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CREATURE COMFORTS OF CURATED HOMES Issue 112 New Zealand $11.90
MINERAL SPRINGS EARTH AND STONE INSPIRED INTERIORS
KITCHEN PERFECTION INTRODUCING INTEGRATED COLUMN REFRIGERATION
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Contents
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Shorts
People
15 ____ WHAT'S NEW
67 ____ INSIDE STORY
Discover modular kitchens, lighting design and an awardwinning folly.
Husband-and-wife duo Brady and Sarah are carving a life – and successful architectural careers – in New Plymouth’s heart.
18 ____ THINGS TO DO 70 ____ PAPER LOGIC
Tune in, dress up and fly north for our selection of spring events.
These young analogue-lovers turned magazine publishers share their favourite things from their Mount Victoria apartment.
20 ____ URBIS DRIVE
Andrew Kerr trials some stylish new arrivals bringing a balance of performance and efficiency to the roads.
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24 ____ OBJECTIFY
An oasis of spa-like delights offers a few stylistic cues from master soakers across the globe. 30 ____ TOP SHELF
Crisp, freshly picked and viridescent: the cool breeze of al fresco living flows in and outside the home. 30
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ecc.co.nz
Roda
Teka 174 table Harp 359 chair
Contents
102
Spaces
112 ____ DRAMATIC CONTRAST
Veined marble and a blackenedsteel ‘skin’ excel in and around this courtyard-inspired house.
74 ____ ELEMENTAL
Alpine vegetation and a scattering of mountains in every direction have given shape to this Queenstown home.
120 ____ JINGLE JANGLE PICNIC
American artist May Parlar’s surreal, avian dinner party.
84 ____ PRECIOUS METALS
A brief to be ‘chic’ has resulted in a Parnell abode that’s as tasteful as it is timeless. 90
90 ____ HINT OF OAK
Oxidised red, a brise soleil and a profusion of geometries have injected this Victorian house in Melbourne with warm, vivid personality. 102 ____ LIVING PAVILION
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A heritage home with Arts & Crafts flair has been brought back to life in Remuera, through a series of intelligent, sympathetic design strokes.
Trends special 33 ____ KITCHENS & BATHROOMS 74
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Our special booklet charts the creative moves behind some of the best kitchens and bathrooms today.
Where endless imagination meets limitless inspiration.
The dierence is Gaggenau. 90 cm of pure potential. The full surface induction cooktop removes the rules: the possibilities appear limitless. Every Gaggenau piece is distinctively designed, crafted from exceptional materials, oers professional performance, and has done so since 1683. Expand your imagination: gaggenau.co.nz
Editorial
Over the course of putting together this issue, we have had some fascinating conversations with kitchen and bathroom specialists – from both New Zealand and overseas – who are formulating small to large disruptors in their industry. Among some of the exciting ideas were modularity with design oomph, and luxury kitchens and bathrooms that can be leased, placed into almost any room and, eventually, returned, only to be leased again. As the shelf life of kitchen and bathroom design is reportedly becoming shorter, the repercussions of a lease model are environmentally sound and full of potential. Another chat on the theme brought up a description of these alcoves as ‘rooms for ritual’ and, as you can see through the special supplement we have put together, it is a rather fitting phrase. On the one hand, kitchens are functional spaces for the preparation of sustenance; on the other hand, they are spaces full of ceremony, ritual and memory-making – the slow weekend cooking with family, the sharing with friends, the alchemic perfecting of recipes. Bathrooms – perhaps the most suitably selfish of all rooms – are also spaces that incorporate morning rituals, which surely no Roman bath-keeper would ever have dreamt of. Here’s to home rituals. We hope you enjoy! FEDERICO MONSALVE
Editor
Email us federico.monsalve@agm.co.nz Follow us @UrbisMagazine Like us facebook.com/UrbisMagazine Follow us @UrbisMagazine
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a new light
City living in
This spacious family home is on a compact 400m2 section in the city. See how they maximised the space at altherm.co.nz/citylimits V I D EO
GA L L E RY
P O D C A ST
Masthead
Publisher Nathan Inkpen Senior Editor Federico Monsalve Creative Director Thomas Cannings Director of Production AndrĂŠ Kini Contributing Editors Dean Cornish, Andrew Kerr Editorial Assistant Julia Gessler Design Services Elliot Ferguson
Advertising Manager Mark Lipman mark.lipman@agm.co.nz +64 9 847 9311
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Urbis is owned and published by BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd, publishers of Interior, Architecture NZ, Houses, architecturenow.co.nz, selector.com and urbismagazine.com. Advertising statements and editorial opinions expressed in Urbis do not necessarily reflect the views of BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd and its staff, unless expressly stated. Copyright 2019 by BCI Publishing; all rights reserved. ISSN 1174-6424 (Print), ISSN 2324-4240 (Online). Standard conditions of entry for Urbis competitions: prizes cannot be redeemed for cash; employees, immediate families and agencies of BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd and associated sponsors are ineligible; prizes may be accepted only in New Zealand and Australia; the decision of the publisher, BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd (at whose premises all draws will be made), is final. By participating in competitions, the entrant consents to BCI New Zealand Pty Ltd using personal details for further marketing purposes. Special conditions may also apply. Prices listed are Recommended Retail Prices and may be different from those in store.
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ON THE COVER Caroline House – kitchen, designed by Kennedy Nolan. Image by Derek Swalwell. For the Kitchens and Bathrooms Special, see page 33.
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Studio Relaxing
Brentwood Relaxing
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Bianca Relaxing
Kent Street Modular Sofa
Natalie Relaxing
Ventura Modular Sofa
Stunningly curated outdoor furniture from Italy, Belgium, France, Indonesia and the Philippines. Visit our showroom in Parnell to see the most styles of deep seating collections, fully assembled, in stock, and available today! SunbrellaÂŽ cushions are free with the purchase of our deep seating pieces as shown on our website. www.designwarehouse.co.nz | sales@designwarehouse.co.nz | commercial@designwarehouse.co.nz 137 - 147 The Strand, Parnell, Auckland | 0800.111.112 | Open Daily
Contributors
SIMON DEVITT Based in Auckland but active throughout New Zealand, Simon specialises in architectural photography. He is the sponsor of the Simon Devitt Prize for Photography. For this issue, he photographed the Recrafted Art House by Crosson Architects (page 102).
S H A N N O N M C G R AT H Shannon has been photographing architecture and interiors for 15 years. Shannon’s images are known for their soft realism that celebrates the subject matter. For this issue, she photographed Mayfield House (page 112) and Hecker Guthrie (page 52).
D AV I D S T R A I G H T David was born in Christchurch, was raised on the West Coast and graduated from Massey University School of Art, Wellington. He is a photographer whose work focuses primarily on architecture and the built environment. His new book, ‘John Scott Works’, was released in March.
The Recrafted Art House by Crosson Architects has a wealth of Arts & Crafts elements. Do you have a favourite design movement? What I love most about any period or design movement is what we’re able to bring to these buildings now. What Crosson has achieved with the Recrafted Art House is a great example. Who could have imagined, during the Arts & Crafts period, that such a strong, confident, modern intervention could or would be added? Love it.
What did you like most about Studiofour’s Mayfield House? The textures and the palette. When you look at the project, there are only five main elements: the dark approach to the external; the light approach in the interiors, with just two main textures; and the beautiful marble complementing the bespoke internal brickwork. And, lastly, to complement all the elements, both externally and internally, are the foliage and the trees.
What was the impetus for your book, ‘John Scott Works’? The trigger for the book was the demolition of Scott’s Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre at Lake Waikaremoana. The experience of the building itself and the events surrounding its demise were quite profound for me. It seemed to be the right time to document Scott’s work: to put it on paper and make a case, not just for the importance of his work but for the man himself.
You have a significant career in architecture and interior photography. Would you say there is a defining trend at the moment? Gosh, that is a big question. I find so many designers have their own individual styles that, really, I see no particular trend. The main trend I see is of people’s investment in design that is of a very high quality.
Other than John Scott, who are some of the architects from the mid-20th century whose work you admire? New Zealand has a great modernist tradition. I have always been a fan of the Christchurch modernists – Peter Beaven, and Warren and Mahoney – partly because some of my strongest childhood memories are of their buildings, namely, Warren and Mahoney’s Christchurch Town Hall and Beaven’s Queen Elizabeth II Park building.
What impressed you about this year’s winning photograph for the annual Simon Devitt Prize for Photography? This year’s theme was House Hunting and, while most entrants featured unique and creative interpretations of an architectural structure, Angela Yuyi Hu’s doesn’t. Instead, it raises questions of what constitutes a home, as distinct from a house, and evokes a sense of place and of uneasy displacement. What are your plans for the spring? I’m really looking forward to seeing more of our world-class architecture around our beautiful country. At home, we’ve done a lot of work in the garden and around the paddocks, so it’ll be really satisfying to see it all spring to life! Behind the scenes, I’m working on three new books; two are set to be launched next year – exciting times indeed!
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If you could make anything a trend in the realms of design and architecture, what would it be and why? At heart, I’m a minimalist. I think that is why I always love photographing Studiofour’s projects. I believe that you need one idea that is simple in design and materiality, and then you need to carry that idea through – no extra bits and pieces, especially in architecture.
What have you been reading lately? Eric Klinenberg’s Palaces for the People – it’s a great book on the worth of social infrastructure and designing a moreinclusive world. Also, Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet: just excellent writing.
Blackboard – from the luxurious, high quality collection of European tiles, now available at Artisan. Mount Eden, Auckland artisancollective.co.nz/tiles
BEST NZ WHISKY NZ SPIRITS AWARDS 2019
Shorts IN VERSE When Margaret Atwood wrote that history rhymes, interior design was not what she had in mind. There is, however, a resonance to her words in the context of Dulux Colour Forecast 2020’s Comeback trend, which encourages a mixing of antique and modern pieces, and highlights of blue, burgundy and rust. It is not entirely from a foregone era but it does feel faintly familiar. dulux.co.nz
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OBJECT OF DESIRE American mobile master Alexander Calder has inspired Douglas & Bec’s Line Collection: a glowing assortment of balanced, suspended orbs that, if they weren’t fixed in place, you’d expect to start moving with the air currents. With its Line Duo Table Lamp, made of hand-blown glass bulbs and a curved brass rod, the New Zealand design studio gracefully nods to what was, at the centre of Calder’s work, an undeniable playfulness. douglasandbec.com
A NEW STANDARD Sam Haughton and Hannah Brodie (pictured above), of Auckland’s furniture design and manufacturing firm IMO Group, have recently launched KXN Standard: a modular version of IMO’s popular bespoke kitchen range KXN. We spoke to the couple about the impetus for the move. KXN has been very successful for you. What made you want to change a formula that was already working? It was not so much changing the formula as it was adding a lower-cost offering. Modularity is impossible without some level of standardisation – we’ve done our 10,000 hours now so we know what truly works. Design doesn’t have to be expensive or elitist; it just has to be of good quality and be accessible. What kinds of conversations were had when you were thinking about KXN Standard’s modular design? The mass-production advantages of standardisation are a reduction in labour in the process and materials in the product, which equal less cost. It may not suit every need but the building process has become inefficient and costly – standardisation requires compromise. We distilled the must-haves from KXN Bespoke into a standard offering so there are options that work for most with a little concession. The conversation often centred around changing the mindset of wanting a kitchen being tailor-made to fit a space. Though they’re not ‘built in’, the free-standing furniture elements still deliver an elegant and refined aesthetic. Also, many people are not sure about what they want. Sometimes, giving them fewer options makes the process easier. imo.co.nz
BRICK BAY FOLLY The Wood Pavilion, winner of this year’s Brick Bay Folly (sponsored by Naylor Love and Resene), is a commendable example of the saying ‘form follows function’. Much like any folly, this stunning construction exists for no purpose other than to be admired for its proud ornament. Created by Leo Zhu, Dorien Viliamu, Daniel Fennell and Wenhan Ji – first-year master’s students at the University of Auckland’s School of Architecture and Planning – the structure, made of 419 pieces of stained wood, spans out like a handheld fan, whose creases are being given room to breathe. That it is also a kind of shelter seems, to us, a minor detail. (Photography by Sam Hartnett.) brickbaysculpture.co.nz
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Make it yours ! USM conveys the timelessness of thoughtful reduction: subtle colours, structured space, classic design – unobtrusively elegant.
www.usm.com Available at ECC – ecc.co.nz Auckland 39 Nugent St. Grafton 1023, 09 379 9680 Wellington 61 Thorndon Quay, Pipitea 6021, 04 473 3456 info@ecc.co.nz
Shorts 01
Things to do These events are layered with spring spirit and some serious musical melody.
EVENTS
VOGEL STREET PARTY 12 October / Dunedin After a year’s postponement, this buzzy South Island street party in the ever-sopromising Warehouse Precinct is back with a new theme – Dunedin Icons – and a fresh selection of events, activities, entertainment and feel-good food to reignite its former flame. vogelstparty.nz
JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL
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11 October–22 November / Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch Enjoy Japanese cinema with free-admission screenings of Keigo Higashino’s detective novels-turned-Fukuzawa-thriller The Crimes That Bind, Masaaki Yuasa’s animated adventure fantasy Lu Over the Wall, Takahisa Zeze’s teary romance The 8-year Engagement, Toshiyuki Teruya’s bone-centred Born Bone Born (image 3), Kenji Katagiri’s ghostly Room Laundering and Katsuhide Motoki’s corporate drama Recall. bit.ly/2m5H1sG
HOBBITON BEER FESTIVAL 26 October and 2 November / Matamata
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FROM DENMARK WITH LOVE 26 October 2019–2 February 2020 / Auckland The southernmost Scandinavian country will soon be but a step away with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Ta-maki’s upcoming exhibition Denmark Design. Curated by Designmuseum Danmark and Michael and Mariko Whiteway, it will feature more than 200 objects spanning furniture, graphic design, ceramics and more. Pieces by the ‘godfathers’ of contemporary Danish furniture – Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner, among others – are, of course, amongst this list, as are works by the prolific names Nanna Ditzel, Ursula Munch-Petersen and Verner Panton. But the exhibition won’t just be about icons; the approaches, processes and “materials, economics, environment and society”, according to the gallery, that have given shape to these masterworks, and the developments in Danish design from the 19th century (particularly post-World War II) onwards, are poised to take the stage too. aucklandartgallery.com
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MELODY MAKERS (EDITOR’S PICK)
YO-YO MA 12 November / Christchurch Well known for his Silkroad Ensemble and for collaborations across musical styles (e.g. with Bobby McFerrin), acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma (image 1) is bound for his first-ever New Zealand tour. He will be bringing The Bach Project: a marathonic performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Six Suites for solo cello. As an added bonus, the concert will take place in the new Warren and Mahoney-renovated Christchurch Town Hall, which offers a fitting architectural backdrop on which to project your daydreams between virtuoso cello chords. bach.yo-yoma.com
BLACKBIRD ENSEMBLE 17 October–24 November / Wellington, Hamilton, Hawke’s Bay If your tastes lean more towards the alternative, indie and, at points, otherworldly sounds of soulful, Icelandic diva Björk… this one is for you. In All is Full of Love, classically based chamber orchestra The Blackbird Ensemble (image 2) with guest vocalists Anna Coddington, Mara TK and Priya Sami, present an evening of reinterpreted hits by Björk from her decades-long career. Following sold-out shows down south, the ensemble will play in various locations on the North Island for three sessions only. blackbirdensemble.wordpress.com
NZ TRIO 13–18 October / Auckland, Blenheim, Matakana
The idea of partying like a Hobbit might not be everyone’s cup of tea… hence, this one is beer infused. The fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson is explored through a fivehour beer festival running on two Saturdays. The event includes a dusk tour of the Hobbiton movie site before having a stein filled with your beverage of choice, listening to live music and indulging in German-inspired fare.
For the serious connoisseurs: the NZTrio will be touring Tectonic Impact, a concert based on the themes of ‘empire and superpowers’ and which forms part of the Tectonic series, exploring immigration, colonisation and the Cold War through music. Among the highlights are a new commission by Martin Lodge, which responds to the evolving Ma-ori–Pa-keha- relationship, and the ever-sochallenging Alfred Schnittke (USSR) Trio.
hobbitontours.com
nztrio.com
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Shorts
Urbis Drive Andrew Kerr savours new cars that combine benchmark performance and e∞ciency.
e FLAGSHIP FLIES AGAIN: Toyota GR Supra The Supra for the 21st century follows four models produced between the 1970s and the 1990s, and is the first car to be developed by Toyota’s in-house performance division, Gazoo Racing: hence, the GR initials in the full model name. The initials BMW also feature in the full background story because Toyota and BMW have shared resources to good effect in creating the brawny new Supra and new Z4 Roadster respectively. Beneath the Toyota bonnet badge sits a Munich-sourced straight-six, tuned for both high performance and a unique character. The single-turbo 3.0-litre makes the Supra big on outright acceleration and complements the old-school driving charm of a potent frontengined, rear-driven two-door with a shortish wheelbase and wide track. The mandatory eight-speed ZF auto makes a strong case for itself because peak torque of 500Nm is accessed easily in any gear from just 1600rpm. There are only two drive modes – Normal and Sport. There’s no hybridisation with the Supra’s exterior styling, which excites and even intimidates at a standstill. The long bonnet blends with a very small glasshouse, doublebubble roof, voluptuous sweeping haunches and a heavily structured rear end. Note the small ducktail spoiler that bridges a pair of jutting tail lights and blends with vents to form boomerang shapes. A real statement car with a cherished nameplate, the Supra should be both easy to live with and easy to drive with gusto.
STAR SALOON QUALITY: Mercedes-Benz A-Class f Further diversification in the Mercedes-Benz range has seen the arrival of the stylish A-Class saloon, which should build on the success of the popular hatchback. The saloon is 130mm longer in overall length but shares the hatchback’s wheelbase, driving attributes and raft of equipment, including the sophisticated MBUX infotainment system. MBUX incorporates outstanding graphics, a voice command system and AI for learning driver habits and suggesting dynamic shortcuts. Other cabin highlights are superb front seats, high-grade materials throughout and very good access to the rear seating. A clincher for some will be the handsome body shape (it sets a new passenger-car benchmark for aerodynamic efficiency) and the versatility of a 430-litre boot with a low loading lip. Best bet is the A200 variant with a 1332cc fourcylinder turbo (120kW/250Nm; 5.7L/100km) and seven-speed auto, priced from $62,900.
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PREMIUM ELECTRIC SUV: Audi e-tron f Audi’s long-awaited e-tron has enjoyed a lengthy gestation period, the benefits of which are immediately felt in this classy, limo-like SUV with its ultra-modern blueprint. Overall size is a little shy of Audi’s biggest SUVs, the Q7 and Q8, while a lower, sleeker roof line hints at extra sportiness and efficiency. The e-tron delivers both in earnest with an emissions-free range of more than 400km, thanks to a 95kWh battery powering a motor on each driven axle. Ease the leather-padded power lever into D and you’re swiftly and silently under way in a double-glazed, acoustic cocoon. Thereafter, you glide on with a feather touch of throttle, the e-tron effortlessly maintaining open-road momentum despite a hefty 2490kg kerb weight. Our initial drive from Queenstown to Clyde Dam via the Kawarau Gorge and rugged Hawksburn Road connected the e-tron to one of New Zealand’s largest renewable energy sources. A subsequent hill climb to the Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds led to the first zero-emissions ice driving experience below the Equator. Some introduction! Behind the wheel, there’s a sense of normality in the way the car operates. Sporting attributes stem from the low centre of gravity, 50:50 weight distribution and the features of the latest quattro system. The latter reacts 50 times faster than previous systems did and really came to the fore during ice-driving exercises at high altitude. While the e-tron shape is very nicely proportioned, the fundamental design language fits the ‘electrical age’: there are distinctive new alloy wheel designs and a unique treatment of Audi’s signature louvred grille, and seat stitching patterns resemble an electrical circuit. A charging port is integrated into both front guards and a wedge between each door sill and the lower body side points to where the battery pack resides. Optional virtual side mirrors are a productioncar first that reduce the vehicle’s drag coefficient. They use cameras to project crisp footage onto door panel-mounted screens. Riding on air suspension with variable ride height, the wind-cheating e-tron always feels swift and stable, but the absolute highlight upon first acquaintance was the impeccable refinement, perhaps the most coveted quality in any wellrounded luxury car. Few car cabins support easy
conversation on almost any road surface. An eight-second window of ‘boost mode’ makes the e-tron a fast sprinter but more meaningful are outstanding aerodynamics and meticulous energy management. Braking and coasting recuperation alone can contribute 30 per cent to overall range. Audi expects 85 per cent of charging will be done at home, typically overnight, via a 7kW dedicated wallbox. The rest is largely up to the nationwide ChargeNet NZ network in which the benchmark 50kW DC charging rate will deliver 400km of range in roughly two hours. This inaugural effort represents the start of an Audi EV offensive in which 12 models will be launched by 2025. By this time, one in three Audis will be fully electric. Expect an e-tron Sportback variant to arrive here next year followed by the storming, seductive-looking e-tron GT, which promises supercar performance and greater chargeability to boot.
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ITALIAN ADRENALINE RUSH: Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio f Perhaps Alfa’s main achievement with this super-hot Stelvio is that it’s so fast, feelsome and well balanced that it can easily fool you into forgetting it’s a full-sized SUV. That’s how absorbing it is to drive quickly on any remotely interesting stretch of road. It might stand on tiptoes and weigh 250kg more than the Giulia saloon does, despite plenty of aluminium parts and panels, but its suspension, electronic systems and weight distribution mean it copes unbelievably well. Always bristling with energy, the twin-turbo V6 delivers a punch of Joseph Parker intensity complemented by a stirring soundtrack and the security of Alfa’s Q4 fourwheel drive. This system expertly transfers up to half the torque to the front axle when things get slippery. The biggest initial clue that you’re piloting something special is steering that is lively, direct and very quick. You can tweak its feel with the rotary dial that electronically adjusts drive modes. Of the four settings, the two you’ll use most frequently are N (Natural) and D (Dynamic) with Race best employed at the track. Cabin highlights include heavily bolstered leather/ alcantara seats that are well shaped and remain comfortable over distance. Elsewhere, carbon inserts combine with black leather and red stitching, and a measured array of chrome or aluminium elements. And the small-diameter steering wheel is a work of art for combining all of the above materials, plus the brilliant functionality of a bright-red, full-noise starter button.
2891cc V6 turbo 375kW (503bhp) 600Nm from 2500rpm 8-speed auto Four-wheel drive Weight: 1830kg Length: 4.64m 0–100km/h: 3.8 secs 20-inch alloy 10.2L/100km From $144,990 22
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Living without boundaries New spatial concepts define use by their function and their possibilities. Intelligent Hettich fitting and hardware technology allows for endless design options. Living, cooking and eating; do it with exibility and convenience!
www.hettich.co.nz
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Mineral springs Roman and Japanese bathhouses, balnearios from the Iberian Peninsula: all had roles in inspiring this playfulyet-luscious selection of spa-like objects and textures. ART DIRECTION THOMAS CANNINGS PHOTOGRAPHY TOAKI OKANO
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From left. Japanese Metal Lunch Box $65, everyday-needs.com; Kukui and White Kaolin Clay Soap by Sphaera $26, everyday-needs.com; Large Rock Candle Holder from set of five by Tom Dixon $518, simonjames.co.nz and ecc.co.nz; Shaving Brush by Aēsop $63, aesop.com; Cork Soap Dish by Iris Hantverk $35, everyday-needs.com; Rock Weight by Tom Dixon $370, simonjames.co.nz and ecc.co.nz; Nail Brush by Iris Hantverk $28, everyday-needs.com; Foldable Pocket Comb by Kent $19, paperplanestore.com; Ylang Ylang + French Clay Bath Salts by Salt $32, paperplanestore.com; Background: Corian Smoke Drift Prima (wall) corian.co.nz; Fenix 5003 Oro Cortez (base) fenix.co.nz
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From left. Short Stackable Mug in French Khaki by Gidon Bing $48, everyday-needs.com; Bath Time Baby Bath Salts set of five by Salt $39, paperplanestore.com; Japanese House Slippers $45, everyday-needs.com; Brass Oil Burner by Aēsop $215, aesop.com; Jade Face Roller by Salt $39, paperplanestore.com; Large Rock Candle Holder from set of five by Tom Dixon $518, simonjames.co.nz and ecc.co.nz; Kawakawa Activated Charcoal Soap by Sphaera $26, everyday-needs.com; John Edgar, Bowl $1250, masterworksgallery.co.nz; Background: Fenix 0750 Verde Comodoro (wall) fenix.co.nz; Corian Dune Prima (base) corian.co.nz
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From left. Christina Rivett, Vorsa, 2017 $2500, masterworksgallery.co.nz; Double-Edge Razor by Aēsop $130, aesop.com; Japanese Nail Clippers $45, everyday-needs.com; Anouk Oil Burner Blend by Aēsop $40, aesop.com; Sans Baobab Body + Hand Repair Cream by Sans [ceuticals] $44, paperplanestore.com; Chrome O Mirror by Minimalux $685, simonjames.co.nz and ecc.co.nz; Large Rock Candle Holder from set of five by Tom Dixon $518, simonjames.co.nz and ecc.co.nz; Background: Corian Domino Terrazzo (wall) corian.co.nz; Fenix 5001 Argento Dukat (base) fenix.co.nz
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From left. Black Marble Pepe Mirror by Menu $1130, simonjames.co.nz; Brass Dish by Minimalux $280, simonjames.co.nz; Hay Toothbrush in yellow $16, everyday-needs.com; Tall Stackable Mug in white by Gidon Bing $55, everyday-needs.com; Rose Soak Cleanse by Salt $32, paperplanestore.com; The Ritual Oil Diffuser by Bodha $32, tessuti.co.nz; Botanical Facial Serum $44, paperplanestore.com; Emma Camden, Folded II, $1250, masterworksgallery.co.nz; Vetyver Bergamot Hand Cream by Ingrid Starnes $49, paperplanestore.com; Background: Fenix 0754 Blu Fes (wall) fenix.co.nz; Corian Basalt Terrazzo (base) corian.co.nz
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Al fresco Cool spring breezes from Northern Italy flow seamlesly over to Spain, carrying with them the seeds and scents that inspired this fresh, green trend.
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GET THE LOOK ON YOUR WALLS
Apparent even in the smallest stitch, a tradition of well-honed craftsmanship cannot be imitated or rushed. 09
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Resene Rococo™
Resene Mother Nature™
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SPECIAL REPORT
Kitchens & Bathrooms
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Kitchens + Bathrooms
The kitchen is a tessellation of purpose: cooking, eating, socialising. It is also a series of creative fancies. We arrange this room as we would a mosaic, neatly determining which parts don’t fit our tastes and inserting pieces that do. The same goes for our bathrooms. In the end, we want these rooms to straddle both worlds. Throughout this supplement, you’ll find rooms that follow this as if it’s holy writ. They are smartly dressed, self-assured and, in spirit, a bit zesty. They are capable of throwing flavourful punches and leaving bracing aftertastes (in the best ways possible) or of stepping forward with practical – if figurative – heads on their shoulders. The trends they reflect are, in a way, totemic guidelines, representative of collective tastes that have been shaped and reshaped to suit their contexts. There are some projects created for unknown tenants and numerous designed for specific individuals, and all of them represent a turn in thought: What now fills our domestic reverie? Here, the answer begins with no-fuss austerity and a swig of holiday-mode attitude, and ends with
concrete in surplus, constituting a panorama of the ways – and directions – in which the kitchen and the bathroom are stepping. In between, the mood is almost celebratory; some designs are daring to break the rules, others are facilitating movement or involved in a synchronised dance, and a few brush past with scents of fig and ambergris. Our advice: mix with them, mingle with them, and momentarily borrow the reading habit of British chef Jeremy Lee. His opinion is that you should position yourself “at home, surrounded by piles of this, that and the other” with a finger “tap-tap-tapping at a recipe on a page”. The following pages are guidelines, but they are also advice for preparing particular, stylish dishes. Supplement editor – Julia Gessler
Cover images. Tipic’s Tulèr Kitchen for Offmat, photographer Max Rommel. K House by Aim Architecture and Norm Architects, photographers Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Noah Sheldon. This page. Caroline House by Kennedy Nolan, photographer Derek Swalwell.
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Refuge in stone In the worlds of architecture and interiors, skincare company Ae-sop is renowned for in-depth collaborations and oasis-like mood-making. Urbis attended the opening of its Sydney Pitt Street Mall branch to discover what makes this space work. Words Federico Monsalve
The store’s façade – composed of rhythmic, highly textured, vertical grooves, bush-hammered into granite – is imposing and restrained in equal measure. Set amongst the glass-clad, mannequin-dotted frontages of Australia’s busiest retail street, Pitt Street Mall, Ae-sop’s latest branch stands out through grey-covered subtlety and a permanence that is refreshing in its context. “Coming to Pitt Street for the first time… understanding its demographic, and constant motion and rush of people, led us to counteract that,” says Peter Girgis, senior interior architect at Snøhetta, the Norwegian firm tasked with the design of this 250m2 store. “How do you suggest something physically and conceptually to stop somebody?” he asks, referring to techniques aimed at grabbing the attention of the more than 30,000 pedestrians who are said to walk through Pitt Street on a yearly basis. The answer to this came partly from French installation artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who, 50 years ago, almost to the day, used 93,000m2 of fabric to wrap the jagged coastal cliffs at Little Bay, a mere 17km away. Using ropes and erosion-control fabric, the artists directed a troupe of rock climbers to cover 2.4km of beachfront sandstone cliffs. The result was striking: a temporary architectural move that artificially highlighted and reinterpreted the simple verticality of this natural setting.
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“It is about strong ideas and using a fairly limited palette of materials in any one location, but it is also about being creative with those materials.”
“It was about starting with an idea,” says Denise Neri, architectural manager for Ae-sop, “and bringing nature and ruggedness into a store. It was about providing something… beautiful and, for that, we wrapped the inside of a store with stone. It is strong and handsome, with undulating rhythm in the different tectonic plates.” Past the store’s strong façade and the semi-hidden automatic doors, there is a secondary wall of similar materiality that forces customers to turn 90 degrees to the left, into a dimly lit area full of light-absorbing surfaces. Girgis calls this simple architectural gesture, which signals a different mood and tempo, a “decompression zone”: a drastic-yet-welcomed shift from Pitt Street’s usual pace. To enhance the feeling of refuge further, gentle tunes and the recognisable aromas of the products being sold suffuse the space. There is an overarching simplicity at play here. “We strip away a lot of extraneous detail,” says Neri of Ae-sop’s architectural signature. “It is about strong ideas and using a fairly limited palette of materials in any one location but it is also about being creative with those materials.” Stainless steel and granite dominate the elongated and transparent space. Although the material and colour selection meant there was always a danger of making a dark, cold cave, each material has been used in different iterations for different zones and is lit theatrically to enhance the soulful feel of the interior. “There is leather granite near the sinks and honed surfaces near the amphitheatre,” says Girgis, explaining how domesticity and performance were also driving themes for seeking “different sensations and textures” here. “We try to create meaningful spaces that will stand the test of time,” he continues. “That attitude creates a resilience in our very temporary and disposable society.” Urbis travelled to Sydney courtesy of Ae-sop.
These pages. Strong geometries sculpted and bush hammered from granite form the façade. The soothing interior uses very minimal material and colour palettes but each has been interpreted in a variety of forms. Denise Neri from Ae-sop and Peter Girgis from Snøhetta.
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Books Bookish hors d’oeuvres to see you through those peckish moments.
A Work in Progress: A Journal by René Redzepi, Phaidon, $50 The candour in René Redzepi’s journal-writing seems rare for a celebrity once called “the greatest chef on earth”. There’s no reticence; there are no rehearsed answers, no censored words. Instead, A Work in Progress reads as Redzepi’s way of tapping directly into the seasonal whirlpool of soul-stirring high points, anxieties and creative outputs that come with being the founder and head chef of Copenhagen restaurant Noma (four-time winner of the World’s Best Restaurant title), and processing them as he goes. The cumulative power of reading this – structured as a ‘year in the life’ – is the sense that you’ve stepped into a buzzy and surprisingly self-aware odyssey, and accrued a new kind of enthusiasm for food along the way; this is made stronger by the 20 Redzepi dishes and their recipes at the back of the book. That each one is nearunmakeable (think ingredients such as liquid nitrogen, black ants, periwinkles, mussel stock and plum kernels) seems unimportant when coming off such a passionate, if turbulent, wave.
Kitchen Living: Kitchen Interiors for Contemporary Homes edited by Tessa Pearson, Gestalten, $120 Those who can appreciate a good mood board will find inspiration in this handsome kitchen repository. So, too, will those looking for a resource on creating kitchens that go beyond ‘culinary utility’. Spanning budgets, sizes and geographies, the book’s many examples are laced with a pragmatic optimism that comes in cool swathes – a comprehensive guidebook for navigating the kitchen-as-living-space model.
Story on a Plate: The Delicate Art of Plating Dishes edited by Gestalten and written by Rebecca Flint Marx, Gestalten, $120
The Missoni Family Cookbook by Francesco Maccapani Missoni, Assouline, $85 Flagrant eccentricity, clashing homewares and an unpretentious air: this is cooking, Missoni-fied. Collated by Francesco Maccapani Missoni, son of fashion house Missoni’s creative director, Angela Missoni, it’s a tapestry of relaxed Italian home cooking and candid album pictures of a family that has long been the leading connoisseur of maximalist knitwear and pattern play. The recipes are simple (spinach and ricotta gnocchi, Piedmontese-style peaches and chocolate pudding are a few) and melt fittingly into an elaborate scrapbook-esque jumble of images and colour. For anyone who has ever wanted to pull up a chair to one of the family’s coveted dinner parties or join a multigenerational feast in the hills of Varese, this is sure to sate those desires.
Plating and painting are like-minded bedfellows. Where the former uses largely edible mediums, the latter uses largely non-edible mediums. In the end, the result is the same: art. Watching Story on a Plate turn its attention to the finicky showmanship of this toothsome, decorative approach feels like flipping through a polished archive of artworks that happen to be all about food. There’s tofu that looks like a 3D architectural model, beef tartare that resembles a forest floor in autumn and a dessert that’s comparable to Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs of lilies. Dotted with step-by-step how-tos, chef profiles and an illustrated guide to tools, the book dissects the wordless language of texture, colour, aroma, shape and spatial composition, deconstructing a codified system as one might physically break apart the elements of a dish.
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Technophile Robotics, artificial intelligence and web connectivity are coming to help you in the most-tiled rooms of your home. Primp your kitchen and bathroom with this crop of technological wonders. Words Dean Cornish
Kohler Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet Kohler promises that its new toilet is a ‘fully immersive experience’. And, whilst that might be more than you think you need from a techno-bowl, this intelligent toilet will certainly keep you entertained as you go about your daily business. The Numi 2.0 has ambient mood lighting and surround-sound speakers. It’s even equipped with Amazon Alexa voice controls – so, in theory, you can have a conversation with it. Add to this Kohler’s PureWarmth toilet seat and you have a throne fit for a king. Its streamlined, one-piece design is rather pleasing, as toilets go. The Numi 2.0 even keeps itself tidy, thanks to a built-in self-cleaning wand, precision air dryer and deodorising filter. And, yes, you can wave your hands at it, like some sort of bathroom magician, to make the lid open and close. Numi Intelligent Toilet – $11,100 ($14,250 in black) – kohler.com
Automatic Pan Stirrer with Timer Take the strain out of sauces and soufflés. Remove the repetitious rotation from risottos and ragù. Many great dishes take time and attention – but this robot can save you hours, and elbow grease, by stirring the pot or pan for you. The RoboStir has three silicone feet – meaning it won’t damage the surfaces of your cookware. It runs on AA batteries and will stir for you for up to four hours. Just set the timer and free up your hands for the rest of that meal prep. As you’d expect, this unit is waterproof and completely submersible – and the price point makes it one of the cheapest robotic products on the market. RoboStir – $40 – uncommongoods.com
Kitchens + Bathrooms
GeniCan Smart Rubbish Management Look, we hate to break it to you but your rubbish right now is so analogue. Luckily, the GeniCan exists to help digitise your trash. This smart little scanner attaches to the side of any rectangular rubbish bin and allows you to scan the barcodes of the products you’re throwing away. GeniCan then sends the information to its accompanying smartphone app – so you have a complete inventory of items to buy next time you go to the store. Advanced users can set up the GeniCan to order groceries automatically from online delivery services as well. This nifty little trash add-on also has voice recognition so you can add products without barcodes – and, it communicates with your smartphone via WiFi. GeniCan can also detect when your rubbish bin is nearly full – and will automatically text a nominated member of the household to tell them to ‘take out the trash’. This is the most fun you can have with your junk, surely. GeniCan – $240 – genican.com
Savvy Smart Mirror It makes sense to have a smart home hub in your bathroom, given it’s where most people start their days. Electric Mirror’s Savvy Smart Mirror is basically a large-scale android device on top of a regular mirror. Its 22-inch touchscreen can allow you to view your home’s security cameras, as well as control smart thermostats, lights, window coverings and robotic vacuum cleaners. There are other types of tablet functionality, such as access to weather, diary and web browsers. You can also navigate to the Google Play store for additional apps via the touchscreen. We’re a little concerned about fingerprints on the mirror but that’s life on the ‘bleeding edge’ of technology for you. When the device is switched off, it presents as a regular mirror, with an LED lighting system around the bezel to illuminate you in the most flattering light possible… you hightech consumer you. Savvy Smart Mirror – from $3200 – electricmirror.com
PicoBrew Pico Model C Picobrew systems take most of the smell, mess and guesswork out of making beer at home. The Pico C is our pick of the bunch – as it’s attractive enough to feature on any kitchen benchtop and precisely automates the brewing process. It’s perfect for novice home brewers. This brewery-in-a-box is controllable over WiFi and delivers five litres of craft beer per load. You can either use your own locally sourced hops or pick from a catalogue of brew packs designed by award-winning brew masters from around the world – delivered in self-contained PicoPaks. On top of that, you can even design your own custom PicoPaks using the PicoBrew app. PicoBrew Model C – $675 – five-litre PicoPaks – from $40 – picobrew.com
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Kitchen Trends
01 These pages. 01, 02 / Vilnius apartment by Aketuri Architektai, photographer Norbert Tukaj. 03, 04, 05 / Footscray apartment by BoardGrove Architects, photographer Haydn Cattach.
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The no-frills approach to design has experienced a continued resurgence, morphing through various guises over the course of its austere trajectory. Of late, laidback untroubledness is in vogue. This is about spending time away from the decoration menagerie but with a holiday-mode attitude: dialled-down intensity and an appreciation for quiet moments. Pastel-pink paint on laser-cut steel brings a touch of bubble-gum fun into this Footscray kitchen (left and facing page, above right and below) by BoardGrove Architects. A solid Corian bench, concealed Asko appliances and Inax Japanese tiles make up the rest of this sweet, muted symphony. Despite its almost cartoonlike look, calling it cartoonish feels slanderous in the face of such undeniable elegance. Lithuanian firm Aketuri Architektai had a vision of creating a space that was “calm, pure and free of unnecessary details” for their Vilnius-born apartment (above and facing page, above left). Bookended by raw concrete and some surprisingly tame terrazzo, the result is character without ostentation.
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... laid-back untroubledness is in vogue. This is about spending time away from the decoration menagerie but with a holiday-mode attitude: dialled-down intensity and an appreciation for the quiet moments. 04
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Kitchen Trends
Pieces of mind The clarion call to live smarter is as much a part of the conversations on the ways in which we should be designing kitchens as it is a part of water-cooler talk. And it’s taken a compelling turn; we’ve seen a steady blossoming of ideas powered by people who recognise the potential in layouts, solutions and materials. Shiny gadgets are, by their very nature, on a micro level. Here, we’re talking macro. ‘Functional zoning’ in a renovation by Belarusbased Third Wave Architects dictated that they eschew the kitchen island. Yet, what this space (below left and facing page, above) lacks in benchtop and central storage space, it makes up for in casual seating and stained floor-to-ceiling cabinetry. Considered additions, such as a sleek little rangehood, hint at the firm’s desire to introduce ‘architectural grammar’ – or balance – to the interior’s heart. Comprising three 20-foot shipping containers held up by stilts, this getaway spot (facing page, below) on the edge of the Wye River, Victoria, has had clever decisions made on every account. Its kitchen,
constructed with marine-grade plywood, features an angular twist that seems entirely befitting of the home’s perceptible difference. A similarly considered approach was applied to this space-saving design (below right) by Batiik Studio. What’s more impressive than the kitchen’s circular geometries is the fact that one section pulls out in popup-book style to become a table. For this busy Airbnb listing in Paris’ 10th arrondissement, it is all part of the allure for guests who love a bijou residence.
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... we’ve seen a steady blossoming of ideas powered by people who recognise the potential in layouts, solutions and materials.
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These pages. 01, 03 / Minsk apartment by Third Wave Architects, photographer Alexandra Kononchenko. 02 / Marie-JosĂŠphine apartment by Batiik Studio, photographer Bertrand Fompeyrine. 04 / House 28 by Studio Edwards, photographer Tony Gorsevski.
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Kitchen Trends
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Round off The cylinder has recently strolled into kitchens with the kind of ease one might expect from the circle’s tall cousin. While these rooms may not be characterised strictly by pillar-like forms, they are swimming in subtle curves and lines, more bent than straight. Sydney-based design collective Amber Road created an island-meets-sculpture (facing page, below) that effortlessly belies the size constraints of this moody ‘gentleman’s residence in the sky’. The bench, which loosely resembles Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands hotel, has a simple, two-pronged base that reaps the benefits of free shape, appearing as though it is floating against a backdrop of ochre and black. For the owner – a self-professed art collector-entertainer, whose pink glasses are said to have inspired the choice of blush-like terrazzo in another room – it facilitates movement without compromising on valuable aesthetics or obstructing the apartment’s only access point to its balcony. It is also decidedly suave. First appearances tell us that Kennedy Nolan’s alteration of a Melbourne Edwardian home (above, left, and facing page, above) is of the same ilk. Yet, beneath the kitchen’s cream palette is a brief of a different order: to make the cooking space passive. Here, gentle curves enact the real-life version of a fade-out. Harsh, loud angles retire to the back with the rest of the glazed baguette tiles, which continue over rangehood tubes. These, too, are softened, evolving from being a utilitarian appliance into sinuous wall art.
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These pages. 01, 02, 03 / Caroline House by Kennedy Nolan, photographer Derek Swalwell. 04 / 1906 apartment by Amber Road, photographer Felix Forest, stylist Alicia Sciberras.
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While these rooms may not be characterised strictly by pillar-like forms, they are swimming in subtle curves and lines, more bent than straight. 04
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Kitchen Trends
Luxury green It is a bit of poetic licence, but we are naming this trend after a perfume! Salvador Dalí’s masculine fragrance Luxury Green, launched by the surrealist’s namesake label in 2005, seems to be a prescient, elemental distillation of this interior trend: fragrant, bitter, undisciplined green. The scent’s facets of fig and ambergris are reflective of both the surrealist’s and our kitchen trend’s knack for sensational contrasts in colour and materiality. Spanning four storeys in one of architect William M. Miller’s Romanesque- and Neo Renaissance-inspired buildings is a townhouse with a kitchen (facing page, below) that was designed to go against its historical frame. Created by New York studio GRT Architects, it includes a Forbo Marmoleum island-top and brass pulls that are encrusted on laminate cabinets like delicate filigree. Despite the mandate to sever ties with its heritage, the Brooklyn townhouse, peppered with stainless steel and plywood, speaks explicitly of a mature ornateness, perhaps with regal, art deco roots. In one of four apartments in a 1930s’ North Bondi block is a kitchen (below) that, similarly, retains the essence of its shell. Sydney-based interior design studio Arent&Pyke opted for Shaker-style cabinetry, brass pulls and integrated, understated appliances, such as a sleek, black Fisher & Paykel oven. The result – part galley, part style moderne – is a simple palette amid grandeur.
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Salvador Dalí’s masculine fragrance... seems to be a prescient, elemental distillation of... fragrant, bitter, undisciplined green.
Where GRT Architects and Arent&Pyke opted for audacity, Note Design Studio took to subtlety. Charged with designing the interior for Glommen & Lindberg’s Mono apartments (facing page, above), the Stockholm firm was resolute about two things: its aversion to white (with the exception of billowy light fixtures above dining tables) and its push for a style more continental than Scandinavian. The rooms, for these reasons, are anchored to grey-green and light pink, though you’d do well to double-take – there’s a casual elusiveness to this pairing. A bit, perhaps, like fig and ambergris? You be the judge.
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These pages. 01, 02 / Art deco apartment by Arent&Pyke, photographer Kat Lu. 03 / Mono apartment by Note Design Studio, photographer Henrik Nero. 04 / Prospect Lefferts Gardens Townhouse by GRT Architects, photographer Nicole Franzen, stylist Jill Galarneau.
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Kitchens + Bathrooms
Rooms for ritual Australian architecture firm Hecker Guthrie is best known for its fresh, relaxed yet highly crafted aesthetic. We spoke to its co-director, Hamish Guthrie, about how these principles are used when designing kitchens and bathrooms. Words Leanne Amodeo / Photography Shannon McGrath
How would you describe the Hecker Guthrie style? Our aesthetic isn’t something built out of a particular visual approach or fashionable design response. It’s more born from the principles we hold true as a studio – consideration, authenticity and enthusiasm. Our projects are always well researched in terms of concept and historical design references. We’re not a studio that tries to reinvent the wheel but we do contextualise our work as a contemporary interpretation of these references. There’s also a strong sense of natural materiality in all we do, as well as an engagement with craft, which makes for a relaxed aesthetic. Beyond that, our designs are produced out of a sense of appropriateness for the architectural framework in which we’re working, the client’s brief and a sense of unexpected joy. What are Hecker Guthrie’s strengths in kitchen and bathroom design? I’d say they are identifying the specific design opportunities that allow us to explore these spaces. With kitchens and bathrooms, there are specific rituals around the ways each is used and our challenge is to elevate those experiences so they become less mundane and more extraordinary. We strive to create something unique at every point. How did you arrive at the material and colour palettes for South Yarra Residence’s kitchen? We always try to create an experience and colour is an inherent part of that. South Yarra Residence’s kitchen doesn’t receive an abundance of natural light so we created a lighter palette to give the impression that it does. The addition is contemporary and fresh, and both palettes add elements of surprise and fun to it. How important is the incorporation of natural light in your residential projects? Natural light is important but it’s not the be all and end all. As interior designers, we often have to create a thoughtful space that has no natural light; the issue then is how we actually do that. If a space is heavily reliant on just natural sunlight or a view, then it feels like we haven’t done our job. We have to transcend those aspects to a degree and so our general approach is to break down an interior with framed views or a more articulated introduction of natural light. In this way, we can give people experiencing the space more control over their individual experiences of the space.
Kitchens + Bathrooms
How does your use of the grid as a design motif and spatial arbiter determine Hecker Guthrie’s kitchen and bathroom designs? We have a rigorous foundation upon which our design principles are built and, from there, we can explore possibilities and create a point of difference. If you want to do something unexpected, you have to have a framework to break away from. And, in this respect, we like using datums because, not only does that give our work rigour, it also offers a starting point for disrupting the traditional rules of proportion. How did the art deco origins of the Toorak Residence inspire the home’s kitchen and bathroom designs? It’s always about appropriateness and trying to find those threads in an existing building that can give us cues for the design’s expression. The threads that provide context are key and, with this house, it was its art deco origins. We didn’t simply replicate what went before though; rather, we tried to create a contemporary living experience and interior that sits comfortably within the context of its origins. What was the challenge in using an on-trend material like terrazzo in the bathroom of The Farmhouse? When it’s being used purely as a fashion item then, like everything else, it goes in and out of fashion. But if it’s appropriate to the application, then it will work. It’s like colour in that regard; there’s no right or wrong, only an appropriateness. But today’s use of terrazzo is also a contemporary reference to a particular architectural style, so why shouldn’t it be popular again? As a studio, we’re well aware it’s currently being used everywhere but we didn’t want to fall into the trap of not using it because it’s popular.
It works both ways. Why should you discount yourself from doing certain things because they’re on trend or fashionable? We’re trying to find a balance between appropriateness and relevance. In The Farmhouse’s bathroom, we’ve used it in a way that’s not so of-themoment that it will date quickly; however, it’s also not so close to its origins that it ends up being a pastiche. What do you think the big trends in kitchens and bathrooms will be for 2020? Bathrooms and kitchens will transcend their utilitarian aspects and we’ll start seeing kitchens that don’t look purely like kitchens and bathrooms that don’t look purely like bathrooms. This is just like the traditional European model that repurposes any room in the house to accommodate the rituals of cooking and bathing, without necessarily giving the space an aesthetic that makes it look different from the rest of the house. We’re currently looking at kitchens that are like pieces of furniture; essentially, each is a freestanding gesture, which can be plugged in and which works in much the same way as a bed in the bedroom does. It’s about ‘de-tuning’ that clear distinction between the kitchen and the rest of house. This plays into a particular sensibility where people don’t aspire to home-ownership. But, just because that’s the case, it shouldn’t preclude them from having a beautiful island bench or custom vanity basin. You’re not necessarily going to invest a lot of money into a bathroom, if you don’t own the property, but you can invest in objects you can take with you. This changes the conversation and certainly encourages manufacturers to look at these spaces as free-standing objects that accompany people as they move from house to house or that can be repurposed down the track. heckerguthrie.com
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Facing page. Paul Hecker (left) and Hamish Guthrie. The bathroom and kitchen of Toorak Residence by Hecker Guthrie. This page. The kitchen and dining room in Hecker Guthrie’s Prahran Residence. A bathroom in Hecker Guthrie’s South Yarra Residence.
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Fine art Concerns about their general lack of waterproofing aside, there’s something appealing about artworks receiving their share of the steam. Maybe it’s because, in these small alcoves, we’re no longer seeing them from a distance or being shrouded by a gallery’s rules. Or perhaps the reason lies in their sheer brazenness – their ability to become part of a world for which they were, quite likely, not intended. Whatever the reason, they do seem incredibly fitting. In a New South Wales home (below right) with an interior by Penman Brown, a sculpture of a fragmented torso by Thomas Bucich, made of carved onyx and perched on a wooden base, sits near the edge of a floating marble vanity in one of the home’s bathrooms, as if teasing both the tiles below and its immediate understructure. Though the tiles are only stone replicas (S Tones Quarz from Di Lorenzo), the balance between these solid and fragile forms is a perfect example of how a designer can achieve spatial harmony in a room without much space. In a way, the combination recalls a controlled, synchronised dance – one that has been tempered with Brodware Yokato tapware, handmade Moroccan wall tiles and Alteration History Dance III, a pigment print by Gemma Avery. It’s delicate, mature and entirely chic.
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Concerns about their general lack of waterproofing aside, there’s something appealing about artworks receiving their share of the steam.
Moscow-based Shkaf Architects’ near-futuristic bathroom (below left and facing page), created for a Russian television programme on the reconstruction of country houses, is a pastel swirl of varying, candied geometries. Custom-made boxes – one green, one pink – demarcate relaxation and storage zones, while a mirrored screen arcs to conceal the shower and toilet. The bathroom’s two wall hangings are where the room’s creative spirit reaches its crescendo.
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These pages. 01, 03, 04 / Country Answer house by Shkaf Architects, photographer Yuri Grishko. 02 / PaciďŹ c House by Penman Brown, photographer Felix Forest, stylist Claire Delmar.
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Bathroom Trends
Combine your favourite looks as you would with clothes: assuredly, and with forethought. Bonus points are yours if the end result is something completely uncategorisable.
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Hybrid
These pages. 01, 02, 04 / The Glasshouse by Nina Maya Interiors, photographer Felix Forest. 03 / 1906 apartment by Amber Road, photographer Felix Forest, stylist Alicia Sciberras.
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Much can be said for a room that eschews a singular style. There are few, often-unspoken guidelines to designing one, and clear definitions of the practice’s success are fewer still. But therein lies the fun. Combine your favourite looks as you would with clothes: assuredly, and with forethought. Bonus points are yours if the end result is something completely uncategorisable. Nina Maya Interiors’ The Glasshouse (left, above left, and facing page) joins the throng of spaces that have negotiated their places between art deco and ultramodern design. Symmetry and geometric motifs are framed by fluted glass in one of its four bathrooms and settle amongst marble. All of this kindles a sense of serenity, in which the two eras are inextricably caught. A vanity mirror, perched on a timber base above a tapered blade wall, sits mightily in the en suite of Amber Road’s 1906 apartment (above right). The reasons for its noble stature are as much to do with its being the highest object in the room as they are about what the mirror rules over: layers upon layers of hand-poured terrazzo. It’s a busy kingdom and one similar to how you might describe a fine wine: mature, complex and robust.
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Bathroom Trends
Strong case Raw concrete and its various faux alternatives readily walk a fine line between brutalism and resort-living in the tropics. The determining factor, at least in the bathroom, is what surrounds it. Fronds ooze unmatched tranquillity in a Balinese villa, while light-handed decoration says ‘functional architecture’ with a steely edge. Whichever your preference, vigilant styling – or non-styling – is key. Hawthorn House (below right and facing page above), by Melbourne architecture studio Edition Office, attests to the dynamic power of concrete. Its walls, built with huge, crescent-shaped cut-outs (what the firm calls “concrete shrouds”) form a kind of box that encloses the home. While this materiality continues in the bathroom pictured here, the severity that characterises the exterior is gone, replaced with a sense of calm, thanks to a generous helping of plants and wooden accents, and a curved wall. Softened, the room is punctuated not by showy displays but by whispers of luxury.
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Raw concrete and its various faux alternatives readily walk a fine line between brutalism and resort-living in the tropics.
Private courtyards offer a classic interpretation of the oft-repeated phrase ‘bringing the outside in’ when it comes to bathrooms – especially, as in the case of K House (below left and facing page below) by Aim Architecture and Danish studio Norm Architects, where there’s no wall dividing the two. For the home’s teak wood, polished terrazzo and polished cement, nature’s heady musk completes the sensory experience.
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These pages. 02, 03 / Hawthorn House by Edition OfďŹ ce, photographer Ben Hosking. 01, 04, 05 / K House by Aim Architecture and Norm Architects, photographers Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen and Noah Sheldon.
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These pages. 01 / Quinta da Baroneza House by Estúdio Penha, photographer Marcelo Magnani. 02 / Redfern Warehouse by Ian Moore Architects, photographer Rory Gardiner, stylist Tess Strelein.
Open house
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Exposed plumbing has the cool indifference of a polished, urban persona. To achieve this, it milks its strength: the surety that it’s not trying to be something it isn’t. To milk this, too, embrace its varying degrees. Accentuate the bathroom’s many working cogs with a maze-like fitting, or attenuate them by way of hero brassware. The ‘bare-all’ aesthetic – industrial, if a little shabby chic – needn’t necessarily bare all. Design studio Estúdio Penha has a penchant for networks of pipes and bulkhead lights. Perhaps nowhere is this style more perceptible than in its Quinta da Baroneza House (above), located in São Paulo. Combined with Ladrilar tiles in mint green, the result of its coiling copper is antiquarian and slightly serpentine. Another example is this bathroom in Redfern (left). More than a decorous, white-walled bubble hub, it emulates – in restraint, elegance and grit – the design ethos of its aggregate: a factory turned family home by Sydney-based Ian Moore Architects. Large maritime shower pipes and a scattering of flower-shaped knobs reduce the angular austerity of the space.
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SLIDE & HIDE
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Kitchens + Bathrooms
Imperial state of mind A sink, two seats, three white sculptures. Spread, in part, under arched nooks, the features of this bathroom by Emil Humbert and Christophe Poyet of Humbert & Poyet Architecture were influenced by the Palladian Villas of the Veneto: a collection of villas carved out in milk-coloured angles, full of grandeur, statues of gods and faded, frescoed rooms. It’s unapologetically neoclassical and, though recently exhibited in Paris, it could easily be transposed to any one of Renaissance man Andrea Palladio’s designs in the Italian World Heritage Site. The green marble bath-tub would echo the surrounding hillsides, the metallised and patinated scales of the arches would shine like manicured hedges, and the shower – enclosed by a brass wall that’s part shield, part birdcage – would fit with the golden drapes of the Villa Cornèr della Regina.
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Principal partners
Supporting partners
Curated by Designmuseum Danmark and Michael & Mariko Whiteway. The exhibition tour is coordinated by Brain Trust Inc., Tokyo.
Verner Panton Heart Cone Chair 1958 (designed), manufactured by Vitra, stainless steel, wool. Photograph Š Matsubara Yutaka
People
Inside Story We speak to Brady and Sarah Gibbons, directors of young, award-winning New Plymouth practice Gibbons Architects. P H OTO G R A P H Y T H E V I R T U E A N D S T R AT E G Y C O L L E C T I V E
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know your client, reading between the lines on their brief or sitting down with a plumber to discuss their thoughts on hot-water systems and piping, it all helps to shape the smooth delivery of a project. The directors of the practices I worked for were design influencers on a national scale. I learnt a lot about generating design ideas and how to present them to clients. Sarah: Working on high-end residential projects in Sydney has influenced my approach to design through rigorous process, starting with great space planning and application of concept through to the construction detailing. It’s the time and care taken to follow through to the smallest detail, which may not be at first obvious, that can give a residential project many layers of discovery and enjoyment to its inhabitants.
What sparked your move to New Plymouth? Starting our own family was a big factor. Sarah grew up in New Plymouth and her family is still here; we felt that their support would be amazing for us moving forward. Our home is now a five-minute walk into the CBD, where our studio is located in the vibrant West End Precinct, surrounded by great bars and cafés. We can be in the water for a surf within 10 minutes from home and on the snow in an hour! What has it been like establishing your architecture firm there? Hard work yet rewarding. When you start out, you don’t know what you don’t know. We were lucky enough to meet and work with some really great people, particularly local architect Ian Pritchard. He was instrumental in encouraging us to start our practice and now acts as a mentor to us. How do you think your firm has benefited from the location? New Plymouth has a great focus on arts and culture through the many 68
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galleries and festivals. We feel this energy crosses over into architecture. Our clients are generally well travelled, perhaps thanks to our relatively isolated location, and embrace more-interesting design solutions. Developers and builders alike have been keen to give us an opportunity as we approach the building process a little differently when compared with the ways of more-established practices. Also, location is not restrictive. Although based here, we have completed hospitality projects in Dunedin, Queenstown and Auckland. We are currently working on our third commission in Feilding and about to start a residence in Wellington. We also have a number of residences built in and on the drawing board for Blenheim. How has your time working overseas influenced your residential projects? Brady: The majority of my time working was spent in leadership and coordination roles on large projects. The key lesson learnt was relationship building. Whether it’s ‘really’ getting to
This page. (Above) Frenchinspired eatery Gover St. Bistro. (Below) Itch Wine Bar, located in West End Precinct. Facing page, clockwise from above. Pendarves House. Karina House. Brady and Sarah at work in their studio.
Tell us about your NZIA Western Architecture Award-winning house. [The Hamblyn House] is a concrete and cedar-clad family home that sits within the tight constraints of a small urban beachside site. The client’s objectives were primarily to make the most of the sea views while achieving a contemporary clean line aesthetic. It had to have a minimal and hardwearing material palette to respond to the harsh coastal environment. Operable louvre screens provide a perforated visual element to soften the bold forms. They also enable exterior spaces to be closed in during bad weather, filter light into the living spaces and provide privacy to the occupants. The level of detail that went into this project was challenging – designing the perforation patterns for the interior acoustic panels, the steel balustrades and the custom light fittings, and even designing the letterbox – but it was also a lot of fun.
People
What have been the advantages of running the firm as a couple? We have been together for 15 years and that means we can be brutally honest with each other. It’s also nice for our clients to see us as a couple and even a family. It may seem like a small point but, with Sarah being a director, we’ve found that it can make some clients more comfortable to engage with us. This also enables us to have masculine and feminine approaches to the design of spaces, and this is of real benefit to our projects. Tell us about your own home. As well as growing our practice, we are kept very busy with our growing children: a three-year-old and a oneyear-old! However, there are plans afoot to remove our house and build a new home in its place as we love the central location. We have started the concept design and it’s an interesting experience when we are the clients. We love to surround ourselves with quality, timeless items; Brady loves his IMO Baker stools. We also love the quality of the local artists and have started to collect a few paintings and prints from artists such as Michael Smither. Sarah has a passion for photography, and we enjoy being surrounded by her images of our travels and family. gibbonsarchitects.co.nz
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People
shopping malls and coffee cups, for clients from New York to Singapore. “I was able to design the magazine and do the illustrations,” she says. So far, the creative couple has published four issues, all self-funded. “It’s hard not being able to draw a wage because we still have to pay rent and feed ourselves,” says Holmes. “But it’s been important to us to pay our contributors.” While art and design have always been central to their lives – Holmes’ uncle is Canadian-based Kiwi artist Mark Holmes – Holmes admits he “ended up at design school only because a friend was going there”. “I didn’t even know what industrial design was. But I’m fascinated with good design so I loved the course from day one.” Brown, meanwhile, was drawn to a career in architecture after realising “there was no money in art”. But, after finishing her degree at Victoria University of Wellington and doing a year in an architecture practice, she decided it wasn’t where her future lay. The couple met while working part time for a Wellington cinema and, after living and working in a compact Mount Victoria apartment, say their lifestyle and design philosophies are a good fit. “We both follow the ‘less is more’ approach, not only in our lives but also in our work,” says Holmes. “But we’re also not afraid of colour,” adds Brown.
Paper logic Magazine publishers and lovers of all things analogue Bonnie Brown and Zack Holmes show us the objects they love. WORDS SHARON STEPHENSON / PHOTOGRAPHY VICTORIA BIRKINSHAW
CHANCES ARE GOOD THAT, IF YOU
Digital is obviously important but analogue is definitely becoming picture what a magazine publisher looks mainstream again.” like, you don’t summon the youthful Although the love for magazines image of Zack Holmes and Bonnie Brown. was there, the knowledge wasn’t; after But, earlier this year, the Wellingtoncompleting an industrial design degree, based life/business partners gambled Holmes spent four years working as a their life savings on starting Counter production manager for a print company. Journal, a quarterly independent “So, I understood how that side of it 120-page magazine that focuses on worked. But the rest we had to teach telling interesting stories about New ourselves – from how to find writers Zealanders to New Zealanders. and photographers and start a business “We’ve long been inspired by to things like how to sell advertising.” independent publications,” says Holmes It helped that Brown (24) had been (27). “There’s this whole swing back to analogue that fascinates us – vinyl records, working as an illustrator for advertising campaigns and magazines, even film photography, coffee-table books. 70
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Bonnie and Zack’s favourite things
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Notebooks We picked these up at MoMA during our month-long stay in Manhattan last year. Over time, they’ve been filled with dreams, ideas and random thoughts.
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Olympus Trip 35 Zack: This film camera was gifted to me by my grandfather. It had been sitting on his shelf with a stuck aperture for the past two decades. I restored and repaired it in an afternoon and have been shooting on it ever since. It takes the most beautiful, crisp photos.
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Penco tape dispenser Zack: The epitome of great, functional design, this timeless stationery staple was a gift from Bonnie around the time of our magazine launch. It has proven to be hugely important for packaging and whipping up our ever-changing mood boards.
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Blunt umbrella Bonnie: It was one of my first design projects to be recognised on a national scale, and the stories behind the design (i.e. important moments in our country’s history) were just as important as was the bold floral pattern.
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Hasami mug Zack: This was a gift to myself. Each day it holds my coffee (morning) and tea (night). I love the unfinished, rough texture which sets it apart, plus you really can’t beat the minimalist, clean Japanese design.
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Snake plant Bonnie: This was a gift from Zack and I’m shocked it’s still alive nearly five years later! I’m not good with plants but this one is thriving. A more romantic person than myself might say it’s a reflection of our relationship.
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Vintage school desk This was a weekend restoration project we undertook both for the challenge and to bring some nostalgia-inspired design into our home. It was proof that we can work (and really enjoy working) together, which we’ve been doing ever since.
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Yu Mei Braidy bag Bonnie: My first ‘big’ purchase after becoming selfemployed, it signified a special moment. I’m inspired by Yu Mei and love being able to support local, female-led businesses.
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Heirloom gold ring Zack: This old family ring is apparently made from gold recovered after the infamous 1866 Maungatapu murders. I gave it to Bonnie and it’s inscribed with ‘Mizpah’ meaning ‘watchtower’ in Hebrew: a traditional forget-menot given to a loved one during a period of long separation.
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An organised life These twin diaries [one of which is pictured] are essential for keeping our schedules and financial goals organised, and are the perfect size for taking to meetings. They’re stamped with our initials to tell them apart.
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Spaces
THE SOCIAL KITCHEN An Auckland home features impressive social spaces, which are anchored by a custom-made kitchen. Art and sculpture further cement the unique and colourful personality of this abode. For this and more houses, see the following pages.
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ELEMENTAL This home is at ease within the rugged nature of Queenstown’s Jack’s Point. W O R D S C A M I L L E K H O U R I / P H O T O G R A P H Y D AV I D S T R A I G H T
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Previous spread. The angled roof line of the house references the jagged ridge line of nearby mountains. These pages. The living zones are delineated by different levels as the house steps down into the contours of its site. A Resident light fixture hangs in a double-height space.
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The Queenstown neighbourhood of Jack’s Point is spoiled when it comes to views. The Remarkables show the full reason for their name: postcard face to the east, and other peaks and hills in all the glorious shades of Otago can be seen in every direction. Designed by Hyndman Taylor Architects, this Jack’s Point house is crouched low on its site in order to maintain privacy from its neighbours, and shaped to capture as many different views as possible, both from indoors and from the outdoor rooms that adjoin the living space. Vistas of The Remarkables are a given here but this home also provides low-angle glimpses of the alpine vegetation that grows in the area, as well as long-range views across the lake of mountains such as the majestic Bayonet Peaks. “If you stood outside on the site, there was a 360-degree view,” explains home-owner Erik Barnes, who lives here with his wife, Miranda, and their two sons. “We wanted to capture the elements in different frames: a view of what the mountains could look like and how big they are, then the option to look
across and see something slightly different. Otherwise, it all blends together.” Architect Erin Taylor describes how the views were unlocked in the design process. “We slid down the site more than we anticipated for a suburban neighbourhood. This house doesn’t engage with the street. The bedroom wing screens the neighbours and the orientation of the living wing focuses down to the north.” The subdivision has a very particular set of covenants, which include a preference for a gabled roof line, natural materials and colours, and minimal reflective surfaces. The architects had to apply to the Design Review Board to be able to create this mono-pitched roof, which reflects the shape of the land. “The house follows the site contours, opening out from the entrance way and stepping down into the living area, which has generosity in terms of volume and space,” says Taylor. “The extension into the landscape makes spaces feel more voluminous as well.” A landing of sorts is created between the entrance space and the living area. This is what Barnes calls the family’s ‘kumbaya’ or ‘zen’ space: a tiled area with a day-bed and an internal garden, which visually connects with the planting outside. “This room has a sense of internal reflection,” explains Taylor. “It’s a nice contrast with the rest of the house as, when you go to the edges of the other rooms, it’s more about looking outside.” URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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These pages. Colour and texture are provided by built-in furniture with soft yellow and green fabrics, and by sculptural light fixtures, such as the Douglas & Bec Line Pendant above the dining table.
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A multi-purpose den and guest room sits adjacent. This room has an adjoining bathroom and can be used for visiting relatives but, also, has the capability to be shut off from the rest of the house so the home-owners’ sons can enjoy some separation as they grow older. “Instead of a big house that has everything we think we need, we wanted a house that was the right size for us,” says Barnes. “So the den is multi-use, since we don’t have guests all the time. And the bedrooms are small but we played with the horizontal and vertical so they have space but not so much of a large footprint. We also consider the outside spaces to be rooms.” Jack’s Point experiences some strong winds so the house is set up with outdoor rooms on both sides, providing sheltered spots depending on the direction of the gale. An outdoor fireplace is tucked into the terrace adjoining the
“We wanted to capture the elements in different frames: a view of what the mountains could look like and how big they are, then the option to look across and see something slightly different.” 80
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lower level of the living area, making this a spot from which to enjoy the scenery in all seasons. Lighting plays a big part in the interior design. A brass and handblown glass Line Pendant by Douglas & Bec takes pride of place over the dining table, echoed by a Line table lamp in the living area. Resident fixtures feature in the den, lounge and zen space. “We tend to prefer a neutral or monochrome palette inside and to let the artwork and lights provide splashes of colour,” says Barnes. This is particularly true of the bedroom wing, where black joinery creates an effective contrast with the white walls. Soft furnishings throughout are minimised to a palette of warm greens and yellows, with velvets providing a comforting texture in the den and dining area. The children’s bedrooms feature custom-made bunk beds, each of which has a desk below and a loft play area as well as a sleep space above. The master bedroom at the end of the wing features a customised door, which follows the angle of the ceiling and also folds back so the view beyond can be seen from all the way down the corridor. Barnes’ office is also located in this wing, with low windows that allow him to take in the view when seated at his desk. With all the largeness of the outdoor world, this house lies low, providing a series of modest, yet contemporary and comfortable spaces that are the ‘right size’ for this Queenstown family.
These pages. The bathroom features playful linear tiling, which is also used in the kitchen. The bedroom ceiling follows the roof line, lending a cosy feeling to this private space at the end of the hallway. With neighbouring reserve space, the house is very private.
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These pages. The entrance foyer features an internal rock garden and Resident light fixtures. The kids’ bedrooms have custom-made triple-level bunk beds.
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PRECIOUS METALS
A PARED-BACK PALETTE OF NATURAL TEXTURES AND SPECIALISED FINISHES GIVES THIS PARNELL HOUSE A SENSE OF TIMELESS SOPHISTICATION. WORDS CAMILLE KHOURI / PHOTOGRAPHY JACKIE MEIRING / ST YLING AMELIA HOLMES
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Previous spread. A painting by Peter Stichbury mirrors the colour palette of the kitchen. The cast-brass switches are by Thorn. These pages. The exterior, with manicured hedging, feels, in some ways, like a modernised French villa.
The kitchen is the focal point for this house, located in the Auckland suburb of Parnell. Blackened steel with highlights of brass and a backdrop of granite have been used, and there is a sense of permanence in the design, which is part of a renovation carried out by Bureaux architecture and interior design studio. “The brief was chic,” says architect Jessica Barter. “We were wanting something elegant and sophisticated that wasn’t going to date. The focus was on the black steel kitchen. It requires a labour-intensive process to produce the beautiful, specialised finish, which won’t mark with fingerprints or rust; this is important when using metal in a kitchen.” The details are what make the design flourish. Brass elements, such as a custom-made napkin holder and the cast brass switch plates, create highlights against the dense black of the steel. The island is wrapped in the same metal and has a top of honed granite with a dynamic dark grain, which continues into the scullery and adjacent study bay. “The island with the dining zone attached was a part of the initial brief,” says Barter. “Someone can be cooking while others are eating and talking. This is a focal point for the family to sit around.” The kitchen island is completed with a set of stools, designed by Melbourne furniture-maker Daniel Barbera, and a 86
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Dornbracht kitchen tap, which is a feature in itself. Bureaux custom-designed the curtain rails through the living room and the TV stand, which has brass castors, to carry the material and colour scheme through the open-plan space. “These elements were developed by the steelworker Stephen Brookbanks. All those blackened steel elements are important to tie the whole design together and the smaller details create the finish,” says Barter. The architects custom-designed other furniture items throughout the home, such as a shelving unit in the living room and two consoles, including one of marble and steel design, which provides a prideful place for a sculpture by Terry Stringer. The clients had an existing collection of artworks that needed to be accommodated here and some pieces were purchased for the house. Works by key New Zealand artists can be seen in the house, such as the prominent Peter Stichbury painting next to the kitchen, an oval work by Bill Hammond and a series of sculptures by Paul Dibble above the fireplace. The master suite and powder room were remodelled, with a custom leather bedhead created for the master bedroom, complemented by a set of leather ottomans. This tan-coloured leather is also carried through to the living room, with a pair of armchairs, which create a sense of softness alongside the metals and stone. The powder room features a Viabizzuno light fixture and has highlights of brass that echo the living area. All other lighting in the house is from ECC and is chosen to create atmosphere and visual interest. From the black steel-framed doors at the entrance way through to the softened edges of the private spaces, this is a home that calls for easy, modern family living, with a design that will stand the test of time.
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These pages. The bath-tub takes centre stage in an elegant bathroom. The master suite features accents of tan. On a console sits a sculpture by Terry Stringer. An ovalshaped work by Bill Hammond hangs above.
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More on this story, plus additional images, will be available in the coming weeks through urbismagazine.com
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HINT OF OAK
A double-fronted, heritage Victorian house with a mature oak tree at its heart receives an alteration that injects plenty of joy and vibrancy. W O R D S P E T E R D AV I E S / P H O T O G R A P H Y D E R E K S W A LW E L L
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Previous spread. Abstract blue shapes are part of Kennedy Nolan’s aim to create an interior that is both dramatic and tranquil. Aggregato Saliscendi pendants by Enzo Mari and Giancarlo Fassina for Artemide hang above the dining table, which is surrounded with Hoffmann chairs by Thonet.
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These pages. The lounge features an Arflex Marenco sofa from Poliform and artworks by Joseph McGlennon from his Eclectus Australis series. Terracotta tiles and steel in oxidised red bring a warm, earthy feel to the fore outside.
“When we first spoke to the clients, we met in their kitchen – it was the heart of their home,” says Rachel Nolan, founding director of Melbourne-based firm Kennedy Nolan. “The house itself was a typical double-fronted Victorian but it was all centralised around spending time in the kitchen. They’re very hospitable people so it was nice to start with an important space in the house: a space that was really going to be used.” This idea of the centrality of the kitchen as a hub for family life structured the design of a new addition at the rear of the original Victorian – a twostoreyed volume that captures the rigorous spaceplanning and material invention that have come to characterise the practice’s work. The front of the house retains the four-room arrangement typical of Victorian houses. “Whenever we can retain the original fabric, we do,” says Nolan. “There’s a kind of scale, a handsome quality, to a Victorian house that you need to address in the new build.” Stepping through to the new volume, a kitchen and dining zone connects to a new courtyard to
the north, accessed via large sliding panels. A delicate pattern of geometric lines traces across the doors’ surfaces, hinting at the geometries evident throughout the house. It is in this courtyard that you encounter possibly the house’s most expressive design gesture – a striking, overscaled brise soleil in terracottacoloured aluminium. While it’s certainly striking, its role in this house is about more than aesthetics. Facing north, it moderates summer sun, provides privacy and unifies the façade. The family’s two living spaces bookend the courtyard. In the front section, one of the original Victorian rooms has been converted into a TV room while, at the rear, a new sunken lounge, a bunkerlike concrete structure, gazes into the courtyard and out to the rear garden. “It sits a few steps down; it’s low, almost like you’re sitting in the site, almost at the level of the garden,” Nolan adds. Above, a planted roof will eventually cause greenery to cascade over the edges of the concrete walls. Back inside, it is the kitchen that perhaps best exemplifies the practice’s masterful use of sometimes-unexpected materials. A generously scaled island bench, fashioned from two types of granite, sits atop a drum-like black unit. On one side, it accommodates informal dining and family interaction; on the other, a step down positions it at working height. “We didn’t want the island bench URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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to house a sink or any amenity. Instead, it’s like two big, strong graphic shapes. We wanted it to have an almost civic scale,” says Nolan. Rather than being hidden away, the appliances play a prominent role in the kitchen’s aesthetic. “It wasn’t a kitchen that needed everything to be hidden. They didn’t want to hide anything,” Nolan says. “We liked that you can see the oven from the door – it tells you that it’s pretty well set up for people who like to cook.” Instead of stark white or neutrals, this kitchen celebrates texture and colour. Dark wall tiles contrast with Oregon joinery, concrete panels and, underfoot, an irreverent blue Pirelli floor. “We specified a lot of real, natural materials, where the colour is part of the material itself – like the terracotta wall tiles in the dining zone. Using these natural materials gives you a variety of textures and colours that are pretty tough,” says Nolan. The light in this space is carefully modulated to create a sense of theatre. “The house has no shortage of northern light so we weren’t afraid of creating some darker spaces,” Nolan adds. “There’s really no white in the house. Some of the graphic qualities come from experimenting with beautiful, bright block colours.” The house’s bathrooms, too, evidence the practice’s commitment to squeezing the maximum value from the available space. On the ground floor, the room in 96
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the south-east corner of the Victorian volume was converted into a walk-in robe and en suite for the master bedroom. This en suite doubles as a powder room and guest bathroom when required. It is a serene spot, with a warmth and texture uncommon in such spaces. “It’s a very pretty bathroom, with Oregon details, brass tapware and a terrazzo floor. Everything here has a gentle materiality – it’s quite pink and human. It’s warm and flattering,” Nolan explains. At the rear of the bathroom, a small pocket of greenery – “a breathable garden,” as Nolan describes it – brings light and air into the room. Upstairs, a second bathroom sits alongside the stairwell, dividing the two children’s bedrooms located at the front and rear of the extension. Adjacent to the bathroom, a built-in day-bed provides a moment of respite, along with fulfilling the important job of Lego storage. “We talk about these spots as being perfect for the in-between seasons. It’s the kind of place where you’ll find the family cat,” Nolan says. To ensure cross-ventilation, the daybed is enclosed by painted shutters instead of windows. They can be opened just enough to pull the breeze through. “We use spatial organisation to hide services. If it’s done right, you never notice it and that’s the point,” Nolan reflects. “It’s made so you can live your best life. There’s peace in these houses.”
Previous spread. Concrete and industrial accents sit as comfortable parts of the Victorian home. The addition of a brise soleil adds texture and visual interest while providing shading. These pages. The absence of white in the kitchen has resulted in a hub that’s dark without feeling dull. This is ensured by a blue Pirelli floor.
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This spread. A concrete roof form adds a raw, brutalist edge. The kitchen’s island bench was custom-designed by Kennedy Nolan for impact: to showcase graphic shapes rather than house amenities. It is paired with Artek Stool 60 stools by Alvar Aalto.
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These pages. Terrazzo is the lifeforce of the home’s bathrooms, one of which includes a small garden. The exterior of the home, including an internal courtyard, finds material cohesion with the distinctive interior palette.
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LIVING PAVILION
An Arts & Crafts home in Auckland’s Remuera receives a sympathetic renovation that looks to both history and the future. WORDS CL AIRE MCCALL / PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON DEVITT
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Mimicking the proportions and stylistic cues of this Arts & Crafts home that spans a corner block in Auckland’s Remuera was the architectural approach in this project by Crosson Architects. But it was not a legally required one. That’s surprising because the home, designed in the 1910s, has presence and poise, and is an exquisite exemplar of the period. The original architects, Bamford and Pierce, have become known for buildings in the English tradition: those like Neligan House (the diocesan office for the Anglican Church) and the Tea Kiosk in The Domain, which is a perennial backdrop for families enjoying tea and ice cream in the gardens overlooking the duck pond. Although the home was not a listed building, the owners, who had three children, asked for a considered restoration of the property, which would not only turn back the clock to that initial vision but look forward, too. They tasked Ken Crosson and his team with creating a living pavilion – a building that would straddle time and connect with the pool and the landscape. 104
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But first, in consultation with Heritage New Zealand, the re-imagining began. “The challenge, when working with homes that are clearly of an era, is to be respectful of that but to craft something with its own story. In effect, we are making a new history,” says Crosson. Within the fabric of the existing home, there was work to be done. The ’80s had not been kind to the old girl; many beautiful details had been covered over or boxed in. Setting these architectural accomplishments free was first on the list. Three verandahs that had been built in were reinstated and a trio of fireplaces was coaxed back to life. “We tried to keep these as authentic as possible and brought in fireboxes of the period from England.” The chimney stacks, too, received some TLC; they were structurally reinforced and capped with terracotta chimney pots of the era. Arts & Crafts design lauded the handmade and was a reaction to Victorian mass production where filigree, fretwork, balusters and other decorative details were created by machine, initially in England and then in the colonies. It was also insular. Rooms became a series of cells that celebrated intimacy and intricacy but left the natural world at the threshold. Sympathetic changes to the plan included repositioning the front door, which now opens to a formal gallery (the owners are enthusiastic collectors of New Zealand art) lending a sense of arrival and giving the works room to breathe.
Previous spread. Concrete wall panelling for the tennis court contrasts with a combination of sandstone and white jade stone on the home’s exterior. These pages. Outside, furniture by Poynters accompanies sandstone tiles by European Ceramics, which are laid in a villa pattern. For the interior, Crosson Architects collaborated with interior design consultant Dennis Chua. The formal lounge features a Giorgetti sofa from ECC, a chandelier by Restoration Hardware and a painting – called White’s Place – by Robin White.
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These pages. An informal dining table and sofa by Simon James Design are the heart of this light-filled living area. An artwork by Richard Kileen and a vintage Nagel candelabra add intrigue.
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These pages. A balustrade by the pool has cantilevered white steel fins. The pool wall is acrylic. Above the bed in the main bedroom is a Carousel pendant light by Lee Broom. A fireplace, discovered during the renovation, is nestled in one corner.
The main stair was repositioned and the upstairs bedrooms replanned. From here, an openplan play zone created within the roof volume is accessed via a steel spiral – a playful white extrusion that twists upwards. While ever mindful of their home’s history (ceiling detail reinstated, brass handles polished to a shine), the owners wanted to live more broadly. The site has north-facing views across the harbour to the city – but that aspect was all but wasted. The opportunity to be more expansive was embraced by the new kitchen/dining/family wing which, at right angles to the face of the main home, forms a sheltered L-shaped embrace around the outdoor aspects – the terraces and a pool. A level below, an upgraded tennis court is bounded by a concrete wall, the face of which is pre-cast in a grooved pattern that harks back to the 1970s. The new building has a familial resemblance to its big brother that is immediately noticeable: the asymmetrical gable, the way the verandah tucks in under the main roof, those paired chimney stacks. But, like any younger sibling, it plays its own tune. The metal roof profile wraps down to become the exterior cladding. “It’s crisply crafted in folded metal and follows the horizontal line of the weatherboards on the original home to which it connects,” says Crosson. Inside, it’s all cleanlined, purposeful strokes – a move which pays the cathedral ceilings due homage. In the day, the high
apex softens the light which floods in from a bank of glazing on the terrace side; at night, the ceilings are uplit for a dash of drama. A simple white ledge that moves through various levels the length of one wall can be a bookshelf, a place to display art, a seat or a desk. The marble fireplace is a material connection between Arts & Crafts and the here and now. “We repeated the marble as a window in the scullery area, which links the old house to the new,” explains Crosson. “The slab is so fine that, when the lights are on, it glows with translucency.” Crosson, who cut his teeth on altering old houses and lives in a villa, may not be known for his heritage work – but that’s not to say he doesn’t love the challenge. “As I get older, I start to have more appreciation for the trajectory that architecture is on. I have more respect for the order, scale and rhythms of historical styles,” he says. And while it is gratifying for the team (James Young, Justine Goode and Corbett Madden) that the project earned a heritage award in the 2019 Auckland Architecture Awards, it is more rewarding, still, that their clients now invite them for games of tennis or evening drinks around the pool. “Not only are we able to experience what a nice connection the home now has to its surroundings but, over the four years, we and the home-owners have become great friends.” There’s surely no better measure of success. URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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More on this story, plus additional images, will be available in the coming weeks through urbismagazine.com
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These pages. A Murano chandelier and gold-leaf bar cabinet by Baker from Cavit+Co can be found in one room. Floor and wall tiles by SCE Stone & Design, and a marble Tube Light by Lee Broom, complement one another in a bathroom. The kitchen is sophisticated in an allwhite palette. The home and pool house soak in views of Auckland city.
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DRAMATIC CONTRAST
WANTING A LARGER OUTDOOR SPACE WHILE ALSO SEEKING AN INCREASE OF THE INTERNAL FLOOR AREA SEEMS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE… OR IS IT? W O R D S L E A N N E A M O D E O / P H OTO G R A P H Y S H A N N O N M C G R AT H
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Previous spread. Perched on a northfacing greenfield site, the home is clean-lined and calm. A large jacaranda tree towers over the front lawn. These pages. The clients’ desire to have a home connected to the outdoors has been met in full: greenery flows effortlessly inward, thanks to the addition of large windows and indoor plants.
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Studiofour’s recent clients, a professional couple with three children, approached the architects with a Pinterest mood board and some very clear ideas about the way they wanted their new three-levelled home to look. He envisioned an architecture that was bold and dominant and she favoured a soft, light interior that provided a sense of sanctuary. So, when it came to translating their opposing aesthetics, Studiofour co-directors Annabelle Berryman and Sarah Henry celebrated the juxtaposition. The result is a dwelling that presents as a tough charcoal shell protectively wrapping a cluster of relaxed, warm spaces. Multiple programmatic requirements are effortlessly met, including the accommodation of four bedrooms plus a guest room, which doubles as a study, while the structure works to shield the interior from large neighbouring residences. Essentially a courtyard house, the C-shaped floor plan is well and truly embedded in the generously sized garden. Indeed, this connection with the outdoors was high on the clients’ wish list,
although arriving at the outcome was not without its challenges. “They wanted a lot of house as well as a lot of garden,” says Berryman. “So, we had to figure out how to minimise the footprint in order to maximise the proportions of the surrounding outdoor space, all the while maintaining a high level of functionality.” The solution was an architectural overlay, or second skin, comprising blackened steel screening set off the façade by 1.5 metres, which makes the interior appear larger than it is without taking anything away from the house’s relatively compact footprint. This framework visually reduces the building’s mass and, from the property’s north-facing street elevation, captures plenty of natural light while maintaining the family’s privacy. Passers-by who look up at the first floor’s main bedroom can’t see in because of the angle of the louvres. However, from the inside looking out, the clients have clear views of the giant jacaranda tree and new lap pool at the front of the property. This engagement with the outdoors reflects their desire for a healthy home, as well as their respect for the site’s context, the leafy inner-Melbourne suburb of Malvern. Interestingly, Berryman and Henry pulled aesthetic cues for the interior from the exterior – not the other way around. So, the charcoal-coloured façade and screens informed the fireplace’s detailing and window reveals, ensuring subtle URBISMAGAZINE.COM
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cohesion between inside and out. More important for the family of five was a logical sense of spatiality and the co-directors achieved this via a semiopen plan. As Berryman explains, “the clients didn’t want a house that feels like a showroom. Instead, they wanted interior spaces that are purposeful, separate and calm but can still deliver the advantageous aspects of an open plan, such as visual connection and access.” On the ground level, the living areas are clearly defined by built elements to offer a sense of zoning that allows for family interaction as required. The floating fireplace, for example, is a cleverly positioned insertion that distinguishes the lounge from the dining room without alienating anyone in the process. And, as the heart of the home, the kitchen is centrally positioned at the top of the stairs from the basement and features three distinct areas – a butler’s pantry, the main cooking space and a servery. It’s a hard-working design boasting multi-purpose components at every turn. But most impressive is the 11-metre-long bench, which extends into the dining room, not to mention the overall material palette, which is eye-catching in its minimalist restraint. Central to the interior’s organic materiality is the handmade brick used for the fireplace and lift core in the stairwell. It’s warm and textural and complements the oak flooring, while providing 116
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the perfect backdrop for the heavily patterned kitchen island’s marble, which ranges in colour from soft pink to muted terracotta. This same marble is also used in the powder room and in the main bedroom’s en suite as a custom inset on the vanity. Refined detailing, uncomplicated planning and a judiciously executed scheme lend this house incredible appeal. But its true beauty lies in a refreshing simplicity highlighted by the dramatic contrast between inside and out.
These pages. Muted tones, oak flooring and lots of natural light foster a fresh interior. The handmade brick wall feature, a part of the fireplace, echoes the soft-pink and terracotta-coloured veins of the kitchen island’s marble.
Central to the interior’s organic materiality is the handmade brick... providing the perfect backdrop for the heavily patterned kitchen island’s marble, which ranges in colour from soft pink to muted terracotta.
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These pages. The marble found in the lush kitchen continues in a bathroom’s material palette, creating a sense of unity. Rose-coloured linen can be found in one of the bedrooms. For the home’s upper levels, the blackened exterior steel screen offers privacy.
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CONTEMPORARY ART FOR RENT OR SALE
artassociates.co.nz
NEW ZEALAND • AUSTRALIA • NORTH AMERCIA • UNITED KINGDOM
&
Jingle Jangle Picnic Yes‌ this is a bit as though Cindy Sherman had met Bill Hammond in an Alice in Wonderland-themed picnic. Yet, this self-portrait by American artist May Parlar continues on the serious themes of alienation and solitude in public spaces that have followed much of her award-winning career. That does not, however, lessen the surrealist joy of this avian merrymaking. A Dinner Alone by May Parlar. mayparlar.com
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The essence of functionality and aesthetics. Iconic Essence – good looks combined with clever home-enhancing features. Iconic Essence is the latest switch plate in our PDL Iconic range. The switches’ smooth, round wooden edges – made from natural timber – accentuate classic comfort and luxurious elegance that lift the ambience of any room in your house.
pdl.co.nz
As a part of the range, the Iconic Essence simply clips on to the standard Iconic grid (the base plate your electrician fits to the wall), making it easy to customise the look to suit your interior style.