HOME covers the best New Zealand architecture, design and interiors. It features inspirational, ingenious and just plain breathtaking homes from all over the country – as well as new restaurants, exciting art and the latest furniture releases.
Sometimes this country’s housing crisis seems so deep that it’s difficult to know where to begin. House prices, particularly in Auckland, have rocketed so high that the term “housing affordability” has become an oxymoron. In 1980, the median house price was double the median annual salary; in Auckland these days the median house price is almost 10 times the median income. High prices have pushed debt to dangerous levels, with a recent Westpac report citing the build-up of household debt as one of the key issues confronting the New Zealand economy. Rampant property speculation – early this year, over 40 percent of house sales in the Auckland market were to investors – has caused turbulence in the rental market: the average length of residential tenancies in New Zealand homes is…
ADRIENNE REWI Christchurch-based Adrienne wrote two of our small-home features ( p.120 and p.142). Which of the two small homes you’ve covered would you most like to move into? The Cotter house by Thom Craig. I’m intrigued by small housing, especially Japanese houses – the attention to detail, the simplicity, the minimalism – which is the antithesis of how I live (in a large, old house surrounded by objects, art and visual prompts). Both homes are innovative responses to Christchurch’s post-quake situation, but it seems as if the city’s main response to housing after the quakes has been to build standard-issue suburbs on the city fringe. Is this accurate? I’m constantly walking the streets of Christchurch with a camera and I’m frequently disappointed by the number of bland, cookie-cutter homes springing…
One of the most attention-getting debuts at this year’s Milan Design Week was the ‘Valet’ collection (right) of laid-back, leathery furniture and accessories by New York-based architect and designer David Rockwell for Stellar Works. The collection was spotted in Milan by the team at Backhouse Interiors, who are now selling it and the rest of Stellar Works’ modern, elegant range in their Auckland and Wellington showrooms. In Rockwell’s designs, luxury isn’t about bringing the bling, but about simple, beautifully crafted shapes made from understated, timeless materials. The same can be said for the rest of the Stellar Works collection (also coming to Backhouse stores), which includes collaborations with well-known design firms such as Neri & Hu, Space Copenhagen and Yabu Pushelberg, as well as reissues of vintage works by Carlo…
When it comes to interiors, American designer Kelly Wearstler has never been afraid of maximalism. Her trick is that, rather than careering into the retro rococo decorating style so beloved by some of her compatriots, she piles on the layers – raw with refined, sophisticated with spontaneous – with enough modern sangfroid to make it all work. Since making her name as an interior designer, Wearstler has branched out into creating furniture, lighting, rugs, fabrics, wallpapers, bedding and more. The good news for die-hard Wearstler fans – and there are plenty of them – is that her range is now available in New Zealand at Cavit & Co’s Auckland, Christchurch and Arrowtown stores. cavitco.com…
People say colour is making a comeback, but Italian furniture design master Antonio Citterio has never been afraid of a hot, luxurious hue. His ‘Feel Good’ barstools for Flexform, shown here in luscious tan leather, is part of a wider range that cleverly blends comfort and classicism with just a hint of cheekiness. (If you’re a bit cautious to take on the very warm leather tones, there are many other colours available, as well as options in fabric and suede.) His ‘Zeus’ sofa (below), also for Flexform, with its high back that wraps like a protective shell, looks excellent in this shade of siena. Both designs have recently arrived in Studio Italia’s Auckland showroom. Studio Italia 25 Nugent Street, Grafton, Auckland studioitalia.co.nz…
Londoner Charles Lethaby spent a decade teaching art, sculpture and 3D design after graduating from Central Saint Martins as a product designer in 2004. Then, in 2014, he launched his small lighting design business – and his life has seemed like it has been on fast-forward ever since. He started out with one-off bespoke commissions and partnerships with small interior designers, then rocketed to prominence when his ‘Elara’ light (far left) was selected for the Christmas window displays of Hobbs, the womenswear brand. His range is now expanding and so is his international presence, with ECC spying his work in Milan and being one of the first retailers to snap up his sleek, elegant lights for their Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch stores. Lethaby’s designs include ‘Carina Chandelier’ (top), ‘Carina’ (middle)…
