Innholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2025 i homestyle

Not another villa reno, you might have exclaimed when eyeing up our contents page this issue! Honestly, though, we did have a moment wondering if we should be featuring two — from the same suburb, no less. After a robust discussion, we decided there was merit in sharing the wildly varied outcomes that can be achieved within common parameters. That's the thing about renovating and creating a home — it's got to be unique to you. Designer Susannah Matheson of Island Interiors had plenty of clues about how far she could take things with her most recent Devonport, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland project. You get that when the client is your sibling! Teaming up to turn a classic villa into a modern family home, Susannah and her sister Olivia have splashed out…

At The Rental 2.0, Sydney design house Ellison Studios translate their mood boards into reality. This temporary installation in an iconic 1926 warehouse building allows friends of the brand to wander through real-life versions of the company's Instagram feed, from living rooms to bedrooms. They're calling it a ‘share house’ where their vision of playful luxe is expressed throughout. At the centre of this living zone is their Float sofa in chocolatey brown, a design inspired by the conversation pits of the ‘70s. This teams with classics such as Marcel Breuer's Wassily chair and Akari lighting by Isamu Noguchi. A coffee-toned rug anchors the setting. We can easily imagine settling in here on a lazy Sunday morning, the first caffeine hit in hand, gentle light filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows.…

Buster Caldwell is director of Wonder Group, a full-service concept and interior design studio. Their office is an expression of local collaborations and DIY skills… So Buster, how did you find this spot? Luck through persistence. I searched for more than a year for a space we could name as our home. I was shown an off-market site still wrapped in scaffolding. Patterson Architects were on the build; it was an immediate standout. We asked the landlord their terms and signed the next day. How did you want the space to feel? Neutrality was the go — it must feel equally elevated for an established property developer and approachable to an emerging retailer looking to trust our team with their special projects. Our desking is open and a central oversized…

The floor's a tad off kilter and the ceiling might sag in places, but this Devonport villa is straight as a die when it comes to expressing the past, present and future of its ongoing story. When he was commissioned to renovate and then, some years later, extend the basement of this 1890s dwelling, architect Michael O'Sullivan's attitude was to embrace the ‘messiness’ of how the layers came together over time. “He said, ‘Don't fight it; just accept’,’’ says one of the homeowners. It was the decorative details and original materials that were put on a pedestal — not the planning. “If I were prime minister, every villa in Aotearoa would be dismantled and all the native timbers stripped of paint and hessian, then repurposed for a fresh domestic understanding…

If contemporary elegance in bathroom design makes your heart sing, then diarise a visit to the Plumbline showroom in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland to immerse yourself in the exquisiteness of Italian brands Fantini and Falper. The coming together of these two luminaries, which both have a rich legacy rooted in craftsmanship, has formed a sanctuary of elegance and innovation in the heart of Newmarket. Design-conscious homeowners will welcome the chance to explore this fresh-off the-blocks showcase where the best of European heritage teams with cutting-edge precision. Here you can view the Fantini collection of tapware, which hails from the shores of Lake Orta in the mountains of Piedmont. Each piece is a celebration of simplicity, crafted with an unwavering commitment to innovation, blending beauty with performance. The Fantini family has been making…

It's been a while since I dusted off my passport — pre-pandemic in fact. So when the opportunity arose to head to Sydney for a whirlwind trip recently, I jumped at the chance. Sydney is known for its iconic landmarks — its opera house, stunning coastline, the insta-favourite Bondi ocean pool… Don't get me wrong, all of the above are right up my alley, but on this trip I was seeking something else from my visit across the ditch: I'd been hanging out for some design inspiration. Now, I can appreciate that not everyone enjoys travelling alone, but there's certainly something to be said for waking up and heading wherever the day takes you, at your own pace. In my case, it involved 20,000 steps through the inner-city suburbs to…

1 … MAKING my way through a stack of summer reading. I have to admit The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing was on my bedside table for quite some time, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the pace and plot, and am inspired to get back into my own garden again this year. 2 … HOMEMADE matcha ice cream is a new favourite. At the end of last year, we got a Ninja Creami Deluxe, and the whole family has been enjoying experimenting with creating all sorts of flavourful frozen treats. 3 … SILVERWARE seems to be having a moment, so I went through my mum's collection and it's been lovely pulling it out for shared meals. If you're keen on the mood for parties at your place, try sourcing…

The Māori wahakura, woven from harakeke, and the gietkka, crafted from found natural materials by the Sámi communities of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia, are seen as an expression of ancestral wisdom in Architecture of Aroha, a current showcase at Objectspace in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. Here curator Zoe Black talks to respected makers Gunvor Guttorm (Sāpmi) and Tanya Reihana White (Aotearoa)… Zoe Black: Let's start by describing the baby sleeping vessels and their practical importance. Gunvor Guttorm: Gietkka, often translated as ‘baby cradle’, are used over the whole of Sāpmi, with its recorded origins dating back to 1500-1600CE. Through this history, different shapes and decorations have developed. Some gietkkas are quite flat on the bottom and sides, while others are more curved. Pine, spruce or aspen wood…

When interior designer Susannah Matheson was growing up, she was one of seven children and shared a bedroom with her younger sister, Olivia. “We had a line of Sellotape down the centre of the room. I'm obsessively tidy, so my side was pristine; hers was, shall we say, ‘lived in’,” laughs Susannah. For some, such close quarters might have been a death-knell for their relationship but, as soon as their studies were over, the pair set off on their OE together. “We lived in London in the same room, and we travelled the world,” continues Susannah. Safe to say then that, when it came to collaborating on the interiors of Olivia's house, she could almost read her mind. This Devonport villa, one street back from Cheltenham Beach, is as pretty…

The OE holds a special place in our cultural narrative here in Aotearoa. A rite of passage that offers more than just travel, it's an opportunity that shapes personal identity and broadens perspectives on life beyond the land of the long white cloud. For Sarah Otley, her desire to travel was design-driven, so she set her sights on Stockholm. “I barely knew my Sweden from my Switzerland, but was curious to try a city other than London, and had heard about the design scene there,” she says. “After a stint travelling around Europe with school mates, I slipped on a banana skin into a dream job — a role within H&M Group designing fantastical storytelling retail-brand experiences and offices all over the world.” Sweden's capital soon won her over with…

Central Otago is good road-trip country, so when Lexus invited me to the launch of their new LBX Morizo RR, I couldn't wait to get behind the wheel. After a dawn start and hearty breakfast at Gibbston Valley Lodge, we received maps for the adventure ahead. Having experienced the first-ever LBX hybrid launch last year. I wanted to find out what the new and improved LBX Morizo RR offered. The model is named after Akio Toyoda, CEO of Toyota and Lexus (‘Morizo’ is his racing alter ego for anonymity on the track). Inspired by Akio's favourite Lacoste sneaker, the sporty crossover design features Lexus's streamlined lines and a robust, performance-oriented aesthetic. “People think that big is luxury and small is economical, but that's not true,” says Akio. “To me, smaller…

What's one of your earliest memories of appreciating design? Travelling through Europe in my 20s. Its historical architecture had a profound impact. What drew you to the interiors game? I began as an art student, which led into fashion design. When I bought my first home, I gravitated towards interiors. How would you describe your interior style? It blends a passion for mid-century design with an appreciation for contemporary art and design. How do you focus working from home? If my workspace gets cluttered, my mind feels the same! With a new studio on the horizon. I'll be able to focus even more. What's your go-to for elevating a room? Something to draw the eye — a striking piece of art, sculptural furniture or a vessel with interesting texture or…

COLLAB FAB Bring out your inner floral designer with ease. The Pinch Vase has a distinctive figure-of-eight top which creates two chambers, beautifully fanning out the blooms into a widescreen effect. The vase, crafted by a family-owned pottery in Vietnam, is the result of a collab between Città and product designer Jamie McLellan (creative advisor to Allbirds). We're thrilled to witness these two brands joining forces to bring Jamie's international design-thinking to the local market. Available in bright citrus yellow, light pōhutukawa bud green, and deep charcoal green, and small, large and tall variations, the unique shape of the Pinch Vase is not only practical but a talking point, too. What a perfect arrangement. cittadesign.com MOOD FOOD Fine artist Michelle Wilkin says colour can affect our emotions — and she's…

Flavourful shades of berry, chocolate and mint converge in this home office, where every surface tells a story of decadence and daring. Cloaking the walls in colour is Resene Transition, a shade steeped in regal intensity, while the desk commands focus in the energetic Resene Green Acres. Vertical stripes of Resene Dark Chocolate are juxtaposed with cork panels stained in Resene Colorwood Deep Oak, creating a tactile rhythm for the eye and a practical space to mood board. Underfoot, the velvety tones of Resene Piazza recall the sumptuous layers of a tiramisu, grounding the space in a softer hue. Together, these rich palettes envelop the room in fearless harmony, a cocoon for brave ideas to unfold. Stylist's tip When staining cork, start by testing a small sample area. We found…

As a long-time Ponsonby local, architect Gerrad Hall reveals that he, “always had a particular hate for the house on this site — even before I got the job to replace it. Living nearby, I'd often pass it on my neighbourhood walks, so it was quite satisfying to put the bulldozer through it.” Fortunately, it was something of a guilt-free demolition since the house in question was an unusual three-storey 1980s build that didn't contribute to the character villa vernacular this part of Tāmaki Makaurau/ Auckland is known for. Being in a heritage enclave, architectural adherence was an integral part of the design process. “I've done a few houses in this zone, and earlier in my career it felt frustrating to have the constraints to work through with council. I…