Table of contents for April/May 2019 in homestyle

I’ve always had great admiration for the homeowners who find time in their busy schedules to open their doors to our writers and photographers. After years of politely prying into other people’s places, turning the lens on my own for this issue’s Last Word on page 130 was an interesting exercise. I’ve only shared a few corners, but even that takes a certain amount of preparation, mostly removing rouge toys, hiding unsightly cords and schooling my partner Nick on the best angles for a portrait. And then there’s the emotional psyching up, during which it’s helpful to remember that it’s often our houses’ imperfections that make them home. There’s really no such thing as a finished house, and that’s okay — as the saying goes, it’s the journey, not the…

Some pieces of furniture we simply outgrow, but the beauty of modular shelving is that it ages gracefully right along with you. An investment item you can add to or subtract from as your needs dictate and budget allows, whether you’re looking to maximise your space and storage or take visual interest to new heights, it can be configured and reconfigured for life. We’re enamoured by the beautiful lines of Swedish brand Fogia’s first foray into modular shelving, Bond (pictured), which recently featured at Stockholm Design Week. Designed by Main, the slender rod-and-shelf structure can be hung from the ceiling, mounted on the wall or stood on the floor. Buy it now, use it forever — such designs never go out of style, as you can change what you’re displaying…

Get the look - Painting a doorway (arched or rectangular) is an elegant way to add detail to a simple space — and it’s as easy as pie. This works best in a room that’s painted a pale colour because it ensures a bold contrast (or vice versa). - You might like to let your Resene paint choices be informed by hero homeware items or artwork in the room. Our palette was inspired by the velvet of the chair and the tiled top of the console table in the hallway. - Mask and paint an 18cm band around the door frame, then paint the interior of the frame the same shade. We continued the band around the room to create a skirting-board effect. - Now’s a fine opportunity to also…

I live in Auckland with my 16-year-old son Jacob and IT technician partner David Foo, a few minutes’ walk from Ponsonby Road. My favourite thing about our home would have to be its location. This is followed closely by the fact that it’s a pretty villa that’s had some quirky tweaks made to it by previous owners, which I think add character. Home should be a place where you feel relaxed and welcome, so I try to make ours as inviting as possible. It’s not about having everything perfect, though, so I don’t mind an unmade bed. Our house is filled with a mix of modern and mid-century pieces that sit really nicely together. I really like mid-century glass, earthenware and lighting, and have some restoration projects on the go…

What is it about some dwellings that draws you in, gets under your skin and worms its way into your heart? Although it’s different for everyone, when you’re on the hunt for a home base for your family, it can often come down to a gut feeling. When Amy and Tim Gillespie first walked into this house in the Auckland suburb of Westmere, it instantly felt like home. The similarity (on a grander scale) of the layout of its living and dining space to that in the house their family cherished but had outgrown immediately captured their imagination — and then they saw the back garden. Gigantic, with a gently sloping lawn, native bush and a path meandering down to a stream, it was a very exciting prospect. The house…

GREAT COMBO Combine manuka honey’s skills as a humectant with oils from fruit, veges, nuts, seeds, herbs and flowers and what have you got? A natural, nourishing hair oil that’s miraculously not greasy. Comb can be applied to towel-dried tresses, added to hair masks, smoothed onto dry locks as an overnight treatment, and used when styling to add shine and tame flyaways. thisiscomb.com OIL TELL YOU WHAT Here’s a plan: how about we all make an effort to support businesses that are doing good? You could start by making Aluan your coconut oil of choice. Made by Kiwis, it’s certified organic, raw-pressed, traceable to sustainable planations on Simeulue Island in Indonesia and also consciously produced there with a goal of zero production waste, while giving back by supporting workers and…

ART ASSOCIATES —— Artwork With a vast selection of original contemporary artwork from established and emerging artists based locally and around the globe, Art Associates offers paintings, works on paper, sculpture and photography for sale or lease. They’ll work with you, your interior designer or your architect to find the perfect piece for your home or business. info@artassociates.co.nz artassociates.co.nz CHAIN GANG —— Homeware Chain Gang’s ultra-chunky knit throws, bed runners and scarves will keep you snug and warm this winter. Handmade in Christchurch, they’re crafted from beautifully soft, 100% New Zealand merino wool, and bespoke knits are also available. Plus, all New Zealand customers receive free shipping. hello@chaingangstore.co.nz chaingangstore.co.nz THE IVY HOUSE —— Rugs The depth and detail that’s a hallmark of the handmade is evident in every Armadillo &…

ABSOLUTE TERRA The latest range of homeware and accessories from Melbourne-based Sage & Clare is earthy, tactile and frightfully desirable. With a fun, effortless and carefree appeal, Terra combines desert colours, folk motifs and ’70s vibes for an effect that’s completely gorgeous. sageandclare.com IT TAKES A VILLAGE Paris brand Sarany works with women in Cambodia to produce products like this great mat, helping to improve their living conditions and yours too. everyday-needs.com JUST QUIETLY Dried florals designer Joanna Gibbs has always been her dad’s favourite florist and she’s fast becoming everyone else’s too. One look at her wistful creations and it’s obvious why, but what they don’t shout from the rooftops is that she started her business as a way to work with him, fusing floristry, engineering and structural design…

The stylist Dulux colour ambassador Michelle Halford This Dulux colour palette provides a warm, soothing starting point for a calm, sophisticated sanctuary. The neutral hues are carried through to the sofa and chair, the soft curves and velvet of which lend a luxe feel to the space. They’re offset by the clean lines of the travertine coffee table, which blends in beautifully and introduces additional texture. Sculptural extras in wood, ceramic and brass form elegant finishing touches. The stylist Dulux colour ambassador Evie Kemp When styling a space with several bold shades, choose colours that share depth and intensity — it’s an exciting way to pick paints that can make even the most unexpected combination work harmoniously. Here, the furnishings, homeware and artwork echo the paint, creating balance and stopping…

In vanes Is it a blind, is it a curtain? As far as we’re concerned, sheer vertical blinds are the best of both. When you prefer blinds but want to cover large windows (or a door), options such as Luxaflex’s Luminette Privacy Sheers set a serene mood. Their translucent fabric vanes create soft, diffused light and we love the elegance of the lines repeated en masse. Nail polish Also piquing our interest right now is the temptingly tactile polish of super-clean lacquered pieces, high-gloss materials like glass, and virtually seamless upholstered seating. Get it right by adding a bit of grit to the mix with organic art and raw ceramics that nix any clinical connotations. At your feet Step aside, hard flooring — we’ve been captivated by the use of…

Nelson artist Georgina Hoby Scutt says her distinctive style is guided by her “creative compass”. Whatever this sorcery, it’s completely bewitched us — her acrylic, oil and chalk-pastel artworks on linen, canvas and plywood are so compelling we just can’t look away. Georgie, you’ve been creative for as long as you can remember — what was your journey to Belle Hawk? I completed a BA and BCom at university, then began working in graphic design as an account manager and freelancing as a designer. When I moved to London, I jumped into some wonderful classes in textile and print design at Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts and Camberwell College of Arts, then later headed to Barcelona, Spain, where I forged a career as a freelance printed-textile designer. Back…

Building “on a pinhead” is less than ideal, but in the case of Milly and Brent Stewart’s home, the result is more than satisfactory. Admittedly, the duo was well equipped to deal with the difficulties of building a 302m2 house on 269m2 of land — as owners of Stewart Construction, they’re practised at working with small sites, and in fact, they enjoy the challenge. The couple’s two-storey home is on Mount Maunganui’s coveted Marine Parade. There may be minimal land surrounding it, but the beach across the road isn’t too shabby a front yard. It’s where the kids, Rocco and Tulsi, head straight after school on summer days. “We don’t have to pack drink bottles, shoes or even towels,” says Milly. “And there’s no sand in the car!” The Stewarts’…

Tidying tutor Marie Kondo might know how to precision-pack a suitcase, but she says nothing about where to keep the darned thing. She’d doubtless find joy in the secret-squirrel storage space above the bed in this 50m2 studio. Accessed by a metal ladder with a detachable shelf that’s used as a bedside table, the loft also accommodates the hot-water cylinder out of sight. Genius. Interior designer Peta Davy of Yellowfox felt justified in pushing her clients — her mum Shelley Brockliss and Shelley’s partner Mike Coghlan — out of their comfort zones when they downsized to this apartment on the north-facing edge of a converted hall on Waiheke Island. For one thing, Shelley had always loved white-on-white schemes, “but when she presented me with swatches of a rusted-looking benchtop material,…

“We’ve made a discovery tray with a rotating selection of finds for Ted to investigate at the table.” My partner Nick Burrowes and I moved into our home in Auckland’s Pt Chevalier 10 days after our son, Ted, was born. It was hectic to say the least, but when our good friends told us the cottage they were renting by the sea was up for grabs, we just couldn’t pass it up. It’s a funny little place, with wonky floors and a tiny kitchen, but the view over the water to the Waitakeres more than makes up for the quirks, which we’ve actually come to love. The sunsets here are superb, so we enjoy dinner on the deck or in the dining nook most nights, while catching the last rays…

John Scott Works by David Straight, published by Massey University Press, $70. Don’t feel silly if you don’t know much about John Scott, he’s one of New Zealand’s least well-documented architects — though why is anyone’s guess, when his work is so influential and culturally significant. Of Maori, English, Irish and Scottish descent, John spent most of his life in Hawke’s Bay and died too soon at 68. He was a prolific creative whose 200-plus projects encompassed private homes, public buildings, schools and churches, and this exhibition project by renowned photographer David Straight documents more than 40 of them. A bit of a character variously described as wild-haired, barefooted and soft-hearted, John “designed spaces with people at the heart,” says David. “His architecture is not about the monumental…

ONE ON ONE ‘Luxury Brutalism’ rendered in travertine, this look requires restraint. Use a single material for your backdrop and keep your fittings as pared back as can be. Essentials checklist CLASS ACT Traditional doesn’t have to mean predictable. For timeless style with a twist, embellish the room with restful colours and patterned tiles, then add classic fixtures. Essentials checklist…

In 2017 — much to the disappointment of her loyal fans — Carter Were, maker of some of the best toast and toppings in town, closed her shop in Auckland’s Grey Lynn. She’d been selling her wares and handmade gifts alongside florist Sophie Wolanski of Muck Floral and they’d simply outgrown the space. Not wanting to take on anything bigger, Carter decided to go travelling, and wound up in Byron Bay. So, Carter, where are you living these days? My partner Jack [Crowther, a musician in the band Babe Rainbow] and I live on a 60-acre block owned by his parents in a town called Federal, in the hills a 25-minute drive from Byron Bay. We have 85 chooks, five cows, a goanna, an owl and a few snakes hanging…

Estelle Martin loves how different her Point Wells home is to the others around here. “Neighbours call it the Mystery House because it doesn’t reveal itself from the street,” she says. “There’s always a ‘Wow’ when I show people around.” This exceptional home was one of the first to be built in a new subdivision in the area an hour north of Auckland that Estelle and her family have lived and vacationed in for more than 25 years. Its design was a collaboration between mother and son — Estelle and her architect offspring Antony, director of Melbourne’s MRTN Architects. Some say you should never work with family, but the process was a treat for them both. “Antony came over from Melbourne every four to six weeks during the build, so…

Hedda Pier and Michiel Lenstra bought their 1930s Netherlands row house at a time when the Dutch property market was at a low. They’d been looking to downsize from their home in the centre of the Hague into family-friendly Wassenaar not far away, and were hoping for something near a school for their kids. This property fit the bill, but had been on the market for more than a year; it belonged to an elderly woman who hadn’t done any maintenance or redecorated since the ’70s. With a serious subsidence problem at the back, rotten window frames, no central heating, and orange and green tiles in the kitchen, it was in a bit of a state and practically unsellable, and yet… Unbeknown to Hedda and Michiel, a property developer had…

When meandering US highway the Mohawk Trail opened in 1914, local eateries, accommodation and attractions along the route advertised their hospitality to visitors with signs bearing a single word: Tourists. Just over a century later, a new eco-lodge on that very road in North Adams, Massachusetts, is doing the same. In the leafy northern Berkshires, Tourists has taken the classic American motor lodge for a modern-day scenic drive, bringing back the best bits to combine with contemporary, environmentally conscious design. The team led by Ben Svenson of design/ development company Broder (with creatives including Wilco bassist John Stirratt, Brooklyn magazine founder Scott Stedman, architect Hank Scollard and interior designer Julie Pearson) turned the site’s existing 19th-century rooming house and one-star mid-century motel into distinctly modern accommodation, its pared-back linear architecture…