Table of contents for December/January 2019-20 in homestyle

I was asked recently to sum up my year — my biggest successes and most memorable moments. Perhaps because so much of my work is about planning ahead, reflection isn’t something that comes easily to me, but considering the highs and lows of 2019 turned out to be a rewarding process. It made me realise it’s not the big goal-kicking achievements I appreciate in life — the quiet, everyday wins are what help me feel it’s going my way. You could draw an analogy with measuring your successes at home. Yes, statement purchases bring a certain sense of satisfaction; however, there are plenty of smaller design considerations to be celebrated that improve daily life: the feel of the wooden spoon in your hand as you stir your porridge in the…

Greco Disco by Luke Edward Hall (TeNeues, $95) Wunderkind London artist and designer Luke is passionately prolific and has gained quite the reputation for his exuberant aesthetic that blends ancient classicism with traditional English style. He’s served it up here with his signature flourish in a read packed with photos, illustrations and a lift-out sketch book. Remote Places to Stay by Debbie Pappyn & David De Vleeschauwer (Gestalten, $120) “Accessible remoteness has become the new luxury,” say the authors of this wanderlust-triggering tome, and ain’t that the truth. Getting away from it all takes on new meaning at the unparalleled stays they profile in locations including Iceland, Easter Island, Bhutan and — of all places — New Zealand. All Day Cocktails by Shaun Byrne & Nick Tesar (Hardie Grant, $40)…

Finding great books devoted to New Zealand architecture is as easy as pie, but when it comes to those on contemporary New Zealand interiors, it can be a different story. As editor of online journal The New and owner of Waihi Beach homeware store Sunday, Alana Broadhead couldn’t help but notice the discrepancy. In response, she’s created a coffee-table book to showcase the coming of age of our interiors, which she says have moved out of an awkward teenage phase to become more worldly, confident and discerning. So, Alana, how was editing Our Spaces similar or different to curating your website, The New? The New has always been about taste-making design that just happens to be from New Zealand. I don’t share it just because it’s from New Zealand; it…

It’s a gigantic geographical and cultural leap from Auckland’s leafy Titirangi to the gritty buzz of Berlin, but material designer Sophie Rowley’s calling — turning waste into designer objects — would be much appreciated in her childhood stomping ground. Sophie, who lives in an apartment in the German city’s Prenzlauer Berg area, takes a global view of her profession. That’s not surprising — she moved with her family to Germany in her high-school years, studied textile design in Berlin, then embarked on a master’s course in London, where she experimented with new materials across various mediums and design fields. A stint at British artist Faye Toogood’s studio was followed by an eye-opening time at an innovation hub in Mumbai, India. Today, the development of her own ideas sees her transforming…

Vertiginous hills and mad access issues don’t usually faze Wellingtonians — but this site was a tad different. When Amélie Goldberg and Karl Wakelin came to investigate building on this 700m2 section in Wadestown, it had been on the market for 25 years. “At one stage, kids from the neighbourhood made a skateboard ramp here,” says Karl. But it was close to where Amélie’s parents live, north-facing and within their budget, so when Karl’s builder father, Max, gave the land the expert nod, it was all on. Amélie, who’s a policy advisor on energy efficiency and climate change, and Karl, a building performance manager, saw this as an opportunity to explore green concepts in their own backyard. Karl had constructed a number of houses before, Max was a willing helper…

SIMPLE PLEASURE You could hide away at home wearing any old thing, but there’s an art to doing nothing much, and it includes dressing the part. Pleasingly affordable in restful zinc and rose, Penney & Bennett’s latest collection of 100% cotton loungewear spells the end of the road for your sloppy trackies and is beautifully simple, just like your downtime should be. penneyandbennett.co.nz JUST LIKE THAT Seven to 10 days is all it takes to raise a crop of nutrient-dense microgreens using Auckland start-up Micropod’s nifty kit. The planter’s bamboo-fibre tray and compostable seed mats let you grow mini versions of veges such as rocket and kale year-round in a foolproof system — literally just add water. micropod.nz ABSOLUTE GODDESS Sometimes a trend comes seemingly out of nowhere to reawaken…

PRETTY NEAT An engineer who got into furniture through restoring it, Sitting Pretty’s Josh Milward makes seating, tables and headboards that reference art deco and mid-century design. He works and lives his dream in rural Bay of Plenty but hits the beach on the regular, as his powder-coated steel Shell daybed, Shell coffee table and Sunset seat — in your choice of colours — might suggest. sittingprettydesign.co.nz NEW DIGS Auckland trove Babelogue has moved into snazzy new premises in K’ Road. The fit-out by owner Charlotte Rust gives the store/ events space a postmodern, ’80s feel and features an on-site coffee bar. Pop in for a cup of chino and to admire Charlotte’s inimitable discoveries, plus wares from a collective of friends, including vintage from Tony Downing and jewellery by…

Get the look 1. Texture brings soul to spaces — and not just interior ones. To create these limewashed-look courtyard walls and bench seat, apply a basecoat of Resene Lumbersider tinted to Resene Half Spanish White. Allow to dry, then apply a second coat. 2. Mix together 1L of Resene FX Paint Effects Medium with a 60ml testpot of Resene Moccasin. For a larger area, multiply these quantities. 3. Brush the Resene FX Paint Effects mixture onto your walls and seat in big cross shapes, making broad strokes. After completing a small section, use an absorbent rag to rub and blend the mixture into the surface, working quickly before it dries. (You can add Resene Hot Weather Additive to slow the drying time if you need to.) Repeat this in…

For Helen and Timothy Manson, the saying ‘Home is where the heart is’ couldn’t be more true. After spending half their married life in Aotearoa, the remarkable couple relocated their love to the most unexpected of places — Uganda, East Africa. Home to some 43 million people, Uganda is a world away from the safe New Zealand suburbs Helen and Timothy were raised in, but they’ve created something equally special for their children Hope (5), Eva (4) and Maz (2). “This house is our haven,” says Helen. “When we walk in the door, we take a deep breath in.” Located in a gated compound on a hill in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, the two-storey, three-bedroom home is a relaxing retreat in which to escape the intensity of the bustling streets below…

When hunting for a bach on the coast north of Auckland, Joanna and Neil Cowie had one main requirement: simple pleasures. The property they found near Matakana fit the bill. “We took a drive up from Auckland to look at this place one weekend, and when I hopped out of the car and spotted a flock of quail darting around, I was sold,” says Jo. The location got a second tick when the keen birdwatcher noticed the abundant birdlife in the otherwise quiet street. “The Tawharanui Open Sanctuary has brought a lot of different species to the area,” she says. “We get kererū, korimako, kookaburras and kākā, and at night we can even hear kiwi.” The two-bedroom 1950s cottage was also exactly what the couple had been looking for, and…

Menzies Pop! House by Architects’ Creative GOLD PINS — Residential architecture & residential interior Some would look at a small, derelict 1940s house and decide to demolish it. Christchurch’s Kate and Daniel Sullivan of Architects’ Creative opted to celebrate this in-situ concrete building’s unique character and work within the existing framework on a respectful refurbishment that has resulted in a comfortable, sustainable, high-performance family home. Driven by a desire for a social kitchen on the ground level (pictured on page 105), with lots of natural light and a physical connection to the landscape, the 120m2 footprint of this coastal Canterbury dwelling was cleverly replanned while embracing sustainable materials and systems. Repair of the original exterior, structural strengthening and service upgrades created a carefully considered and consistent composition. Throughout the home,…

Bailey Meredith and Anna Fahey met nearly two decades ago, in high school. In the years since, their conversations have often veered towards combining their strengths to begin a business — and now they’ve made it happen with their new brand, Baina. Referencing architecture, fine art, sculpture and colour theory, their abiding range of bath, hand and pool towels is crafted from organic cotton and expressed in beautiful hues, each named after a body of water. So, gals, how did Baina begin? Bailey: Anna and I have similar values and have worked together in the past at Kate Sylvester in Auckland and Jardan in Melbourne. Over the years, we’ve had many discussions about what our own business might look like, but it took moving to a different country and a…

Individual by Jessica Bellef (Allen & Unwin, $55) A woman after our own heart, stylist and author Jessica Bellef is as interested in the unique lives lived in the dwellings she’s discovered as she is in the buildings themselves. Her first book is a personality-filled tour of 15 autobiographical Australian homes that reflect their owners’ inclinations. Reading like good chats with good friends, some highlights include David, who lives in a shared flat, yet has cultivated an interior rich with pieces that conjure memories of tenants past and present; Sarah and Phil, whose place is peppered with pieces of pottery and glass uncovered on the grounds of their historic cottage; Annie and Genevieve, who built their home with straw bales and reclaimed materials; and Gab and Mick, who…

Run for covers We can’t move fast enough to get our hands on the casual summery nonchalance of hot-right-now linen sofa slipcovers. They convey an effortless, airy cool that suits all sorts of sensibilities, whether you prefer a well-tailored version or a looser, sheet-like scenario. Marble universe Neutral-hued marble is undeniably beautiful, but there’s a world of super shades coming to the fore. Introduce them in solid volumes like the vanity below, with Cosentino’s mesmerising Sensa surfaces and as smaller-scale design objects such as our new favourite lights from Melbourne’s Modern Times. Stripe hype In a bid to pull focus amid an ever-growing number of tempting trends, we’ve found ourselves being drawn to one of the simplest: stripes. Go for clean, refined takes, or make this timeless graphic motif modern…

Artist Grace Bader’s studio is on Auckland’s Karangahape Road, but she always has sketch books with her so, actually, the world is her workplace. Having moved to Auckland in 2014 after some time spent living in London, she says her environment and the people in her life all affect her work in some way. Grace, was there a pivotal moment when you landed on painting? I’ve painted since I was a little girl. My family has always encouraged me to be creative, which I’m thankful for. You’re working towards a solo show at Melanie Roger Gallery in early 2020 — are you exploring certain themes for it? There are a few, which have evolved and change as the collection grows; often what starts as an idea shifts during the process.…

When a covetable clifftop property overlooking the ocean goes up for sale for the first time in 35 years, eyes near and far fall on the prize. In the case of this beachside beauty in Australia’s Portsea, it was a lucky local couple who ultimately struck gold. The happy acquisition was the next step in their multi-generational journey in the coastal town near Melbourne. The parents of one of the homeowners had a home here for many years that was a cherished destination for extended-family holidays. Later, the couple took on and slowly renovated the property, and now this move just a few blocks away sees them beginning an exciting new chapter. When they took the helm of the two-storey mid-century home, it was structurally shipshape, with a sun-drenched northern…

The road from Christchurch to the West Coast takes us past the patchwork fields of the Canterbury Plains, over the bush- clad Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass, then down the Otira Viaduct before skirting Lake Brunner and delivering us to our final destination — Totara Flat. We’re spending the weekend in a classic country villa on Georgina and Steve Begg’s farm, where they take care of 500 cows, 30 sheep, six chickens, three dogs and a giant pig named Hank. The villa hasn’t always been guest-ready, but thanks to Georgie’s desire for a renovation project, it’s now a cushy base from which explore the magic of this region. This South Island dairy farm is a far cry from where Georgie grew up, 40 minutes south of London. However, a chance…

The concept of luxury no longer exclusively refers to the lifestyles of the rich and famous. In today’s world, it’s often simply about making life easier and clawing back time from the never-ending busyness. For designer Annika Rowson — director of Rowson Kitchens, which she runs with her husband Brad — life with sons Deacon (13) and Lucarn (10) is hectic, and the location of their family home built four years ago on the outskirts of New Plymouth wasn’t helping matters. “In our line of work, we do a lot of driving, so if we were able to minimise that by moving closer to town, while also ticking the box with zoning for the boys’ schooling, it was going to make things a lot simpler for us,” she says. Having…

Close your eyes, take a calming breath and picture yourself where you’d rather be — in Menorca. This unspoiled Spanish idyll has been a UNESCO-protected biosphere reserve since 1993, preserving it as a juniper- and pine-fringed paradise where a diverse ecosystem thrives, the cornucopia of bird, marine and plant life making it feel a world away from its untz-untz Balearic Islands neighbours Ibiza and Mallorca. Central to your Mediterranean daydream is a divine new design- led stay on 30 sun-kissed hectares near Alaior, 13km from the capital of Máhon. Here, a 19th-century finca (country estate) has been transformed by Experimental Group and lauded French interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon (founder of Paris practice Chzon) into a luxury agritourism venture, Menorca Experimental. Conceived as the summer residence of an imaginary artist (à…