Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2019 i Your Home and Garden

I’m a neat freak from way back and I blame my mother (love you, Mum!). But it’s not easy striving to be clean and tidy all the time ’cause life really does get in the way. Lately I’ve been trying to relax my obsessive tidying tendencies because ‘reno life’ and ‘tidy life’ don’t exactly go hand in hand (see page 92 for part one of our new bathroom project). Something that has been helping immensely is reading up on the Japanese art of wabi-sabi. It’s about embracing the lived-in look and appreciating that imperfection can be beautiful. I’ve discovered there’s a certain magic in mess if you open up your eyes to it. A messy kitchen means something delicious is on the way, a bed piled high with outfit choices…

It’s hard to believe it was only a year ago that Charlotte Burt started a little Instagram account called The Goods We Found – it feels like we’ve been following her feed of stylish vintage finds for ever. But this creative mum never sits still for long and, in the year since her business took off, she’s already been on sabbatical to Bali and started an ethical kids’ clothing line, The Goods We Made. Underlying everything Charlotte does is a drive to make the world a better place, whether by helping her followers find beautiful, pre-loved items that don’t break the bank, or partnering with Ibu-Ibu (aka The Bali Street Mums Project) to gift an item of clothing to a Balinese child for each one sold. We caught up with…

Plan for a future you can’t yet imagine.That’s what Chorus tech expert Kurt Rodgers recommends to homeowners who are thinking about their tech requirements when planning a new home or renovation. By December 2022, almost 90 per cent of New Zealand’s population will be within reach of ultra-fast broadband, so it’s important to plan fibre capability with any new build or renovation project. Even if your site isn’t fibre-capable now, it very soon may be. Here’s our five-step guide to getting connected 1. To find out what broadband options are available at your site, enter the address into the Broadband Checker tool at chorus.co.nz. 2. Even if fibre isn’t in your area yet, it makes sense to equip your home to make the most of it when it arrives. That’s…

When Paula and Antony Ward were looking for a house, the Auckland property market was in full swing – homes were being snapped up overnight, auctions were heated and there was a hint of desperation with every sale. The couple decided to cast the net wider and search for sections. They found one in Auckland’s Castor Bay that at first glance left a lot to be desired – it was sloping and overgrown – but Paula and Antony could see its potential. The property was part of a house-and-land package, meaning the couple had missed their chance to weigh in on the home’s design, but they still had the opportunity to make internal changes. The final result is a four-bedroom weatherboard home that is packed with personality. The build Although…

FLOOR PLAN KEY 1 Garage 2 Bedroom 3 Entry 4 Study 5 Bathroom 6 Toilet 7 Lounge 8 Laundry 9 Storage 10 Scullery 11 Kitchen 12 Dining 13 Family room 14 Deck 15 Linen cupboard 16 Ensuite 17 Master bedroom 18 Wardrobe BECS’ RENO ADVICE + If you can, live in the unrenovated space for a while and get a feel for it. Often, what you think a space might need can change dramatically once you’ve lived in it. + Renovations can take over your life. Give yourself permission to have time off or, even better, time away. + Spend some money where you can see and appreciate it. A few fancy extras can make a huge difference, and add a ton of value, eg a fancy sink mixer in…

Last year we asked you to send in your recently completed kitchen projects and, boy, did you deliver! We were blown away by the response and had a tough time narrowing down the entries to our five finalists, who are all featured, including our winner, in the following pages. Biggest lesson learned? You don’t need a whopping budget to create your dream kitchen! THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS WERE JUDGED ON DESIGN, FUNCTIONALITY, STYLE, CHOICE OF MATERIALS AND ACCESSORISING. TURN THE PAGE TO SEE OUR FIVE FINALISTS AND DISCOVER THE OVERALL WINNER, WHO WINS A HOME PRIZE PACKAGE WORTH MORE THAN $6000! THE FINALISTS 1 HARRIS KITCHEN AUCKLAND 2 HOUGHTON KITCHEN HASTINGS 3 WILSON KITCHEN TAURANGA 4 BALDWIN KITCHEN CROMWELL 5 ASHTON KITCHEN NEW PLYMOUTH THE JUDGES…

Starting art? Collecting art isn’t something most of us feel we can afford to do, but in reality a gallery wall of original artworks doesn’t cost that much to create and can be a fun and satisfying way to support local artists and makers. Online stores such as Endemic World, Society6, Creative & Brave, Crave Home and many more sell original paintings and art prints from as little as $30. Many also offer a framing service. Find out how to start and organise your gallery wall in our all-white decorating workshop on page 102.…

Get ready to hit ‘snooze’, because with darker mornings on the horizon, it’s time to start curating a cosy new bedlinen look that will make you feel happy to snuggle down for those longer nights. Cocoa is my new colour crush for this season’s bedding. Not often seen in the bedroom, brown is making a comeback, and the good news is this supposedly retro hue is easy to style. Pairing perfectly with accessories in earthy green and gold against a deep honey backdrop of Dulux ‘Washdyke’, brown looks really fresh, with a cosy, pre-autumn vibe. As I like to keep my bedlinen a little messy and embrace that worn-in look, I’ve chosen furniture and lighting in sleek, simple forms to balance the room. This armchair is just what I dream…

BACKGROUND Where do you live? Jade: Tauranga. Why did you buy the caravan? We noticed it parked up for sale at Ferry Landing (at Cooks Beach, Coromandel) two years back. We had recently got married and decided to use some of our gifted wedding money to buy it. We had been talking about buying a caravan and turning it into a food van for a while, but once we bought it and realised how epic a little home-on-the-road it would be, that idea went out the window. We were going to call her Ferry Land due to where we found her, but Dad suggested Neverland – after the mystical place in Peter Pan – and it stuck. What was the caravan like when you bought it? It was usable but…

CRISPY FISH TACOS WITH ASIAN SLAW AND SWEET SOY SAUCE SERVES 8-10 DEPENDING ON SIZE PREP AND COOK TIME 25 MINUTES INGREDIENTS 2 cups panko breadcrumbs ½ cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 Tbsp Exotic Food Chilli Oil 400g firm-fleshed white fish, cut into strips 40ml Exotic Food Sriracha Mayonnaise 40ml plain mayonnaise 40ml natural, unsweetened yoghurt 450g bag store-bought Asian-style slaw, without dressing 50ml Exotic Food Sweet Soy Sauce Pinch Chinese five-spice 1/3 cup oil, for frying 8-10 small flour tortillas 1 Tbsp sesame seeds Lime wedges (optional) 1 Place the breadcrumbs, flour and beaten egg each in separate shallow bowls. Whisk chilli oil into the beaten eggs. 2 Dip several pieces of fish at a time first in the flour, coating…

1 SURVEY YOUR SITE Begin by assessing the garden thoroughly. When making over an existing garden (or, indeed, starting with bare earth), knowing your site well is the best way to avoid costly mistakes such as digging into a drain or putting barrow loads of plants in the wrong spot. If you can, get hold of a professionally drawn, scaled site plan of your property (often held by council); otherwise do a rough measure of boundaries, the house footprint, paths etc yourself. Draw these to scale (1:100 normally) then mark it up with areas that are windy, sunny, boggy or have good soil, along with the plants you want to keep, the location of services such as electricity cables and sewer pipes, and changes of level. 2 PLANTING PLAN Take…

HARVEST > When harvesting summer vegetables, don’t discard those with the odd mark or two. Perfect shapes and unblemished leaves do not make your crops taste any better. > Pick globe artichoke before young flower buds start to open, ideally when they are 5-10cm in diameter. Cut stem 8-10cm below the base of buds to keep them fresh for longer. Other buds will often form on the one stalk. > Dig up beetroot roots if plants are close together, taking out alternate plants in each row. This will allow remaining roots to get larger. Try this also with carrots and use thinnings in salads and stir-fries. > Potatoes can be harvested even if leaves haven’t completely turned brown, particularly if the weather is starting to get cold in your area.…

A • A&C HOMESTORE achomestore.co.nz • ADAIRS adairs.co.nz • ARMADILLO & CO armadillo-co.com • ARTEDOMUS artedomus.co.nz • ASPIRING WALLS aspiringwalls.co.nz B  • BABELOGUE babelogue.shop • BED BATH & BEYOND bedbathandbeyond.co.nz • BEDS R US bedsrus.co.nz • BLACKLIST blackliststore.com.au • BLUM blum.co.nz • BRISCOES briscoes.co.nz • BUNNINGS bunnings.co.nz • BURROW & BE burrowandbe.co.nz C • CAPRICHO capricho.co.nz • CARPET COURT carpetcourt.nz • CASTLE & THINGS castleandthings.com.au • CINTESI cintesi.co.nz • CITTA cittadesign.com • COLLECTED collected.co.nz • COTTON ON cottonon.com • COUNTRY ROAD countryroad.co.nz • COUNTRY VILLAGE countryvillage.co.nz • CRAVE HOME cravehome.co.nz • CREATIVE & BRAVE creativeandbrave.co.nz • CRISP HOME crisphome.co.nz D/E  • DAPPER MR BEAR dappermrbear.com • DAWSON & CO dawsonandco.nz • DON’T BE A DOORMAT dontbeadoormat.co.nz • DUETT DESIGN duettdesign.co.nz • DULUX dulux.co.nz • EARLY SETTLER earlysettler.co.nz • ECC ecc.co.nz • EIGHT PAWS eightpaws.co.nz • ENDEMIC WORLD endemicworld.com • ETSY etsy.com • EVERYDAY NEEDS everyday-needs.com • EXOTIC IMPORTS exoticimports.co.nz • EZIBUY ezibuy.com F/G  • FARMERS farmers.co.nz • FATHER RABBIT fatherrabbit.com • FOLKLORE FINE GOODS folklorestore.co.nz • FOXTROT HOME foxtrothome.co.nz • FREEDOM freedomfurniture.co.nz • GEORGE…

TOP POSTS THIS MONTH ON FACEBOOK.COM/YOURHOMEGARDEN TRENDING ON HOMESTOLOVE.CO.NZ INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS WE’RE LOVING YOUR HOME & GARDEN NEWS Introducing Style Sessions, new to the NZ Gift & Homeware Fairs. Join our editorial director Shelley Ferguson as she hosts a panel of industry experts including Alex Fulton and Resene’s Colour Consultant Sarah Gregory to discuss what’s hot for gift and homeware stores in 2019. If you’re a retailer looking for advice on how to stock and style your store this year, you won’t want to miss this! Monday 4 March, 4pm, at the Autumn Gift & Homeware Fair, ASB Showgrounds, Auckland. Book your seat at giftfairs.co.nz (trade-only event; attendees must register). PET OF THE MONTH Noodle is the four-year-old Ragdoll cat of style director Catherine Wilkinson. You may…

My husband Ashton and I are ocean lovers, so beachfront accommodation is definitely number one on our holiday wish list. Beautiful interiors and surroundings are a must, and being able to escape to our own private spot would be a bonus. We also like to get out and about and experience other cultures, meet local craftspeople and sample the cuisine. I could happily lie out by the pool and read all day but Ashton gets a bit restless, so a mix of relaxation and adventure would be ideal. DAY ONE The luxe touches start as soon as Kristina and Ashton land in Nadi. They’ll be transferred by seaplane straight to Tropica Island Resort on Malolo Island, where their secluded beachfront bure with private plunge pool and river rock outdoor shower…

Washing table, $2500, from Vitrine. Rustic bench seat, $690, from Virtine. Chopping block, $64.90, from Citta. Linen tablecloth, $109.99, from A&C Homestore.…

John van Doormaal from Innovative Kitchens has learned a thing or two about kitchen design during his more than 30 years in the business. We asked him to share his top tips for creating a super-successful new kitchen: 1 Do as much research as you can before you engage a kitchen designer. Look at interiors magazines for inspiration, and put together a scrapbook or Pinterest page to take with you when you brief your kitchen designer. “This helps to give us a good idea of what style you are after,” says John. 2 Take a tape measure when you visit showhomes and kitchen showrooms, so you can get an idea of scale. “People often want more in the kitchen than they can actually fit,” says John. As part of John’s…

Dark side of the room Every all-white interior needs a bit of black to create contrast. In this Palmerston North reno, all the walls of the guest room are painted in Resene Karen Walker ‘Fuscous Grey’. “It’s lovely against the white and the room can handle the depth with its high ceilings,” says owner Becs, who also added a dark-as-night feature wall in the kitchen with Resene ‘Nero’, creating another moody moment in an otherwise light and bright interior. See the whole villa restoration on page 56.…

FLOOR PLAN HONESTY BOX + What compromises did you make in building this home? Paula: We decided to leave the bathrooms as standard. We had already upgraded a lot of other fixtures and fittings and something had to give, so we thought the bathroom could be an upgrade project down the track. + High-end homeware or bargain buys? A real mix. Our couch is high-end from Dawson & Co, but a lot of the other furniture is from Trade Me or the op-shop and I’ve been known to buy the odd mat, cushion or decor item from Kmart. + Best advice for spending money on a home? Mix it up. Hunt on Trade Me for secondhand furniture and splash out on high-end fixtures and furnishings you’ve had your eye on.…

MEET + GREET  Katie Harris, 29 (hand therapist and Optic Build’s administrator), Daniel Harris, 30 (builder and owner of Optic Build), and Olive, 3 months, plus dogs Chief and Lucy. KEY TRADES/SUPPLIERS  Project manager and builder Optic Build Tiler Euro Tiling Cabinetry IQ Kitchens Benchtop AGB Stone What was the inspiration for your kitchen? Katie: The style of our new house is a modern bungalow so we wanted a kitchen that tied into this style, with modern features and plenty of bench space. I really wanted to add some colour and texture to the kitchen as I was concerned the space was in danger of looking a little sterile. What materials did you choose and why? We chose white acrylic cabinetry under the bench as it is hard-wearing and easy…

1 Gathering inspiration from Pinterest, magazines and Mico’s Bathroom Book helped me decide on the style for our new space. One moody, mid-century bathroom coming up! 2 Next up, we got our builder, Nick from Evolution Builders, around to measure up the room and give us an approximate quote which helped us form the all-important budget. 3 Mico Bathrooms’ online 3D Design Planner helped us visualise the space and gave us true-to-scale plans to hand over to our builder. Sitting down in-store with design consultant Lisa helped firm up our bathroom layout and product ideas. 4 Armed with my moodboard, a budget and our design plans, we went into a Mico Bathrooms showroom to pick out all our big items – a bath, tapware, basin, toilet and accessories. CHECK IN…

You will need + 2 x silk/satin/polyester scarves (ours were identical 50x50cm ones from Cotton On, but you could choose 2 different patterns, or 1 patterned and 1 plain) + Sewing machine (optional) + Pins, matching thread and needle + Cushion inner (ours was 50x50cm) INSTRUCTIONS 1 Lay scarves, right sides together, on a surface. Pin together along 3 sides, about 1cm in from edge. Sew these sides with a sewing machine (go slow so the fabric doesn’t pucker), or by hand if you don’t have a machine. 2 Turn cover the right way out, pop in a cushion inner and sew up the remaining side, folding in the edges for a neat finish. 3 Place cushion somewhere it will be admired rather than used, such as on a guest…

1 CHOOSE YOUR WHITE Grey (cool) whites. Pale grey can seem a little cold for interiors but, with the right warm or bright accessories, it looks sensational. Try it in a bedroom or living space with accessories in terracotta or sand, or swampy and khaki greens. Yellow (warm) whites can range from rich, buttery creams to subtle, fleecy whites. These are particularly good for south-facing rooms or those with lots of reflected green from trees or plants. Warm and aged whites are often best for older homes with character details and trims. Green (in-between) whites tend to change with the light, appearing warm one minute and cool the next. Because green is made up of blue (traditionally a cool colour) and yellow (a warm one), these green-based whites have the…

Only Marie Kondo could inspire a vintage hoarder like me to tidy up – the Japanese decluttering queen and author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is trending again, thanks to the release of her Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. After witnessing the #tidyingup frenzy on Instagram, I watched the first episode of the show and was inspired to sort out my towering cookbook stash and overflowing bathroom cabinet. I didn’t follow all the rules of Marie’s trademarked KonMari method (such as decluttering the whole house at once, tidying by category rather than location and thanking items for their service before discarding them), but I did keep only the items that “spark joy”, the best-known step in her tidying process. The good thing about Marie’s method is…

Hanging tendrils A bunch of unruly white or burgundy amaranthus (also known as love-lies-bleeding) cascading out of a simple vessel is all you need to create this dramatic look. These versatile flowers typically last for 5-8 days if kept in fresh water and out of direct sunlight.…

+ While most of us revel in the late-summer heat, some gardeners are already planting bulbs for spring. There should be plenty of bulbs in shops this month, but it’s best to wait until there is more moisture in the soil before planting. You’ll also get better results if you go for bulbs that suit your climate. In warmer areas choose anemones, babiana, freesias, irises, ixia, ranunculus and spraxia. Daffodils can be planted in most areas but tulips and hyacinth normally prefer cooler conditions. Chilling bulbs in a paper bag in the fridge for 12 weeks before planting will give you better flowers. Plant in a well-drained, sunny spot. + As we head towards the warm days and cooler nights of autumn, look out for an increase in powdery mildew…

Just add ice Setting up a home cocktail bar has never been easier with Freedom’s new range of mixology accessories. The Mineral bar cabinet offers plenty of storage for your glasses and bottles, and the Minetta cocktail-making tools look and feel like something straight out of Mad Men. See the range online at freedomfurniture.co.nz.…

SAVE SAVE Glass vase, $29.99, from H&M. SAVE Tall Tani vase, $59.99, from Shut The Front Door. SPLURGE SPLURGE Tall Bump vase, $320, from Simon James. SPLURGE Layers vase, $179, from Citta.…

Our homeowners Oliver Driver and Ella Mizrahi have taken their time to get their planning right. It’s three years since they committed to buying a small subdivided section near the water in Auckland’s Te Atatu, but after lots of back and forth with their architect their plans are finally perfect and they’re ready to send in the diggers. “After a lot of back and forth, their plans are finally perfect and they’re ready to send in the diggers” The section has been cleared, a surveyor has been in to place marking pegs where the corners of the house will be and the builders have set up profile lines showing the correct levels for the build. With years of planning and tens of thousands of dollars at stake, Oliver and Ella…

There’s a lot more to curtains and blinds than just preventing passers-by from seeing you in your pyjamas at night. They also provide added insulation and are an important component of your interior look. Choosing the right window treatments can be trickier than you might think, so we asked Teresa Butler from Curtain Studio to give us her expert advice. Ask the expert  Q: What’s the most common mistake people make when it comes to window treatments? A: Without a doubt the biggest problems arise when people don’t think about window treatments until it’s too late. They often leave them until last in their planning, and by the time they come to us the build is underway and they’re starting to feel the squeeze financially. If you come to see…

MEET + GREET  Ellen Baldwin, 35 (stay-at-home mum), Shaun Baldwin, 38 (roofer), Stella, 4, Deacon and Jed, 2 and a half, plus Beth the dog. KEY TRADES/SUPPLIERS Cabinetry Trends Kitchens, Cromwell Plumber Nathan Young Plumbing Electrician Chris Sangster, Sangster Construction What was the inspiration for your new kitchen? Ellen: I spent years looking at house and design magazines, online sources and other people’s homes for inspiration. There were five New Zealand homes that I drew a lot of inspiration from and our house is an amalgamation of those. Our brief for the kitchen was that it had to be functional for a family with three young children and it had to fit into a living area that is not overly large, so it really needed to be flexible. What materials…

This trend is not going anywhere, folks! All you need for this look is a touch of desert pink, a gleam of glossy gold and a little luxe by way of some marble tiles. This style is all about glamour and femininity, so dial up on the accessories and keep your big-ticket items, such as the vanity and bath, simple. GET STARTED WITH MICO BATHROOMS For more expert bathroom decor tips and to use the 3D Design Planner visit mico.co.nz.…

RHINO RHODE ISLAND ‘POETIC’ Rhode Island has to be the most natural-looking Rhino carpet available, with a beautiful delustered yarn and tailored finish. Its classy appearance and fine twist levels are enhanced by Forever Clean technology, meaning its beauty can be enjoyed for years to come. MALMO DYNAMIC ‘BARROW OAK’ Dynamic is a versatile flooring that can be used anywhere, is extremely resilient and offers an attractive variety of patterns and hues. MALMO MAMMUT ‘MAKRO OAK LIGHT GREY’ Whether used to support extremely heavy loads or to create a sophisticated and natural look, Mammut is a floor that can meet all requirements. The panels are extra hard, extra long and extra practical and the range features a country cottage character and authentic wood look. @carpetcourtnz facebook.com/carpetcourtnz 0800 787 777 carpetcourt.co.nz…

MEET + GREET  Erina Emery, 46 (interior designer), Matthew Emery, 49 (lawyer), Mason, 16, Zoe, 13, and Oliver, 11, plus Roxy the dog. After a year spent living in Spain, the Emery family returned to Auckland and found that their home of 10 years looked a little tired. The vibrancy of Spain’s art, design and architecture had made its mark, and interior designer Erina Emery decided to make some bold changes. Instead of launching into a full renovation, Erina looked for some quick, easy ways to update her home. A shabby paved area that had been cobbled together using recycled materials was an obvious choice and the family’s recent travels provided ample inspo. “Inspired by a shopfront in Bali, I decided to go full colour,” says Erina. “We painted the…

SPICY COURGETTE & RICOTTA PASTA SHELLS SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 3 medium courgettes, coarsely grated 320g firm ricotta 80g finely grated parmesan 50g roasted pine nuts 3 egg yolks 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 Tbsp fresh lemon thyme leaves ½ tsp dried chilli flakes 5 cups passata (tomato pasta sauce) 250g large pasta shells ½ cup loosely packed fresh small oregano leaves 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly oil a shallow 2.5-litre ovenproof dish. 2 Combine grated courgette, ricotta, most of the parmesan (reserve 3 Tbsp for later), nuts, egg yolks, garlic, thyme and chilli in a medium bowl. Season well. 3 Spread pasta sauce into the dish and season. Spoon the courgette mixture into the uncooked pasta shells then place in the dish. 4 Cover dish with foil and…

Building their own home was always a dream for Wellingtonians Jess and Kris Sowersby. When the young couple found a flat, sunny section on Miramar Peninsula, in the capital’s southeast, their dream soon became a reality thanks to the skill of architects Andrew Sexton and Hannah Griffin. So successful was the design that the U-shaped house – which also doubles as the office for the owners’ business, Klim Type Foundry – won Home New Zealand magazine’s Best City Home award last year. While they were very involved in the design of the house, Jess and Kris were less sure about the landscaping, partly due to their lack of gardening expertise, time constraints and a tight budget. “During the planning and building stage we only had a rough idea of the…

Amaranthus Commonly known as love-lies-bleeding (also tassel flower and many others), Amaranthus caudatus is an eye-catching annual popular with florists and gardeners for its distinctive flowerheads in dark red, pink, green, gold or even bicoloured. Butterflies, birds and bees are also big fans. There are around 60 species in the genus, most of which are weedy. However, many are grown as edible plants as the seeds (amaranth) and leaves are highly nutritious. Best in full sun and warmer gardens, it is easy to grow from seed, germinating within a couple of weeks. Protect young seedlings from frost.…

HOME IN ONE PAINT Interior walls painted in Wattyl ‘Fringe’. Kids’ rooms in Resene ‘Half Tuna’. Master bedroom in Wattyl ‘Midnight Seas’. Guest room and study in Wattyl ‘Grey Ember’. Kitchen ceiling in Valspar ‘Cosmopolis’. KITCHEN Cabinetry by John Prosser Kitchens. Tiles are bevelled subway tiles. Copper pots from Stevens. Benchtop, can’t remember. Mixing bowls on bench from The Warehouse. Pendant lights from Weekend Trader (now Home Industry). Copper dish rack from Shut The Front Door. Tapware, can’t remember. Bar stools from Koko Classics. LIVING Lounge suite from Dawson & Co. Armchairs from a friend. Cushions from Collected and Wallace Cotton. Black side table from Early Settler. Pot (on side table) secondhand. Copper candlestick secondhand. Tea chest/ coffee table from Junk & Disorderly. Wooden armrest handmade by builder. Floating shelf…

PLANTERS Jars make wonderful planters for small house plants. Simply pick a collection of jars and remove any labels and traces of glue. Pop a few small stones at the bottom for drainage, then add some potting mix and your chosen house plant (succulents and herbs also work well). As there are no drainage holes, take care not to overwater. Styling tip: three jars of different heights and shapes always look great when displayed in a cluster. SOAP DISPENSER This industrial-looking soap dispenser makes a cute, low-cost accessory. Choose a jar with a metal lid (we used a preserving lid) and drill a hole in the lid to fit the tube of a pump dispenser (we reused a pump from an old bottle). Push the tube through the lid and…