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Quickies - A few new NZ design goodies...

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Sweet sport duffle from Ruby.

New Zealander (gone Melbourne) Anna Ross continues to grow her Kester Black brand… the label has just launched these yummo body soaps.

My Deer Fox keeping on keeping on making buttery soft leather goodies.


Welly people! Milk Crate are now daily-making their own juice under the brand earnest(Instagram here.) Super duper into the simple, stylish packaging, and the fact that the label is attached with a rubber band so you can re-use the bottle easily.
Love this LOVE print by Jo Wade and Paper Plane.


Superette have collaborated with Kate & Kate to create this exclusive blankie



N E W  New Zealand homeware label Penney + Bennett make dreamy textiles (love that grey watercolour pillowcase) for your new bohemian steez.

Design Diary - Rachel and Jared of Swift & Click

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If you're a reggalah reader of Fancy, you'll probably recognise Swift & Click as the photographers who shoot my Day In The Life series - following around some of my favourite New Zealand designers for a day, documenting their work and personal lives. Like me, Rachel and Jared are based in Mount Maunganui... this place is the perfect marriage of laid-back beach lifestyle and mini-Auckland-city-style. Speaking of marriages, Rachel and Jared are also wedding photographers - if you're planning a wedding they do seriously beautiful, richly authentic photography of real people, in real moments. You should definitely check out their portfolio. 





One of the first things I did this morning was…
Jared:  Stumble out of bed in the dark and put odd socks on. Me and Andre (our video guy) had to go up to go up the mount to do some filming at sunrise while Rachel went off to drink coffees and gossip (take photos at a cafe). 

Rachel:  Woke up way to early! Luckily Char (my 9 year old) is a whizz on the coffee machine. We took the boy's down the Mount to capture the sunrise then I went over to shoot one of my favourite cafes 'Love Rosie' with Alana, for a feature that's going on Fancy and in a magazine.

Highlight of today…
Jared:  Sorting out the gear cupboard in PJ's. I love it when all the gear is nicely displayed and in order, probably because it's so out of the ordinary. After a week it will be messy again. 

Rachel:  Watching Jared sort the gear cupboard, which meant I get the kitchen table back!





























































A challenge/frustration in my day was:
Jared:  Sorting out the gear cupboard in PJ's. PJ's are really the wrong clothes to be wearing for this kind of task, especially when your wife is taking photos of you and saying things like "If you want it to be realistic you'd better have some butt crack showing". It also took us about half an hour to debate which gear should go in which place. Like most issues we face, a mutual compromise creates the best result- but the process isn't always easy. 

Rachel:  Waking up at 5am, one of the things I love about being self employed is working till the wee stupid hours then sleeping in!






























Today, I learned:
Jared:  Cats don't mind getting cozy with a cactus. This proves problematic when they transfer the little needles to your leg. 

Rachel:  It's super awkward being in front of the camera, especially in public. It gave me a new appreciation for our 'Day in the Life' subjects who have to endure a full day of it!

The tastiest thing I ate/drank today was:
Jared:  Avo on sourdough and coffee at George cafe. It's where we go to meet / talk shit / play on our phones / be awesome. 

Rachel:  Equal tie between my Sidetracks banana, date & chia loaf and the George avocados! 








Best thing I laid my eyes on today…
Jared:  My wife. Check out how gorgeous she's looking while she works in the studio with those hot glasses. Even her shadow is cool. I like a pretty sunrise (or sunset) but I like my wife the best. 

Rachel:  I guess since I'm going second I have to reciprocate! My Husband, working alongside the guy you happened to be married too has it challenges but I wouldn't have it any other way. 


If I could, I would __________ every day
Jared:  If we could we would exercise, do music and take photos every day. Actually we probably could do that, it's just that we don't always. We should. 

Rachel:  Walk my dog down the beach, I don't actually have a dog but I want to join that club! I'd also like to take more photos of my family, they're the best and sometimes when you're so busy documenting everyone else's life you forget to capture your own.





A peek inside new NZ interiors bookywook, Rooms To Love, and an interview with LeeAnn Yare and Larnie Nicolson:

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Last week, I was sent an advance copy of the new Rooms to Love - the second NZ interiors book by our favourite besties, LeeAnn Yare and Larnie Nicolson. Ummmm... I did very little work that day.

Rather than entire houses, this time LeeAnn and Larnie have captured 220 pages of awesome individual rooms, corners of rooms and shelfies - with a focus on how you can take the fave things you've collected and make them work together at your place. Forget living in a magazine shoot (LeeAnn admits it takes her an entire three days to get her own home shoot-ready), this book is about inspiring you to style your rooms at home, your way - and it's chockablock full of real chocolate chips of little ideas, tips and styling hints for every part of the house. LeeAnn takes us through scores of different themes and aesthetics, with super cute graphics by Hardhat design. Check it out:






L E E A N N    Y A R E    //   Writer & Stylist

What's your fave room/spot in your own house?
Dylan's room.  With its yellow cockatoos wallpaper by Florence Broadhurst, and its more unexpected boys palette of predominantly yellow and orange with accents of hot pink green and blue, it's the sunniest room in the house even on the dullest day.  You can't help but gravitate to his room.

I know you've seen, styled and shot so many interiors, but you must come across the occasional really unique 'why didn't I think of that' idea that you haven't seen before…
Tell us about one little 'Idea to Steal' that you saw on the Rooms To Love visits?
On page 135 there is a laundry on the bottom floor of an old character villa, at the end of the room a pull out set of stairs creates a quick getaway out the oversized window straight to the clothesline! Genius.

What's the next thing you want to do in your own home…
A change of season is always a great excuse for new bed linen, but I have plans to change the walls in our bedroom too.  They've been dark and dramatic for five years now so it's time for a change, and I've been eyeing up some pretty cool paint colours and wallpaper designs!

I know it's hard to pick a favourite – but can you name one of your favourite rooms from the book and why?
All of them! We had to be extremely strict when choosing images to feature in this book, and every room that has made it into Rooms to Love is inspirational, and is there for that reason. 

How has your own decorating style evolved over the past couple of years?
My own style is bold, brave, colourful, and mixed not matched.  A mix of old and new, designer and high street, and loads of Internet finds!  I've always been that way inclined, but like fashion I think our home style grows and evolves over time. As we get older and have the luxury of sometimes having more budget means a few special pieces have replaced older ones.  And of course as our family grows our home grows too. 

I love change, so I'm constantly inspired to change things around, a tin of paint here, a drop of wallpaper there, and I'm always restyling everything from a shelf or sideboard display through to entire rooms for a fresh look.  My love of colour is always changing, I relish using unexpected combos and love showing people that there is always a way to make something you love work, and I'm currently obsessed with pops of neon and brights mixed with softer colours. 

A big part of our home has been sourced online, pre-kids I loved nothing more than scouring the Internet and secondhand stores for covetable bargains.  I am an avid Ikea addict, probably because we don't have it in NZ so it's a treat, I could go there every week and come home with something. 
As a stylist my eagle eye always manages to seek out things other people would overlook, and that's part of what lead me to opening Collected, and while I was super strict for nearly a year about not bringing everything home, I have broken my own rules and more than I would like to admit has found its way home. 

I've been very lucky to pick up the few designer pieces we have in showroom floor stock sales over the years, often for well under half price and often paid off over months!  But I love how our home has built over time and has layers on layers and everything has its own story.


L A R N I E    N I C O L S O N    //   Photographer

What's your fave room/spot in your own house?
The balcony is a sweet spot because it gets the afternoon sun and I can see a wee bit of the Auckland harbour from there (through the trees if I squint hard). It’s also where my cat, Jagger, likes to hang and spy on the pigeons that he’ll never catch. This year I’ve ‘gone green’, growing lettuces, tomatoes and herbs in pots, so it’s just a very nice place to have a beer and chill.

I know you've seen, styled and shot so many interiors, but you must come across the occasional really unique 'why didn't I think of that' idea that you haven't seen before.  Tell us about one little 'Idea to Steal' that you saw on the Rooms To Love visits?
There are two ideas that spring to mind and one is on page 159 and it’s such a simple idea. It’s a tap on an extendable arm right next to the stovetop so it can reach pots that are on an element. I did think that would be mighty handy!

The other idea on page 152 is a moveable kitchen bench that Architectural Designer Tane Cox created when he was designing the house. It’s a separate plywood bench and is part of the kitchen but it’s on big castor wheels so it can be moved around – for a kid’s party where the bench might be needed somewhere else for example.  Scott Woolston (legend cabinet maker in Hamilton) built it and it fits in with the kitchen seamlessly.

What's the next thing you want to do in your own home.
Well my kitchen and bathroom should be very scared right now! They are OK but boring and dated so I’m planning to redo those early next year.  I’m adding ideas to pinterest and saving images to my phone all the time so I can’t wait to see it eventually all take shape.

I know it's hard to pick a favourite - but can you name one of your favourite rooms from the book and why?
There are a few faves but there’s a great view on page 107 looking out to Karekare beach which is pretty special.

How has your own decorating style evolved over the past couple of years?
Growing up, my style was quite vintage and ethnic, partly influenced by my well-travelled family. Think Turkish kilims and op shop finds. Now, my style is much more pared back, preferring whites and soft colours, with the odd bright colour thrown in. My place is cute and cosy and I love having friends over so that’s the feeling I want. I still love an op shop find (I’m sporadically collecting retro ceramics at the moment) but I think I’ve developed a better overall style. I see enough amazing homes so one would hope it would rub off on me somewhere along the line.



Copper Hanger, get in my house.

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NZ fashion designer Melissa Brooks has just released a new copper pipe version of her I'll Hang It Here clothes rack. From $499 for the standing rack, and $200 for the new hanging rack.














Don't Tell New York...

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Don't Tell New York is a new New Zealand-based lifestyle accessories brand for men, created by Matt, Adam and Hamish - three NZ friends who are passionate about design and fashion and for whom the launch of their own brand is the realisation of a long-held dream.

The debut collection includes this super tidy, super tight leather duffle...






Photograph by David Grr

Photograph by David Grr







Hamish, Adam and Matt are sourcing all their materials locally, with a focus on every Don't Tell New York piece being crafted and considered to the finest of little details.

Check out the Don't Tell New York website to see more of their debut products (including more clean, minimalist leather goods), or follow their progress over on Instagram (@donttellnewyork).

~ WIN ~ Martina Organics skincare set worth over $200

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I am super excited to give one of you this complete set of Martina Organics skincare, valued at $240. (I first blogged about this lovely little NZ brand over here - have a read.) 

The packaging is beautiful, and as uncomplicated as what's inside - nothing but natural, certified organic ingredients (for example, the moisturiser is nothing but active oils from botanics). Each bottle is hand-blended in the Wellington by Martina Organics' creator, Marta Camara. 

I also wanna tell you that Martina Organics is now available in a travel set - with organic cotton bag and cloth - and sample sets (only $39)... which is awesome because who doesn't love mini things, and you can see how much your skin loves it before you invest in the full size set.


Ok! Let's win you something! 


Just enter your name and deets below!
Competition open to all New Zealand and Australian readers.




CURRENTLY - what designers YS Collective have been up to lately...

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Young NZ designers Dan, Sam and James continue to sharpen their collective eye and grow their skills, with the launch of their new practice, a client-focused design consultancy called Think & Shift. Think & Shift now runs parallel alongside the guys' furniture and lighting design brand, YS Collective. For their growing stable of Think & Shift clients, the trio are working on products and space and experience design projects for fashion, hospitality, retail and other industries, while YS Collective remains a vehicle where  Dan, Sam and James can explore their own product design ideas, producing limited edition pieces and one-offs, for sale through their online store.

YS Collective's Profile stool now with limited edition brass hardware

Limited edition Tall Fellow light from YS Collective



A recent commissioned design for a Think & Shift client 



Dan:  Black Atlas, Young Bloods is my favourite album at present.  I’m also a huge Future Islands fan and am super excited to see them play at Laneways this year.

James: There’s so much good music around at the moment. SBTRKT’s new album, SOHN, Alexander Ebert, Future Islands, Darkside and Courtney Barnett are a few.

Sam: I'm guilty of discovering an artist then replaying their album over and over.. but they're just so good! Currently Waldeck, Whitest Boy Alive, and Jungle have my attention.


Dan : I don’t read books, never have. But I read a lot of articles on design, innovation, business, technology and all the other amazing things that are happening in the world.

James:  Jack Kerouac, On the Road - The book’s based on the Beat culture of the 1950’s in America. To be honest the main guy kind of seems like the modern day hipster but I’m only a ⅓ of the way through so things might change. Also anything with heaps of pictures, it takes me a long time to actually get into a book.

Sam:  I'm aware we live in a digital age where most content can be found online, but there is something about the physicality of print that gets me. Smith Journal and Collectif magazine are two beautifully crafted, slightly alternative magazines which talk about culture and creativity. 



Dan:  A four week trip to Japan with my partner Ali and two friends, over the Christmas, New Year period.

James:  The move to Auckland. We’re moving the business up later this year so will need some spare cash for the move. 

Sam:  An electric bike. I know it may sound a little nerdy but they're perfect for the city, not to mention a sustainable, efficient, innovative and good looking alternative to a car. 



Dan:  Designing, doing up and living in a rental place in Saint Mary’s Bay in Auckland. It’s an old converted garage looking out over the harbour that is all of about 2m squared and full of potential, character and micro-living challenges.

James:  Summer time and getting outside after work. Might even get around to wiping the dust of the surfboard and getting a wave in. Winter's got the better of me this year.

Sam:  We have been designing products, spaces and experiences for some fantastic clients which are soon to be completed. I can't wait to share these projects with the world. 


Dan:  I’m a bit of a health freak, so when I’m eating at home my diet is; high fat, low carbs, no sugar, heaps of greens, nuts and seeds, NZ grown meat, coffee and wine... always wine.

James:  I go through food phases but anything Mexican is usually at the top of the list. During the day - Coffee, at night - sometimes Coopers Sparkling Ale, however it’s hard to go past anything MOA or Emersons.

Sam:  Avocado is back in season, I'm very pleased. 



Dan:  Not enough! We work too much.

James:  Doing a lot of travel up to Auckland recently. And over the long weekend - my family and another family travelled to this beach place an hour north of Whangarei (let's call it spot x) and we’ve been going for the last 28 years.

Sam:  Exploring Auckland's finest and meeting some truly talented people. 



Dan:  I got to visit my father recently, on his farm in Hawke's Bay. He's a big inspiration to me. He’s super driven, passionate and hard working. He has pretty well dedicated his whole life to developing sustainable (he would say ‘regenerative’) farms and business practice. I’m hugely grateful for everything he has taught me.

James:  Heaps. You know you’re in a good career path when your job aligns with your interests. Without getting too cheesy, can’t look past the opportunities I’ve been thrown along the way. And also the Laneways line up is hard to not feel grateful for.

Sam: The opportunity rich environment which the New Zealand creative scene generates. 



Dan:  I spend about half of my life watching TED talks.

James:  A bit of a mix really - a few Tumblr blogs (Takeovertime and Nothingtochance) on our Y.S Tumblr feed, TED talks, plus the everyday dosage of Dezeen.

Sam:  A collaboration series by Dezeen and MINI called MINI Frontiers where design and innovation projects are showcased from all over the world.  




This blankie was designed for kids… but I want one

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This blankie by New Zealand's Noah & Bowie was designed for kiddlies, but I want one. It's round (circle wins everything), it's got bears holding hands on it, it's reversible (white with black graphics on the other side), and it's a throw/blanket but also sort of a floor mat, too. Make me some tiny sandwiches with the crusts cut off and stick me in the lounge to watch Toy Story; I'm good.


Bold as... brass stools from IMO and new Coffee Supreme cafe, Dispensary

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The fresh-daily Baker stool by NZ furniture designers IMO is available in 524 different colourways (that's a slight exaggeration - but there's loads) and is now also available with brass hardware (limited edition). 

Annnnnd I also had to show you how good the Baker stools look in Christchurch's new Coffee Supreme cafe, Dispensary:



Yeah alright, alright... I made a GIF. 






An interview with Hardhat design - talking splitting time between NZ & NYC, co-working clubhouse MakeShift Society, and building a cabin the woods...

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I'm not a secret squirrel about the fact that Jenny Miles and Nik Clifford of Hardhat are two of my favourite designers (you can see their work on Fancy here, here and here). But did you know they're both largely self-taught? And that they spend part of their year here in New Zealand and part of it in New York? Or that they're building a cabin in the woods? Read on...


Scenes from Jen and Nik's New York home - photography with thanks to Anna Schori


What are your backgrounds and where did you meet?
Nik: As a teen I was completely obsessed with photography, but after 2 years studying it, I knew it wasn't for me. After years in the wilderness (working for an arborist, selling crystals in asia, helping run a London cinema with Jen) I retrained in multimedia and began working doing design work for a startup in London. 

Jen: I studied art and design at A-level (16-18) but then got a bit sidetracked with an academic degree at UCL in London. As luck would have it I became very good friends with a photographer there who taught me a lot, and - strange but true - there was a dark room I could use whenever I wanted, for free, next to the bar in our halls of residence. I worked as visuals editor at the university magazine, then worked at the same cinema as Nik in the West End after I graduated (we actually met at a cafe job in Soho a few months prior). That started as a part-time job but quickly turned into a marketing manager role that involved a lot of in-house design. We were both studying design on the side at that point too, eventually getting full-time jobs in small agencies during the dot-com boom which meant figuring it out on the fly and on the job. It was nuts, but a lot of fun, and I learnt a hell of a lot in a short space of time. From there we both quickly decided to go it alone, setting up Hardhat in 2000.


You're living and working in NYC, but still spend time each year back home in NZ – that's got to be a dream held by so many NZ creatives!  
We’ve probably always wanted to work in careers that allowed us to be mobile, so when we started working in design we consciously chose to buy laptops and small mobile devices that would all fit into a bag. This gave us freedom and flexibility to travel, not just take 2 weeks holiday a year.

This means that while we might end up doing a bit of work while we're on 'holiday', we are able to spend 2 or more months in a different country each year, and can go away more often at the drop of a hat (we've been known to skip off spontaneously to Croatia for a few days, only to be found uploading files to a printer in the UK from a rocky beach on the adriatic between swims!)

New York has been a bit of a dream for us both for many years. In 2007, after 13+ years in London, we were feeling a bit jaded by the big city and needed a change, but moving from one intense city to another seemed like a bad idea. We decided, rather than move straight into more of the same in New York, to move to NZ (Nik's home country) for a while and set up studio there. Four years later, we'd come a long way, had cemented some really strong working relationships, were getting international recognition for our work, and were still feeling the pull of New York. The timing felt right at that point to expand to US shores.

Selfishly, we don't like the cold and want to avoid winters as much as possible, so the way we work now really is close to perfect: when we were in NZ we would spend a couple of months each year away from the NZ winter, basing ourselves in London over their summer, and now we're in NY we do the opposite.

It's really important for us to connect face-to-face with our clients, especially since we genuinely get on with them and many have become friends with many, so a couple of weeks just isn't enough to do that - we need enough time to see people more than once, to socialise with them, to really connect. So we make sure we spend a couple of months in New Zealand each year, with the plan to use New York as our primary base for the foreseeable future.






Jen and Nik visiting fave spots in their Brooklyn neighbourhood













































Jen at work in their studio, co-working space Makeshift Society


How does NZ compare to Brooklyn (or greater New York) in terms of lifestyle and design community? 
So much is different; they could almost be polar opposites. We find being able to experience both is invigorating and inspiring creatively and personally.

New York is all about high energy, ballsy confidence, brashness, volume, a place of extremes and contradictions, of opposites colliding, and where the unexpected is the norm; you never know what you might see or hear next!

Inspiration is everywhere, which can be good and bad. You can't avoid being aware of current trends and fashions, and you can find inspiration whenever you step out the door; there are so many shows and talks and classes to go to. But this also means one is quite passive - it all comes to you, without having to go out and consciously search it out. Which can also become a dangerous distraction instead of being useful! We have to make a concerted effort to take time out and leave the city on a regular basis; not as easy to do as it is in NZ, but easy enough once you figure out some of the logistics!

NZ on the other hand is a place for space - physically and mentally. It allows us to stop and let all the inspiration crystallize and turn into something. We never underestimate the importance of allowing ideas & inspiration come from stepping away and finding space. It is a place that is more about nature, about quiet, subtlety, modesty. Things happen slower which can be frustrating but also a real relief, and something that can allow for an idea to really develop into something well rounded and thoughtful rather than spontaneous and quickly rushed out.

We've been lucky in that we've landed in an incredibly creative community here in Brooklyn; we have a lot of creative friends here already from both London and NZ, our studio Makeshift Society is a wonderful hub of creative people (Design*Sponge work out of here too). Even though NY is a big city, our corner of Brooklyn has a villagey feel and with a bit of effort you quickly get to know people pretty well, many of whom have been really supportive, helpful and encouraging. So in fact our little Brooklyn-based faction of the larger New York design community (which is huge, varied and far reaching) is really not that different from New Zealand!






 Hardhat's brilliant identity for Makeshift Society - creative clubhouse and co-working space

How did you get involved with Makeshift Society?
Jen had read about Makeshift Society opening in Brooklyn on Design*Sponge (Grace Bonney is friends with the Makeshift Society founder, Rena Tom). They were only in San Francisco at the time, with plans for the Brooklyn outpost, and fundraising on Kickstarter. A creative co-working space with a focus on communication and collaboration sounded like such a great concept that we reached out. 

It seemed like perfect timing; we were looking for a creative community, a work space, and new clients, and thanks to Rena being such a positive force who always wants to say yes, we ended up with all 3! We worked on their refreshed identity that was rolled out at the same time as their Brooklyn expansion, have office space here, and are part of a growing creative community. 


What are some of your favourite (large or small) elements of the new Makeshift space?
Apart from the regular and varied classes and events, and the ‘meet, greet, sip!’ evenings for members, we love the space itself; interior architect Bryan Boyer (also on the board of directors at MSS) has done a wonderful job creating a flexible and beautiful space. We love the nooks that allow us to change things up during the day – a sunny morning spot around a coffee table in the window, high stools around a shared counter table when we’re feeling more sociable, a cosy couch hidden towards the back of the space in the library (a great addition; members, non-members & publishers continue to gift us lots of books) – and the ‘cube’ upstairs is a lovely space; the whole front closes to create a private conference/meeting space, or open fully up to create a stage for events. The fact that the walls are painted with a clear whiteboard paint so it feels like you're drawing on the walls is an added bonus.






Makeshift Society photographs by interior architect Bryan Boyer






What's coming up for Hardhat? (What are you working on at the moment?)
We’ve been enjoying a slightly quieter time after a really busy summer, focusing on a few personal projects and collaborations including a stationery line with a West Coast-based (US) furniture amd homeware design studio, and opening titles for a documentary film in the making. As far as paid work is concerned, amongst other things we're working on an online store for one of our existing NZ clients, and pitching branding ideas to a London-based coffee company. Did we say it was a quiet time?! 

The summer was pretty crazy. We were working on packaging design for both a major national beauty chain under the Limited Brands umbrella as well as a gourmet popcorn company in Pittsburgh, as well as finishing off the design of LeeAnn Yare and Larnie Nicolson’s latest book Rooms to Love published by Penguin books.  Looking further ahead, a big personal project for next year is design and build and interior fit-out of our own off-grid cabin in the beautiful catskill mountains of upstate new york.



Jen and Nik designed the just-launched NZ interior ideas book, Rooms to Love 


Fave piece of NZ design/creative (from any discipline) you've seen in the past year or two?
Kelvin soh’s (DDMMYY) work for Triumph & Disaster was a favorite of ours, kayak1 from our friend Jamie McLellan is absolutely stunning, and we’ve fallen in love with several pieces from our clients Douglas and Bec. We were also really impressed with what Material Creative did with the interior of Tonic Room (we worked alongside them on that while working on the overall identity system). More in the fine art arena but still pretty graphic, both Gavin Hurley’s and Sam Mitchell’s work (both at Melanie Roger) tends to win us over.

A new website for NZ furniture designers (and Hardhat friends) Douglas and Bec



Your fave new Brooklyn spot?
Some of these have been around for a while, but are (relatively) new to us...

Coffee:  Kinfolk 90
 (Wythe Ave, Williamsburg) - we swear Thom here makes the best coffee in the borough, and it’s a surprisingly calm, quiet space for the madness that is Williamsburg.

Dinner & Drinks:  St Mazie
 (Grand Street, South Williamsburg) - great drinks, beautiful decor and 1 block from the studio!

Shopping/Food: Emily's Pork Store (Graham Avenue) - the most wonderful, local, family-run Italian deli

Clothing: Kai D Utility (Grand Street, Williamsburg)- beautiful tailored clothing, mainly menswear
Plants/Homewares:  Sprout Home (also Grant Street) - plants, flowers, seeds, and such a calming space



Hardhat website   /    Facebook  /   Instagram   /   Twitter

INSIDEOUT Goodness

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Styling Jason Grant, Photography Lauren Bamford


Inside the November issue of Inside Out... You know that lovely Bondi Wash stuff? Well the woman behind that brand has a B E A U T Y-full home - there's a full tour of it in Inside Out. Here's her dreamy bedroom! You know me, I love a bench seat at the end of a bed… and that stormy ocean photo's wicked too.


Styling Julia Green, Photography Armelle Habib
Bedding textiles continue to have their big moment - linen is fun, finally! (I imagine a queen sheet going 'tadaaaaa'!) InsideOut's Julia Green has styled 7 pages of the coolest linen lovelies, with pattern-on-pattern ideas for making over your bedroom.  PS: Did you notice the leather headboard on that bed up there? Arrghhhhhhhh! (That's a happy scream.)

Interior design by Doherty Design, Photography by Gorta Yuuki

A home like this makes me feel like I've just taken a nice big relaaaaaxing breath out. Super clean aesthetic, I just love it.

Stationery items, you are my best friend. Styling Jessica Hanson, Photography Anna Pogossova

To get you in the festive feels, the issue also has a whole bunch of not-at-all-traditional party, decorating and custom wrapping ideas.

Fancy SPACES

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Hallways deserve a little love too...


Sometimes, no theme at all is the best theme there is. 

Steal neighbourhood flowers for beside your bed, and leave a thank you note.

Guest room best room!
(Also, plain foliage in a plain glass vase is the new black. And also, if you find a vintage wooden headboard you might like to consider painting it gloss black.)

Office in mezzanine = long-held dream of mine.  Let's look over the railing shall we...

Tadaaaa! So much great stuff down here - the blush couch, that boucherouite rug, huge white factory pendant, huge window-doors (woors?) and 6 of my fave chairs - the Cover chair by Muuto.

This person has nothing on their desk... because they are way too busy thinking about how awesome their house is all the time.

L O V E that clean, linear cabinetry alongside the industrial feel of the black sliding barn door. 



Simple, serene and yeah, ok - maybe even a little boring - but right now I'm in need of a little boring...

I think I'll have an early night...




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BlakChaos opens in Ponsonby and the interior design is ON. POINT.

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I spy: plinths in copper, and marble with copper feet, and wooden floorboards painted gloss white, contrasted with thick black graphic clothing racks that extend right up to the ceiling.



See that minimalist white shelving? Love it. It was designed by Teresa and Rebecca.

Real Good Copper chair from Blu Dot


These girls can'tstopwon'tstop - NZ designers Teresa Hodges of Blak and Rebecca Anderson of Chaos & Harmony have opened the doors to their 2nd flagship store - in the emerging fashion precinct that is Auckland's Ponsonby Road.

It's fresh and minimalistic, with a sister aesthetic to their Mount Maunganui store, but with some new design tweaks including accents of copper and marble contrasted with bold black lines. It's all been done in a very clever, classy way - marble and copper are super on trend, but the subtle (custom) details give Teresa and Rebecca flexibility to evolve the store and transpose different elements. We love the way these two brands have 'played' together, too - with Blak's collection on one side of the space and Chaos & Harmony's on the other, and a centrepiece showing off combinations of the two, so you can see how the two brands can be styled together.

And hey, yeah yeah, I know this isn't a fashion blog, but it's clear that Teresa and Rebecca's design eye extends beyond dressing women to dressing spaces... the interior design of BlakChaos Ponsonby is - just like their first store - all their own concept, with bespoke detail after bespoke detail designed by Teresa and Rebecca, and it's so. on. point.


Blak website  /  Instagram  /   Facebook

Chaos & Harmony website  /   Instagram  /   Facebook

The HOMESTYLE of one of my favourite designers...

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Photography by Gaelle Le Boulicaut for Homestyle


One of my all-time fave designers, Caroline Gomez, took one of my all-time fave magazines, Homestyle, on a tour of her awesome home. It's the lightest, loveliest ex-pinball repair warehouse you ever did see! 

See lots more of her home in the latest issue of Homestyle, along with: the home of Kip & Co's Kate Heppell, botanical styling ideas for displaying leafy goodness in your home, a black-clad modern beach house that'll give you some serious bach envy, and loads more NZ interior and homeware gems.

Ooh! And P.S: Caroline Gomez will be guest Instagramming for Homestyle mag this week - follow them if you haven't already - instagram.com/homestylemag

Cartographic art prints by new NZ brand Here + There

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Cousins Ryan Davies and Gemma Bridges come from a design-loving family - from artists to architects to designers, it’s in their blood. They also love our country. They love its shape and they love that its small enough to explore within a short trip. So together with Ryan's partner Steph, they've launched this little business, Here + There, which takes sailing navigational maps and recreates them as big art prints. They're limited editions of 50 of each design, nice big A1 size, and thick 250gsm matt paper. So far, they have Hauraki Gulf and Auckland Inner Harbour in 6 different styles, plus Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty, and Wellington and Cook Strait launching real soon. 

Cartographic prints… such a good gift idea aye!


Pick n Mix time!

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Happy Friday, lovelypants!


LEIF shop gets it right errrrrrrtime. These tea bowls are handmade by Ben Fiess. I'd use one for my dericious morning moosli.




I'ma let you finish, but Elisabeth Dunker of Fine Little Day is one of my favourite designers of all time. OF ALL TIME! And finally her book is out! There's a tour of her home, little DIY ideas, the story of how she started Fine Little Day and how she works, and more. What I'm saying is, please get this for me for Christmas. Kthxbye.










How great is this identity for Paintbox, a manicure studio in New York?  Hint: the answer is very. Someone start a cool one here in NZ, please? Also, I'm a wallet minimalist (no thanks, FlyBuys, I don't want to shop for 5 years to earn a popcorn maker) but I would 100% keep one of those pink Paintbox loyalty cards in my wallet. (Found at GoodDesignMakesMeHappy).



Did you know that Areaware (New York-based design brand) actually is a collective of about 20 different designers? One of those is Jonas Damon, who designed these Avion cups, which are relevant to my interests.


OK, so this is just turning into my Christmas wishlist. I love you husband, you are my everything. You are also the handsomest man I've ever laid eyes on. (City of Champions poster from Playtype)

Playtype also have this front-and-back grey marle sweat for font nerds, awesome.




If I was in America, I'd be buying some of these artisan herbs. Beautiful packaging in white glass jars.


Copper Shrine from Darkroom.





Fancy SPACES

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Love the idea of a kitchen island also being the dining table. And a vintage kilim rug in the kitchen, to add a homespun feel.

You can't go wrong with white and grey. PS: Love that mirror on the ledge. 

Prints leaning up against a wall look just as good as on the wall. 

Industrial sliding barn doors beat everything.
Plus, idea to steal: layer a few fave blankies for pattern-on-pattern goodness.
If you need me I'll just be in here, kay?
Not entirely sure what I'm looking at... but I really like it.
This is so spesh it deserves extra mention. The Cross Street Project is an awesome concept - it's an apartment for sale in Sydney's Bondi beach, but everything in the apartment is also for sale. So you can move in (oh, I so would) or just visit and then buy some locally-designed and made homeware. Awesome concept, awesome project by C+M studio. Photography by Caroline McCredie




Stop it.


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WIN! $150 to spend at new NZ homeware store, XO Home

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Four of my faves from XO Home 

After working in the homeware and interior design industries for years, Sarah Berkett decided to create her own online homeware store, XO Home. Sarah has picked everything for XO Home very carefully - all products are by independent designers and makers... there's nothing made in China or in a factory, just handcrafted homeware from people who put their heart and soul into goodies for you. We love that.

Okee-dokee, so... I have a $150 XO Home voucher to give away to one of you! 


All you gotta do is head over to XO Home, have a look around, 

then come back here and tell me what you'd spend your $150 on, using the entry form below!



A boutique candlemaker in Wanaka - George & Edi

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Some of the George & Edi classics range (yum, grapefruit and mint!)


new solid perfumes for delicious-smelling wrists and necks



Living overseas for 18 years (London/Melbourne), Sarah Agnew decided to leave her corporate career and come home to New Zealand, to have a go at creating her own little empire. Love that. She also decided to settle in one of her favourite holiday spots, Lake Wanaka. Clever girl. Having lived in rented, fully-furnished (ugh.) places in cities, she had felt firsthand how important it was to find little ways to make four walls feel like home. 

George & Edi aims to do just that, with a growing collection of hand-poured-to-order boutique candles and other fragrance goodies. Along with a classic candle range in minimalist packaging (and 8 different scents), there's the new Deluxe candles - in almost-black, imperfect metal vessels each handcrafted by a local Wanaka metalworks. The deluxe fragrances are more complex and a little darker than your average scented candle - I have the Oak Moss and it is exactly that, it's moody and beautiful. My personal fave is 22:00 We Surrender To Sleep - it's designed for after dark, with leather and smokey notes (mmmmm) which add a sexy edge to the lavender, i.e: not your nanna's lavender. 

Sarah has also designed extra-large candles with 150 hours of burn time, new room sprays (I actually have a small addiction to room sprays. It is becoming a problem.), diffuser sets, and a brand new range of solid perfumes in all the most popular fragrances.

You can find George & Edi at 28 stockists around New Zealand or at the George & Edi online store.

AUT students mentored by NZ designer Bec Dowie (Douglas and Bec) - check out their homeware / furniture design work...

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Core'd vessels by Joshua Bradley
Last year, leading NZ designer Bec Dowie (Douglas and Bec) mentored a group of students in their final year of Industrial Design at AUT. The result of their working together was a series of product prototypes shared with the public in an exhibition at the Douglas and Bec flagship store. Material Matters was so well received that they've done it all again... 

These are just a little sample for you to nibble on. But please - you should totally head on over and view all of the work here at the Douglas and Bec Facebook Page, and vote for your favourite to win People's Choice honours.

And if you're in AK, drop in to AUT's Art and Design Building on St Paul Street to see all the work in the 2015 Material Matters exhibition (runs today to 20th November).

wooden tray with brass handles by Sujin Jang
 Loop shelves (copper or brass) by Stephanie Gwilliam

His + Her Hangers by Justin Rosaria

Tim shelving system by Mackenzie Living
(Mackenzie, you officially have the best name-surname combo I've ever heard. Thinking of changing mine by deed poll.)



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