Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Your Home and Garden

On the cover The adorable Stevie and her super chic mum Jess Britten kindly allowed us to take over their Ponsonby home for our Christmas cover shoot and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the fabulously festive result! Photography by Belinda Merrie. Styling by Sam van Kan. Art direction by Fiona Kerr. Flowers by Liv Wakem of Kensal Flowers. Hair and makeup by Kate Smith. Christmas tree from Galtons. Lights from Farmers. Faux flowers from Alison’s Acquisitions. Rug from Nodi. Coffee table from Citta. Jess wears trousers by Kate Sylvester and top by Karen Walker.…

TABLE A ROSE-TINTED CHRISTMAS Pastel power is big this festive season and we’re loving Citta’s use of pale pink across its latest Christmas range. Those beautiful blush ceramic stars make more than one appearance in this issue! See the full range at cittadesign.com. DECOR IT’S A SMALL WORLD CERAMIC HOUSE ORNAMENTS, $15-$49, FROM TEAPEA.CO.NZ. TREE Take a bough Kiwi brand Made of Tomorrow’s luxe new tree decorations are destined to be enjoyed year after year. Available in four colours, they’d also make a great gift for overseas family and friends. Set of 3 decorations, $49, from madeoftomorrow.com. SANTA Ready for stuffing These sweet stockings by Danish brand Fabelab are just the right size for cramming with lots of little gifts. $43.99 each from littlewhimsy.co.nz. TREE ALL ABOUT THAT BASE The…

On a windy Wellington day, the yellow front door of Fran and Ben Storey’s Houghton Bay home is a vivid beacon amid a grey landscape. Beyond it lies a collector’s heaven: here a vintage wooden oar, there a quirky artwork… The only constant is colour. Until recently, Fran ran a homeware styling business which mixed pre-loved items with more contemporary pieces. “Clients would get a group of friends together and I’d take along products that I’d help them style,” says Fran, who moved to New Zealand from the UK with husband Ben in 2003. But when this started to impact on her full-time role as a health researcher, the former nurse put her hobby on hold. Not surprisingly, many of those demonstration pieces have ended up in her hilltop home.…

HONESTY BOX + Best lesson learned? Mary-Ellen: After DIYing our first home, we believe it’s best to call in the experts. The painting quality is a million times better and lasts so much longer. + What would you never do again? Live in a home while it is being renovated. I recommend moving out if possible, or doing the work before you move in. + Is there one thing you would change about your home if you could? Move it further forward on the section. + Most memorable experience you have had in your home? We have held so many kids’ birthdays here. We have developed a tradition that we decorate the kitchen for their birthdays, with balloons hanging from the chairs and the ceiling, a tablecloth (I love a…

Take the frazzle out of Christmas this year and enjoy the company of loved ones by using great new tech products that will make your gatherings seamless and stress free. No more rushing around fiddling with sound systems, struggling to reach family on Skype or juggling myriad tasks in the kitchen. Decorate a festive table, spread out a rug on the lawn, scatter some cushions and treat guests in style. Start with syncing your music inside and out with the latest in Bluetooth speakers which will effortlessly deliver fabulous ambient sound to set the mood. Treating guests to an espresso martini or a virgin margarita to sip while they relax is a cinch when you have the perfect equipment at hand. Then say goodbye to the kitchen bench and head…

Darling clementine An arid, desert-inspired wreath creates a visual feast at your front door. Inside, warm terracotta, smoky incense and a dried lemon garland stimulate the senses as you and your guests gather for Christmas Eve drinks around the fireplace. PAINT TIP Use a gloss finish, such as Resene Enamacryl Gloss Waterborne Enamel, to make your front door colour pop. Wall painted in Resene Robin Egg Blue. Ceramic watering jug from Paper Plane. Japanese storage pot, Japanese brass ball incense holder (inside green dish) from Everyday Needs. Clara LED cone candle from A&C Homestore. Richard Parker dish from Masterworks Gallery. Larry the Lamb rocker from Mocka. Heavyweight linen in paprika (on squab) from The Fabric Store. Klay velvet cushion from Tessuti. Alaska octagonal tiles, Taco Negro tiles from Tile Space.…

A festive flavour We love looking for new ways to bring a little bit of nature into the home and gift wrapping is no exception. Using natural materials such as twine, paper and jute, along with sprigs of greenery and even dried slices of citrus are some easy ways to do this. If you can, show your love for nature and try going waste-free this Christmas. See our no-tape gift-wrapping workshop on page 126 for some easy eco ideas.…

ZM Drive Show host Clint Roberts and Your Home and Garden contributor Lucy Slight added a deck to their house two summers ago. A self-confessed deck-staining rookie, Clint recently spruced it up with Cabot’s, just in time to start hosting summer barbecues, and he’s thrilled with the finish he achieved. “LOOK AT MY DECK! Call me deck-proud but I’m stoked with this result. I used Cabot’s Aquadeck in Kwila from Bunnings and knocked this project out in just six hours over one weekend. Feels great to tick one more job off the reno list. Now we just need to paint the outside and the whole house is done!”…

Who says neutral colours are too dull for a child’s room? This safari scheme is a fantastic example of using a palette not typically seen in kids’ spaces and layering it with textured furnishings to create a fun and inviting room. We took five key colours – a beautiful warm ochre green for the walls, a silken beigey grey on the floor, soft tawny yellow and a couple of richer greys, one with a tinge of truffle brown – and repeated them through the room, including on some of the furniture, for a cohesive feel. To give interest to the walls, we painted six 10mm x 40mm wooden battens in Resene Truffle and placed them in pairs, 4cm apart (we attached them to the studs using countersunk batten screws, then…

EAT & DRINK Savour the flavours with these gift ideas for those who like to cook, eat or entertain IN AN OVEN FAR, FAR AWAY... These Star Wars-themed mini droid cocottes will take your Le Creuset collection intergalactic. PLATE UP These marbled plates, cups and bowls from The Axe are perfect for summer snacking. DWELL Gorgeous homeware for the homebody or interiors obsessive (even if that happens to be you) BATHING BEAUTIES Baina’s organic cotton towels are an elevated essential. FOR PETAL HEADS The Ridge vase by Muuto is ideal for summer blooms. PLAY Fun present ideas for the young and the young at heart GOOD IN-TENT Take this teepee outside for a shady spot to play. POOCH PICK Cute dog leads, $64.95 each, from EziBuy. AL FRESCO EATS This…

At this time of year, that cheery Christmas carol Deck the Halls takes on a literal significance at Jess Britten and Warren Durling’s Auckland home. They’ve been converting an old hall in Ponsonby into their family home for the past three years. But where simplicity and minimalism normally reign, festive frivolity takes over from 1 December. “I’m all about the bells and whistles. It’s ridiculous, but it’s so much fun,” says Jess, who is the daughter of the late legendary engineer and motorcycle designer John Britten. “It’s a time when you get to do all the things that may feel a bit frilly and excessive the rest of the year,” she says. “You can cook all those beautiful meals you’ve had on your list, drink the wine, decorate your house…

FRANCESCA’S DECORATING TIPS + Less is not more at Christmas. Let the creative juices flow, don’t take the decor too seriously and have fun. + Keep the aesthetic or colourway you love throughout the whole house. I love vintage and contemporary paper decorations mixed in with vintage metal pieces and disco balls – it works nicely in our mid-century home. Think vintage glitzy baubles, pretty paper chains and paper stars. + Bring back Christmas card etiquette. Maybe it’s my British background, but festive art and typography dotted throughout the home really says “Christmas is coming” to me. + Declutter before you add festive decorations. Pack away bits and pieces before Christmas stuff goes up, so when 5 January comes around and the tree and decorations are taken down, you get…

One of the pleasures of Christmas is the chance to revisit the past, retelling old family stories, sharing memories of people and times long ago, and digging out all those festive ornaments you’d almost forgotten about, some of them years, perhaps even generations, old. This sense of the past meeting the present is something Pernille Baastrup Jakobsen loves to express in her home each Christmas. At this time of year, you’ll find her 96-square-metre apartment in Copenhagen softly scented with a mixture of aromas, from aniseed to orange, and the airy, white rooms carefully dressed with just a few simple, modern ornaments. However, Pernille has a way of integrating traditional Christmas decorations into her decor that feels both timeless and contemporary. “Christmas, to me, has always been connected to traditions,”…

+ Talk to an expert. They can help you choose a home assistant, such as Google, Alexa or Siri, that ticks all the boxes for you. + Make practicality a key consideration. Will appliances such as your blender and coffee machine stay on the bench or be put away after use? This will help you determine both the size and aesthetic you go for. + Think about the conveniences you most enjoy. Whether these include home heating/ cooling, music or entertainment, make them a priority when setting up your smart home. Always start with the things you will use the most. + Install the relevant smartphone apps. Make sure you’ve got them on your own phone as well as any others in the house, so that you’re not the only…

Bejewelled Transform your living area into an enchanted garden with decorations that reflect the beauty of nature with jewel-toned colours such as minty greens and blush pinks. Give the look drama with lustrous silver accents and flashes of iridescent turquoise to create a dreamy backdrop. Tree decorations Choose one shape and size of bauble for each colour to create a harmonious feel, then add variety and whimsy with a select range of decorations hung in a cohesive pattern – try a mix of delicate acrylic snowflakes and fairies, or fun high heels and wine glasses, to give sparkle to the arrangement. Some clip-on foliage and flowers make a great highlight. Home decor Dress your room with decorative vases of flowers with crackle bauble lights for glittering glam, and add stylish…

STEP ONE Cut a square piece of material about three times wider than the length of your boxed gift and place it, pattern side down, on a flat surface. Position your box diagonally in the centre. STEP TWO Fold one corner of fabric over your box so it fits snugly around it. A corner of fabric (corner A) should be pointing away from you. STEP THREE Fold the far corner towards you and tuck it under so it lines up with corner A. Both corners should now be hidden and the patterned side facing up. Press flat. STEP FOUR Take the folded edge at the top and wrap it over your gift. Fold the edge again if required for a tight fit. Neatly fold in fabric at the ends, ensuring…

1 BELL GARLAND Don’t keep bells and other baubles just for the tree. Thread them onto a piece of twine or string and tie a knot to hold them in place. WHAT WE USED: White porcelain tree, $34.90, sage porcelain tree, $14.90, from Citta. Twine, $3 a roll, bells, $5 a pack, from Look Sharp. Other items stylist’s own. 2 CUTLERY KEEPER To create this simple decoration for each place setting, cut out a piece of felt in the shape of a Christmas tree, ensuring it’s tall enough to fit your cutlery. WHAT WE USED: A4 felt, $1.50, linen fabric (napkin), $33 a metre, from Spotlight. Martini glass, $49.99 for 4, from EziBuy. Other items stylist’s own. 3 FABRIC CRACKERS Buy or make cardboard tubes about 8cm…

Let’s face it, not everyone likes vintage shopping, or has the time or ability to source the good stuff, so why not put your op-shopping skills to work on behalf of friends and family, and pick out something beautiful, and quite possibly unique, for them this Christmas? Gifting used items can be hard as people’s styles are so personal and not everyone likes the idea of secondhand items. But if you choose the right pieces for the right people, and look to upcycled options as well, it’s possible to make both your loved ones and the planet happy this Christmas. FOR THE YOUNGSTER While it’s true that kids who always get hand-me-downs may crave something new, if they’re accustomed to new toys they’ll probably appreciate the uniqueness of a secondhand…

TRENDING ON HOMESTOLOVE.CO.NZ We predict these nostalgic aesthetics will be making an unexpected comeback TOP POST ON INSTAGRAM A bunch of fresh white lilies is the perfect accessory in this elegant Christchurch kitchen INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS WE’RE LOVING @cowshed488 @littlelivingproject @flackstudio_ @lonnymag PET OF THE MONTH HAVING WORKED HIS WAY THROUGH THREE CHARGER CORDS AND AN ELECTRIC BLANKET CORD, BOONEN THE FLEMISH GIANT RABBIT NOW ROAMS FREE IN HIS WELLINGTON FAMILY’S GARDEN. SEE HIS COLOURFUL HOME ON PAGE 54. E:NEWSLETTER Sign up to our newsletter and get a weekly dose of inspiration straight to your inbox. Visit yourhomeandgarden.co.nz/signup. INSTAGRAM We love seeing images from our #yourhomeandgarden community. @yourhomeandgarden…

TREE STYLING TIPS + Lights first and plenty of them! Nothing says “fa la la la la” like an abundance of pretty sparkles. + Stick to a colour theme. Take your cues from interior trends if you want to steer clear of the classic red, green and white. + Think about scale. The bigger the tree, the smaller your decorations are going to look (and vice versa). Large faux flowers work nicely to add colour and texture to a large tree and finer dried flowers such as baby’s breath (gypsophilia) look sweet on a small tree. CHRISTMAS FLORAL STYLING TIPS + We are so lucky to enjoy beautiful summer flowers at Christmas time. Try using hydrangea, cosmos, dahlias, scabious, achillea, delphinium and cow parsley. + For a hallway arrangement, take…

Asnowy white Christmas is something most Kiwis find difficult to envisage; after all, we’re busy enjoying backyard barbecues, camping trips and walks on the beach come December 25. So when New Zealander Mary-Ellen Hinton stayed in Germany as an exchange student, she was enchanted to experience a storybook snow-clad Christmas come to life, and it made a lasting impression. “Germans have the most amazing Christmas traditions – the trees, the decor, the markets,” says Mary-Ellen. “One of my good friends always had a 10-foot tree with decorations that were family heirlooms, passed down through the generations.” Mary-Ellen now aims to give her children a similar experience by choosing a tree and purchasing hand-picked decorations to build a sense of tradition they’ll cherish. She draws inspiration from many sources, including her…

CHRISTMAS STYLING FOR MINIMALISTS + Start with a neutral background. Put away any extraneous or brightly coloured objects you normally have on display so you can start fresh. + Decorate your tree using mainly white ornaments. If you’re using heirloom decorations, mix in some modern additions in tones of clean white to create a spacious, serene feel. Keep your decorations well spaced and don’t go overboard. + If you don’t have heirloom ornaments and are looking to start a collection, shop secondhand or choose new ornaments made from natural materials such as wood, ceramic and glass. + Instead of string lights, use LED candles both on your tree and around your home to create an old-world feel. Add a few real candles for atmosphere. + Choose a single seasonal motif…

Touch of terrazzo TIMELESS TERRAZZO IN SHADES OF BROWN AND BEIGE ADDS AN EARTHY FEEL TO A NEUTRAL YET WELCOMING SPACE 1 THE TREE We’re still loving the trend for all things terrazzo so made some air-dried clay decorations with a terrazzo effect and paired them with stained wooden baubles. Both sets of decorations are inexpensive but work beautifully together, especially with this dark timber sideboard. 2 THE PROJECT To make terrazzo-look decorations, roll out white air-drying clay to a 1cm thickness. Push tiny chips of Fimo in shades of brown into the top surface. Cut out large circles and use a skewer to make a hole in each, near the edge. Leave to dry for 48 hours then thread with ribbon and hang. 3 THE ACCESSORIES This living space…

A Kiwi Christmas has no sleighbells ringing, chestnuts roasting on an open fire or Jack Frost nipping at your nose. However, there is a warm glow from our summer sun that you can capture with gorgeous gold and tangy tangerine decor. For this tree, I’ve matched metallic foliage and flowers with traditional glass decorations, sticking to a palette of pale and dark gold to allow the beautiful natural forms and textures to take centre stage. Branches and flowers are great for filling any gaps and are a cost-effective way to create a striking look. The decorations chime perfectly with the furniture, especially a gorgeous velvet footstool that brings a hint of retro charm to our Christmas Eve scene, while the muted green wall in Dulux Karekare is the ideal foil…

THE EDITOR Samsung S10+, from $1699 “As editor of Your Home and Garden, it’s my job to stay across everything in the mag from photography and styling to text and photo credits. This powerful phone would help me do just that with four pro-grade cameras, long-lasting battery and Face Unlock and In Screen Fingerprint sensors for greater personalisation and faster access. I love how the S10+ has everything I need to bring my vision for YH&G to life.” YH&G editor, Katie Newton THE SOCIAL STAR Huawei Y5 2019, $179* “I love how this phone has 32GB of internal storage, meaning plenty of space for my photos and apps.” Homes to Love digital editor, Lakshmi Krishnasamy THE STYLIST iPhone 7, $599 “The iPhone has everything I need to research, style and…

Nothing says ‘Kiwi summer’ like alfresco feasts with friends and family. The evenings are long, the weather is warm and those well-deserved bevvies are moreishly cold. And there’s nowhere that lends itself to relaxation quite like the deck – that sacred barefooted haven made especially for space, set apart from the stresses of work and all the chores indoors. A place where you can overlook a dropped wet towel and a spilt splash of wine as you slowly rotate kebabs on the barbecue. Now that it’s hot, but not too hot, and the craziness of Christmas is yet to kick in, why not resurrect your deck as soon as possible? November is the perfect time to give it some love, and Cabot’s make it quick and easy. With a comprehensive…

1 THE BUDGET Before you begin planning your new bathroom, it’s worth ascertaining what elements are essential and where you’d like to splash out. Figure out how much you realistically have to spend, keeping in mind 20% of this should be reserved as a contingency fund. Talk to an expert before you commit. Mico can access products to fit your requirements and love getting creative to make it work. 2 THE LAYOUT Measure your bathroom and create a scale drawing of it (including the swing space of the door). If you can avoid moving existing plumbing and electrical fittings you’ll be able to make significant savings. To get a more accurate picture of what your new bathroom might look like check out the 3D Design Planner at mico.co.nz. It allows…

As I’ve got older, I’ve become more conscious of just how overwhelming the festive season can be, and how easy it is to get caught up in the craziness of it all. The build-up to Christmas can often bring a sense of pressure to do much more than we usually would – attend more get-togethers, search for more presents and spend more money. And yet I think we all know, deep down, that the most important thing about Christmas is taking the time to relax and simply be with those you love. This year, I’m giving myself permission to slow things down and ensure I’m calm and happy – for everyone’s sake, not just my own. Here are a few ideas for simplifying the holiday season and creating more opportunities…

A busy schedule doesn’t mean you have to forsake delicious food that’s good for you too. Regal’s delicious new oven-ready salmon range offers a no mess, no fuss way to perfectly cook tender, boneless salmon fillets. With the delectable glaze already made – including Sweet Chilli, Manuka Honey & Soy and Al Brown’s own Smoked Chilli, Honey & Lime – simply drizzle onto the salmon and pop in the oven or under the barbecue hood, and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes. It’s a foolproof way to create the ultimate salmon dinner. Each Regal Oven Ready pack comes with a 50-gram serving of glaze and two fillets rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. For further health benefits, pair your fillet with a salad or roasted vegetables. TRY REGAL’S DELICIOUS NEW OVEN READY…