Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i Your Home and Garden

It’s become a bit of a tradition around here to make our February issue all about sorting and organising, which I’ll admit, doesn’t sound thrilling – but hear me out! There’s something to be said for starting the year off on the right foot and I reckon the power of a tidy and well-organised home can’t be underestimated. I start to feel a bit unhinged when the housework has gotten away on me and drawers and cupboards are bursting open with stuff we’ve accumulated throughout the year. A good clear-out at home can also help clear the mind, I say. We’ve got loads of great decluttering, organising and storage advice in this issue, as well as an invitation to join our #clutterfreefeb challenge – it’s a goodie this year! Turn…

After moving from Wellington to Melbourne at the age of 17, Sam Michelle embarked on a 13-year career in banking. She continued her beloved painting practice in her downtime until five years ago, when she took the plunge and went full time. Unsurprisingly, the beautiful oil paintings Sam creates, of seasonal floral arrangements styled with her unique collection of ceramics and textiles, have been a hit. She now lives and works just south of Melbourne with her husband, Darren, and sons Carter and Jasper (named after All Black Dan Carter and Australian artist Jasper Knight), plus “two elderly dogs, one elderly cat and one teenage cat”. Here she shares some insights into her background and creative process. Did your upbringing influence you as an artist? My sister and I were…

Whether building or renovating, selecting your appliances should be one of the first steps when designing your kitchen and laundry. This ensures you get exactly what you want, with the cabinetry built to fit around it. New innovations in technology are a constant in the appliance industry, so it’s a good idea to do some research online to narrow down your options before you venture into a showroom to make a final decision. You’ll find all the specs you need at haier.co.nz/products/. Ten top tips for planning your kitchen and laundry 1. One of your biggest decisions will be whether you want a single-door or french-door fridge, and whether the freezer is positioned at the top or the bottom. Make sure you give your kitchen designer the exact dimensions so…

Jade Longstaff and partner Sean Parker wanted to create a calm, relaxing zone in the bedroom of their newly built kitset home. Although they knew they didn’t want to paint it all white, it took the New Plymouth couple a while to settle on a colour. It was Sean who chose Resene ‘Rascal’ on the day of painting, much to Jade’s surprise. “Once we had the colour on the walls, we loved it,” she says. “Sean was against having white walls in every room, and I am glad I took his advice.” The new colour looks amazing in any light, she notes, with different tones emerging depending on the time of day. “I love that aspect of it, as it appears that the room slightly changes colour throughout the day.…

Anyone who’s seen Clueless will know what the ideal wardrobe looks like: a hidden rail of endlessly gorgeous clothes and accessories, all accessed by touchscreen and curated by a digital styling assistant. But sadly, this vision from 1995 hasn’t yet come to pass. Our wardrobes are still mostly chaotic places we struggle to keep in order. Luckily, the systems available to help us do this are always improving, and experts have plenty of hints to help us create our dream ’robes. Whether you’re building new or renovating an existing wardrobe, the planning phase is key for creating a space that makes getting dressed easier, rather than more complicated. This month’s workshop aims to give you the building blocks to take your wardrobe from jumbled to ingenious. THE PLAN A great…

While a large part of my job involves styling spaces to look beautifully organised and well put together, this rarely translates to my own living and working spaces – tidiness is not a strong suit of mine! With a new year ahead, I’m making it my mission to create a minimal workspace, free from clutter, where I can reflect and refocus. This month’s room reveal represents my ultimate office corner: a dedicated productivity zone in a calming setting, filled with things that not only help me stay on task but keep the creativity flowing. A backdrop of Dulux ‘Okarito’ forms the basis of this fresh, clean palette, coordinating nicely with some of my favourite white accessories – a faceted Arnold Circus stool for stacking reference materials, a plush sheepskin to…

Astudy or home office doesn’t have to be a bland space filled with traditional grey office furniture – this is an area where you can be as creative as you like and have fun with theme and colour. Think outside the box when it comes to furniture and accessories to create a zone that will put a smile on your face and where you’ll want to spend time. A simple decor update can make sitting down to work something you’ll look forward to. For this feature, we’ve taken an inexpensive white desk and styled it three different ways. THE DESK This compact white desk from Warehouse Stationery has a modern, clean look which works well with multiple interior styles. You can’t go wrong with a white foundation piece as it…

CHOC-CHERRY COCONUT BARS MAKES 16 INGREDIENTS 200g dark, semi-sweet vegan chocolate, chopped coarsely (see tips) 1 cup (150g) dried cherries, chopped finely 3 cups (240g) desiccated coconut ½ cup (165ml) rice malt syrup (see tips) 1 tsp vanilla extract ⅓ cup (80ml) melted coconut oil 1 Line base and sides of an 18cm x 28cm slice tin with baking paper. 2 Place half the chocolate in a small, heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don’t allow bowl to touch water); stir until just melted. Pour chocolate into tin, spread to cover base then refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. Take bowl off pan of water; take pan off heat. 3 Combine cherries and coconut in a large bowl. Stir in syrup, vanilla and oil until combined.…

In the heat of summer, there’s nothing quite like relaxing in the garden beside a swimming pool or a gently trickling fountain. Although swimming pools are not in everyone’s budget, some form of water feature is within most people’s reach. From a few aquatic plants in a simple water bowl on the deck, to an in-ground pond complete with fish and a fountain, the possibilities are endless. Many water features can be easily built with basic DIY skills, too. Always check out the maintenance requirements before you commit to such projects, though, as water gardens can deteriorate quickly without regular TLC. Start small It’s a good idea to start small when experimenting with water gardens so you can determine what level of maintenance you are prepared to carry out. If…

HARVEST > Who can resist the flavour of vine-ripened tomatoes? Waiting until fruit turns red before picking means flavours will be at their best, but you may need to net plants to beat the birds to your crops. Never store tomatoes in the fridge as this kills the flavour. Harvest only what you need. Trimming the top shoot of vine tomatoes once plants have developed 4-5 flowering trusses reduces the nutrition load on the plant so it can put its energy into the remaining fruit. If a plant becomes overburdened with producing too much fruit, it is less able to resist diseases. > Courgettes are best picked every couple of days otherwise you can end up with a heap of tasteless, tough-skinned marrows. Harvest when small and sweet and this…

Does an area of your garden need a revamp? Garden editor and landscape designer Carol Bucknell will come up with a plan for some lucky readers. All we need are photographs of your problem area, details of where you live, a site description (where north is, the soil type, whether your garden is exposed to wind or heat) and the style of garden you would like. SEND TO Case Study, Your Home and Garden, Bauer Media, Private Bag 92512, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1010, or email yhg@bauermedia.co.nz. We can’t feature everyone’s garden in the magazine, but if you’d like some personal design advice, you can contact Carol at carolbucknell.co.nz.…

LAMPSHADE Bring personality to a simple lamp by adding wallpaper. Cut your paper to fit the shade, allowing 2cm extra, top and bottom (we needed 2 pieces of paper to wrap all the way around ours). Fold excess paper inside shade and fix with double-sided tape or clear craft glue. WALL HANGING This project can be whipped up in 15 minutes and makes for an affordable piece of art. Starting with 2 pieces of dowel, tie a length of twine to the ends of 1 piece for hanging. Cut wallpaper to desired length (ours was 95cm) plus 16cm extra to fold over dowels. Position dowels on back of wallpaper, 8cm in from ends, fold ends over dowels and fix to back of wallpaper with double-sided tape. Hang on your wall.…

SPEAKER EASY A good portable Bluetooth speaker is basically a modern essential for outdoor entertaining, and this little rose pink number from Kmart is an easy and affordable choice at just $15. Sync it to your phone or just plug in the headphone jack for hours of awesome music. kmart.co.nz MIX AND MATCH New to Thread Design is the Attenborough botanical print. Named after the renowned naturalist David Attenborough, this design is inspired by vintage botanical illustrations. Available in a throw, cushion and pillowcase, the pattern looks great paired with plain linens. From $135 from threaddesign.co.nz.…

Retro coffee table, $329, from May Time. Cali woven mule, $359.99, from A&C Homestore. Marina sofa, $1819, from Dawson & Co. Teak candle, $319.99, from A&C Homestore.…

Not every couple gets a new house as a wedding present, but that’s kind of true for My New Home homeowners Oliver Driver and Ella Mizrahi. Their brother-in-law David Ponting, who is director of architectural firm Ponting Fitzgerald, offered to design them a house as a wedding gift when they were married three years ago. “Huge sliding doors open from the living space to the deck, which steps down to a small garden and waterside reserve” They had recently purchased a small subdvided section near the water on Auckland’s Te Atatu Peninsula, on which to build a new home for their family. David lives in a nearby home with a similar aspect, so he was familiar with the site’s advantages – and challenges. “The proximity to my own home allowed…

One of the real bonuses of building a new home is your ability to conceive a decorating scheme that flows throughout the house. Unlike a renovation, when you’re likely to tackle one room at a time (and forget which shade of white you used on the trims by the time you get to the next room), with a new build you choose all colours at the same time as part of a cohesive colour story. The challenge comes from choosing a colour that is on-trend, while also complementing your own taste and the style of your home. As New Zealand’s largest privately owned and operated paint manufacturing company, Resene has earned a reputation as an industry leader when it comes to colour. With free colour consultations available in many Resene…

Making your dreams come true starts with a good dose of common sense and a sprinkling of creativity, both of which Kylee and Mark Newbold have in spades. This creative couple dreamed of weekends spent at their very own bach, but assumed it was a distant life goal. Then a simple day trip to the Mangawhai Heads, just over an hour’s drive from their home in Auckland, changed all that. “We were trying to find a section within a two-hour radius of our home,” remembers Kylee. “Neither Mark nor I had been to Mangawhai Heads before, but we had seen a few sections on Trade Me so thought we would go and have a look.” After a casual drive around the area, the couple were overwhelmed by its stunning coastline.…

WARDROBE TIDYING TIPS + Shoe storage is all about your personality. Have lots of shoes that you wear often? Invest in built-in cubby shelves. Have trouble putting shoes away? Set up a basket to chuck them in and tidy it once a week. Be honest about your habits and plan storage to suit. + Slim, shallow shoe baskets arranged longways on shelves are great for casual sandals, jandals and flats. Keep less-used shoes in clear, labelled boxes so you can still see them when stored up high. + Put belts onto ‘S’ hooks and hang them on a clothing rail, or coil them up in a drawer and install dividers to keep them neat. + Jewellery is ideal in a drawer where it can be seen easily – use an…

1 ORGANISE CHAOS Limit yourself to one small ‘dumping tray’ or ‘junk bowl’, where you keep odds and ends that don’t have a place. Think odd buttons, business cards and loose change. Choose something decorative so you’re more likely to keep the mess to a minimum. 2 USE TUBES Hang onto those cardboard tubes when you use up your paper towels or kitchen foil, and use them to store reusable plastic bags tidily in a drawer. You can also recycle wet-wipe canisters for this purpose. 3 PAPER TRAIL Reduce paper clutter by taking photos of takeaway menus or flyers from local businesses. Likewise, download user manuals, credit card agreements and health insurance policies, and save them in a folder on your computer. 4 KITCHEN CALM Free up bench space by…

BACKGROUND Where do you live? Otahuhu, Auckland. Why did you decide to purchase your home? We were looking for more space and a home that we could stay in forever, with room for hobbies and guests. We absolutely fell in love with the look of the house – it’s art deco with the most spectacular street frontage and garden. But we did exactly the thing you’re not supposed to do – we were dazzled by the house and bought it without thinking really carefully about how practical it was. It wasn’t until after we’d moved in that we realised how much work it needed. What was the kitchen like when you moved in? Very dated, very run-down and with too much storage, if you can believe it! There was a…

+ Does your garden look parched and not that pretty during the peak summer months? Rather than spending a fortune on water, you’re better off growing plants that thrive in drought conditions. My favourite heat lovers include Poor Knights lily, manuka, lavender, most succulents, Aussie box (westringia), corokia, euphorbia, dietes species, Australian tussock (lomandra), agapanthus (sterile types only, as others can be invasive), Teucrium fruticans, Brachyglottis ‘Otari Cloud’, echinacea, lychnis, rain lilies (zephyranthes) and flaxes. Avoid doing any new planting right now. Wait until the weather cools and there’s more moisture in the soil. + If you must water your garden to keep it alive in summer, try to irrigate in the early morning. Moisture left on leaves at night can cause fungal diseases. And don’t overwater protea, leucospermum, leucadendron,…

Basket case Locker-style cabinets are fast becoming a mainstay of the modern home and Melbourne-based brand Mustard are leading the pack with a gorgeous selection of lockers in on-trend colours. Now you can keep your neat little locker looking even prettier (and tidier) with Mustard’s new range of storage baskets in matching colours. Keep your bits and bobs together in small ($22.99) or large ($39.99) baskets from shutthefrontdoor.co.nz.…

SAVE SAVE Michele linen bag in mustard, $49.90, from Citta. SAVE Jute tote, $22.99, from Trade Aid. SAVE Michele linen bag in ink, $49.90, from Citta. SPLURGE SPLURGE Cloud bag in ochre, $99.99, from A&C Homestore. SPLURGE Woven tote, $160, from Everyday Needs. SPLURGE Heritage shopper, $64.90, from Country Road.…

Arriving on a Friday night, I was definitely ready for cocktails and conviviality, and the Cordis Lobby Lounge didn’t disappoint. Contemporary elegance combined seamlessly with Kiwi hospitality and in no time I was sipping a delicious aperitif made with locally distilled rhubarb gin. Later, hungry, and not sure what I fancied, I headed to Eight restaurant, with its signature “interactive dining” – eight specialist kitchens offering grill, seafood, salads, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Italian and delectable desserts, all under one roof. Under the guidance of executive chef Volker Marecek, the emphasis on locally sourced, sustainable and seasonal products was evident. Cordis kitchens produce very little waste, too, something of which staff are justifiably proud. After my chosen octopus and oysters, it was time for meltingly tender lamb and coriander naan fresh…

Research, research, research. When you’re planning a home build or major renovation, you sometimes feel like you’re spending your life online and in showrooms, looking up different options so you can make smart decisions about everything from drainage to decor. Which flooring to use is one of the most important decisions you’ll make, and needs to be finalised early in the process as it affects so many other elements of the build. For example, it’s much easier to choose a carpet that you love and colour-match a paint to the carpet, than it is to try to find a carpet to co-ordinate with a particular wall or joinery colour. With such a wide range of options to choose from, including carpet, laminate, vinyl, tiles and wood, all available in a…

Most people simply have their family to consider when designing a new kitchen. But it’s not quite so straightforward when you’re a food stylist. Jo Wilcox, who develops recipes and makes mouth-watering food for magazines such as Nadia, Taste and Food, had always struggled to find a kitchen large enough to store all the tins, pans, pots, crockery, cake stands, tablecloths and more that she’d collected over the years to use in photoshoots, not to mention the many gadgets and ingredients she needed to have at her fingertips. Finally, the problem was solved when she and husband Paul Wilcox got the chance to design her fantasy kitchen four years ago. “We built this house in Karaka [in Auckland’s south] as I needed a kitchen large enough to work well for…

FLOOR PLAN KEY  1 Bathroom/laundry 2 Wardrobe 3 Bedroom 4 Kitchen 5 Lounge 6 Deck HONESTY BOX + Any DIY disasters? We underestimated the need to mask areas well when we started painting – this meant we had a lot of clean-up to do. Masking tape is the way to go. + One thing you would change about your home if you could? When we originally designed the bach, we thought it would become a minor dwelling, so we designed the kitchen without an oven. Now that we love the bach and are planning to extend it, we’re trying to work an oven into the design. + Most memorable experience you have had in your home? Our first night in the bach was a huge highlight. We’d both dreamed of…

SPEND TOTAL RENOVATION SPEND: Approx $350,000 HONESTY BOX > What lessons did you learn about renos? Vanessa: There were a lot! Mostly, how important it is to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, as boring as that can be. Shane was really good at reminding me to think about the house we’d end up with, when I was fixated on things that hadn’t been done perfectly or weren’t how we’d discussed them with our project manager. It took me about six months to fall in love with the house after moving back in. I’d got so used to noticing all the bits that didn’t end up how we’d wanted that I couldn’t see the wood for the trees. But once it felt like home again, I never regretted a…

Study smarter If you’ve got big plans for your work, study or creative life in 2019, a desk makeover can help you feel motivated to put those plans in motion. Something as simple as a new coat of paint on the wall (pictured here is Resene ‘Noosa’) can put a fresh spin on things and make your old desk feel fun again. Check out our home office styling feature on page 102 for more easy ideas.…

This bedroom is a great example of how a lovely warm colour palette can make a space feel welcoming and relaxing. Using tones of a pastel colour such as peach offers a way to keep the overall effect soft and muted while leaving room to add bolder accents. We took our theme to the next level by using this same Resene colour palette to upcycle some secondhand cane furniture. We lightly sanded back this bookshelf and beside table before applying a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer, then two coats of Resene ‘Beethoven’. PAINT THE RAINBOW To create this rainbow headboard feature (ours was 1.8m diameter), start by marking a spot 1m off the floor, then draw a horizontal line (use a level to ensure it’s straight). Decide where…

Joining our #clutterfreefeb challenge? (You can read about it on page 28.) While decluttering may mean getting rid of unnecessary items from your home, it doesn’t have to involve creating heaps of waste and spending lots of money on new storage solutions. As you identify pieces of clutter that aren’t serving you, remember they don’t necessarily need to be thrown away. Recycling, repurposing, regifting or donating are great ways to extend the life cycle of an item you no longer want. If something is in good condition, you could offer it to a neighbour, friend or family member, give it away on social media, sell it, or donate it to charity. If an item is broken, consider if it can be repaired – either by you or someone else. Secondhand…

Dealing with an “incredibly challenging” steep site, a swimming pool in disrepair and major privacy issues is not an easy ask for any landscape professional. Fortunately, talented designer Kirsten Sach was more than up to the job when software company CEO Nathalie Morris came to her for help. Kirsten had made a beautiful garden at the front of Nathalie’s Auckland home two years earlier and the homeowner was confident the designer could create the private sanctuary she dreamed of out the back. Her faith was not misplaced and now the Grey Lynn resident and her pooch, Pixie, spend many happy hours relaxing in their inner-city paradise. THE SITE When Kirsten first saw the property, the back area was very steep with a disused old pool filled with dirty water and…

Hydrangeas One of the true old faithfuls, hydrangeas produce their magnificent, rounded flower heads all through summer and into autumn. Most of the hydrangeas we grow in New Zealand are derived from the species H. macrophylla, originally from China or Japan. To keep hydrangeas looking fabulous, make sure soil is rich in organic matter and kept moist during summer. Lots of sun is essential for abundant flowering but avoid a very hot position as the leaves and blooms scorch easily. Feed regularly with liquid fertiliser.…

1 OPEN OUT Create a more spacious patio by extending paving out and around the corner. Existing coloured concrete paving could be continued but it may be hard to match. Otherwise, replace with warm cream pavers to complement the brick and give the space a larger, more contemporary look. 2 SCREEN PLAY Build a pergola over the inner part of the new patio. Cover with polycarbonate roof panels with a UV rating. Or buy a prebuilt pergola and train a flowering climber up it. 3 COOK IT UP Install an outdoor kitchen with a built-in barbecue on the western end of the covered patio so you can cook in all weathers. 4 GREEN TOUCH Surround the patio with a green informal hedge to create a sense of enclosure and soften…

FLOWERING CLIMBERS White or cream climbing roses such as ‘Claire Austin’, ‘Wedding Day’ or ‘Iceberg’; Clematis montana; white wisteria such as Wisteria japonica ‘Snow Showers’. INFORMAL FLOWERING HEDGES Lavender ‘Hidcote Blue’, ‘Grosso’ or similar; fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense); dwarf bottlebrush (Callistemon ‘Little John’); Ceanothus ‘Henri Desfossé’; rosemary ‘Tuscan Blue’; Teucrium fruticans. FLOWERING EDGING PLANTS Liriope muscari such as ‘Royal Purple’ or ‘Big Blue’; sea thrift (Armeria maritima); dwarf white (non-invasive) agapanthus such as ‘Finn’ or ‘Snowball’; flag iris; Dianella tasmanica. GROUNDCOVERS Golden, lemon, lavender or ‘Ruby Carpet’ thyme; creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum); creeping oregano; lamb’s-ear (Stachys byzantina), Sedum ‘Gold Mound’. NOTE Most of the plants listed here are suitable for the conditions of this particular site, which is north-facing and sunny, but in a colder part of the country. These…

THE BRIGHT SIDE PAGE 48 PAINT Interior walls painted in Resene white (can’t remember shade). Doors in Resene ‘Dixie Chick’. FLOORING Strand board painted in Resene Lustacryl ‘Quarter Rakaia’. WINDOW COVERINGS Yellow blinds from Blindz Direct. UPSTAIRS LIVING Landscape artwork by Michael Smither. Sideboard from eBay UK. On sideboard: glass vase a gift, wooden box a family heirloom, ceramic vase and diffuser from Hospice Shop, white lamp from Ikea. Rug from Wellington. Vitsoe shelving by Dieter Rams. Armchair from Whanganui. Dining table (corner glimpsed) from Habitat. KITCHEN Cabinet carcasses from Placemakers with fronts by Newton Gordge Joinery. Appliances from Fisher & Paykel. Rug from Big Save Furniture. STAIRS Chair from kids’ school. Cushion from London Transport Museum. Framed artwork (black/orange/blue) by Michael Smither. Red/black artwork by Roese, Australia. Orange/yellow/ green…