Table of contents for February/March 2020 in homestyle

There’s something humbling about being welcomed into a creative workplace. Filled with materials and pieces in progress, workshops and studios are by nature messy and there’s rarely any point in tidying up for a visitor, so when I’m in the position of being said visitor, I feel privileged to be able to see the real work, ideas and life behind the scenes. I found the prospect of this particularly thrilling when I was invited to interview artisans in Oita, a prefecture on Kyushu, Japan’s third-largest island, located in the south-west of the country. With the help of a local expert, I put together an itinerary that would take me to see a host of local makers — some well known and others I’d scouted out myself. When, like me, you’re…

The Essence (Gestalten, $120) What do Hollywood, the internet and the climate crisis smell like? How does our olfactory system even work, what’s involved in the creation of perfume and where does the civet cat come in? So many crucial questions are answered in this meticulously researched read. Making sense of the mysterious power of fragrance, it examines science, history and culture to shed light on aromas’ visceral allure. Like the captivating whiff of an indelible moment past, it’s so absorbing, it’ll stop you in your tracks. Inspired by Nature by Hans Blomquist (Ryland Peters & Small, $50) Swedish art director and interior stylist Hans began his career at Ikea but today is in hot demand globally for his wild and wonderfully rustic aesthetic that’s the…

Devyn Ormsby has been drawn to art all her life. Four years after graduating from Auckland’s Elam School of Fine Arts, she says she feels very fortunate to be able to work in a creative field — but she’s so talented we think she had it coming. So, Devyn, what led to your exploration of glass as a medium? I’ve been working with glass for two years now. I made my first glass mandarin in December 2018 and gave it to my boyfriend’s mum for Christmas. After that, I began working on the rest of the fruit, which I launched in June last year. I learned the casting process through my job at Lukeke Design. We primarily make glass birds that are sold in galleries locally and internationally. Everyone who…

High on a hill in Te Arai, just south of Northland’s Mangawhai, sits a home that has views as far as the eye can see. With the tinkle of a yet-to-be-explored waterfall dancing on the breeze and plenty of room to roam, if you ask Melanie and James Sax, heaven is this place on earth. Then owners of two Auckland cafés, they were renting in the city while building, decorating and staging homes for James’s family’s 550-acre Te Arai Farm Estate when it got under their skin. The gated development, which includes Aotearoa’s largest truffle farm, “is just amazing,” says Melanie. “We were like, ‘We need to live here! Why don’t we move up?’” Their “northern migration” signed and sealed, the couple collaborated with friend and architectural designer Fraser Horton…

French interior designer Delly Marton was given carte blanche to renovate this apartment in the centre of Bordeaux, France. The white tiling and roughcast now done away with, the interior emanates an elegant and refined ambience, from the hammam down in the basement right up to the roof terrace. Located just a few steps from Bordeaux Cathedral, the home’s calm atmosphere makes it difficult to imagine the state it was in before. “The house was habitable but had absolutely no charm to it,” says Delly (pictured opposite). “There were white tiles on the floor and plaster on the walls — it was very ordinary. We [barely kept] any of it. Even the chimneys were removed.” To bring character back to the 1900s dwelling, Delly sought out loads of vintage and…

VAN BRANDENBURG —— Design Architecture Van Brandenburg uses organic forms to capture nature’s extraordinary aesthetic and functionality. Their new range of handcrafted homeware will add beauty and a sophisticated touch of the outdoors to your home. Teacups to tables, coasters to vases, you’ll find it all in their online store. contact@avb.co.nz vanbrandenburg.co.nz/object DULUX —— Colour design service With Dulux’s colour design service, a skilled interior designer can help you select the right hues for your home for as little as $125 per hour — plus the summer special sees you save $75 on your first hour of residential colour advice. Conditions apply; to book and for more information, visit the website or call the number below. 0800 800 424 dulux.co.nz ARTISAN —— Interiors Woven in India from hand-spun jute dyed…

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT Extend your ‘get more greens’ resolution from your plate to your walls with paints from Dulux’s Cultivate collection. One of four palettes in the 2020 Dulux Colour Forecast, it features nature’s best verdant shades, all of which conjure a sense of renewal ideal for this time of year, with a dash of nostalgia stirred in. The dusty leaf-green pictured here is Dulux Tauherenīkau. dulux.co.nz GO FOR A SPIN Authentic old-school for the new decade, Sony’s PS-LX310 turntable rocks some serious big deck energy. Among other high-tech perks, the bluetooth vinyl record player lets you connect to any wireless speaker or headphones, and delivers a rich, balanced sound. sony.co.nz SHELL BE RIGHT There, there, summer’s not over yet, and you can channel the vibe whatever the weather…

Fresh ’50s Complete with a cosy nook, this space channels a mid-century domestic mood with a nostalgic palette of pastels punctuated by bold accents. - In children’s bedrooms, nooks such as this offer a nifty way to separate play and study zones from the sleep space. Or you could have a desk built into a wardrobe or add a games area under an elevated bed. - Painted triangles on the floor are a fun take on the Formica surfaces that gained popularity in the 1950s. To achieve this look, paint the entire floor in two coats of Resene Walk-on in Resene Half Spanish White and allow to dry. Use painter’s tape to create a large-squared grid on the floor, then more to make triangles in random corners of the squares.…

Auckland’s Janice Kumar-Ward is one hard-working lady. When she’s not pushing boundaries at the helm of JKW Interior Architecture & Design and parenting her children Stella and Ted, she’s working on her side hustle as the ‘Mrs’ of Mr & Mrs Ward, the bespoke furniture business she runs with her husband Julian and his brother Tristan. How long have you been director at JKW Interior Architecture & Design? I started the business 11 years ago. Back then it was called The Recipe, but we rebranded in 2015 when we bought our current building in Newton to use as our workshop/studio. It was daunting but an unmissable opportunity to renovate a modernist building and start along this new path. Today I’m surrounded by doers — a work-hard, play-hard, kind and loyal…

One-year-old George Hosking may not be an architect like his mum or a builder like his dad, but he’s a hands-on judge of form-follows-function design. Now that he’s getting around a bit more, he can vouch for many elements in the Avondale, Auckland home he shares with his parents Maria and James: the built-in daybed in the dining area where he likes to snooze in the morning light; the low-silled window in the olds’ bedroom that means he can be busy in the garden and still keep one eye on Mum; the way the winter sun warms up the concrete floor, keeping his toes toasty while he zooms his wooden crane up and down the corridor; and the custom-made mobile kitchen unit filled with pots and pans at just the…

Head in the clouds Life is but a dream when you’re surrounded by Auckland designer Emma Hayes’ painterly wallpaper. Her designs abstracted from nature include the just-released Bloom (above left, in Smoke), which features dynamic shapes that appear to billow and disperse, and Nebula (above, in Mist), a more expansive version of her popular Cloud design with a pearlescent finish. Mural-style wallpapers such as these gently set the tone in a space, yet have an undeniable influence on your mood, helping you keep calm and carry on. Extra texture Subtly sensational, textured wallpaper isn’t the star of the show, but it’s a vital member of the supporting cast. This warm neutral scheme (right) features Madagascar wallpaper by Élitis, one of many the French maker creates with a chic 3D materiality,…

Green by Jason Chongue (Hardie Grant, $37) Move over, yoga — thanks to the patience and practice it requires, many urbanites are turning to gardening as a remedy to the rush, rush, rush. Nothing makes you feel more grounded than actually putting your hands in the dirt and, just like tree pose, helping plants to flourish isn’t as tricky as it looks. Melbourne founder of The Plant Society Jason Chongue notes that with space at a premium in our cities and homes, man-made is often prioritised over nature, but says you don’t need a backyard to own plants that bring you daily joy. Every page of his guide to growing greenery in smaller homes and offices is inspirational and informative, but it’s chapters four and five that will…

Incognito office If you don’t have a home office but really need to take care of business, create a dedicated study nook in another space that’s as good-looking as it is comfortable and functional. Make it a highlight not a blight on the rest of the room by investing in an elegant desk and chair, and choosing well-designed workaday essentials. Tall order Built-in vertical shelving is a hack for orderly living that helps you start as you mean to continue. A combination of open shelves and closed cupboards allows you to display objects of desire while stashing some of the messier necessities of life close to hand. It also confines the busyness to one wall, maintaining a more minimalist overall effect than items dotted all over the room. Long game…

No one wants to hear a bump in the night, and when it’s accompanied by shakes, rattles and having to roll out of bed, it’s even less of a good sign. For the owners of this home, the adrenaline-pumping action turned a straight-forward renovation into a multi-year, two-stage one — but it wasn’t entirely unlucky. High-school sweethearts Hannah and Steve Crump bought their Forrest Hill home on Auckland’s North Shore in 2011, taking a fortuitously timed risk and stepping onto the property ladder just after graduating from university. Built in 1989, the house boasted many hallmarks of the decade interior-style forgot, including pink carpets and a burgundy and lemon kitchen. Steve says youth, naiveté and stupidity allowed them to excitedly follow their big ideas, employing architect Mark Charleston of Buildology…

A house in the country was something Zandra and Robert Dol had envisioned for their family for quite some time. After moving from Auckland to Hamilton, they’d been steadily looking for a slice of rural land, but when the right property failed to materialise, they decided to press pause. Life as working parents raising daughters Sophia (12), Ella (10) and Mila (8) continued as usual, until a riverside site unexpectedly presented itself as the perfect match, making life that little bit easier by providing the natural environment they dreamed of just a short drive from the city. Friends of the family had previously owned and planned to build on the property in the neighbourhood of Flagstaff, which borders the Waikato River. With architectural drawings already created by Tane Cox of…

PITCH PERFECT A worthy opponent for sun and sea breezes and also quite the looker, this surf tent is a rare blend of practical and totally cool. One of several by Sydney’s Basil Bangs in lightweight UPF50+ canvas, it is adjustable to three heights on sand or grass, has a handy internal zip pocket, and comes in a retro carry bag you can sling over your shoulder. basilbangs.com NICE MUGS There will always be a place for beer glasses and goggles, but these quality ceramic beer mugs offer a more solid option for discerning drinkers. Potter Duncan Shearer throws them on his kick wheel in Paeroa, then finishes them in the Japanese hakeme (‘brush stroke’) style. kaolin.store OAK-Y DOKEY Take us home, Country Road, to a place where set-ups as…

Tokyo is one of those cities where no matter how long you stay, you’re only ever going to scratch the surface. It’d been five years since I last visited, and this time, rather than hit up the central haunts, with the help of travel providers JTB I prepared an itinerary that took in lesser-known sights in Setagaya and Meguro. It’s an area in which you can get a sense of the laid- back suburban lifestyle just a short train ride from the inner-city action. I stayed in Futako Tamagawa, a neighbourhood built along the Tama River that’s commonly rated one of the city’s best places to live thanks to its green spaces and modern shopping. Hipster mums cruise the streets on their mamachari bikes with kids strapped in front and…