Tgjghh

C R E AT I V E I N STI N C T Building character piece by piece

JUN/JUL 2022 NZ/AUS $11.50 INC GST

9 421022 130048

Wāhine Māori whose stars are on the rise

Design destinations to immerse yourself in

Warming up for winter never looked cooler

The Tatamu Coffee Table, designed in New Zealand.

cittadesign.com | @citta

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CONTENTS

62

92

Contents

June/July

HOMES

78 62

Chapter & verse Thanks to the honed talent of the designer who lives here, this home is a personality-filled page-turner, right down to the last detail.

78

Extreme measures A couple accustomed to small spaces makes a big change, and finds themselves in a forever home with oodles of room for their family.

92

Out of the blue We all know to expect the unexpected — and sometimes it pays to seize it too.

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7$.( $ 67$1' $*$,167 3/$67,& bremworth.co.nz

CONTENTS

48

STYLE 16

Scout Covetable stuff and things.

22

Store profile BLOC.

24

Destination The Observatory Hotel.

28

Colour palette Modern heritage.

31

Extract From Style by Natalie Walton.

36

Paint trends How to identify the right white.

People 42

Artist profile Georgina May Young.

48

Designer profile Noa Blanket Co.

54

Creative profile Fiona Clements.

DESIGN 106

24

Case study The Arbour.

114

Outside in

36

A bach for the ages.

124

Product profile Noho Move.

126

Product profile Samsung Bespoke.

130

ETC

Interior expert The Untrained Eye.

136

Woman in architecture Raphaela Rose.

8 homestyle

10 142

Editor’s note Subscribe

EXPERIENCE THE LUXURY OF A NEW HOME Nothing beats new. We combine the best of new with our award-winning experience to build you a home that reflects who you are and how you live. We partner with you to handle everything from initial design to final sign-off.

The complete experience. Guaranteed.

EXPERIENCE THE NEW

EDITOR’S NOTE

While producing this issue, I’ve been…

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2

VISITING… Canterbury’s Castle Hill on a recent nostalgic family getaway honouring holidays past. I’m super inspired to translate this highcountry colour palette into my home’s interior.

WEARING… Venturi Ripstop sneakers by sustainable brand Veja from Father Rabbit. Walking meetings are the new coffee date, and this style takes me from home office to the hills.

3

PLANNING… a built-in bench seat, and the new Alpine collection of bouclé fabrics from James Dunlop Textiles is top of my list for the upholstery. Sure, this texture is trending, but the earthy hues (left) have enduring appeal.

So many of my recent décor-related a-ha moments have come via conversations in my own head, so it felt fantastic to actually sit down with interior creative/ artist/fellow Virgo Alex Fulton in person and hear how she’s been putting her unique stamp on her renovated Ōtautahi/Christchurch home. Alex and I don’t necessarily share an aesthetic, but the approach she takes when designing spaces that sing speaks to me. My main takeaway from our chat about how she tackled the ‘from the ground up’ overhaul of her family abode? That personality-filled spaces are made when you follow your creative instinct.

How do you do that exactly? I suggest keeping the creative side of decorating your home simple by laying the groundwork with an established set of ‘rules to live by’ during the design process. In Alex’s case,

these included referencing geometry to create pleasing spatial arrangements and sticking to a clearly defined colour palette. Within the structure she put in place to inform her project, she found the freedom to explore myriad possibilities for how she could tailor her home to suit her family’s lifestyle. For more of Alex’s insights into successfully navigating her way through a standout revamp, flip to page 62.

Trusting your gut like Alex and I have learned to do is a skill anyone can develop. Knowing what you really like can be half the battle, so perhaps that’s why many people default to the safety of what’s been done before.

I can assure you, though, that good things come from formulating ideas, getting some advice, taking your time to add personal touches to spaces piece by piece and never considering colour off limits.

Alice Lines, @alice.lines

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Portrait: Simon Wilson. Alice wears: Ron blouse and Calla culottes, juliettehogan.com

Hello, winter. For some, it’s a time to hibernate; for others, it’s when ideas begin to percolate.

Fireplace, anyplace.

Modern renovation or heritage restoration, with flexible installation the DF960 is one of Escea’s most versatile gas fireplaces.

Learn more at escea.com/DF-series

WEBSTAR MAGAZINE MEDIA AWARDS

SUPREME MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

EDITOR Alice Lines DEPUTY EDITOR Philippa Prentice ART DIRECTOR Adrienne Pitts CONTRIBUTORS Holly Jean Brooker Lula Cucchiara Simon Devitt Sarah Ell Wendy Fenwick Sam Hartnett Emma Kanuik Andy Macpherson Claire McCall Claire Mossong Larnie Nicolson Jono Parker Jane Ussher Sam van Kan Chris Warnes Michelle Weir 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

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

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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.

Wāhine Māori whose stars are on the rise

Design destinations to immerse yourself in

Warming up for winter never looked cooler

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Sam Hartnett COVER STYLING Alex Fulton

Subscribe to homestyle and save on page 142.

“Only 1.6 litres per 100 kms?”

“Of course.”

FROM JUST

$60,990 From New Zealand’s leading PHEV brand, Next Generation Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV now takes on more charge and delivers greater range and performance. Not only has the pure EV range increased up to 84kms*, but seamlessly combined with the 2.4L MIVEC petrol engine, it delivers an economical 1.6 litres per 100kms*. Equipped with Super-All Wheel Control and the latest advanced safety features, Next Generation Outlander PHEV is an even safer and more capable SUV.

Eligible for the Clean Car Discount of

+ORC*

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Whatever features draw you to take a closer look at the PHEV version of Mitsubishi’s iconic family SUV, you’ll be impressed.

Call 0800 54 53 52 or visit mmnz.co.nz to find your nearest Mitsubishi Motors Dealer now. *Price listed is for LS model. VRX model pictured in White Diamond and available for $74,490+ORC. Price excludes on road costs of $650 which includes WoF, Registration and a full tank of fuel.

Fuel economy and range figures are based on the ADR 81/02 test for combined urban/extra urban driving, Fuel economy is calculated to WLT-3P. EV range and fuel economy figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions. Visit www.mmnz.co.nz for full Mitsubishi Battery and Diamond Advantage Warranty conditions.

MIT1605_A

Style 16

Scout

22

Store profile

24

Destination

28

Colour palette

31

Extract

36

Paint trends

Much more than simply arrangements of bits and bobs, vignettes offer a way to creatively add character to spaces while providing an insight into who we are. On page 31, you’ll learn how to style them like an actual pro.

homestyle 15

Scout

We’ve been shopping for your home.

COME HITHER Inviting new collection Grounded Allure from Weave’s Autumn/Winter 2022 range embodies its name with an offering of cushions, throws and rugs that visually anchor and entice with their earthy colours, natural materials, generous shapes and touchable textures.

Along with Pure Sanctuary and Urban Nomad, it’s one of three abundant current collections that present woven pieces designed to help you make your house feel less home/office and more replete with cosy spots to retreat to when baby it’s cold outside. As is Weave’s way, every item champions artisan craft and is deeply considered from form to fabric.

Words: Philippa Prentice

weavehome.co.nz

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24/7 CHIC Pyjamas are a wardrobe staple that never gets tired, and certainly not when they’re by Kiwi label General Sleep, ethically produced from natural, sustainable and biodegradable fabrics, and intended to be lounged around in day and night. The enduring quality of General Sleep’s shapes and prints comes to the fore in their new-season collection, Nora, which sees the colours and weights of popular silhouettes such as their Classic Set and Sleep Shirt updated for now. Pictured is the organic cotton Winona Set in Chocolate Gingham. generalsleepstore.com

Party Mix

Trifecta

FIND YOUR BALANCE Do you wear fragrance for yourself or others? Pōneke/ Wellington producers of 100% natural perfumes Abel Odor like the idea of you donning it for you, so they’ve created a more intimate way to scent: concentrated Abel Parfum Extraits in refillable bottles, formulated with therapeutic-grade essential oils for your wellbeing. Consider starting the week with Grey Labdanum for strength and finishing it with Cyan Nori for joy. >

Tarantino Linen Merlot

Design your style with our unique range of textiles and our custom making services.

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Available nationwide.

Free samples via our website.

www.marthas.co.nz

Winter ‘22 Discover a new collection designed for the cooler months ahead.

SOLAR POWER She spent 11 years working in beauty and fashion in London and NYC (with the likes of Katy Perry and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, no less), but it was moving home that inspired Raaie founder Katey Mandy to create a brand of her own. In response to New Zealand’s UV exposure, our plants develop high levels of antioxidants, which she’s harnessed in luxe, sciencebacked skincare packaged in sculptural, refillable vessels. raaie.co.nz

OUTER CALM Dress for the mood you want with Mt Maunganui-based Marle’s The River Answer collection, which is designed to make wearers feel strong, confident and safe in these predictably unpredictable times. Head to the website to see fresh styles alongside reassuringly familiar faves in palette, all an updated colour palette low-impact and long-lasting. he Curin Pictured here are th jumper (with its rad wooden zip toggle) and Ida pants. marle.co.nz

wallacecotton.com Auckland • Cambridge • Napier • Wellington • Christchurch

Shop —— STYLE

A FINE PAIR

COLD FEET…?

A recent addition to Snelling’s selection of lighting, this Line Duo wall lamp sure makes a cute couple. It comes in multiple brass finishes, a chrome version and with several different options for the blownglass globes. Each elegant twosome is handcrafted, meaning there’s a lead time but, you know, you can’t hurry love.

Warm your tootsies and regain your sartorial black confidence by moving on from basic b aring to and allowing something more da kles. These make an appearance on your ank jacquard-style socks are by Japanese brand een in the Nishiguchi Kutsushita (who’ve be game since 1950) and crafted ussing wool that’s been repeatedly pre-washed, d ensuring they’re thick, warm and basically shrink-proof.

snellingstudio.com

garden-objects.com

MID-YEAR, NEW YOU The name of both the Pleiades star cluster and the celebration of its first rising signalling the Māori new year, Matariki will happily be marked by an official public holiday on June 24 from this year forth.

What better time, then, to start over and stay accountable with An Organised Life’s mid-year diary, a lovely little weekly planner you can have and hold in beige or black vegan leather, and that you can personalise via their monogramming service. anorganisedlife.com

… RUG UP Your feet will also thank you for Nodi’s new Stripe version of its Bamboo Silk Blend rug. Designed by the local atelier to help you bring uplifting colour into your home in a luxurious form, it comes in four hues, each surrounded by a contrasting stripe.

You’ll also enjoy bonus good vibes from knowing that all of Nodi’s rugs are crafted in GoodWeave factories that assure fair conditions, and that for every rug bought, Nodi will buy a Safe Night through Women’s Refuge for ladies and kids in need. > nodirugs.com

homestyle 19

TO DIY FOR Far North family business Whatu Creative launched its first product, the Tukutuku Toi Kit, late last year to promote Māori arts to the world and allow you to create your own awesome tukutuku artwork. In numerous designs and colours, the kits (which initially sold out within an hour) include patterns, peg boards, thread and pins. whatucreative.com

GO-TO WASTE A new must of ours is Tauranga’s Special Studio, who’re tackling the issue of disused plastic by turning it into cool stuff. That stuff is 3D printed from at least 98% waste plastic and made to order to avoid excess. This is the Lulu planter, and they also do side tables, stools and bins, proceeds from which they’re reinvesting to address Aotearoa’s lack of material processing infrastructure, so we can recycle more plastic locally. paperplanestore.com

LEG WORK London-based Canadian designer Philippe Malouin has been toiling away designing these shelves (in two hues, two lengths and two heights) and a new bench to add to the dining table, coffee table and stool in his Offset collection for Resident. Adjustable, off-centre connectors that allow their legs to sit in individualised positions are one of the common threads running through the solid oak pieces in this range, giving them a pleasingly playful appearance. simonjames.co.nz

BLOC —— Store profile

Building blocks Seasonal updates by degrees, illustrated by design-led acquisitions from an all-time favourite destination concept store.

Most valuable layers With the change of season comes a chance to revisit your personal style — the way it’s expressed in your wardrobe and the rest of your home. Nothing says snug like luxurious layers, so if you’re purchasing, pick up forever pieces one by one that play well with what you already own.

Introduce extra cosiness and comfort with items that can come with you from room to room, like this velvet throw that will work as well with the cushions on

your couch as it does with the pillows on your bed. Apply these principles to your ensembles with lasting designs like this shirt dress, which can be worn undone over loungewear or buttoned up under a coat when you venture out.

The mood is monochrome Are you drawn to cocooning colours or tactile neutrals at this time of year? Style either successfully by restricting your colour palette to tonal hues while integrating

different textures. This green get-up shows how it’s done in outfit form, while the linen duvet set could be an ideal base layer with a navy-piped twist in a neutral bedroom scheme.

Talk about versatile As gatherings head back inside, make room for social seating by turning the attention inward to promote connection. Modular sofas, occasional chairs and tables ensure rearranging’s unseasonably easy.

FROM LEFT Carlton sofa, from $5239, boconcept.com. Washed velvet quilted throw, $189, cittadesign.com. Mellowpuff knit, $250, hej-hej.co.

Duvet cover by Cultiver, from $385, fatherrabbit.com. Boston sofa, $5100, achomestore.co.nz. Lumen shirt dress, $285, essethelabel.co.nz.

All available at BLOC in Mount Eden, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland, bloc.co.nz.

22 homestyle

Think outside the fridge.

Break the rules of colour with the Bespoke range from Samsung. Now you can choose colours like Glam Pink, Glam Navy, Cotta White and Cotta Charcoal. Create a stylish refrigerator that reflects your unique style.

*panels sold separately

Will travel You could go anywhere, but we suggest this artsy new hotel in Ōtautahi/ Christchurch, brought to life by interior designer Jessica Close.

INTERVIE W

PH OTO G R APHY

Alice Lines

Jane Us sher

Designing the interior of the Observatory Hotel within the historical Christchurch Arts Centre is a pretty special project to oversee, Jessica — how did you get involved? I was invited by the Arts Centre to pitch for the interiors almost four years ago. I was, and continue to be, incredibly flattered by the opportunity. It’s been an enormous privilege to participate in the reimagining of such an iconic landmark.

What was the brief? Initially, it was very broad — it was to be a 33-room arts hotel, housed within the Physics & Biology and Observatory buildings of the Arts Centre. I decided early on to approach the project as I would a large home.

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I wanted every room to tell a story and have its own personality, with just the right number of layers to create a cosy, home-like atmosphere. This meant designing and coordinating 33 different bedroom schemes — a mammoth task!

How did you honour the buildings’ heritage? My entire approach has been informed by the buildings themselves.

They were constructed during the Arts & Crafts movement, so the interiors are very much my modern take on that. All three buildings have unique architectural features that define them, so although they’re all physically linked, it was important to me to >

Destination —— STYLE

THIS PAGE The colour selection for the hotel was feverishly finalised during an intensive two-day rework. “I had a full colour scheme sorted, but then I put the project down for about two weeks while I worked on something else, and when I picked it back up, I knew the colours needed to change to really push the entire design into the 21st century,” says Jessica.

“I wanted the rooms to feel traditionally conceived but very contemporary. Hopefully that’s what people see now.” This is the Malachite Room, with walls in Half Resene Smalt Blue, woodwork in Resene Half Orchid White and bedside tables in Resene Mozart. Designed

by Jessica, the carpet throughout the hotel is custom Axminster by Belgotex, and another textural highlight here, the throw, is by Exquisite Wool Blankets.

homestyle 25

ABOVE Jessica specialises in the interior design of high-end residential homes, and prior to this commission had only completed one commercial interiors project, the Christchurch Club, so she says her appointment demonstrated a huge amount of trust on the part of the Arts Centre — which has clearly paid off. “So much of this hotel design was in my head, but I know the buildings and spaces so well that it all sang from the same song sheet,” she says of her colour and material selection that expertly blends old and new. This artwork chosen for the Drawing Room is Pascoid Tiki #11 by Dick Frizzell.

TOP RIGHT In this standard guest room, the walls are splashed with Resene Wild Thing, the woodwork is in Resene Raindance and the bedside table is in Resene Sea Fog. The elegant Rise & Fall light is from Vaughan and the headboard is upholstered with Lodden fabric by William Morris with continuous stud detail.

26 homestyle

emphasise and celebrate these variations.

Paint was my vehicle to highlight them, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.

So tell us about the bedrooms… My goal was for them to feel sophisticated and playful, with subtle layering and clever references to achieve a very finished, comfortable look. I was blessed with the ceiling heights, so although some of the rooms are small, they feel generous, with just the right amount of furniture.

And how about the common areas? The Drawing Room and Sitting Room are sophisticated spaces for guests to relax, read and enjoy art in. I sought to create

a sense of the outside coming inside, so a willow bough print by William Morris is the dominant pattern, alongside luxe Schumacher velvet, vivid chintz and coloured horsehair. The extraordinary contemporary art in these spaces is part of a revolving exhibition of works for sale from the Central Art Gallery across the quad. The different artworks bring so much to these spaces, and I’m thrilled by the artists who are part of the opening exhibition: Leigh Martin, Dick Frizzell, Neil Dawson, Elizabeth Thomson, Emma Camden and Kirstin Carlin.

Who else did you collaborate with to make it all happen? I worked with an

Destination —— STYLE

LEFT The palette for this room includes Resene Smoky Green on the walls, Resene Half Orchid White for the woodwork and Resene Clementine Orange for the desk.

BELOW Jessica particularly loves the Drawing Room, for which she “nabbed an incredible Arts & Crafts dresser from Haunt [pictured on page 24] and filled it with Temuka pottery and kauri bowls from Frances Nation. We commissioned Auckland potter Kirsten Dryburgh to make a large vase to sit on the central library table [ditto] and I imported a lot of lamps from the UK — thank you, John Stephens — which really transform this space into something special; everyone looks good in lamp light! The fabric shades are all by Fermoie from the Ivy House.”

incredible roster of makers on this project, most located in Canterbury, which was important to me from the outset; reinvesting in Christchurch businesses made so much sense, especially given the history of the precinct. David Shaw produced all of the custom furniture, a process that took a huge amount of time and care.

My extraordinary curtain-maker Lynette Mackie measured all the different spaces about 40 times over the years, and the equally extraordinary Paul Gill of Bedenz spent a year constructing the headboards that have transformed the bedrooms.

We collaborated with the Creators’

Room [an initiative that showcases the work of high school art students] for the guest bedroom and hallway artwork, selecting a number of fine art prints from their round-up of emerging Cantabrian artists. I sourced the antiques and mid-century pieces I used from Haunt, Mr Mod and Mr Bigglesworthy, and some beautiful ceramics from Frances Nation for the Drawing Room.

If you were staying the night here, how would you spend 24 hours in and around the hotel? The intention is very much for guests to engage with the incredible offerings at the Arts Centre and in the surrounding city centre.

Some of my favourite Christchurch spots include: Frances Nation Grocer for breakfast and coffee; Tom’s for lunch; Gatherings, Inati and Rangoon Ruby for dinner; Frances Nation, Infinite Definite, Ballantynes, and Scorpio Books and its sister store Telling Tales for shopping; the Central Art Gallery, Jonathan Smart Gallery and Nadene Milne Gallery for art; Dee Dee Thai Massage for the best massages; and Lumière Cinemas for movies. observatoryhotel.co.nz; jessicaclose. com. Turn the page for a deeper dive into the hotel’s colour palette and how to try it at home.

homestyle 27

STYLE —— Colour palette

Get the look In her quest to ensure the Observatory Hotel’s rooms feel charming and considered, Jessica found herself mixing new paint colours that Resene has since made into the new Resene Jessica Close Colour Collection and Resene Observatory Hotel Edit. “It always starts with green for me,” she says. “I think it’s the most restful colour. I also had enormous fun with yellows, oranges, pinks and lilacs on this project, in the form of lots of high-gloss woodwork and painted furniture.

“In the main public spaces [including the Drawing Room pictured above], I was working within the

existing heritage building fabric: red brick, Oamaru stone, bluestone and rimu flooring,” she continues.

“I chose to paint the woodwork in new Jessica Close Resene colours Resene Stockwell Green and Resene Barnes Blue to complement the William Morris fabric I’d selected for the curtains — floral prints that bring the outside in — and used natural sisal rugs on the floor to ground the schemes.”

Modernise your character spaces with Jessica’s sumptuous hues by using paint and a few of these little luxuries to team jewel tones with dusky and dusty ones.

1 2

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Photography: Jane Ussher

3

Resene Smoky Green

4

Resene Wild Thing

5 15 13

R t Resene Vi Virtuoso

14

6

12

O nge

11

7

8

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OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT 1. Modena sofa, from $2699, boconcept.com. 2. A Century of Colour in Design book by David Harrison, $45, fatherrabbit.com. 3. Dutch oven, $259, biroix.co.nz. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT 4. Lampshade by Fermoie, from $280, theivyhouse.co.nz. 5. Noble dining chair by Warm Nordic, $1015, goodform.co.nz. 6. Anni tea towel, $35, cittadesign.com. 7. Melsetter Indigo fabric by Morris & Co, POA, textilia.co.nz. 8. Loulou vase by Maison Balzac, $149, thisisfabric.com. 9. Sea duvet cover, from $279, cittadesign.com. 10. Slippers, $119, francesnation.co.nz. 11. Macchia Su Macchia Selva candle by Stories of Italy, $425, faradays.store. 12. Tapestry jumper, $349, nz.kowtowclothing.com. 13. Calibre laptop table by Cameron Foggo for Nonn, $1515, simonjames.co.nz. 14. Crema print by Annabelle Goodwin, from $85, thecreatorsroom.co.nz. 15. Stella necklace, $129, katesylvester.co.nz.

i d

ce

Indulge in your favourite colours and bring out the best in your home.

resene.co.nz/colorshops 0800 RESENE (737 363)

AUTUMN | WINTER 2022 weavehome.co.nz | @weavehomenz

Extract —— STYLE

Displays of affection Interior stylist and designer Natalie Walton’s latest book, Style, is full of insightful advice on devising an authentic interior. Show yours some love using this excerpt about vignettes.

PH OTO G R APHY Chris Warnes

homestyle 31

STYLE —— Extract

CHOOSE THE HERO

When crafting a display, start with a focal piece.

This is known as the ‘hero’ of the scene; it’s where the eye goes first and should be something you love and are excited to have on display.

Objects matter, so choose carefully. The hero should be a statement piece that lays the foundations for the personality of the display.

Scale is important too. The hero needs enough visual weight and height to create impact. Avoid adding objects that compete for attention. Lamps, largescale floral arrangements, vases, artworks and mirrors generally work well as the hero.

ALLOCATE THE SUPPORTING ROLES Once the hero has been

established, add objects to play supporting roles, such as sculptures, foliage, books, smaller artworks, ceramics and candles. These pieces should differentiate themselves from the hero and each other in form, material, texture or tone. Create multidimensional displays that embrace depth as well as height. Find the balance between contrast and cohesion.

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MASTER THE ART OF COMPOSITION

Taper items from large to small in an irregular, intuitive rhythm of height and depth. Overlap and intersect objects, finding commonalities in colour, shape and pattern.

Alternatively, make several smaller groupings but create intrigue with the spacing.

Avoid gaps within each cluster, but allow breathing room between the groups.

CONSIDER THE WHOLE

Displays don’t exist in isolation, so factor in your backgrounds and surfaces as well. The material and colour of the wall behind your display will affect your choice of palette. Avoid competing elements. If the surface of your shelf or sideboard is a busy material, subdue the palette of your display — for example, when sourcing objects to arrange on heavily veined marble or wood with a prominent grain, opt for neutral tones.

Balance is key.

homestyle 33

STYLE —— Extract

CREATE A REMARKABLE INTERIOR Contrast is the

factor that underscores interesting and intriguing combinations, so include unexpected elements in your home. Consider the juxtaposition of disparate forms or materials, such as a rustic vase or pot on a timber shelf. Mix opposing values — for example, raw and refined, masculine and feminine, cool and warm, humble and high-end. Such friction is the hallmark of ambitious and inimitable interiors.

RECONNECT Creating displays is a way to reconnect with what you already own. You won’t have to look far to find suitable accessories.

Stack beautiful cookbooks in the kitchen and top them with a favourite bowl. Cluster candles en masse on the dining table, or display children’s art on a hallway shelf, alternating vertical and horizontal placement in loose, asymmetrical groupings. Add foliage from the garden for contrast and movement. When you display objects in clusters like this, you create impact and emphasise the story of a space.

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Edited extract from Style: The Art of Creating a Beautiful Home by Natalie Walton (Hardie Grant, $65).

AUCKLAND | WELLINGTON | CHRISTCHURCH

B O C O N C E P T.C O M

Let there be white Okay, yeah, but how do you know which one to choose?

We’ve got ways and means.

36 homestyle

ST YLIN G

PH OTO G R APHY

Sam van Kan

Wendy Fenwick

Paint trends —— RESENE

Resene White

Resene Half Concrete

Resene White Pointer

Resene Quarter Truffle

Resene Half Cloud

Hue knows -

-

By the way…

Using more than one white can be a winner, if they share the same undertones.

You can also use different strengths of the same white to ensure a uniform look from ceiling to walls. See the Resene Whites & Neutrals collection for up to six strength variations of the most popular hues.

-

Selecting the right white paint for your walls begins with working out whether your space requires a warm or cool hue.

To understand undertones, remember that whites with yellow, orange, red and brown bases lend themselves to rooms wanting warmth, whereas blue- and grey-toned whites help them keep their cool. Being a blend of yellow and blue, green-based whites can read as warm or cool, depending on the light and other aspects of the room, such as the furnishings or outlook.

Consider your proposed colours in context. White picks up on other hues, so get A4 drawdowns or testpots from your local Resene ColorShop or online, then tape them to your walls to assess. Comparing whites side by side can be misleading, so when you’re using Resene testpots, paint pieces of cardboard with two coats of colour, leaving an unpainted border around the edges. This negative space will help you gain a clearer picture.

As a rule, cool whites like Resene Black White do well in spaces with lots of light, while warmer whites like Resene Bianca are suited to those with less. What do the colours on your mood board look like as the light changes throughout the day?

Observe the effect of both natural and artificial lighting. >

ABOVE: BACKDROP Left plinth and wall in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Half Concrete; corrugated pillar in Resene Enamacryl Half Concrete; right plinth in Resene SpaceCote Flat Half Concrete, resene.co.nz. DECORATIVE ITEMS, FROM LEFT Motueka fabric, $65/m, marthas.co.nz. Stone candle holder by Ferm Living, $35, slowstore.co.nz. Feather bowl, $300, monmouthglassstudio.com. OPPOSITE: BACKDROP Walls in Resene SpaceCote Flat White; left swatch Resene SpaceCote Flat Half Concrete; right swatch Resene SpaceCote Flat White Pointer, resene.co.nz. Cavalier fabric in Blush (used as curtain), POA, jamesdunloptextiles.co.nz. DECORATIVE ITEMS, FROM LEFT Column table, $1190, cittadesign.com. Feather vase, $350, monmouthglassstudio.com. Nouveau incense holder by Walk in the Park, $89, tessuti.co.nz. Japanese incense sticks by Studio Milligram, $25/set of 37, goodthing.co.nz. Mini Bobby candle by Marloe Marloe, $350, slowstore.co.nz. Lennox armchair, $1000, achomestore.co.nz. Firth cushion cover, $109, cittadesign.com. Foliage (throughout) stylist’s own.

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Photo finishes -

Contemplate what paint finish you want as well, as it’ll determine how light reflects off your colour and therefore the overall outcome.

Adaptable and durable Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and Resene SpaceCote Flat (tinted with our chosen shades) appear in this image, guided not only by aesthetics, but also lifestyle.

Low-sheen finishes such as these are versatile as their lack of shine doesn’t highlight dings — although you wouldn’t want to use them for a pale door, say, as they’re not so forgiving of dirty fingerprints. Love a more matte finish, like Resene Karen Walker Chalk Colour? It’ll diffuse even more light to conceal imperfections. The previous page incorporates the gloss finish of Resene Enamacryl, or go for semigloss Resene Lustacryl. Both reflect lots of light and are stain-resistant and easy-clean — a plus when you’re working with whites.

BACKDROP Left pillar in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen White Pointer, flat surface in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Half White Pointer, slats in (from front) Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Half White Pointer, Resene SpaceCote Flat Quarter Truffle and Resene SpaceCote Flat Half Cloud, resene.co.nz. Zepel Rhyme fabric in Pure (used as curtain), POA, jamesdunloptextiles.co.nz. DECORATIVE ITEMS, FROM LEFT Geo marble sphere, $80, cittadesign.com. Curvature hook by Ferm Living, $95; Lully vase by Marloe Marloe, $340, slowstore.co.nz.

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Designed for nappers, loungers, dreamers and explorers, each piece blurs the line between what we wear to bed and what we wear outside. Inspired by the easy life, our garments effortlessly elevate the moments that matter – cosy mornings in bed, sunny corner-shop strolls, and sparkling afternoons spent with loved ones by the sea. www.generalsleepstore.com

ATOLL MODULAR SOFA - DAWSON DESIGN STUDIO

www.dawsonandco.nz

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Artist profile

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Designer profile

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Creative profile

Of Māori, Irish and Scottish descent, Ōtepoti/Dunedin artist Georgina May Young says her practice is rooted in these cultures. Flip the page to delve into the layered meaning in her meticulous work.

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WO RDS Philippa Prentice

GEORGINA MAY YOUNG’S HANDS TURN THREAD INTO CREATIONS THAT MAKE THE FAMILIAR SEEM OTHERWORLDLY. PH OTO G R APHY Lula Cucchiara

MAGIC TOUCH This work is called Garden e Hoa 2022. Georgina loves that she’s working with this medium in a contemporary way and says she honours and treasures the embroiderers who came before her. At times when she’s crafting her pieces, they make her feel “meditative and ancient”; she hopes they encourage others “to find some slow time and space to enjoy the intricate details in the everyday”.

Artist profile —— PEOPLE

Georgina May Young has always been drawn to textiles and patterns, inspired in part by her grandmother, who was an incredible maker, and her aunties too. Through her early studies of Māori art and craft at Rotorua’s Waiariki Institute of Technology, she fostered a love of weaving and working with harakeke/flax.

In her 20s, she screen-printed clothing and made band tees, zines and record covers that were all hand-stitched. Today, she loves to work with texture and in a repetitive way, and says that since she seems unable to make anything that’s not labour-intensive, embroidery and weaving have become her chosen art forms.

Georgina, you grew up in Ōpōtiki and Rotorua, and now live in Ōtepoti/Dunedin — do these places influence what you’re making? Āe! I’m really inspired by home and my connection to Ōpōtiki; much of my whānau are in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, and I still get homesick.

I feel my connection to whenua through my Te Whakatōhea and Te Ūpokorehe whakapapa all the time, so it’s inevitably in my work. My adoration for the ngahere [forest], rivers and ocean stems from home too.

Aspects of my favourite places, trees and plants all get incorporated into my work in some way. Clever wahine Sarah Hudson of Kauae Raro Research Collective sent me some uku [clay] from Ōhiwa [near Whakatāne] recently that I’ve used to stain some of my handwoven linen, so these works feel really special. Ooh, the lush green! Ōtepoti is such a beautiful place to live in as

well, and is home now. I met my partner Sean Norling, who’s Ngāi Tahu, here and it’s where we’re bringing up our children Rocko and Aubrey.

We feel so lucky to have the bush and ocean so close, and to be able to go swimming and walking with friends and whānau.

As well as a partner and parent, you’re an artist and a gardener — what’s your secret to managing the juggle? I tend to the gardens of a few gorgeous people, which gives me the space to dream and plot, plus working outside doing physical mahi is so good for me. I think about making all the time — there’s always something sparking away while I work in the soil, or when I need to hide in bed! Being a mother is so busy, life is an art and everything together informs my practice.

I need to be flexible with what I can fit in and really wish I had another hundred lives, so I could keep making and learning more.

What types of pieces are you producing at the moment? I predominantly make intricate, densely stitched artworks and weave domestic pieces to be worn or carried. My embroideries vary in scale — the largest so far is 800 x 800mm and I’ve exhibited weavings as long as 5m.

How much time do they typically take you? Gosh, it’s hard to say. My work is very time-intensive so… ages — seasons!

Tell us about the materials you use, and how you hand-loom your canvases and dye your fibres… >

“Embroidery is so tactile, and has warmth to it and a connection with home.” homestyle 45

WFH LIFE Georgina works from home in her family’s old villa. “The lounge has beautiful light and the whānau are used to me and my work being spread about,” she says. “Working from here enables me to keep up with things most of the time and have breaks pottering in the garden or hanging out the washing, and having the garden area for my dyeing outside is excellent.” Some days she works work in silence — “At times I really need it” — and on others she enjoys listening to music (her tastes are broad, mostly encompassing synth, disco and folk) or the soothing thoughts and voices of audio books such as The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Podcasts she’s enjoying include Cultivating Place, “a great gardening podcast”; The Great Women Artists, “because we all need to know more women artists”; This is Love, “for gentle and real-life stories”; and History of Ideas and Talking Politics, “for when I feel like I need to sharpen up”. TOP LEFT This work, Tōtara Resonance 2021, is made with cotton thread on handwoven linen dyed with madder and lichen.

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Artist profile —— PEOPLE

A WORLD OF INSPO When asked what’s inspiring her right now, Georgina says, “The sea and swimming; it’s forever changing, and so magic and wild that it makes me live in the moment — everything else melts away.

I’m also inspired by the skills, botanical knowledge and joy of my gorgeous friends at Willow, a group out in Seacliff, where we grow and weave willow together, and the four wāhine artists of Mata Aho Collective — their work and narrative is epic.”

I always work with natural materials. Linen is my preferred material for stitching on, so for the past few years I’ve been weaving my own on a four-shaft table loom. I really want to try growing linen next. In terms of dyeing, I collect plant materials like walnuts and ivy, and each has its own process — usually boiling and soaking — plus some need mordants to fix them, so there’s lots of experimentation.

How does each artwork come to life? Taking my time on walks in the bush while zoning in on the tiniest of details is part of my creative process, as are swimming, reading and talking with friends.

When weaving, I wind a warp, thread my loom, then weave. For embroidery, I find the dye materials, dye the linen, and collage my drawings and photographs in Photoshop to use as the design — and then I stitch, stitch, stitch.

How do you weave your care for the environment into this? By working with natural materials such as linen, wool, walnut, lichen, madder and harakeke. I like to use invasive plants for dye too,

such as ivy berries, gorse and gum. Some of my pieces have been woven with offcuts from a friend who works with textiles, I’m often given thread and weaving materials, and I find treasures when op shopping as well.

Where can we go to see your work this year?

Through art charity the Blumhardt Foundation and Lower Hutt art museum the Dowse, and alongside six other makers, I have work in a textile show at the Petone Settlers Museum that celebrates contemporary wool craft. It opened as part of the Threads Textile Festival and is on until October. In May and June, I also have work showing in a group exhibition called Gift at the Ashburton Art Gallery.

Where would you ultimately like to take your work — or it to take you? I love meeting people, the makers and thinkers, and want to always keep learning, and maybe complete a residency.

Thank goodness for art and craft! It’s something I love to do and I’m so thankful for it. georginamayyoung.nz

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WO RDS Philippa Prentice

WHAKAAWA AND JOSH TE KANI ARE AT THE HELM OF THE FIRST MĀORIOWNED LUXURY WOOL BLANKET COMPANY. PH OTO G R APHY Claire Mos song

Design profile —— PEOPLE

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Launched in December to such acclaim that every last item in their first collection was snapped up within 24 hours, new business Noa Blanket Co arose from its founders’ desire to be surrounded by their culture in their everyday existence, retell the stories of who they are and express themselves in a fabric that’s also part of Aotearoa’s story — wool. Having been the grateful recipients of taonga themselves, they wanted to create something that allows others to experience giving or receiving something precious and timeless. Just a few months after their debut, Whakaawa Te Kani (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahungunu) told us how she and husband Josh (Ngāi Te Rangi, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) are defining their own success while working on their dream.

So Whakaawa, where’s your HQ? We’re currently based at our home in Tauranga, which we built on ancestral land. Josh’s grandparents left a legacy providing space for their descendants to remain grounded in their identity. This is something we cherish deeply and reiterates our purpose at Noa Blanket Co — to share stories that strengthen our connection with people and place.

Each of Noa’s luxurious blankets is inspired by a different Māori creative practice and Aotearoa’s collective stories, and as such they’re more than just blankets — they’re symbolic taonga and artworks too… Noa blankets tell our stories and share them with the world. They’re a reflection of old, an expression of now and a vision of the future woven in pure New Zealand wool. We want them to make people feel connected, and to help restore our belief >

LAYERED MEANING Whakaawa and Josh’s values and that of their tūpuna/ ancestors are of the utmost importance to their enterprise. “Our ancestral values described in the stories associated with our designs hold a historic blueprint of success and a bearing for the future,” she says. “We value the wisdom of our tūpuna and acknowledge it’s an inherent gift.” The colours they select for their blankets tell tales too. “There’s so much power in colour,” says Whakaawa. “It reflects our environment and has the ability to make us feel a certain way, lifting our spirits or triggering a memory of a person or event. We’ve been learning all about the process of weaving, the many different weave structures and how different colour combinations can work — or not. All of our colours are chosen to enhance the designs and symbolism that carry the stories woven into each blanket.”

Design profile —— PEOPLE

“Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.”

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in ourselves and each other, while celebrating our uniqueness and commemorating our shared values.

How does your and Josh’s design process play out? I think of my late uncle, Professor Piri Sciascia ONZM, who said, “He toi whakairo he mana tangata/Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity”. We aim to embody this phrase in all we do. With traditional weaving, the kaupapa [purpose] is described in the main body of our work, so in this case it’s our main theme that informs each individual design and the entire collection. Observations of the past, our family and community, and our natural environment and its seasonal teachings and experiences all inform our kaupapa.

Josh and I are grateful to be able to collaborate and grow together in a creative space, and at times we’re each other’s best advisor and worst critic. Our skills and attributes complement each other, so I haven’t yet had to pull rank over colour swatches!

Are you planning to collaborate with other artists? If part of our kaupapa is to sustain the intergenerational transmission of our knowledge, stories, language, art and culture, what better way to do so than to collaborate with artists and initiatives that share our common cause? We’re excited for the collaborations to come, as there are so many stories to tell and weave together.

Your wool is processed in Pōneke/Wellington, then the blankets are manufactured in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. How did you choose your production partners? We’re fortunate to have partnered

THE BIGGER PICTURE When asked about the good she thinks can come of sharing narratives through craft in this way, Whakaawa says, “Knowing who we are and how we connect to people and places strengthens our sense of belonging and creates a safe space that encourages growth. This self-knowledge also keeps us grounded and instills a deep respect for the relationships that sustain us, promoting a spirit of reciprocity and interdependence with each other and our natural environment.” For her, the best thing about Noa “is seeing our culture, our art and stories being shared in a medium that’s traditional yet exciting, innovative and contemporary. We’ve created a tangible expression of our identity and a treasure to embellish our homes. We love how they make people feel proud of our uniqueness.”

Design profile —— PEOPLE

GO TEAM As well as a burgeoning business, the couple have two children, so we couldn’t help but wonder what some of their work-life balance hacks might be.

“At times it’s difficult managing a family home and work when space is limited, so we’re excited to grow, and aspire to create a space dedicated to Noa Blanket Co,” says Whakaawa. “[Regardless], communication is key in our family unit. The local saying ‘He hiriwa te kōrero, engari he kōura te whakarongo/Talking is like silver, but listening is gold’ encourages us to prioritise listening before we speak and give each other space to be heard, in order to effectively communicate the best way forward together. We try and sometimes fail, but we set an example for our boys to continue to try again.”

with Inter-weave in Tāmaki Makaurau, who have a long-standing relationship with Woolyarns in Pōneke, who process our wool. The knowledge and technology at both companies is nothing short of world class. The experience they have in working with wool is what drew us to them, and their commitment to the environment and support of our local economy is something we’re proud to be part of.

These beauties are limited-edition, so already hugely sought after.

What’s it like to be in hot demand? The success of our first collection was very humbling and we’re forever grateful for the immense grace that has been extended to us in this beginning season. It’s been heart-warming to see the uptake of our kaupapa [project] and the tremendous amount of support for our vision. Now we’re excited to launch our next collection, which will coincide with Matariki, a fitting time to inspire us as we greet this new phase of growth and celebrate our nation’s new public holiday.

Have you had the chance to see any of your blankets in their new homes? I imagine that for anyone who has a dream, seeing it manifest into reality is surreal. Our dream was to wrap people up in the stories that acknowledge our relationships with each other and the world around us, and I love seeing how our blankets are used to acknowledge those relationships. Whether gifted, used in ceremony or simply adorning a bed or couch, they’re a reminder of who we are and how we’re linked that normalises our culture and celebrates the treasures therein. noablanketco.nz

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INTERVIE W Emma Kaniuk

ZERO-WASTE WARRIOR FIONA CLEMENTS KNOWS WE NEED TO ACT NOW — AND SO SHE’S HERE TO HELP. PH OTO G R APHY Lula Cucchiara

Creative profile —— PEOPLE

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Fiona Clements (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu) is director of Ōtepoti/ Dunedin’s Res.Awesome, a company that supports businesses, community groups, events and individuals to become zero waste. She also runs zero-waste clothing label Senorita AweSUMO and advocates for global not-for-profit movement Fashion Revolution via textile-wastereduction community Stitch Kitchen.

Fiona’s journey to this work started at fashion school, where she learned about the industry’s huge environmental and human toll. Having a chronic illness and managing the effects of toxic poisoning taught her how sensitive our bodies are to the contaminants around us and made her want to share this knowledge, but it was a conversation with her dad — who’s long been in resource recovery through Habitat for Humanity — that was the catalyst for starting Res.Awesome, with a Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Practice from Otago Polytechnic in hand.

So Fiona, what’s your mission at Res.Awesome? We provide awesome resources to help our city on the journey to zero waste by 2040 — it used to be 2030, but they changed it, slack eh? To educate and support people through this shift, we offer consultation for resources recovery and waste minimisation, event waste management, skip diversion services, workshops, public speaking and online resources. We look at your big picture, then hone in on the phases of improvement for you.

Why do you do what you do? I do it for Papatūānuku [Mother Earth] and for all the wildlife that lives in te taiao [our environment]. Dunedin is the wildlife capital of New Zealand, yet we can’t clean up our streets. I get so sick of picking up trash — it’s hard to walk past it, and it all washes out into te Moananui-a-Kiwa [the Pacific Ocean] to harm more and more wildlife.

HQ WITH HEART Res.Awesome’s workspace was once a bar. “It’s filled with upcycled furniture and things that I’ve found or have been donated,” says Fiona.

“My desk is in the curved bar area, my machines are placed around the walls and in front of the bar to create extra space, and I’ve got a photo area in one corner behind my grandmother’s loom. My second-hand sewing/work table is now on wheels, so it’s easy to move around; my other work table is my grandmother’s sewing table, which I’ll never get rid of; and the shelves are leftover exhibition materials from the Otago Museum. I love the window seats on the main street too — the cushions are upcycled bags filled with fabric scraps.”

Creative profile —— PEOPLE

START SOMEWHERE “It’s about realising that attempting an imperfect zero-waste lifestyle is better than nothing — the more that’s reused, the better,” says Fiona. “I want to keep working with businesses that are keen to minimise their waste and save on landfill bills. We know we can quickly get to an 80% diversion rate if we implement a few changes and work on staff behaviour alongside that.”

“I love finding creative solutions and seeing people’s behaviour change — not just a one-off thing, but a lifetime shift.”

I do it because I can see the behaviour shift that’s needed to help us adapt to the changes within our climate and society.

We have to downshift, but no one in the conservative world can see that — they’re still living a ‘normal’ that’s untenable to me. We have to adapt now!

I also care deeply about all the women in the world who are exploited, just as I care about Papatūānuku going through the same thing. If we’re all interconnected, it matters — all the pesticides, dyes, plastics, all of it.

I find it really interesting digging through people’s rubbish bins doing waste audits too. For me, it’s an applied science — I’m looking into the way humans operate and the way we’re using stuff. We’re so disconnected from ourselves and Papatūānuku — stuff goes in the bin and we never see or think about it again, but it actually goes and sits in Papatūānuku and affects our entire environment. I’ve had to do that > homestyle 57

PEOPLE —— Creative profile

“Ask questions and think about where things come from.”

learning too, so I know it’s possible [to do the right thing] in ways that can be enjoyable and not a drain — and I want to share that with people.

ONE FOR ALL Res.Awesome is a proudly takatāpui Māori/ LGBTI-owned business and Fiona says, “We’re pretty staunch about our values.

I’m not interested in anyone being taken advantage of, and that includes our business. We know we’re experiencing the biggest challenge right now, shifting behaviour towards the downshift of energy production and consumption, but we have to do that together, even if we don’t all agree on everything, which we shouldn’t — that’d be a boring world! We operate with a Safer Spaces policy in place to ensure everyone is included and safe, and we’re open to improvement at all times too — we’re always learning.”

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What does looking after the Earth mean to you? Reciprocity with Papatūānuku; indigenous wisdom holds this key, so we must lift up our indigenous whānau to take ownership of that and share it with us. No more landfills, no more single-use crap and takeaway throwaways. Communities thriving because they have access to everything they need within 20 minutes of home, permaculture and kai growing for everyone, understanding bees are our friends, addressing the climate issues.

Living from love not fear and within our planetary means, knowing that there’s something bigger than us out there, letting our egos go.

How can people begin their own zero-waste journey? The easiest things to start with are the top five reusables: a keep cup, a water bottle, reusable

takeaway containers, and washable produce bags and cloth tote bags; not the polyester bags from the supermarket — don’t get me started on that crap.

Check out the UYO [Use Your Own] café guide as well.

The more locally you can get stuff, reuse stuff and give stuff away, the less waste there’ll be. There are heaps of cool free-cycle and share pages on Facebook and share-waste apps; a lot of the time your neighbours can use what you’re trying to get rid of. And get food waste out of our landfill by setting up a composting or green waste system at home or in your neighbourhood.

As well as Tradespeople’s national directory of women and gender-diverse tradies, how can people connect with you? Head to our website, book a free half-hour consultation, send me an email or sign up for our newsletter.

Come on the imperfect zero-waste journey with me! resawesome.nz; tradespeople.co.

Photography of this feature was made possible with the generous support of the Rule Foundation, who work to advance the health, wellbeing and visibility of LGBTI New Zealanders, rulefoundation.nz.

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Chapter & verse

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Extreme measures

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Out of the blue

Get an eyeful of the following pages, where we profile a home whose bashful backdrop allows colours and curves to tell tales throughout.

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WO RDS Alice Lines

cha pter & ver s e Thanks to the honed talent of the designer who lives here, this home is a personality-filled page-turner, right down to the last detail.

PH OTO G R APHY Simon D evit t

THE PROJECT With Nott Architects, interior creative Alex Fulton and her entrepreneur husband Jeff renovated this four-bedroom home in Christchurch’s Sumner for themselves and their daughters Isla (18) and Violet (16).

N

o stranger to renovating, interior creative Alex Fulton of Alex Fulton Design has traversed some varied terrain while doing up houses to suit the life stages she’s shared with her husband Jeff and their daughters Isla and Violet.

Her most recent endeavor, dubbed the AFD Beach Barn, could be her greatest conquest yet.

This renovation journey was one that brought her family back to the seaside suburb of Sumner in Ōtautahi/Christchurch, where they belong.

They’d previously called this community home and missed it dearly during the years they spent living in Marlborough after the earthquake.

Having kept hold of a bach in the neighbourhood, they’d still been able to spend long weekends here, though, so once their daughters were happily installed in a local high school, Alex and Jeff set about settling the whole family back in.

This property was fortuitously discovered when Alex spied a real estate sign while walking her dogs along the esplanade — the day before it went to auction. Houses don’t come up for sale on this sought-after strip very often, so they jumped at the chance.

“We’ve owned places in Sumner for a long time now — this is our fifth house and each

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move has bought us closer to the sea,” says Alex. “This home takes in all the best views — the ocean front and centre, and the beauty of the Port Hills in the background.”

Unlike their previous interior-focused renovations, which were executed bit by bit as time and money allowed, the update of this 1930s weatherboard house took the building right back to its bones. Alex rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in at every stage of the process, project managing on site.

The long, skinny property with six neighbours imposed certain restrictions, but Alex was unfazed — in fact, having boundaries to push up against is an aspect of the design process that excites her. After living in the house for several seasons, the overarching mood she wanted to create materialised and she joined forces with her friend and long-time collaborator, architect Charlie Nott, to realise her vision.

“When we got together to analyse the spaces, it was like a game of problem-solving pingpong,” she says. “I’d bring up something that I thought needed to be addressed, then Charlie would come in, and vice versa. We knew what gaps needed to be filled by architectural thinking, and then I added a sprinkling of design thinking.” >

HOMES DINING In the upstairs living space, the asymmetry of the gabled ceiling is emphasised by complementary linear detailing and the contrasting geometry of the custom cabinetry. Beneath a Hotaru Double Bubble pendant light from Simon James, banquet seating by John Cochran and Offset stools by Resident surround an Anchorage table from Coco Republic.

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KITCHEN Alex says her mood board was strong from the get-go. “I’m very decisive because I understand how things are going to look, how I want them to feel, and how that’s going to interact with that and that. Curves work well to offset the angles in a space like this. Just as when I’m creating artworks [like the one on the wall here], I start with one shape, imagine it interacting with another, then add colour to it.” Against a white backdrop featuring Resene Wan White walls, benchtops in Laminex’s Hi-Macs Arctic White acrylic surface and Buddy tapware by Progetto from Plumbline, drawers in Resene Tom Thumb and an arched pantry and integrated fridge cabinet in Resene Apple Blossom (finished with custom-coloured Lincoln and Kintore pulls by Lo & Co) insert loads of the latter into the ‘apartment’ kitchen.

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HOMES

BELOW Around the corner from their kitchen, Alex and Jeff’s bedroom continues the colour story with a headboard in Resene Apple Blossom that extends into a bookshelf. Intriguing forms like those in the artwork by Rachel Castle and the pair of Mobje bottles from Small Acorns below it also bring in Alex’s go-to hues, which are then echoed in the bed linen from Sheet Society, topped with cushions and pillows from brands including Sheet Society, Castle & Things, Kip & Co and Città.

“I’m interested in playing with tones and shades — I like mixing primaries with off colours.”

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MAIN BEDROOM Built-in cabinets in Resene Handspun Wool running from the kitchen into the bedroom create a sight line that supports the studio aesthetic of the second storey. Below recessed bedside lighting from Super Modular, Fold shelves

by Made of Tomorrow have been custom-coloured to match the headboard. An Eames House Bird by Charles and Ray Eames keeps an eye on it all.

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HOMES

ABOVE LEFT “The thing about pitched roofs is that they give you a lot of light and volume, but I wanted to see the view beyond the roofline, so we slashed through the form with oversized skylights,” says Alex. “They give us the most interesting views of the surrounding landscape, while cutting out the neighbours.” A South Sea Orbit II artwork by Annie Smits Sandano hangs below the window here.

ABOVE RIGHT Powdercoated in Resene Lazy River, custom storage is a boon in the couple’s bedroom, providing a dedicated place for everything, including Alex’s fabulous collection of shoes. BELOW Australian Green tiles by Winckelmans from Designastyle clad the ensuite, creating a soothing space for self-care. The Buddy slide shower by Progetto and heated towel rail from Red Dwarf play

by Alex’s all-white-fixtures rule, but the bright towels by Dusen Dusen are switched up to alter the mood.

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Retaining the original floorplan and form, the redesign executed by Trevor Hone Builders focused on maximising the interior and creating more fluid connections inside and out.

A cathedral ceiling adds volume to the upstairs, while downstairs is a cocooning space. Whiteon-white-on-white fixtures and fittings make every other detail feel purposeful, exactly how Alex likes it. Walls in Resene Wan White and black cork flooring combine to provide a gallery-esque backdrop ripe for the injection of colour that’s inserted through furniturelike cabinetry and quirky custom carpets, along with treasured art and objects.

From the street, hard landscaping and Japanese-inspired structural planting by Henry Blakely Landscapes ushers you towards the front door on the side of the house. Once inside, you can linger in the lounge that splits off towards Isla and Violet’s bedrooms and bathroom, or head upstairs to the apartment-like parent pad.

“Living with older teenagers and with one of them now off at uni, we didn’t want to be rattling around in a big house,” says Alex. “That was one of the main pluses of the layout here — it has small-home merits. With our bedroom and living upstairs, it feels like a studio, and I like that you come up and it’s a surprise.”

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A flight of stairs isn’t all that separates these spaces. Alex and Jeff’s thing for colour is in contrast to the girls’ strong preference for pale.

“As with all client-designer relationships, it’s been my job to listen to everyone who’s living in the house,” says Alex. “The girls are in a beige phase and I saw that as a bit of a challenge — give me a brief and I’ll give it the AFD flavour!”

The more neutral mood downstairs is anything but boring. Introducing a little less colour, Alex turned to texture and curiosities in these spaces.

Circulating through them, you pass by a jewel box of a laundry, in which she managed to get a shot of bold colour across the line.

“People probably think I’m not very restrained, but I actually am,” says Alex.

“There’s a ‘why’ behind everything. I love defining areas, detailing where things stop and start — I think it’s quite important because then your brain goes, ‘Right, I’m in this room now’.

It’s like writing a story — you establish all of your characters and then it’s a matter of how you’re going to use them in each chapter.”

The consistency of the palette throughout this home allows the spaces to talk to each other, telling stories of this family’s passions and adventures. This is a home that speaks volumes about the life lived within it.

HOMES LIVING Being by the beach, sand is ever present, so Alex limited the amount of carpet used, opting for custom versions and rugs by Dilana atop cork flooring from EcoFloors. This Togo sofa by Ligne Roset is the couple’s forever couch — an investment made a few years ago that works as well in this home as it did in their last. OPPOSITE Architectural moments facilitate evolving vignettes. On the left, Lego flowers beautify Snarla by Annie Smits Sandano, and on the right, a sculpture by Ben Foster sits and stays next to a Pyro Classic fire in front of Tarawera by Peata Larkin.

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ABOVE Being on site throughout the renovation played a huge part in its success and taught Alex a lot. “I feel that with this house, I can appreciate the aesthetic, but it’s like I’ve got X-ray vision too, because I also know exactly what lies beneath.”

On top of all that here is an Attila side table by Philippe Starck for Kartell and a sofa by Maker & So, with cushions by Città and Marimekko. The artwork includes (from left) Red Haring by Dick Frizzell, a multi-media work by Kara Burrowes and a vintage Beatles poster picked up overseas. OPPOSITE The Resene Apple Blossom, Resene Glorious and Resene Lazy River of this shelving unit are case in point for Alex. “I feel like I’m constantly saying to my husband, my children, my builder, ‘Trust me, I’m a designer!’ With this unit, the girls were like, ‘Just make it white’, but I knew I needed colour in there. People default to white when they can’t think of what’s better, but it’s quite simple — just define your palette and stick with it.” Making the stairs more fun is a runner by Dilana.

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ABOVE LEFT This picture window in Violet’s room creates a subtle play of light that accentuates the tongue-and-groove wall panelling.

A Rockpool artwork by Fleur Woods sits above a desk from Ikea, while linen by Città and Kip & Co dresses the Arch bed also by Città.

ABOVE RIGHT & OPPOSITE White is a carefully managed hero hue in this home, seen here against a backdrop of Super White tiles by Winckelmans from Designastyle in the girls bathroom. “The handles are sprayed, the recessed lighting and hidden hinges are all colourmatched, and we powdercoated a lot of stuff white when the right white wasn’t available,” says Alex. BELOW LEFT The colour of the strip light from Super Modular slotted into the fluted Genia wall panelling in Isla’s room can be changed on a whim. Next to this, a portable Bicoca lamp by Marset from ECC sits on a Mahoe stand by Ico Traders. BELOW RIGHT Highlights in the spare bedroom include a Fold Arch planter box by Made of Tomorrow and a POP! P #3 poster by Playtype.

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“it’s not just about Colour, it’s about shape as well. Curves to offset angles…”

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THIS PAGE Exterior Colorsteel cladding in Dulux Tui Tuft makes the angular outlines of the home even more crisp. A series of fins balances the gable’s off-centre peak and covers the breezeway that draws you to the front door. The garden by Henry Blakely Landscapes is all foliage, no flowers. “It feels like an extension of the house — pulling you in from the gate as you experience the architecture,” says Alex. Plants including griselinia, buxus, tractor-seat ligularia, juncus rushes, selleria, tree ferns underplanted with maiden hair ferns, and a cloud-pruned bonsai Matapouri blue tōtara form a lush sea of green within the rendered blockwork and kwila decking. OPPOSITE, BOTTOM Alex says Charlie was hyper-aware of the need to cover the balcony to provide protection from the elements, but both he and Alex wanted to push the design so it appealed aesthetically as well. The result is an all-weather outdoor area that’s striking from the street.

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A couple accustomed to small spaces makes a major change, and finds themselves in a forever home with oodles of room for their family.

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Claire M c C all

Michelle Weir

LEFT The home is a villa replica, so it comes with all the character and none of the upkeep. Lou and Sam completed the soft landscaping at the front, adding roses outside the bay window, along with hydrangeas and lavender. BELOW An American oak desk by Douglas & Bec and a Moonstone-hued Agra rug

by Armadillo help to keep the mood light in Lou’s home office on the street side of the house, from which she runs her boutique sleepwear business, General Sleep. OPPOSITE The couple replaced the clunky and oppressive lights in the main living area with floaty Z1 lamps by Ay Illuminate from Tessuti.

Both from Simon James, the dining table — Soul by Nonn — is matched with Osso chairs by Mattiazzi. The set works well with Nerd bar stools by Muuto from Slow.

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he white, double-storey villa in a quiet street in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland’s Cox’s Bay looks like something out of a storybook. With its gracious gabled end, ornate trims and balcony with a turned-wood balustrade, it could be a dollhouse. To Lou and Sam Halse, it was the picture-perfect home, where they could fling open the French doors to the capacious back garden and host the very occasions they came back to Aotearoa for.

Lou and Sam are both Aucklanders but had been living overseas for 10 years when, by pure chance, they booked flights home, with no sense of impending pandemic panic. “It was December 2019, just before Covid was a thing,” says Lou. Their young children, Toby and Juliette, were growing up fast and it was hard having family so far away.

The couple was accustomed to living in small spaces. In Amsterdam, they’d occupied a “wonky but adorable” canal house. “There wasn’t a backyard, so we’d all congregate at the park or meet at cafés where the table and chairs were set outside on the cobblestones,” recalls Lou. Later, when they moved to San Francisco, they got used to Victorian-era apartment living. “Ours was one super-small house split into levels,” says Lou. “But it did encourage us to get out, so we had lots of connection to our neighbours and community.”

On their return to Tāmaki Makaurau, Lou and Sam initially bought a workingman’s cottage in Kingsland. Although its character and diminutive footprint felt familiar, one thing after another needed fixing, so when they spotted this place put out >

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THE PROJECT With interior designers de Court Design, Lou Halse and her husband Sam redecorated this four-bedroom home in Auckland’s Cox’s Bay for themselves and their children Toby (4) and Juliette (3).

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KITCHEN Sam, who’s chief cook and can whip up a feast without following a recipe, has acres of engineered stone bench to get creative on in the kitchen, plus a hidden scullery that disguises any mess and is also home to Lou’s collection of teapots and her grandma’s tea set. The kitchen cabinetry and scullery splashback are painted with charcoal Resene Double Foundry to contrast with the rest of the room in pale Resene Half Alabaster. Over the bench and sink by Shaws of Darwen, the strip light has a visual link with the tapware and the cabinetry handles from Hardware Hut.

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RIGHT Furniture from Freedom forms an alfresco living room that’s centred around the fireplace beneath a louvre roof. Lou and Sam moved the fireplace to the perimeter as it was previously more central; next, Lou plans to plant some colourful flowers beside the pool. BELOW Having previously lived in much smaller spaces, the couple love that they now have so much room in their kitchen, and the industrial-sized Falcon oven is more than up to the task of entertaining. Decoration among the well-crafted functional items here is provided by a painting by Emma Gale propped up on the bench.

to tender bids, their interest was piqued. “I’ve always had a soft spot for villas,” says Lou. “I was instantly emotionally attached.”

She was drawn to the leadlight front door, the parquet floor in the hallway and the classic mouldings — plus the fact that it was all in perfect condition. “It’s a replica villa completed in 2018,” she explains.

Of course, moving from a cottage to a four-bedroom house with 280m2 of living was extreme. The furniture they did bring with them made scant impression on the generous spaces and they had nowhere near enough art for the blank canvas. In the main living room, the children practised roly-polys on the floor while Lou and Sam marvelled at the incredible amount of light and height they now possessed — and wondered how they’d ever fill it.

Since Lou had spent the past decade abroad, she no longer had her finger on the pulse of the local design and furniture stores, but sisters Amy and Jess de Court of de Court Design, who the couple met through mutual friends, were happy to help. Together, they gathered the goods that would stand up to the sheer scale of the home, aiming for a casual, contemporary vibe that would sit within the tranquility of the Resene Alabaster palette. “The emphasis was on a soft, minimalist look, with plenty of texture and timeless pieces,” says Amy. The aesthetic certainly has a lightness — think linen curtains, pale louvres, and bamboo and cotton lightshades — but it’s grounded by elements of earthiness in the form of leather chairs, chunky timber tables and a jute rug. It was the de Courts who >

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“From breakfast to dinner, I feel like it’s the most important item in the house.”

LEFT A lofty stud height and wraparound windows and doors make the main living space feel a bit like a contemporary cathedral. The décor is clean with the addition of earthy colours only, and the furniture includes a Spanish chair from Design Denmark, an Arcade sofa from Simon James and window-seat squabs Lou covered with Bolshoi Lion fabric by Zepel from James Dunlop Textiles. The floor-to-ceiling curtains are made from Gris Clair fabric by Atelier Nuage, above the fireplace is a work by Andrea Bolima and there’s a Pony Braid rug from Nodi on the floor. Folding doors lead to the TV room that allows this space to be used for less intrusive activities.

suggested the oak dining table that has become the centre of family life. “From breakfast to morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, I feel like it’s the most important item in the house,” says Lou. Although it may be hard to discern, she’s a fan of colour — a trait that reveals itself in the boutique sleepwear brand she took the helm of last year. General Sleep’s range includes gingham pyjamas in shades that make it clear having a bit of fun with this and the first home she’s decorated is key, if low-key, for her. She’s used tree-green wallpaper in Toby’s room — a forest he likes to explore from the top bunk — and a stylised print featuring coral-coloured arches for Juliette’s. In the living room, bench seats upholstered in a textural gold fabric are punchy yet chic, and (although she says it’s pure good fortune) in a tone that perfectly matches the brushed brass hardware here and in the kitchen.

Outside, the couple, who consider this their forever home, threw some funds into landscaping. They raised the pool off the ground, added a deck with built-in benches, and relocated the alfresco fireplace over towards the fence. Lou’s planning to add a sprinkle of colour to the ‘moat’ in the form of wildflowers.

This summer, the outdoor room with its louvred roof was everything they’d hoped for. The pool was a hit, the barbecue was busy and on New Year’s Eve, they wheeled out the cocktail trolley, shook up pisco sours for the crowd and toasted to their homecoming.

Although there’s still much to do to augment the design story, winter’s almost here, and with it plenty of time to compose a happy ending.

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LEFT Lou and Sam were taken by the character features of the home, including the leadlight front door and windows, and decorative ceiling roses. In the parquet-floored hallway, Humankind

by Rachel Castle hangs above a bench seat the couple bought in San Francisco.

BELOW The black-and-white colour scheme, accented with aged brass, runs throughout the house, including in the bathrooms. Here, a Josephine towel by Baina provides the personality.

OPPOSITE Dotted around the house are finds that hail from the fleamarkets of Europe, among them vintage Delft pottery and a set of pottery canal houses (not shown) that were once marketing gifts on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. These tiny treasures are swallowed by the scale of this shelving unit in the TV room, but the Halses are slowly filling it with keepsakes. Next to it, a modular Outline sofa from Simon James sits below Formakami JH5 and JH3 (not shown) pendant lights by &Tradition that bring a serene feel.

“The emphasis was on a minimalist look with plenty of texture.”

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LEFT In the children’s bathroom, the floors are patterned with Secoin cement tiles handmade in Vietnam for a fun touch. The bath by Victoria & Albert gets a lot of use and towels from Rachel Castle and a bath mat by Sage & Clare inject some playful colour.

BELOW Lou livened up the walls in Juliette’s bedroom with Arch wallpaper in Chilled Coral from These Walls and a print by Rachel Castle. The Miffy rabbit is a fictional Dutch character (Nijntje in Dutch) that the couple used to spot everywhere when they were living in Amsterdam. OPPOSITE Toby’s room has a green scheme that surrounds a set of bunk beds by Oeuf that are perfect for sleepovers.

He loves the top bunk the best, perhaps because it gets the ultimate view of his Jungle wallpaper from These Walls.

Lou chose Bolshoi Khaki fabric by Zepel from James Dunlop Textiles for the window-seat squabs in here and a suitably natural beehive-shaped lightshade from Bohème Home.

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It’s clear having fun with this is key, if low-key, for lou.

ENSUITE Lou appreciates the bathroom for its patterned tiles (matching those in the kids’ bathroom) and the fact that, from here, there’s a view of the water at Cox’s Bay. “It’s nice to peep through the shutters each morning to see what sort of day it is,” she says. Side-by-side mirrors by Joska & Sons above the double vanities alleviate the morning mayhem, while Clay-coloured towels

by Baina and an Everyone robe by General Sleep are soft touches.

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MAIN BEDROOM Against the wall that conceals the walk-in wardrobe, a custom-made headboard in a demilune design, upholstered in Eternal Salt fabric

by Mokum, is a feature of the couple’s upstairs suite. They kept the bed linen neutral using pieces from Parachute and Fawn pillowcases by Cultiver. A Nama 3 pendant light by Ay Illuminate from ECC, Carvaggio Read wall lights and side tables by Douglas & Bec complete the look, along with another Everyone robe

by General Sleep slung over a Pier chair

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We all know to expect the unexpected — and sometimes it pays to seize it too.

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Holly Jean Brooker

L arnie Nicolson

THE PROJECT Lawyer Siobhan Reid and her golf professional husband Paul renovated this four-bedroom home in Mangawhai for themselves and their children Felix (5), Margot (3) and Freja (1).

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n 2013, Kerikeri-based golfer Paul Reid was offered an unanticipated opportunity: a new job and a new lifestyle for him and his wife Siobhan to ponder. An American investor had bought an expanse of land in Te Arai, north of Wellsford, and wanted Paul to run his new golf club, Tara Iti. After due consideration, the pair decided to give it a go — though that’s not to say they didn’t have their reservations. “I’m a lawyer by trade and had no idea what I’d do in a tiny beachside town,” says Siobhan. Nevertheless, choosing to take a chance, they bought a small home in nearby Mangawhai as an investment they could live in initially, while intending to keep an eye out for a more permanent base if they decided to stay on long term.

A few years passed and, sure enough, a property with potential came up for sale right when they were ready to put down roots. A 12-year-old home on 10 acres with views of Mangawhai and the Brynderwyns, it was on the right track but would require a little tweaking.

“I was eight months pregnant, so I totally romanticised it,” recalls Siobhan.

“I walked onto the land and knew it was where I wanted to raise our kids. We’ve since found out that the previous owners,

a retired couple, spent around five hours a day maintaining the garden, which isn’t so romantic!”

With expert input from Siobhan’s architect brother James, the couple took their time to contemplate their designs while they had their second child. By January 2020, their intentions were confirmed, the consent plans drawn up by Orcan Design were approved and the build was ready to begin.

The original homestead boasted three bedrooms, two bathrooms, one living area and some beautiful original features, but it needed to be opened up and extended. The existing kitchen, dining room and main bedroom became one open-plan living space that connects to a deck that captures those impressive views. The living room was turned into a playroom, a guest room was added in an extension at one end of the house, and an upgraded master suite went into the other.

Siobhan’s a keen cook, so designing the kitchen was her domain. “I spent hours measuring the drawers and figuring it all out — and I love it, I’m really happy with the result,” she says. “With the help of Guyco in Whangārei, I chose a Caesarstone Primordia benchtop as it gives a stone look but is super hardy, which is much needed >

RIGHT Behold the view of the Brynderwyn Range from the vitex deck, enjoyed on a Waiheke sofa set from Design Concepts.

FAR RIGHT James designed the pavers using coloured concrete by Peter Fell. Keeping it in the family, a low-maintenance planting plan for the areas around the deck and patio was designed by Siobhan’s sister Gabriella, of G/D Landscapes. Some plants have grown like crazy in the year since they were planted, while others have been slower to take, so the couple intends to fill the gaps.

OPPOSITE Given Northland’s hot climate, one of the priorities of the reno was to create usable outdoor spaces with protection from the sun and rain. This was achieved by extending the roofline and using the guestroom extension to form a patio.

The couple also added the deck, pergola and an outdoor fire that utilises the existing chimney.

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with a young family.” It’s teamed with Ashin tongue-and-groove and oak cabinetry to form a user-friendly, functional space complete with a handy extra basin at the end of the bench that Siobhan deems “a great decision. Living rurally means the kids are always outside getting dirty, so I pick them up and pop them straight in it to wash their feet and hands when they come inside.”

Siobhan candidly reveals that as first-time renovators, she and Paul didn’t exactly find the process easy. “Doing anything for the first time, you’re a total amateur. I thought because I wasn’t working, I could project manage, but there’s just so much to learn, and an endless amount of work that carries on into the evenings, like research and invoicing.”

Lucky for these rookies, they had James to lean on. “He knows me inside out, so I’d throw ideas to him for feedback, and when the builders DEC Construction were on site with technical questions I couldn’t answer, I’d call him and hand over the phone,” says Siobhan.

In natural materials and neutral colours, the resulting team effort exudes a sense of sophisticated calm. The home’s generous, light-filled layout provides ample areas for the family to enjoy — the favourite spot being the outdoor living space. >

ABOVE The dark tones of the timber in the kitchen (including Elegant Oak floorboards from Freedom Flooring and cabinetry designed by James and crafted by Guyco) tie in with Tokyo bar stools by OMK 1965 from Goodform and aged iron Buddy tapware by Progetto from Plumbline. The shelving is an attractive and practical inclusion for displaying favourite finds. Extra special are Siobhan’s mum Jacqui’s ceramics — she’s a clever potter, and made the utensil holders, tagine and butter dish. Other pieces pictured are an Ice bowl

by Susannah Bridges (top left), a mortar and pestle and cake stand by Tom Dixon (top middle), and Terra Cotto cookware by Sambonet (far right). RIGHT Cookbooks are stored for easy access below items including a plate by local artist and friend Barb Anderson of Oops Collective and a bowl by Jacqui.

OPPOSITE Siobhan says the pantry tiled with Magma Malachite Matt 13.2 tiles from Tile Space is “the only area in the house that the kids — and husband — don’t mess up, so I can keep it how I like it! There’s no supermarket in Mangawhai, and I love to cook, so I also love having a well-stocked pantry. We buy our food through an organic food co-op we formed when we first shifted to Mangawhai, so everything’s bought in bulk and housed in glass jars I invested in years ago.”

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“I spent hours measuring and figuring it all out — and I love it.”

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DINING Below a pendant from Stoneleigh & Roberson and in front of the view framed by curtains in Parisi Driftwood fabric from Charles Parsons Interiors, the chairs from Republic and dining table bought long ago have stood the test of time. “We’ll update them when the children are older, but for now, we try not to be too precious, so this is both dining table and arts and crafts table, and is often covered in paint and playdough,” says Siobhan.

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“We added a great big deck, a pergola, a concrete patio area with an extended roof for shade in the summer and an outdoor fire that’s awesome in winter,” says Siobhan.

“We love entertaining and having friends around, so it really works for our lifestyle.”

The new bedrooms are also the perfect fit.

“I absolutely love ours,” says Siobhan of her and Paul’s sleep space. “We invested here to create our own sanctuary down one end of the house, but kept it really simple, because the floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the native bush are the statement piece. I love waking up, drawing the curtains and opening the sliding door to let nature in.

The shower in our ensuite also has a sliding door that opens onto a deck, and it’s amazing showering with it wide open, plus there are stairs beyond it that lead down to an outdoor bath.”

In fact, expansive windows were installed throughout the house to highlight the beauty of the gorgeous garden and orchard that give this property a retreat-like feel. It was a bit of a journey to get here, but now they’ve arrived, this coastal-meets-rural lifestyle suits the Reids to a tee, proving that sometimes the most unexpected opportunities can lead to the ultimate outcomes.

TOP In the living space, Bottled up in the Pacific by Eion Shanks hangs above a Joe sofa from St Clements, with an Ohope throw from Weave. Sitting on a Braided Jute rug by Nodi, the Blok coffee table from Design Warehouse was conceived as an outdoor table, but works just as well in here. ABOVE Beside the sofa, Como shelves from BoConcept house treasures collected over the years, some when travelling and others locally, including the two ceramic items top left by another local artist and friend Mandy ThomsettTaylor, and the ceramic woman by Tracey SjaardaScott. LEFT Generous new glazing complements the home’s existing skylights. “When you walk in the front door, the light pours in through the skylights and your eyes go straight out to the view through the bifold doors that open the whole front side of the house to the outdoors,” says Siobhan. “It’s amazing for natural air flow, great when entertaining, and I love watching the changing sky from morning to evening through the skylights.”

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ABOVE Agnes shelving units from Homage are as decorative as they are functional in the playroom, alongside a faux rhino head bought at an art gallery once upon a time, and a lion head by Fiona Walker England. The same can be said for the storage baskets from Trade Aid on the shelves and the ones on the floor from Città. Margot and Felix sit on a World Map mat by Gathre from Dapper Mr Bear. Siobhan says, “It’s great for the kids to have more freedom to make a mess in here.

I love that they know it’s their space, so the toys stay in here and not the main living areas.”

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ABOVE Woollen carpet by Bremworth cosies up the kids’ sleep spaces.

Here in the girls’ room painted in Natural Paint Co Blanched Pink, a Phoenix cabinet from Bohème Home is paired with a Sparrow crib by Oeuf from Nature Baby. The blanket was knitted by Jacqui and the wagon was a gift from a friend, Zoë Salmen of Little & Loved. TOP RIGHT All of the bathroom vanities were designed by James and made from swamp kauri by another local mate, Austrian craftsman Jakob Gruener of Zimmermann Jack. With walls in Resene Raptor, the powder room also features an Outline mirror by Joska & Sons, brushed brass Buddy tapware by Progetto from Plumbline and a Lunar basin from Raw Concrete Design. RIGHT Felix’s feature wall is in Natural Paint Co Before The Dawn. His sheets and duvet are by Foxtrot Home, his throw is by Noah & Bowie from Dapper Mr Bear and his World rug is by Oyoy, also from Dapper Mr Bear.

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THIS PAGE Linen from Bed Threads, a throw by Fog Linen and a Tasselled Wool rug by Nodi make the main bedroom a welcoming spot, lit by a pair of Straight-Arm walls lights by Serge Mouille from Homage. The Lo bedside table is by Corcovado and the vase was picked up at an antique market. OPPOSITE, FAR RIGHT Flowing out to a steel and cedar outdoor bath by Stoked Stainless, the ensuite features Azuma Grey Matt 60 tiles from Tile Space, a Hinoki bath mat by Tosaryu, a Frame LED mirror and Buddy tapware from Plumbline, and Lunar basins from Raw Concrete Design. “I adore how calm and serene this space is — it’s not complicated or cluttered,” says Siobhan.

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Regional New Zealand is a great incubator of talent, so when Susan Badcock dreamed of opening a gallery, she felt her hometown of Geraldine calling.

Driven by a desire to showcase the work of her family and the provinces that have nurtured it, she set about establishing one of New Zealand’s most unique art experiences — Susan Badcock Gallery. The refurbished historical post office on Geraldine’s main street is a timeless stone vessel that presented the perfect environment in which to display these intergenerational creations, including Susan’s own hand-coloured photography, works by her world-renowned father John and grandfather Douglas, and an array of captivating pieces from a variety of other artists. With a fantastic gallery shop affectionately known as The Mailroom on the ground floor, this South Canterbury gem is an essential stop for anyone heading south on SH8.

susanbadcockgallery.co.nz

themailroomgeraldine.com

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Woman in architecture

A short drive from the centre of Byron Bay, The Arbour is a design destination you can rent via Airbnb. Overleaf, its creator/owner tells what life’s like here among the trees and how some ultra-mod cons help make it luxuriously laidback.

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BOUGH

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Let’s pay our respects to this nature-loving home, where apertures all over allow views of the tree-studded jungle out there.

PH OTO G R APHY Andy M acpherson

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y day, architectural technician Adam Laming works at Brisbane’s Lockyer Architects, but after hours for the last wee while, he’s been turning his talents to an exciting side hustle — designing a home in Byron Bay for himself and his project manager wife Sarah Treby to enjoy and share with guests. Laidback pad at the beach meets contemporary cabin in the woods, the result is an inviting amalgam of outdoorsy informality and clean-lined geometry, set within its own lush mini-forest.

To ensure the three-bedroom abode could happily function as both a family home and Airbnb accommodation, it was conceived as two separate parts within the same form. Downstairs, the main dwelling’s entry is via a solid rosewood pivot door positioned beyond a covered breezeway staircase. The guest quarters — two bedrooms, each with

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their own ensuite and balcony — are accessed via the staircase and a landing bridge, an arrangement that allows visitors to privately come and go from their own secluded spaces.

The house is sited on a 600m2 section covered with jungle-ish greenery and protected cypress pines. To further safeguard these special trees, Adam and Sarah designed the home’s footprint to work around them, and seized every opportunity to create ways to engage with their tropical paradise.

“Upstairs, the bedroom balconies invite you to step out under the forest canopy, which is why we called the house The Arbour [@arbour_byronbay],” says Adam. “The breezeway is secured within a large, two-storey void behind a timber batten screen and a timber sliding screen, the intended experiential outcome of which is that the stairs and landing bridge have a strong sense of >

Case study —— FISHER & PAYKEL

THESE PAGES The couple’s dog Alfie (pictured opposite) also lives it up in this leafy glade — a sweet set-up that’s complete with a plunge pool for cooling off in the heat of the Australian summer, leaving you spoiled for choice when the beach is also so close by.

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THESE PAGES As much as Adam and Sarah wanted their coastal home to feel beachy, it needed to blend into its immediate environment, and a black exterior colour palette (pictured on the previous pages) responded to that nicely. A wide shadow box perched on and overhanging the ground level, the upper storey of the home is clad in horizontal weatherboards. Accentuating this, the lower level is clad in vertical shiplap spotted gum. This timber work and expressed joinery detail in elements such as the balustrades and verandah seating combine to articulate the feel of a timber beach house. In contrast to its dark exterior, the couple opted for a brighter palette inside. Black ribbed panels in the entry hall bring the exterior through to a point before transitioning to white walls and solid oak tongueand-groove timber with a matte white oil finish on the floor. In the classy but carefree kitchen, a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher with seven wash programmes (plus wash-modifier options that can be added to each, including Quick, Sanitise and Extra Dry — perfect for pesky plastic containers) is integrated into the island (visible below).

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connection to the trees — and the sound of the ocean beyond. The void is topped by a skylight that frames a view to the cypress canopy, and there are solid casement shutters on the landing bridge that open up to the trees.

“On the lower storey, the entryway is punctuated by glazing with views of the neighbouring woodland. We used skylights and a high pop-up picture window over the living area to maximise access to the view and light, framing trees everywhere you look.

Here, the bay window seat has a large sashless window, so you can slide up the bottom panel and open the entire seat to the garden, while other seats focus on sections of garden that are organised around the bases of the trees. The main bedroom has floor-to-ceiling, wall-towall glazing that provides a panoramic vista of the trees from our bed.”

Although your attention is ever drawn outside, the nucleus of this dwelling is undoubtedly the stylish kitchen, with its calming, oyster-grey cabinetry with American oak handles; white tapware; Carrara marble benchtops with dense, cloud-like veins and patches of arrabescato; and island cloaked in textural finger-mosaic tiles. In this relatively minimalist zone, some appliances have been seamlessly integrated to suit the wider context of the openplan kitchen/dining/living space.

Among them are a Fisher & Paykel dishwasher that gracefully recedes into the cabinetry under the island.

The couple didn’t have the budget for integrated refrigeration, which, says Adam, “is a shame, because the integrated F&P products are slick”.

Instead, they chose the brand’s chic French door fridge; in a black stainless >

Case study —— FISHER & PAYKEL

The result is an inviting amalgam of outdoorsy informality and clean-lined geometry.

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ABOVE LEFT A Fisher & Paykel Series 9 16cm, 85L, 16-function, self-cleaning oven with moisture-level control via ActiveVent technology makes light work of meal prep opposite a Fisher & Paykel French door fridge with a chilled water dispenser and ice maker, and beside a Fisher & Paykel 90cm 5-zone induction hob and 90cm integrated rangehood with stainless steel filters. ABOVE RIGHT Space is expertly utilised in the adjacent pantry, which doubles as the laundry thanks to a sink/tub and a Fisher & Paykel 11kg front load washing machine stacked with an 11kg condensing dryer. The washer’s ActiveIntelligence technology removes the guesswork by tailoring detergent doses and adjusting wash times to suit each load, while the dryer is incredibly gentle on fabric and handily doesn’t require external venting.

BELOW “Starting with such a beautiful garden setting made us want to maximise the use of the garden and decks, so the whole living experience feels more expansive,” says Adam. Pictured here are spaces on the upper storey, which link to their own private balconies. OPPOSITE The upstairs guest rooms.

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Case study —— FISHER & PAYKEL

The guest quarters — two bedrooms, each with their own ensuite and balcony — are accessed via the staircase and a landing bridge, an arrangement that allows visitors to privately come and go from their own secluded spaces.

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FISHER & PAYKEL —— Case study

ABOVE Giving the impression of warmth underfoot, the pale oak flooring in this guest bedroom and throughout the house is evocative of Scandinavian, North American and Canadian wood cabins. Privacy in the sleep spaces is provided by block-out and sheer curtains that slide away on curved tracks. TOP RIGHT Adam and Sarah have come to refer to the aesthetic of the bathrooms as “utilitarian resort”.

“We paired the terrazzo tiles with simple square, matte, white mosaics because of our love of the old swim-club changing pavilions around Sydney in places like Bondi, and we chose this colour because its white, grey and blue hues remind us of the coast,” says Adam.

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steel finish, Adam deems it “sleek and beautiful” tucked inside the pantry.

“We also chose Fisher & Paykel’s new touch-screen pyrolytic oven, which is fantastic aesthetically and functions perfectly, with fast heat-up times, great temperature distribution and automated-timer and cook-to-recipe functions,” he says. “And we have a Fisher & Paykel induction hob and integrated rangehood as well.”

Additionally housed within the pantry, the laundry (which comprises a stacked Fisher & Paykel washing machine and dryer, plus a tub set into a Carrara marble benchtop that’s also used as a sink for food prep) is arranged within a tight space, yet is another design triumph. “We can’t understand why anyone would want to be stuck in a laundry room doing the ironing, so to us a dedicated room is superfluous to our requirements,” says Adam. “Our

washing machine and dryer are out of the way in the pantry, but conveniently located for throwing on a wash. Plus, the machines are very quiet and look elegant and unimposing, so they don’t interrupt the aesthetic or our day-today life in the kitchen.”

As you’d expect, the kitchen engages seamlessly with the outdoors, in this case through a sliding door leading to a verandah made for barbecuing and entertaining. “We love to cook and often have friends around for casual dinners, or the neighbours will come over and we’ll graze on multiple courses at the island bench or on the verandah,” says Adam. When the guests have gone home and it’s simply an evening for two, he and Sarah will prepare a meal in the kitchen, then deliver it swiftly outside, to share under the stars as the sea breeze whispers in the leaves all around them. fisherpaykel.com

MEMORY MAKER

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PH OTO G R APHY

Alice Lines

Simon Wilson

Outside in —— FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS

Unforgettable, that’s what this is — a bach built to create magic moments for generations to come.

M

EXTERIOR Influenced by height-to-boundary restrictions, the three-bedroom building’s low form nestles into the landscape. Cedar battens accentuate the sharp linear aesthetic while shielding the northfacing deck from sun and rain. Fastidious detailing sees them aligning perfectly with the joinery from First Windows & Doors — a combination of Metro Series ThermalHeart and APL Architectural Series designs.

emories of holidays at family baches by the beach are common to many Kiwis. For Denise and Leonard Gardner, a desire for their clan to continue to enjoy a special spot together informed a decision to shore things up for the future.

“Generations of Leonard’s family grew up holidaying at the same spot, and we wanted to keep the tradition going with an enduring build of our own,” says Denise.

Rather than constructing a bach on the Thames coastline south of Coromandel where their existing intergenerational bolthole stood, the couple opted for a location with easier access to their home in Hamilton, on Raglan’s Rangitahi Peninsula. They were enticed by a site with views of the tidal harbour and native bush, on an undulating hillside that falls away to the water’s edge.

Leonard works in the construction industry, so he’s well versed in the architecture of this region, and knew he wanted to work with Brian White of Edwards White Architects. The clean lines, honest materials and streamlined craftsmanship that the practice’s work has >

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“The joinery is crucial to the architecture, allowing a deeper connection with the landscape.”

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Outside in —— FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS

EXTERIOR Steel cladding teamed with First Windows & Doors joinery in Matt Flax Pod and Elemental hardware (used throughout) bookends the east and west walls of the house, offsetting the honey-hued timber. OPPOSITE Here, a thermally broken Metro Series ThermalHeart picture window frames the view of the harbour. For even better thermal efficiency, the glass used for this home is from The AGP System. Designed for New Zealand conditions, the system pairs ATS — an Architectural Thermal Spacer — with argon gas insulation to reduce heat transfer through the glass.

FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS —— Outside in

ABOVE The 2.7m height and flush sills of the APL Architectural Series stacker sliding doors that connect the dining area to the outdoor room allow a seamless transition between inside and out — ideal when entertaining. TOP RIGHT & OPPOSITE Inserted into the birch ply and concrete interior, the kitchen pairs rich walnut veneer with sleek stainless steel. “As a contrast to all the angular geometry of this home, it was important that the interior offered softer, textured surfaces,” says Jess. “The birch ply contributes a warm, relaxed feel, while the walnut veneer brings in an element of elegance.”

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practice’s work has become known for were all characteristics on the wish-list for the bach.

“We kept the brief pretty simple,” says Denise.

“It was one page of bullet points by the time Brian wrote it down. We wanted something that’s a little bit timeless, a little bit classic, and that’s not going to come and go with fads. ‘Wood’, ‘concrete’, ‘durable materials’ and ‘built to last’ were items at the top of the list.”

Edwards White conceived an L-shaped floorplan that turns its back on the developing neighbourhood creeping up the peninsula behind the Gardners’ property, instead bringing into focus the bach’s relationship with its surrounds.

Working alongside Brian, architectural graduate Jess Anderson oversaw the dwelling’s interior.

“Nothing is revealed when you pull up to the entry,” she says. “It isn’t until you open the front door that you get a glimpse of the stunning view.

The most natural way to navigate between the living spaces and bedrooms is to cut through the covered deck that provides protection from the prevailing westerly wind and privacy from the neighbours. This gives the house an informal feel, as well as a stronger connection to nature.”

Shrouded in cedar battens and steel cladding, the living spaces and bedrooms open onto decks through stacker sliding doors by First Windows & Doors. The living space alone boasts a generous 6.74m of The AGP System glass, a high-performance double-glazing system that includes argon gas between the panes as an extra insulator. >

Boldly contrasting walnut timber veneer, a fluted, curved island and stainless steel surfaces finish the space with finesse.

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Outside in —— FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS

ABOVE Thanks to the thoughtful consideration of architect Brian, this home is alive with light and shadows that dance through the spaces from dawn till dusk. “We get the silhouettes of the kānuka once the sun’s gone down too,” says Denise. “The sky with all its interesting colours interacting with the willowy trunks of the trees is just beautiful.” OPPOSITE At the western end of the bach, double over-the-wall sliders with glass panes and fixed louvres allow the house to be opened right up or shuttered to shield the interior from the sun while still letting in the breeze.

“The joinery is crucial to the architecture, allowing you to get a deeper connection with the landscape while responding to the climate,” says Jess. “We used a wide range of First Windows & Doors profiles, so that the joinery could be seamlessly integrated into the envelope.”

Exploring the idea of reducing the bach’s footprint to build smaller but smarter, playful planning strategies were employed for spatial organisation. The two wings of the home pivot around a covered outdoor room that’s bathed in light via a James Turrell-esque skylight. The humble material palette of plywood and concrete throughout the interior gives way to moments of pure sophistication, such as in the kitchen, where boldly contrasting walnut timber veneer, a fluted, curved island and stainless steel surfaces finish the space with finesse. Elsewhere, the guest quarters and laundry reside behind sliding doors that allow them to be opened or closed off according to the number of guests present.

The only areas that aren’t accessible to all are the main bedroom and ensuite. Stepping down from the living space and guest rooms, a highlight of this secluded enclave is a Metro Series ThermalHeart picture window from First Windows & Doors that’s articulated out from the end wall to make space for a private window seat. “It’s one of my favourite spots in the house, perfect for reading a book, a nana nap or even just watching the birdlife,” says Denise. “It surprised me. I was expecting seabirds, herons, gulls and terns, but among these trees, there are beautiful land birds as well — parakeets, kingfishers and tūī are all here regularly.”

“Our houses seek to respond to their occupants’ patterns of daily living,” says Jess. “We like the way this home has a snug, relaxed, secluded feel, despite being surrounded by neighbours. It provides an informal backdrop for enjoying a laidback life in a small coastal town.”

Denise and Leonard found these attributes so appealing that they decided to make the bach their permanent dwelling after selling their Hamilton home. “We arrived for our summer holiday and never had to pack up to leave,” says Denise. And so, with the couple’s three adult sons visiting gladly and often, the tradition of time spent together at ‘the bach’ continues. firstwindows.co.nz

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FIRST WINDOWS & DOORS —— Outside in

liv ing din ing

kit ch en en try

store lau nd ry

bed

bath

robe bed

bed

robe

robe

ensuite

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BELOW LEFT “Although the building and its planning are bachy, I felt that the interior needed to be well-crafted and finely detailed,” says Jess. Capturing the essence of this idea, in this bathroom, a custom-designed stainless-steel basin is set against forest green tiles that reference the tones of the native bush beyond. BELOW RIGHT In front of a Metro Series ThermalHeart window, this seat is one of the couple’s top spots for getting away from it all. Extending from the wall on an angle, it points in just the right direction to take in the view while maintaining privacy.

Lighting and Objects

Ponsonby, Auckland goodform.co.nz

Karimoku Case Study

15 Williamson Ave,

A-B01 Bench

Designed by Keiji Ashizawa

Designer Furniture,

NOHO —— Product profile

Move forward Turn your house into your dream home piece by piece, exchanging worn-out items for ones that’ll elevate the ordinary ever after.

Could your chairs enrich your life? We’re big believers in the power of well-crafted pieces to improve the everyday, and it sits well with Pōneke/Wellington-based company Noho too.

Tired of the daily discomfort of both ill-fitting furniture and the creeping concern about our impact on the environment, they designed their award-winning Noho Move chair to be better for our bodies, our lifestyles and our world.

Ergonomic and Earth-friendly, this New Zealand-made chair is a worthy candidate if you’re upgrading for its revolutionary design, fine form and adaptability. At the dining table, where so many of us do much more than dine,

LEAN ON ME Practical, comfortable, sophisticated and sustainable, the Noho Move chair makes a topshelf choice.

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Noho Move works naturally with your body, tilting and reclining in response to your posture, while the upcycled waste plastic it’s constructed from ‘breathes’ to modulate your temperature and flexes to relieve pressure points. In black or white, it can be teamed with colourful, swappable seating pads made from local wool, and it’s delivered to your door in innovative, minimal, recyclable packaging.

In te reo Māori, ‘noho’ means ‘to sit, stay, dwell — to live’. With thoughtful, versatile pieces like the Noho Move chair in your midst, you’ll be living well while doing good. noho.co/nz/

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CUSTOMISER There can often be a few crucial elements in a house that don’t gel so well with the rest of the aesthetic, their function trumping their form, but for the design-minded, where there’s a will to do things differently, there’s a way — and one of the ultimate ways is customisation. Going beyond your standard décor selection, it’s a valuable tool to use when seeking to authentically express yourself in your home, and there’s a new find on our mind that you can tailor to your taste in your kitchen.

STYLE IT

The kitchen is commonly the heart of a home and the fridge a focal point within it. Samsung’s new Bespoke refrigerator helps you reflect its necessity and the true you by becoming the hero of your interior’s colour and material palette. Minimalist but bold, it puts you in charge of the design decisions, thanks to its interchangeable exterior panels that you can customise top to bottom.

Take Samsung’s four-door French door model, then arrange its panels in your own creative colour configurations. They’re sold individually in multiple hues and textures: Navy, Pink and White glam glass with a shiny finish, and Cotta White and Cotta Charcoal cotta metal (a premium ceramic-coated metal).

All can be teamed with sleek stainless steel. >

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Product profile —— SAMSUNG

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SAMSUNG —— Product profile

PANEL DISCUSSION Subtly or boldly becoming a strong design feature of your kitchen, Samsung’s Bespoke fridge can be customised before or after you buy it. The colours and finishes currently available in Aotearoa are (opposite, from left): Navy glam glass, White and Charcoal cotta metal, and Pink and White glam glass.

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SORT IT That Samsung’s energy-star-certified Bespoke fridge is equal parts image and utility makes it pretty cool in our book. Offering performance that works for you, it responds to your needs outside and in via advanced tech that makes it a top-notch kitchen hand beneath its statement surface.

Is maximising the shelf life of your produce your priority? This sophisticated fridge allows you to keep foods at their optimum temperature and humidity, preserving freshness and flavour.

Do so with FlexZone, an independently controlled compartment that you can quickly convert from fridge to freezer with five pre-set temperature

modes at your fingertips, including Beverage, Soft Freeze and Freeze. There’s also a Flex Crisper that’s ideal for meat and fish, and the Crisper+ that ensures fruit and vegetables retain more moisture.

With the Samsung Bespoke fridge, you can even personalise your ice, opting for cubes or Ice Bites that chill drinks faster.

Rarely are fridges standout artistic elements in an interior scheme. With Samsung’s Bespoke, you can custom-design yours to fit your lifestyle and your look, turning it into an object of desire that’s ‘you’ through and through. samsung.com/nz/

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BOY ZONE A far cry from the average bachelor pad, this one was curated by a fine-art-photographer/floristturned-stylist with an expert eye for detail.

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Philippa Prentice

Jono Parker

nterior stylist Ange Dye’s Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland practice is called The Untrained Eye, but it’s plain to see she’s more than qualified to make a home look spectacular. Our own peepers were drawn to her recent project, Deep Creek, a property otherwise known as ‘the bach pad’ on the North Shore.

Built in the 1960s, it belongs to retired lawyer John Feast, a father of three adult children. Ange was introduced to John by architect Hamish Gunns of Watgunlow, who after making some minor alterations to the two-bedroom house thought John would enjoy working with Ange to style an entryway, a dining space and living spaces both he and his offspring would enjoy.

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So Ange, what sort of canvas were you working with here? It was very much a blank one when I was introduced to the project. The house has two levels, but John had previously preferred to spend his downtime in the games/TV room downstairs. I was called in to update the first-floor rooms, and started by painting, and resurfacing the original floors and updating the carpet, then added furniture, art and objects sourced with a view to enticing John back upstairs. I’m happy to say I was successful in that regard!

Deep Creek was unique in that it was the first project on which I aimed to create a narrative rather than simply a beautiful space. It felt more like I was writing a script, then creating a set for >

Interior expert —— DESIGN

THIS PAGE A mid-century chair and ottoman designed in 1956 by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller invites rest and relaxation in this sunken living space, beside a String shelving system from Homage, a vintage crushed-metal side table from Italy, and a vintage marble plinth from Babelogue.

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ABSOLUTE PRO Many people overlook the benefits of hiring an interior stylist, but as Ange says, “We’re professionals who know how to shape a home, and work hard to add value to an environment. Clients who engage me are busy with work and family — they want their home to be their sanctuary but don’t have the time to spend on getting it right.

Sometimes I’m brought in near the end of a build to work on finishing touches, and at other times, I’ll be hired at the initial design stage and finish with furnishing the home.”

Initially, Deep Creek was mainly about furniture selection, but as Ange and John moved through the process, he became keen to utilise her to select other items to complement that.

“With the exception of overseas items, aim to check out as many pieces as possible in real life before you buy.”

it to play out on, and I really enjoyed the experience.

What mood have you used your curated items to set? In one of our initial conversations, John put in a request for “nothing fussy” — and that really stuck with me. The narrative was built around his lifestyle and personality. I’d describe the aesthetic as modernism with a twist of industrial, robust with bursts of sophistication, and there’s definitely a sprinkling of ’60s bachelor pad in the mix as well.

What are some of the stylist’s tricks you’ve employed here? With Deep Creek, it’s all about balance. The floorplan is long, with a living area branching off

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to the right. Everything’s in view in this space, so in terms of the interior styling, it was important that there was a certain synergy. Although the look is modern, most of the pieces I sourced have a ’60s feel, and muted tones of blue, green, orange and red mixed with timber and metal create a theme throughout.

Do you have any tips for tackling a styling update all in one go, as opposed to refining an interior gradually? Know the direction you want to go in, keep the style of architecture in mind, and make sure your ideas fit your lifestyle.

Start by creating a concept by pulling together images that capture the look and feel you’re wanting. I start with digital mood boards, to which I add >

GREAT SCORES More of Ange’s key finds for this home include a petrol blue rug from Source Mondial (top left), a Blood Resin side table by Jake Feast (opposite) and Kasper Raglus prints from Modern Times (overleaf), but Ange confesses, “It’s the smaller details I enjoy the most, like the vintage Murano glass fish I sourced from Italy [arranged on the Artie buffet by GlobeWest, opposite, top left], and the vintage photos of Tom Hanks and David Bowie shot by Herb Ritts [opposite, bottom right], which are postcards I sourced from Chicago.” She likes to procure pieces from near and far. “There are lots of great local stores, such as Public Record, Babelogue, Simon James, Cult and ECC. Online, I love etsy.com for vintage, thedom.store for glassware, and carolinezimbalist.com and moderntimes.com.au for art and objects.”

Interior expert —— DESIGN

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DESIGN —— Interior expert

a colour palette, materials, furniture, lighting, and lastly art and objects.

may not realise the significance of it, John and his family do.

How do you ensure new and existing items look good together? To successfully combine new and old, you have to find commonalities through colour and form. For example, you might need to regroup a collection or reframe an existing artwork. I ask my clients questions like, “What are the musthaves?” and “What pieces are we keeping?” We’ll often retain family heirlooms. The most important heirloom in this home is the oil painting that belonged to John’s parents above the buffet in the entryway, beside the dining table. I’m so pleased we kept it, because even though other people

Can you share any current sources of inspiration for anyone embarking on their own interior update? The first thing that comes to mind is the Netflix series Abstract: The Art Of Design — I especially enjoyed the episode with British interior designer Ilse Crawford.

I buy books — a recent purchase is Spaces for Living by Tamsin Johnson — and I recently loved listening to the Business of Home podcast featuring Douglas Friedman. I can imagine myself reclining on the Eames chair in the relaxation zone in this home and listening to podcasts for hours. the-untrained-eye.co.nz

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ABOVE There are no pendant lights around here, only downlights, as Ange placed the focus on using lamps to set the mood — some of which are portable, so they can be moved from room to room or outside.

“Both by Flos, the Illuminator floor lamp [middle] and Chiara lamp [far right] in particular fit the genre of this project really well and sit beautifully with the other items in this home,” says Ange. “They also celebrate form and function, making them ideal fits for the brief.”

The new guard As our Architecture+Women NZ series continues, we’re joined by the boundary-pushing Raphaela Rose.

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3D visualisation: CUUB Studio. Photography: Seb Charles (opposite), Alan Tansey (page 138) and Patrick Reynolds (page 139)

Philippa Prentice

Woman in architecture —— DESIGN

Raphaela, you graduated from the University of Auckland with a Master of Architecture in 2013 — did you immediately set out to make waves? I was fortunate to have several inspiring teachers at university, who really challenged me to view architecture through different lenses, moving beyond four walls and a roof. In one of my final crits at architecture school, I had a critic tell me I wasn’t making ‘real’ architecture, but rather than being put off by his comments — as I think he’d hoped I would be — it pushed me to test the boundaries further.

It was pretty satisfying a few months later when I won the NZIA Student Design Award for the same project.

director of smaller Ōtepoti/Dunedin collective AHHA Studio now? Probably the biggest difference is that I’m now responsible for my own company, and with that comes both the freedom to pursue the work I’m passionate about, but also the stresses of making such a practice financially viable. I feel very lucky that I began AHHA with three friends who’re like-minded in their pursuit of creating a built environment that puts people and the planet first, but not at the expense of financial feasibility. This ethos extends to how we run our practice — we want to enjoy what we do every day, and find a balance between work and life beyond it.

Having worked in large local practices including Jasmax and RTA, and at DHD in New York and for Susana Torre in Spain, what are you enjoying about being co-founder/

Your practice straddles architecture, design and art — what kinds of projects do you take on? When we first began AHHA, we were inspired by multidisciplinary >

THESE PAGES Raphaela explains that her and AHHA’s projects “range from the lightbox installation work I recently did at Objectspace [left], to a five-storey Hanover Street apartment building in Ōtepoti that aims to foster a socially and environmentally sustainable way of urban life [opposite, developed by Otherplaces], to a newsletter called The Shared Issue that provides a platform for anyone to contribute to a discussion on urbanism and the city in which they live.”

Her series of large-scale lightboxes at Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland gallery Objectspace explored the ways in which the public toilet can be viewed as a type of exclusionary architecture, and how its typology is emblematic of the wider forces that have controlled our cities.

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UK design collective Assemble, who work across a variety of scales, typologies and practices, both making things and making things happen. This really resonated with us, because we all come from diverse backgrounds and recognise the power of architecture combining with other disciplines.

AHHA was formed out of the belief that there had to be an alternative to the traditional model of commercial practice most commonly seen in New Zealand. We wanted to promote a work culture that was non-hierarchical and saw a team working collectively across every stage of a project. We deliver projects that aspire to triple bottom lines, being ecologically, socially and financially sustainable, putting people and place at the forefront of any design approach. We collaborate with artists, strategists, developers and consultants to push design

RIGHT Massachusetts residence Dower House was the main project Raphaela worked on during her year at DHD Architecture & Interior Design in NYC. Although she lends her talents to diverse assignments, she says her aesthetic can be recognised in all of them for being “playful, ethereal and bold in its use of colour, with an undertone of glittering darkness that makes you question what you’re looking at.” Her core principles are “to produce projects within the built environment that reflect the context in which they sit, culturally, socially and environmentally. I want to empower communities, lessen my footprint on the planet and bring the industry along on the journey of a holistic approach to architecture practice.”

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across multiple disciplines, and produce unique, accessible, appropriate projects for the community and context in which they operate.

You’re also concerned about the social implications of space in relation to gender politics… Although seemingly subtle and often overlooked, there’s an inherent relationship between sexuality and space hidden within everyday practices that has led to the determination of only certain demographic groups being allowed access to the built environment. Through my work and research, I attempt to make visible the immaterial forces that have controlled our public and private spaces, and the consequential effects this has had on who has allowed to be active participants in our cities and political life.

Woman in architecture —— DESIGN

“I love looking for ways to open up uncharted territory.”

THIS PAGE Still underway in Karanema/Havelock North, Joll Road is an award-winning project Raphaela worked on while at RTA Studio. The development connects residential, retail and office spaces, arranging buildings in clusters to create a village-like environment that allows for the creation of public outdoor spaces. Today at AHHA, Raphaela and her team seek out projects to self-initiate when they identify a particular need in a community.

Speaking of gender, this story is part of our Architecture+ Women NZ series — have you encountered any barriers to women succeeding in this profession? Unfortunately, senior positions in the architectural profession in New Zealand are still largely dominated by men, which becomes cyclic in its limitations to pulling women up.

Unconscious bias is still a common occurrence in the industry; I was once taken off a project and replaced by a male colleague after the director assumed that as a man he’d have better computer skills than I have! Encounters like that have fuelled me to demonstrate my capability and foster a company in which unconscious bias isn’t tolerated, in the hopes we might influence the industry.

What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received?

To view collaboration as an exchange in which you give

and take from each other in order to create something that’s revolutionary.

How do you hope the architecture, design and art worlds will evolve in 2022 and beyond? I think a positive coming out of the pandemic is that there’s been an acknowledgement of the importance of community and the power of human connection. My hope is that this will filter down into architecture, design and art in the form of housing developments that focus on collective living, projects that are brought together through collaboration rather than artists operating in isolation, and an interrogation of what didn’t work during the pandemic and how we can ensure through these disciplines that we don’t repeat the same mistakes. ahha.studio; architecturewomen.org.nz

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CATALOG

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THREAD DESIGN —— Interiors

BOCONCEPT —— Interior design

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BoConcept are experts at making design, furniture and colour come together. 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.

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FREEDOM —— Furniture & homeware

NOHO —— Seating

BLUM —— Hardware

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142 homestyle

Contemporary lighting, mirrors and accessories, elevating home essentials into artisan accents.

Solid yet refined structures paired with gentle formations and delicate detailing.

The Lito Series Made by hand from solid brass in our Auckland studio.

powersurge.co.nz

Bring your space to life

FRSTJAUG21

Metro Series ThermalHEART for superior thermal performance

See more from this home

firstwindows.co.nz/memory-maker

Elemental hardware for a minimalist aesthetic

The AGP System for insulated, high-performance glass