Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2017 i homestyle

“Hygge is the ‘concept of creating cosy and convivial atmospheres that promote wellbeing’. And in essence, isn’t that what all our homemaking efforts are in aid of?” IN THE SEARCH FOR THE RIGHT WORDS TO SUM up the themes of this issue for our cover, ‘cosy’ kept popping up. But why is it that ‘cosy’ can sometimes call to mind spaces that are small, cluttered or old-fashioned, rather than rooms with the stylish, relaxed intimacy we’re aiming to conjure in our homes at this time of year? Short of giving cosy a rebrand, I’m thinking we could also adopt the Danish notion of hygge to describe the effect we’re wanting to create when the weather has us holed up inside. According to the Collins English Dictionary, hygge is the ‘concept…

NEW ROMANCE: CONTEMPORARY COUNTRYSTYLE INTERIORS. PUBLISHED BY GESTALTEN, $100. Life been a little lacking in the romance department lately? Inject it into your home instead with styling that blends the raw charm and comfort of a rustic look with modern touches. This book tells international tales of homes that honour the traditions, materials and craftmanship of rural dwellings and combine them with the best of today’s design. If you live rurally, great, but you don’t need a farmhouse to achieve this aesthetic, just a hankering to blend the homely and contemporary without those country clichés (we’re looking at you, cast-iron bread-baskets in the shape of hens). Maybe you’re keen to come home to something more grounding, looking to return to your roots without upping sticks, or wanting to update your…

RULE #1: Liven things up Indoor plants are never not a good idea. They clear the air, reduce stress, encourage a feeling of wellbeing and look fantastic too. For best visual effect, go for greenery in a range of different heights. RULE #2: Design your living room for connection Make your lounge a more social space by facing your sofa and armchairs towards each other, instead of a flat screen. With your living area oriented to board games, not binge-watching, the natural next step is guests and good times. RULE #3: Turn your coffee table into a canvas Is your coffee table just ‘there’? Use it as a stage on which your talent for styling can shine. Populate it with items that reflect your interests, and include books and magazines…

IN A SEA OF NONDESCRIPT warehouses, the industrial shell of Cruz Jimenez’s West Auckland studio belies the dynamic storytelling evolving within. Although he’s occupied the space for just three months (alongside a photographer and a collage artist), evidence of Cruz’s prolific output is already splattered on the walls. And despite having recently opened a show at Sanderson Contemporary gallery, a fresh row of canvases suggests he’s already cracking on with his next project. Born and raised in the US, Cruz came to New Zealand in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Southern California, and now calls Auckland home. Travelling back to California to visit family is an annual pilgrimage though, and one he often draws on for the memories depicted in his abstract paintings.…

“We had some pieces we wanted to retain from our apartment, so we built on that. Our dining table came from Chris’s parents’ house – he recalls his family breakfasting around it.” WHEN AMBER AND CHRIS CARROLL SET out to buy their second home – having outgrown their first, an apartment in Auckland’s Westmere – there were two things they didn’t want: a villa and a pool. Now they have both. What won them over was the fact that their 1910 Freemans Bay villa had been completely renovated, retaining all the best features of the heritage home and combining them with modern elements that made for easy living. Happy they wouldn’t have to do anything to it except add their own touches, they were free to appreciate all the…

WAFFLING ON Into hiring local makers to create small runs from sustainable materials, Mavis & Osborn designer Tamzin Hawkins is to be admired for her ethical business practices. Also to be admired: the items she’s just added to extend her waffle-weave collection. In new hues, there are some mittens, a baby towel and this shower towel. mavisandosborn.com THAT’S JUST GRATE What do you get when an architect designs a grater? A matte black looker that also does a stellar job, with features such as curved chevron-pattern blades, a light, hollow handle and a supportive base that can also hook over the side of a bowl. Hagino Mitsunobu won Japan’s prestigious Good Design Award for this piece he designed for FD Style. precinct35.co.nz MAN, I FEEL LIKE A…

Touch points Up the interest of an almost-white (Resene Sea Fog)/almost-black (Resene Gumboot) combo with the addition of textural elements. We lightly coated chipboard with Resene Sea Fog to create a headboard, then met our paint pairing in the middle with accents in shades of grey. Hero colours: Supporting palette:…

“Don’t be afraid to display what you love, irrespective of whether it’s ‘proper’ art, and feel free to change things around; I try not to be too worried about holes in the walls.” SEEKING A SEA CHANGE, A LOVE of collecting saw Auckland’s Sara Bruce leave her job as a lawyer and embark on a new career as a stylist and dealer of vintage curiosities at online store myexhibition.co.nz. “I was inspired to launch this business by two things, really. Firstly, a desire to create a brand that’s quite idiosyncratic and original. I wanted to get away from current trends and offer options that are a bit more personal. I hate the idea that everyone’s houses might look the same these days. Secondly, buying antiques and vintage is sustainable and…

TRY FOR A MINUTE TO RECALL THE childhood sensation of climbing a tree: the shadows at the base giving way to light, the thrill of being so high, the bird’s-eye view of the world below. Pass through the dusky blue entryway and up, up, up the steep central staircase in the house Francine Smith and David Cunneen built, and you get a similar sense of floating on air. This house is nothing short of spectacular: five beautifully crafted levels scaling a Titirangi hill. “Our architect, Hamish Stirrat of Fabricate Architecture, is young and passionate about design, so we gave him the artistic freedom to surprise us with it,” says Francine, who relocated to Auckland with David and their sons in 2012, after the 2011 earthquake changed life forever in…

“I use the little terrace under the roof early in the day; there’s always shelter and sun at that time. In the afternoon, we move to the one on the north side.” MOGENS LARSEN LIVES IN COPENHAGEN, but has long been fascinated by Denmark’s unspoiled North Jutland, with its beguiling windswept lyme grass and vast skies. Back in 1977, he bought a property in the middle of the dunes with the intention of building a holiday home, but life got in the way and time marched on, leaving the land undeveloped for many years. “It wasn’t until my first grandchild came into the world in 2011 that I thought it was time to build something,” he says. People don’t often appreciate the limitations covenants can place on a property,…

BECOMING SELF-SUFFICIENT CAN seem like something you’ll do later, at some magical point in the future when you have that plot of land, your own home, more time. Unna Burch – who rents in suburban Wellington and has no plans to move to the country – thinks otherwise, and reckons we should all just grow what we can, now. The mum of two is a self-taught cook who turned her love of it into a career after her blog and Instagram took off and saw her segue into food writing, styling and photography. With her husband Aaron owner of a beekeeping business, she produces honey alongside the organic veges she grows and eggs she gathers from their heritage-breed chooks. In her second book, The Forest Cantina Home, Unna shares 80…

EDWARD GIBBON Bathroomware See the very latest in bathroomware from some of the most famous brands in New Zealand and around the world – all at prices you can afford. Visit the Edward Gibbon website to receive a free copy of the catalogue, to shop and more. edwardgibbon.co.nz ESSE Cooking & heating ESSE cookers and stoves have been made with pride in Britain for more than 160 years. Every model is carefully handcrafted to offer exceptional quality, integrity and longevity, and they’re available in a variety of classic and contemporary colours to suit any kitchen. Visit the website to view the full range of appliances and colours. 0800 479 762 esse.com THREAD DESIGN Decorating Founded in 2001, Thread Design is known for quality New Zealand-made bed linen. Beautiful…

JOINING THE CIRCUS Among the 450 exhibitors at lighting spectacular Euroluce at April’s Milan Furniture Fair were Simon James and Scott Bridgens for Resident with their exhibition Dark Matter, which included pieces from a collaboration with UK designers Philippe Malouin and Tim Rundle. You’re looking at Philippe’s Offset side table, a charmingly irregular screw-together piece in solid oak, and Resident Studio’s Circus lights, a flexible system of brass rings that can be combined to create a theatrical vertical design object. resident.co.nz SLOWER-MO Crafted from brass and blown glass, the Ikebana vase by Jamie Hayon for Fritz Hansen is designed to let the whole flower be admired – petals, stem and all. We’re swayed by how gorgeous it is and also its whispers of the Japanese art of flower arranging…

BLACK & WHITE THINKING WARM WISHES…

WITH NOTHING BUT BIRDSONG TO be heard in the Titirangi bush setting of Auckland ceramicist Rachel Carter’s home studio, it’s not hard to guess the source of the sense of calm in her wheel-thrown works – simple, quiet forms with an austere yet ethereal quality. But we couldn’t help but want to know more about her personal practice and the pieces she’s been commissioned to create for some of Auckland’s top restaurants. How did you come to be a ceramicist? Ceramics was part of the curriculum at the school I attended as an exchange student in Sweden. I loved it and continued to do the odd night class while I was at uni, but I never considered it a serious career option. After four years of working in law firms…

IN QUEENSTOWN, TEMPERATURES fluctuate from freezing in winter to scorching in summer, so it’s hard to believe a home could maintain a comfortable 23°C inside year round – and without any conventional heating at that. Yet through applying the principles of ‘passive house’ design, Michael Sly has created a home that pulls it off no sweat. Building a place of their own was always on the cards for Michael and his partner Jodie Lynes; he’s long had an interest in low-energy building technology and prefabricated architecture. “In fact, he’s probably been planning this house since he was a teenager,” says Jodie. Having both grown up in Queenstown, they wanted their daughter Olive to have a rural upbringing too, so they settled on a site in the Speargrass Flat area.…

1 Don’t drown them. Be warned: overwatering is the most common killer of houseplants. It isn’t fatal at first, but if you continue to do it, it will kill the plant. Watch out for the first signs your greenery is in trouble and stop watering immediately. 2 Give them a break. You may be surprised to learn that nearly all plants need a rest period, which is usually in winter. During this time, you should water and feed them less, and let them be a little cooler. 3 Up the humidity. Central heating and other heat sources can make the air inside your home very dry. When growing indoor plants, it’s a good idea to increase the humidity in the air by misting their leaves. 4 Keep an eye out…

“We spend a lot of time in the sunroom all year round; it connects to the kitchen and doubles as a dining room.” I travelled for years before settling in my hometown of Nelson. I loved exploring, but it was when I put my roots down in my own house that I felt complete. There’s so much contentment to be found in creating a home. I make a fresh loaf of sourdough bread almost every day. I’ve been doing it for years and it’s become part of my daily life. The change flour, water and salt go through to produce bread continues to amaze me. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this ritual. We have a large garden with loads of fruit trees, so during the preserving season there’s…