Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Your Home and Garden

I once took a week off work to sew a loose cover for my sofa – it had good bones but was threadbare. I wouldn’t recommend it unless your day job is upholsterer and you’re deliberately going for a cover so loose, the kids could play fort between it and the sofa. When it comes to soft furnishings you’ve got to know your limitations. Mine is coordinating, buying new duvet covers and sourcing curtains. Within that you also have the power to reinvent your house because soft furnishings are about instant transformation. Replace old curtains with textured linen ones, contrast your terracotta sheets with a new cocoa duvet cover and buy some eye-catching cushions and everything will look so much fresher. For a round-up of what’s new and exciting in…

RISE AND GRIND These glossy, bubbly designs go together as well as, well, salt and pepper. The perfect addition to any table, they’re that pop of colour your weeknight meals are crying out for. We’re texting all our groupchats about the Addison Ross lacquered salt and pepper grinder, $125, from amara.com KNIT HAPPENS Knit your way through the chilly season with a book of sock patterns. 52 Weeks of Socks, Vol II, $99, from biancalorenne.co.nz RELAX FOR A SPELL GET INTO A WITCHY MOOD WITH THE BLACK BLAZE MUSHROOM PEDESTAL PLATE. PERFECT FOR COCKTAILS OR MAKING LOVE POTIONS. $279, FROM SUPERETTE.CO.NZ Bunny love It’s about time for a towel refresh, and the Anorak kissing rabbits range has us captivated, or rather, totally hoppy. $79 (towel), from alliuminteriors.co.nz STAKE OUT ADD…

SHOP IT shop.yourhomeandgarden.co.nz SAVE MAKE WAVES WITH THIS ON-TREND KMART MIRROR, PERFECT FOR CHILDREN’S BEDROOMS. SPLURGE THIS BRONZE COCO REPUBLIC MIRROR IS A REAL SHOWSTOPPER, AND THEN SOME.…

After 10 years of renting with their young family, Chris and Leah Goddard were impatient to get into a house that was toasty warm, designed for sunlight, and where they could give their creative instincts free rein, rather than staring at boring, all-white walls. When the couple spotted a deceased estate for sale in Takapuna, they hoped the waiting game was over. Although the dwelling was far from ideal (a rumpty old bach that had been one of the first homes in the area), Chris was seduced by its location. He had always dreamt of living within a stone’s throw of the beach and from here he could smell the sea. So, when their bid won the auction, it was a surprise. A delightful one. That was five years ago…

For four years, while living in the leafy suburb of Dunedin’s North East Valley, Claire Robinson wrote letters to the owner of the house down the road. She’d fallen in love with the villa, which although in need of some tender love and care, basked in all-day sun and enjoyed a sizeable section within walking distance to town and good schools. But Claire’s door knocks and letters went unanswered, and life carried on. Until, as luck would have it, within a week of moving back from Perth to the scarfie city, the family of the villa’s previous owner reached out to see if she was still interested in the property. They’d found her letters while clearing out the vacant house — a serendipitous move as Claire had just settled in…

When people recount their first impression of the do-up they’ve bought, it often involves a wrinkled nose and distasteful expression. It’s usually only through their exceptional visualisation skills and positive mindset that they can see the potential. That was not the case for Bella O’Mahony and husband Rory, however. Where others might have discounted the Dunedin abode in its ramshackle state, all Bella saw was perfection. “It was this adorable, abandoned fairytale cottage of my wildest dreams. This long, magical path led to a secret hideaway in the middle of central Dunedin and I fell head over heels,” Bella laughs. “It felt like a cottage from another time and place; something I didn’t know could be found in New Zealand. Sure, there was a lot of work needed, which might…

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: • Fearless use of colour and/or pattern• Exciting use of wallpaper• Imaginative decoration and finishing. Have you done something bold or interesting with paint or wallpaper in a small room in your house? It could be an office, nursery, laundry or powder room – the only criteria is it’s small in space but big in impact. We’d love to see your efforts. Send us some images of your chosen room and be in to win $1000 in our Small Room Awards. HOW TO ENTER Email photos and a 200-word description of your space to yhg@aremedia.co.nz with your last name and ‘Resene Small Room’ in the subject line. Please include your name, home address, email address, daytime phone number, the names of the Resene colours and/or Resene…

Wall surrounding the arch recess is painted in Resene SpaceCote in Resene Daylight. Inside arch is painted in Resene SpaceCote in Resene Liquid Gold. The floor is finished in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy from Resene ColorShops. Create a sense of wonder and playfulness in a child’s bedroom by building an arched recess for their bed to fit into. Not only does it become the focal point of the room, little ones will feel safe nestled into their bed nook. Make sure you plan for the future with a king single bed children can grow into and a height that’ll work when they are bigger. You can always have a little step for when they are smaller if the bed is too high. Colour blocking Any easy way to create a…

Be it a dispassionate assessment or wild fantasising over what could be, before the garden dons its spring glories an appraisal may be in order. Starting a garden from scratch or wanting to tart up an existing one, there’s a budget to consider but whatever the state of your wallet, there’s plenty that can be bought to make your garden more beautiful. SOW, SWAP & CUT You don’t get much for that little blue note. It will be a toss-up between a couple of packets of seeds or punnets of seedlings. Annual flowers are great for ready summer colour. Especially desirable are those like alyssum, poppies, lupins and nigella, which bloom for ages and self-seed readily so they’ll be coming back year after year. Cheap and cheerful might spring to…

SWEET ON THIS Augustines of Central in the South Island makes the award-winning Blackcurrants in Cassis liqueur syrup, which earns a pantry ‘most useful’. You can add it to a G&T, pour it over ice cream or use it in a cake – you’re really only limited by the sweet things you make. $16.99, from Farro. WHAT A SPINNER LOOKS ASIDE, THIS FANCY PANTS SPINNING COLANDER BY EVA SOLO IS BRILLIANT AT GETTING RID OF ALL THE WATER FROM YOUR SALAD LEAVES SIMPLY BY PUSHING DOWN THE AXLE ON TOP. IT’S ALSO GREAT AT RINSING FRUIT AND DRAINING PASTA WATER. $170, FROM FATHER RABBIT. VEGGING OUT Australian self-styled ‘vegelante’ Alice Zslavsky’s The Little Box of Veg, ($32.99, Murdoch Books) is a cute box of recipe cards, which on the opposite…

Who designed it? Eileen Gray, a famed architect and furniture designer. In the 1920s, Grey fell in love with Jean Badovici, architect and editor of L’Architecture Vivante. Despite never receiving any formal training as an architect, Grey designed and built a modernist house on the coast of Monaco for her and Badovici to share. The house, along with the revolutionary furniture that she designed to go inside, share the name E-1027. What’s up with the name? E-1027 is actually a code name for the couple, the Bennifer or Brangelina of the 1920s, if you will. Cute right? E stands for Eileen, 10 for Jean (as J is the 10th letter of the alphabet), 2 for Badovici and 7 for Gray. Why was the side table made? Legend has it that…

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SPRAY OF FLOWERS A spritz of this Sweet Pea and Jasmine room spray gives you the floral scent of a diffuser in seconds. Perfect for refreshing a room when unexpected guests arrive. $34. FACE VALUE We just can’t get enough of this sensational upholstery fabric that blends art into the everyday. Is it the Louvre or is it your living room? Face First upholstery fabric, $264. SWING TIME Advertised as outdoor furniture, you’ll be forgiven for sneaking the Paon rocking chair inside and into prime position. Rock on. $888. SOOTHE & SMOOTH PURIFY YOURSELF WITH THIS ANCIENT REMEDY SOAP BAR. AN AGE-OLD RECIPE THAT’S BEEN UPDATED FOR MODERN LIFE. $26. Shades of grey Give your home some retro charm and love with this vintage-inspired offering. This glass pendant Station light…

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“Fran always wanted the same rural lifestyle for our kids that he had in Vermont.”LUCY WILDMAN Deciding to downshift from the suburbs to a lifestyle block can sometimes be a bumpy ride. Especially when one of you is a little bit country, and the other is a little bit rock ’n’ roll. To be fair, both Lucy Wildman and her husband Fran Frost have a cool vibe about them. They met while snowboarding in the US, where Fran is from, before opening a snowboarding shop in Vermont. After returning to Auckland in 2008, the couple launched a children’s clothing company, Little Flock of Horrors. But when it came to putting down roots, Fran was a strong advocate for the rural life. “Fran always wanted the same rural lifestyle for our…

You will need • Paper or cardboard• Marker• Ruler• Protractor or circle to trace around• Jigsaw• Clamp (optional)• Sandpaper• Super glue or a hot glue gun• Painter’s tape• 3mm Perspex sheets, in colour of choice• Clear roofing silicone (if you want to waterproof your vase) 1 Choose a size and shape for your vase and make a template by drawing it onto some paper or cardboard and cutting out. 2 Trace around the stencil onto your Perspex using a marker. 3 Cut around the lines using a jigsaw with an ultra-fine blade on it. You may like to clamp the Perspex to a bench. 4 Give all the edges a light sand to smooth them off. Be careful not to sand the faces as this will leave scratches. 5 Start…

Time out As the wet and cold and darkness set in, there’s time to snub your gumboots, ditch the hoe and turn on the telly for some armchair gardening. If such apparent idleness makes you uneasy, look upon it as research, finding inspiration and pleasure in the toils and imaginations of others. Tool sharpening and cleaning, or seed sorting while you watch may also assuage any guilt. Some suggestions: The Don is an erudite guide around greatness in the fabulous Monty Don’s Adriatic Gardens (Apple TV+). Though for more practical know-how, catch up with him in Gardeners’ World (YouTube.com). Seed: The Untold Story (seedthemovie.com) is an absorbing look at the role of seeds and the threat to biodiversity in food production – among other topics. Less provocative is Gardening With…

Messini Palace is at her Auckland studio seven days a week, her self-proclaimed “happy place.” It’s there she creates the most dazzling, transfixing cast art with resin and ceramics. “The possibilities seem endless, and I am obsessed with form and colour and how I can transform a traditional whakairo rākau (wood carving) design into a contemporary piece,” she says. Having only recently connected with her whakapapa (Ngāti Apakura and Ngā Puhi), Messini is “coming home” through her work, each piece a brick in the road there. When and how did you start making cast art? I am relatively new to being a full-time artist. I cast my first wheku (carved face) around December 2021 in hard finish plaster. I think Covid lockdowns and an unhappy work life pushed me back…

WE LOVE Decorative furniture painter Heidi Roper knows how to transform a piece from okay to obsessed. Did we mention she takes commissions? @dingleydellcreative TRENDING ONLINE Our list of 21 built-in bench seats proved to be a viral hit. yourhomeandgarden.co.nz A custom carpet that cascades down stairs and pools into a rug is just one of the many incredible things you’ll spot at this interior design firm. @ysg.studio CONNECT WITH US We love seeing images from our #yourhomeandgarden community. @yourhomeandgarden PODCAST OF THE MONTH A tale of money, murder and madness with a deep dive into the Bennington class of ’86, which spawned the likes of award-winning authors Donna Tartt and Bret Easton Ellis. TOP INSTAGRAM POST This gold door opened our hearts (after we shut our jaws). @yourhomeandgarden Shop shop.yourhomeandgarden.co.nz…

SHOP IT shop.yourhomeandgarden.co.nz SPLURGE SNAP UP THIS CROCODILE-SHAPED RUG AND MAKE YOUR FLOOR A LOT MORE FUN.…

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Steve and Bobby Clark don’t just make art, they live creatively, too, and their home reflects their optimism and can-do mindset. There’s never been an absolute master plan – they don’t seem to need one. “We really just get on with it,” says Bobby, an artist and designer. “We make do and improve things.” Her husband Steve owns sculpture and furniture studio denHolm. Originally from Scotland, the couple came to the Antipodes 12 years ago on a whim, fell in love with the city’s artistic community and never left. “A year ticked on, and then another. We weren’t ready to leave, so we just never did,” says Bobby. They’ve rented this corner-block house for six years now and have thoughtfully updated it with paintwork, furniture, art and styling. “It’s very…

Renovating your home at any time can be stressful, let alone when you throw rising interest rates into the mix Some homeowners will simply hold off until the official cash rate stabilises, but if you’re one of the homeowners keen to push ahead regardless, keep these tips in mind. How is a renovation financed? If you don’t have enough cash in the bank for your reno and are opting to lend from a bank as opposed to a non-bank or second-tier lender you will need to apply for what is termed a construction loan. What exactly is a construction loan? It’s a lump sum that’s approved by your bank for the purposes of funding your renovation project. While the full lending facility will most likely be visible in your online…

Cushions, throws, quilts, rugs and loose covers are just some of the things that come under the term soft furnishings. They make a house feel lived in and up the comfort factor tenfold as well as serving the drama should you so desire. Here’s a trend alert on where they’re at right now. Stripes are stars Classic stripes are an interiors perennial and have been since Jane Austen’s Regency days, but right now they’re the new check. You’ll find them in a slim ticking pattern or bold, wide lines on fabric, which makes cushions the obvious and easiest way to introduce them into a room. And the good thing is they’re like the Labrador of patterns, they’ll mix with anything from florals to block colours. Colour drenching This is an…

1 Cafe curtains What’s old is new again, and this staple drape used in country cottages and, of course, coffee lounges is stepping out of the past and into modern homes. As well as adding a layer of charm to interiors, cafe curtains are a uniquely practical addition, particularly in suburban homes where the neighbours might be too close for comfort. Mounted on the midpoint of the window or below, they cover only the bottom half, giving privacy without sacrificing light. Traditionally used in the kitchen, cafe curtains can work anywhere you need light and privacy – use them to lend softness to a bathroom or try layering under full drapes in a bedroom. Keen to give this trend a go? Choose a beautiful metal curtain rod and show it…

Massaman beef curry SERVES 6 INGREDIENTS 2 Tbsp peanut oil2 large onions, cut into thin wedges1kg gravy beef, cut into 5cm pieces⅔ cup massaman curry paste2 x 400ml cans coconut cream6 cardamom pods, bruised2 cinnamon sticks4 star anise2 bay leaves3 large potatoes, peeled, cut into 4cm pieces½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts2 Tbsp brown sugar2 Tbsp fish sauce2 Tbsp tamarind paste⅓ cup coriander leavesSteamed rice, to serve 1 Select saute medium and preheat for 5 minutes. When the inner pot is hot, add half the oil, then the onion; saute, stirring, for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer onion to a plate. 2 Select saute high heat. Add remaining oil to the inner pot, then add beef; saute in batches, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned. Add curry paste and…

Sick of feeling tired every afternoon? Doing your best work requires plenty of brain power and energy, however, for most of us, staying focused for the entire workday can be tough. So, how do we muster the necessary energy to get our work done? Next time you feel like having a catnap at your desk try these handy tips to fight fatigue as soon as it strikes. Be strategic about how your tailor your tasks Work out what time of day your flow state occurs and schedule all creative work for this time. Otherwise, it will all get wasted on monotonous tasks such as emails, admin or invoicing. When I’m in my flow state, it’s like time slips away and I’m able to create and deliver my work efficiently. I…