
powersurge.co.nz
