Category: All blog posts

Family bathroom design

  • 28 May 2021

No surprises that a recent bathroom design brief for teenage sisters came with a hefty check list!  Maximum storage, natural lighting, good size bath and a spacious shower were hot on the list,  Mum’s final instruction was for a clean minimal aesthetic in keeping with the rest of the new build project.

In order to maximize space the bath was placed within the shower wet area, making the back to wall free standing bath a practical solution. A full height glass screen cleanly separated the room into two areas. Recessed mirror cabinet provided additional storage for smaller items and the wall hung vanity added to the illusion of space.  Matt white wall tiles in three different sizes and orientation added texture.

 

 

Beautifully constructed by Harwood Homes

 

Crossing threads

  • 19 April 2021

Growing up my aunt had a weaving loom which I loved to tinker with, at the time the Macramé era was also in full swing, I think this was the beginning of my fascination with textiles.

Stumbling across Crossing Threads blew my mind!  Sisters Lauren and Kass Hernandez create the most incredible large scale richly textured hand woven pieces. Inspired by their heritage and the Australia’s natural resources the ladies work is truly unique.

View the gallery here

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Mike Greer Hamilton show home

  • 5 March 2021

The latest Waikato show home for Mike Greer Homes embraces indoor outdoor living.  External corner sliding doors allow a seamless transition from the family room to the north facing covered living area which provides shade in the summer and shelter in the winter.

The interior palette was driven by the architectural features of the impressive 2 story home. Working along side the Mike Greer team we curated a moody industrial interior, the depth of colour was balanced by the light filled spaces.

The entrance features an impressive Oak open tread stairwell, the Oak flooring continues through to the open plan living  and compliments the matt black kitchen cabinetry.  A sprinkle of metallic wallpapers and an oversized barn door add texture and depth.

 

Show home is situated at 32 Kimbrae Drive, Hamilton

master builder house of the year 2020

  • 10 December 2020

Design Builders latest show home wins the coveted Bay of Plenty Gold Award and Regional Category Winner 2020 award at the Master Builders 2020 House of the Year.

 

This project was a real treat to be involved with, the home is truly a testament to Design Builders attention to fine detailing. Careful planning from conception allowed layer upon layer of traditional Hamptons-style inspiration and texture, the white on white interior features board and batten linings, hand finished polished plaster, subtle wallpapers and ceilings with exposed rafters and white washed sarking.

The central open plan living flows seamlessly to a covered entertaining area overlooking the Omokoroa Golf course.

 

Images by Amanda Aitken

Oast houses

  • 29 May 2020

Comprised of a series of 5 tile clad towers this family home by London based ACME Architects is quite magical. Set in rural Kent the concept was inspired by 18th-century Oast Houses – buildings used for drying beer brewing hops, the construction and detailing are mindblowing.

A central triple-height space connects the 4 outer towers and serves as the entrance and family hub.

Plywood curved stairwells access Bedrooms on the upper floors

Plywood shingle ceilings echo the exterior cladding

Discover more about the project here at Dwell

Incredible images by Jim Stephenson.

Virtual tour of Ultimate Homes show home

  • 20 April 2020

Show homes are a great source of inspiration, being able to stand in a space similar to the one you have planned on paper brings the process to life.

With perfect pre lock down timing, Ultimate Homes produced this virtual tour of their new show home so now you can browse from the safety of your own home.

Images are showcased on my projects page

Showhome located at 129 Whakaturoa Crescent, The Lakes, Tauriko, Tauranga.

tips on exterior colour combinations for your house

  • 7 April 2020

Working on a new build project the first job on the to-do list is to decide on the exterior colours, most clients find this really difficult.

We all know the value of street appeal and, if we are honest, the desire to own the best looking house on the street is within us all. The exterior is the first impression of your home and is comprised of products that will last the lifetime of your build, the colour combination also sets the style of the interior, ….. so much PRESSURE and you haven’t set foot inside yet!!

Don’t panic, there is just one easy rule to follow; aim to use a maximum of 3 colours – simple right?

Try to package together the elements, most homes will use more than one type of cladding, for example, brick + cedar so already you have used 2 colours now combine the roof, window joinery and garage door as the 3rd colour.

Villa style homes offer an opportunity to highlight features without breaking the 3 colour rule, below I have used Resene Double Linen on the weatherboards with Resene Half Sea Fog for the trims, Pearl White window joinery and garage door, topped with a colorsteel Flax Pod roof

Lockwood kitchen renovation

  • 1 March 2020

Established in 1951 Lockwood is a familiar part of the New Zealand building landscape,  if you own a Lockwood home you will appreciate the added layer of complexity when renovating.

I recently worked on a well known Lockwood home in Rotorua, an absolute gem of a home hidden within a rambling well established garden. Owned by a creative couple, who initially engaged me to assist them with their tree house accommodation,  the brief was to design a kitchen that would fit seamless into the existing home.

Original materials used in the home were a fascinatingly eclectic mix, ranging from hand made copper pelmets, solid black and white marble checker board flooring with brass thresholds, timber veneer wall linings and grass cloth wallpaper. Needless to say this was NOT a home for a cookie cutter shiny white kitchen.

Selecting  Maskaratus granite for its deep green and rich gold veins gave us the visual connection to the garden, add American Walnut Crown Cut Veneer as a nod to the original wall lings, Dulux Hoon Hay for its soothing moss green depth, a dash of grass cloth wallpaper and an incredibly talented cabinet maker mix it all together and the result is magic.

 

The Earnest Workshop

  • 18 February 2020

Furniture is one of my ‘things’. A thoughtfully hand crafted piece of furniture is something pretty special, particularly these days as we seem to be surrounded by poorly made furniture with either a short functional life span and or something that ticks the On Trend box … for today.

Referred by a client I was delighted to discover The Earnest Workshop who craft their magic right here in Mount Maunganui. In 2012 Dan Gillingham gathered together a group of makers and began to create furniture to cherish.

The Peel Coat Rack sums it up really, beautiful and functional, take a look at this behind the scenes  video to appreciate hand crafting at its best …. it’s very therapeutic

Outdoor furniture by Tait

  • 21 November 2019

Searching for outdoor furniture I was super excited to discover Tait.   A beautifully designed collection of well made, sustainable out door furniture, purpose built to withstand the Australian climate ….. so it’s got to be tough, right?

From small factory beginnings in Melbourne Tait was established in 1992 by Gordon and Susan Tait.  The creative couple, Gordon a sheet metal craftsman and Susan a creative textile designer, saw a gap in the market for well-made outdoor furniture. Combining their skills they set out to fill the gap, 27 years on they collaborate with top Australian designers to produce iconic collections that are all proudly created entirely in Australia

Really difficult to pick a favorite, BUT top of my list would be ….

Trace Collection by Adam Goodrum, a stunning combination of Aluminium, Stainless Steel Mesh and Sustainable Timber. Pictured in Mokum Club Tropicalia South Beach outdoor velvet and Catherine Martin’s Tropicalia print.

 

Flint by Ross Gardam, is aptly described as robust yet refined  extending the leg detail to the table top is a clever twist.

Take a moment to browse through the Tait projects page it’s inspiring!