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Design Diary - Mum and co-founder of a luxury fashion brand, Macalya Chapman

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Macayla Chapman is a busy mumma and the co-founder (with good bestie Natalie Knoll) of
bird & knoll - a luxe brand of oversized soft-like-butter scarves inspired by their love of world travel, fashion and photography. The girlies have just launched their AW15 range, Icebergs & Pina Coladas. 

Island Ride - from a photograph taken on a trip to Ibiza -part of the bird & knoll SS14 collection


every day starts with a Skype to co-owner Nat, who's over in Sydney - Broccoli the bunny having a cuddle

workspace (with upcoming season's moodboard) in Macalya's studio

One of the first things I did this morning was…
I wake up thinking about coffee always … but the first thing I do each morning is an Instagram post for bird & knoll … I am slightly obsessed with instagram! Being a visual person with a graphic brand I find it is such an amazing way to convey the look, feel and mood of our luxury scarf brand. It enables us to show people what our style is, where we are travelling to capture images for our scarves, where we are dreaming of travelling, what is inspiring us and most importantly how we wear our scarves and the many uses our beautiful versatile product can have #justaddascarf #wearityourway 

Highlight of today… 
Hanging with my divine daughter Indie (her nickname is Bug) she is 4 years old and just so delicious I could eat her. This is her last year before starting school with her big brother, so the time we spend together during the day is precious. She loves to be involved in my work and is extremely disappointed if I do a delivery to one of our stockists (whom she knows very well by now) and she is not involved in some way. I am extremely lucky that I have the flexibility to incorporate a bit of work into our ‘Mummy Monday’ as Bug calls it.



Mummy Monday with daughter Indie
- Macayla personally visits stockists (like Simon James Concept Store) to set up displays







A challenge/frustration in my day was:
Deciding what to have for dinner - arrrgh I can remember wondering why my mum complained about this when I was a kid… I now know why!!!!

Today, I learned:
That pet rabbits will nibble on a pair of Nike Free run laces if they get the chance... Broccoli!!!!

The tastiest thing I ate/drank today was:
I had the most delicious and refreshing freshly squeezed juice with mint, pineapple, pear, green apple and ginger - AMAZING!



Back at home and in the studio to package up orders



Best thing I laid my eyes on today…
I am obsessing over a piece of art  by Auckland-based artist Andrew Barnes Graham in Sanderson Contemporary Art Gallery on Jervois Road, we already own one but I adore his work and as I walk past the gallery on my morning walk I stare longingly at it…you will be mine one day!

If I could, I would __________ every day
Shop… 'nuff said!



Bondi Bathers, Hong Kong Tea Room and San Francisco Streetlife,
three of the new designs from bird & knoll's AW15 collection (available for pre-order now)


Bondi Bathers scarf showing the photograph of Sydney's famous ocean pool




Visit Bird & Knoll website  /   Instagram  /  Facebook

Good morning bae, I found some Fancy Spaces for you

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Teeny tiny apartment of the day!






































A huge glass vase with foraged foliage (say that 5 times fast), chairs that don't match, and white vintage lockers.

If you've run out of couches to put your cushions on…. your bed's next! 
Love this colour palette - grey and taupe and a dash of YES.

These rooms are my fave, the ones that actually look like a real person (and their dog-friend) lives here, not a character in an over-styled, clinical lookbook. Love the over-sized Debbie Carlos photo, brass lights, dark wooden floors, french doors to outside (you know me by now aye BFF) and lots of light. 

This is nice, aye! (What else do you want from me? It's Sunday.)

Hunting for George have some yummy new bed linen and some babe styling happening. 

Love the hazy ocean print, THAT CHAIR THO, the almost-black ceramics tying in with the cushions, and all the textures here making it feel super cozy. Better living everyone.

O hai Country Road your home collection is pretty dope. Coral/blush pink, grey and white with blonde timber is a killer combo with diet coke though please I'm watching my weight. 

Teeny tiny apartment of the day #2! This Swedish paper crafter has the sweetest instagram feed.

Chaise dreams.




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New from NZ's Aroha and Friends.

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It's Monday and it's raining here so I'd rather be snuggling on the couch with these pretty new things from NZ designers Aroha and Friends.

Lonely flagship store

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I dunno about you, but I love me a flagship store - the opportunity to see a brand embodied in one space, a brand brought to life not only by seeing one entire collection of products in one place, but by the interior design choices - the accents, all the little details. It's also super exciting to see NZ brands and the NZ design scene in general growing up to a stage where our flagships and concept stores are equally as good as those you might see in New York or London. The Lonely Hearts label has just opened its first Lonely flagship in Ponsonby (170 Ponsonby Road), Auckland. The store has the full Lonely Hearts ready-to-wear range, plus all the Lonely lingerie (for girls who buy lingerie as a love-letter to themselves), swim and lounge pieces.

The interior was designed in collaboration with NZ designer Rufus Knight, and features beautiful details like oak herringbone parquet floors, accents of brass and marble, huge, luxurious changing rooms and a sparkling water tap. Yes thanks, I'd love to go and try on lingerie and drink sparkling water and feel like a million dollars. 

Also, can we take a moment to do a small dance of achievement for Lonely lingerie, the lacy-little-things sister brand to Lonely Hearts clothing? Designed for women who buy lingerie as a love-letter to themselves, the brand's signatures include cut-out straps, long-line bras and inky blue and emerald lace. Over the past 18 months, the world has discovered this stunning little NZ brand and fallen in love with it - it's now stocked in 100 of the best department stores and high-end boutiques globally. That's amazing. 

Two of my faves from the Lonely lounge and lingerie collections


Design Diary - Georgia Jay!

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After graduating from Otago University school of design, Georgia Jay set out to make a living doing what she loves, designing and crafting bespoke products and working with beautiful leather and fabrics. She started her label - Georgia Jay - just last year, and now is not only stocked at some of the best design and fashion spots around Auckland and the rest of NZ (Georgia often creates one-off styles exclusive to a store), but also has her own workroom and storefront space, Terrarium.

Terrarium (at 467 New North Road, Kingsland) is shared with growing number of other independent designers - all young woman who own their own fledging design brands, pursuing their dreams individually but together, with the fellowship and contagious inspiration that a co-working space offers.

As a side note - I get so excited (insert Kristen Wiig SNL excited-face gif here) seeing these independent handcrafted businesses doing so well - and if you're dreaming of starting something of your own, I hope these stories encourage you to do it, Batman.


With the leather informing the final design, no two Georgia Jays bags are the same
































One of the first things I did this morning was…
Violently woken up by Maddie throwing stones at my window, having slept through my ridiculously early weekend walking alarm. Then again i’m self employed, so I don’t generally participate in these
things people call weekends.

Highlight of today…
My sister works for me on Saturdays, she is a treat to have around and we usually focus on shooting
new products and attending to social media, imagery and the overall branding side of the business.
It’s the fun part, capturing the end result of an initial idea in a process which you are so personally
invested in.


The stairs above Terrarium lead to Georgia's apartment...



Georgia lives in a light-filled apartment above Terrarium,
the Kingsland studio and storefront she shares with several other indie businesses. 


A challenge/frustration in my day was:
The current state of my to list of To Dos, I have a Pop-up store from Monday (this week) in Ponsonby so juggling orders, Christmas production and the development of expanding my range has been the most challenging yet rewarding project.





Today, I learnt:
That there is nothing that makes me feel more nervous and vulnerable than having to face a camera,
it’s unnerving and unpleasant for everyone involved.

The tastiest thing I ate/drank today was:
Cheese & Honey Whiskey!

Georgia sorting orders on the floor of her studio
(P.S: If she has trouble being in front of a camera, there is no hope for the rest of us. BABE o'clock.)
Georgia Jay bags alongside Revie shoes in the Terrarium space

Terrarium exterior (during their recent 1st birthday shindig) and interior detail, photography by Josh Griggs


Best thing I laid my eyes on today…
My delicious new buttery pom-pom possum pieces I’m working on.

If I could, I would Set eyes on my home town beach & have more time to spend with all
the people in my life who I love so dearly every day. 



Georgia Jay   website  /  Facebook  /   Instagram



If you're in Auckland this week, pop-over to Georgia's pop-up at Ponsonby Central...


The story behind NZ's newest organic tea brand - how a mother and her daughters turned their dream into a reality

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I love the Storm & India tea canisters. Finally, someone has designed tea
that's going to look beautiful on your bench.


Takeaway tea cups (designed by Ryan Marx) with a cameo of the two sisters






Hi! You look so lovely today! I'd like to introduce you to a verrrry beautiful new NZ brand - Storm & India. It's a family business - my favourite kind. Let me tell you the story...

Almost 10 years ago, Dooley Crighton (co-founder of a pioneering organic baby food company and lover of travel) started growing and blending her own fresh herbal teas. She shared her love of tea with her two daughters, Storm and India, and the three came to make tea a daily ritual - time carved out of every day to pause, to nourish and uplift. Together they'd research and hand-blend their own tea, herbs and spices... and as they did, a dream began to brew - what if the three could create their own premium tea brand? The journey began with Storm and India taking the tasting notes from their mum's travels, using these to create bespoke teas using teas and botanicals from small, organic plantations around the world, all hand-picked and hand-blended. (The hand blending is important, it means the leaves and flowers stay intact, making for a more flavourful, aromatic tea.) With 23 different artisanal loose-leaf teas created, they enlisted the help of NZ designer Ryan Marx (Marx Design) to bring their new brand - Storm & India Tea Sisters - to life.

Marx Design created the full visual identity, from that elegant word-mark (with the little teapot ampersand - did you spot that?) right through to packaging for all the teas. The colour palette is an elegant palette of duck egg blue and white, with a splash of watercolour introduced in the detox tea range (there are 4 detox teas, developed in collaboration with a NZ nutritionist and Chinese doctors) and simple and sophisticated black for the black teas.

The girls wanted their packaging to be something that lovers not only of tea but also of design would want to collect and to gift (as well as being re-fillable and re-usable). The tea canisters were also very consciously designed to add to the tea ritual, as you remove an outer lid and then an internal lid before revealing the sculptural like tea protected inside.

All 23 of the Storm & India teas have a story and a purpose. I'll leave it to Dooley to give you a few examples...

Ostfriesien Rose Blend No. 73 has a rich history that dates back to when tea first came to Germany. This tea was enjoyed by the wealthy and consumed from the finest porcelain according to a specific preparation ritual: first, rock sugar is added to the cup, then tea is poured halfway and lastly cream is added at the side of the cup to form a white cloud in the center of the cup. Ostfriesen Tea is not stirred, so the drinker experiences the bitter tea, milky softness and sweetness throughout the drinking experience. 

Mountain Cloud Blend No. 86  is perfect for those unfamiliar to green tea. The jade green leaf delivers a light, aromatic flavour paired with a subtle floral bouquet.  It's grown in the Lu Mountains in China, a pristine, misty mountain location enveloped in high-altitude fog and cloud.  

Coconut Chai Blend No. 37 has a delectable fragrance of toasted coconut blended with warming ginger and cinnamon. Alluring yet calming, this tea reminds us of hot buttered rum on a faraway Caribbean island. 

Matcha is the tea used in the traditional art of Japanese Tea Ceremony. People train for years to be masters at the Tea Ceremony, it is an art form deeply embedded in the Japanese culture. The ability of the tea sommelier’s skill impacts the quality of the tea. Matcha has amazing health benefits as you ingest the whole leaf.  We enjoy our Organic Matcha whisked with a splash of almond milk and a little honey.


Storm (left) and India (right) in their tea van
- they'll be serving tea (including iced tea) at a spot near you this summer.


Oversized canisters (and regular canisters for sale) in the Tea Van



T H E    T E A   V A N

About a year ago, Storm and India purchased a vintage caravan from the UK and had it shipped to New Zealand. Local architects Bureaux helped the girls to design the interior and turn the caravan a fully functional Organic Tea Bar, to be used for roving tastings and sales.

There's two beautiful vintage sinks, cushions made out of hand-painted kimono fabrics, and even a bespoke wallpaper with a pattern hand-drawn by Ryan, inspired by the traditional Japanese art of Katagami. Oh, and the van is even certified by BioGro New Zealand as an organic production space.


Storm & India   website and online store  /   Facebook  /   Instagram


WIN! 6-piece kitchen canister set from Me & My Trend

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Hey design buddies! Have you check out Me & My Trend yet? It's a new online homeware store with a huge catalogue which you can explore by trend.  Hence the name! So if you're a cushion addict, currently obsessed with ceramics or copper, love your brights and geometrics or want to see goodies they used on The Block... there's something for you.

Karina and her girlies at Me & My Trend are keen to find out what homeware or furniture you love most, so I have one of their 6 piece ceramic canister sets to give away (valued at $150) - and all you gotta do is have a little lookee around the Me & My Trend site, then come on back and tell me what your favourite products are. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 



Head to Me & My Trend and have a look around.
Choose the product(s) you like best, 
then just come back here and fill in the form below.

 //  Winner will be drawn Monday 24 November.

O P E N    T O    N Z    &    A U S T R A L I A N    R E A D E R S







Looking fine, Fancy Spaces...

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Sunday paper feels.

Studio Meez has the loveliest walls. And the sweetest dining space...


Told ya.

This bedroom is perfection. Love the inky blue pillowcases, grey-on-grey linen, gold bed legs, diagonal floorboards, bench seat side table...

Not sure how much work reeeeally goes on in this space, but it looks cool.

That sink!! Can you even? I TRIED TO SIX TIMES AND I COULD NOT.

This is #bathroomgoals.
P.S: I'm not sure how I feel about wet rooms... they remind me of summer camping and ablution blocks. Anyway, Check out the 'before' shot. 

Simple idea to steal: A white stool with a little paper-bag-plant on top.

Less simple idea to steal: Gloss black kitchen island (with leather drawer pulls) on castors. 





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With The Wolves - handpainted constellation prints by NZ illustrator Dane

new NZ men's jewellery brand Walter Crow

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The Orphan is inset with a black diamond






Walter Crow is a new NZ jewellery brand, that tells the stories - collection by collection - of an fictional traveller's adventures around the world. They've just launched their first full collection Initiation, with designs all based on old Russian prison tattoos (each with its own meaning) and created in collaboration with well-known NZ tattooist, Victor J Webster. I love the fact that they've used oxidised sterling silver - it makes the rings a blackened smoke/gun metal grey colour, and the oxidation naturally wears and lightens over time to give a weathered, vintage look. Also loving that one with the tiny black diamond inset. Treatyo'self.






The home of Wellington designers Marta Buda and Douglas Johns

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Story & production by Sammy-Rose Scapens, and photography by Heather Liddell for Homestyle


Homestyle magazine doing such a wicked job these days of hunting out inspiring New Zealand interiors and inspiring New Zealand couples who live in them. 

Case in point, your honour, is this one - the Brooklyn, Wellington home-sweet-home of NZ designer Douglas Johns and textile designer Marta Buda (and their adorabubble little girl Anouk). Vintage finds and clean contemporary design all in an unpretentious, light-filled space. 

Lots more pics, and a story about the couple's design projects and family life, in the big Holiday issue (Dec/Jan) of Homestyle - out now.

NZ's Nodi Rugs Organic Lines collection - inspired by the play of the light through a window...

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The sophomore collection from NZ's NODI rugs was inspired by the shapes and streams of lines sunlight makes as it plays on surfaces. With that in mind, designer Olivia Smith and I headed out to the dunes on sunset to capture these seriously gorgeous floor rugs... you really have to see and feel them to appreciate them (find a NZ stockists here). They're super weighty, with a fat handwoven and tufted texture, perfectly imperfect, and the sort of thing you'd have in your home forever-ever.

Also, gotta give a special mention to designer and illustrator Sam Lewis who created NODI's dreamy current catalogue, along with this yummy watercolour wordmark below...


Each of the rug styles in the Organic Lines collection can be ordered in a number of different sizes, AND different colour combinations (not just the colours above).




Finally, someone's made a Farmers' Market bag that looks GOOD...

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Photography by David Straight



I say, if you're a good human and you shop at farmers' markets for local produce and you don't use gross plastic bags, then you've earned lots of life bonus points and you deserve to spend them on a good-looking bag to put your veg and organic pesto in. NZ designer Matt Nash has extended his bag game recently to the launch of these new Market Bags, a collaboration with NZ food blog Eat Here Now.

Hello to YOU, Market Bag. At last. Really, this is way overdue. In three handsome colours, they're designed and made for heavy haulage, with nautical-grade canvas and heavyweight handles. And oh yeah, that leather trim. But what's even better are all the little extras they've thought of - a canvas loop for your keys, and a pouch for your wallet and phone pouch - because it's embarrassing holding up the line for organic heirloom tomatoes when your money's fallen to the bottom of your bag. The whole bag is lined in nylon (I don't want dirt marks on my bag, even if it is virtuous organic dirt), and there's a pouch for a wine bottle too, so you can use it as a picnic bag.  Available here.

Motion Sickness Studio's new space has me nauseas

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Love that angled black wall and the partition created by old black door frames.



Vintage chest with leather-upholstered seat, and a crazy-rad hanging kitchen shelves and hanging bench.
P.S: Just spotted the dog bowl. Having a dog in the studio instantly makes the space 98.4% more awesome.

Massive industrial extraction fan cavity becomes a feature, and the studio's shoot calendar
Hanging shelves designed by Think & Shift

Steal this idea: Paper roller fixed to the end of a meeting desk.

Good Vibes Only. 


Custom-designed steps leading to the balcony

Macca and Sam

Motion Sickness Studio might be young but don't get it confused, they're no fledglings. They're doing big things in video production (amongst other things) and, since moving from hometown Dunedin to Auckland, have grown so fast they grew out of their first studio. 

Check out this new one! They looked for half a year to find the right space... and damn lady, they got it right with this heritage building on Newmarket's Osbourne Lane. The highest of high ceilings, naked beams, brick walls, that massive industrial fan. Their friends at Think & Shift did the fit-out, laying out the space not only for meetings and work but also with room for full photoshoot set-ups, and designing bespoke furniture including all the desks, the hanging shelves, that low table (with display space under a glass top), and that insane wire plant wall. 

P.S, penpals: Have a look at this recent video by Motion Sickness Studio for NZ musician Bailey Wiley...

Sneaky Peeks at the interiors goodness that is Inside Out's summer issue...

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Love those blonde floating shelves.

Styling by Jason Grant, photography by Grace Cassio for Inside Out

Well doesn't this just feel like a sparkling water with a squeeze of lime? So clean and enlivening and other adjectives. Love those Great Dane stools, I'll take four of those thanks.

It's the home of the babes behind cult Australian surf photography website, Aquabumps, and it's one of a bunch of summer-loving sunny homes in the latest issue of Inside Out.

Steal this idea: fabric scrap textile wall hanging above yo' bed

Tan leather couch of my dreams...

Styling Claire Delmar, Photography by Prue Ruscoe for Inside Out
This one is owned by an architect and an interior designer. Hova and 'yonce power couple of houses, basically. Lots n' lots more pics in Inside Out.

Photography Craig Wall

Had to include this super cute bedroom by my #WCW, stylist Jessica Hanson. In this issue, there's also a feature on turning your creative passion into a career, 180+ ideas to steal, a bunch of impressive little eats n' drinks ideas for summer dinner parties, the top 5 tricks for small spaces, and plenty more homes to feel jealous you don't live in...





Tim Webber, you little beauty...

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NZ designer Tim Webber's got some new good goodies in his online shop. Santa, please please bring me a Press Tray? (Copper or black... or white... or yellow. Or (c), all of the above.) 

Also, how good would a line up of those light oak Dip candleholders look on your hearth? Or anywhere else you might want to put them. I'm not here to tell you where to put things, you're your own person.

Bangin' from George & Willy

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You know that awesome pegboard shelving system that was all over Pinterest this year? Well finally, someone's actually making them! NZ designers George & Willy's Bang Bang Pegboard is available in natural wood or white, and each 1200 x 1200 pegboard comes with 8 fat dowels and a long and a short shelf so you can make whatever combo of shelves and wall hooks you want. Good looking out, George and Willy.

Craft-meets-design | cool things from NZ makers Sly and Co...

Woah, it's been ages since we've nibbled on a..... Pick n Mix!

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Sweets for mah sweet, sugah for mah hunny... (that's you)


eeets so preeeeety! Handmade terracotta bowl from London-based Anna Baskakova (on Etsy).



Just when you thought Debbie Carlos couldn't get any more awesome, she's gone and created these frikkin amazing marble iPhone cases.  Just get right out of town.




Marjolie Delhaas has been making these planners for a couple of years now, but the 2015 range has even more options to choose from and I really feel it's a Public Service Announcement to let you know about them.




The legendary Stockholm-based kids' clothing brand Mini Rodini has launched a Home collection. Sooooo much cool choice now for mini-me bedrooms!


oh yeah, big time. BIG TIME

I don't think I can handle this concrete, matt black and white tub.




New Melbourne cafe, Patch (with an all paleo-inspired menu)- WOAH, nice work on the interior by Studio You and Me.



These two images via SF Girl By Bay
 
LOVE this idea... can someone do this here in NZ please? Half Hitch Goods is a 'rolling shoppe' belonging to Carrie Caillouette. Her rad truck heads to markets and neighbourhoods all over San Fran, selling goods that are all small-batch handmade from independent designers and artisans.  You can check out the online shop to see what/buy the goodies Carrie has curated.












WIN! Luxe candles from George and Edi

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My house smells pretty amazing thanks to a deluxe George and Edi candle. I love the blackened metal vessel it comes in, and the fragrance that Sarah (George and Edi founder) designed - super moody, delicious Oak Moss. Would you like one? Woah, so weird that you should mention that, because I'd like to give you one!

You'll get to choose what you win - either a deluxe candle (valued at $80) in one of three high-end scents Oak Moss (green moss and cedar wood notes), Black Coriander (black pepper, green coriander, patchouli and cedar wood) or 22:00 We Surrender To Sleep (dark lavender designed for the late hours with smokey leather notes). You can also opt for 2 classic candles (there are 8 different fragrances in the classics range) if you prefer.






Just fill in the form below and you're in the draw. Japaneasy!
N E W   Z E A L A N D   R E S I D E N T S   O N L Y





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