Introducing SAI

Dael and I are very proud to introduce you to our latest project, SAI, (lower) 205 Emerson Street, Napier. The project took a good eight or nine months and was quite a journey, so we were thrilled when the doors finally opened to the public two weeks ago. Some of you may have been following the progress on our Instagram page, but now we're pleased to share it with you officially.

photo: Florence Charvin

photo: Florence Charvin

In March of this year we received an email from Sasi (our future client) saying she was visiting from Sydney, was opening a restaurant in Napier, and would we like to meet to discuss it. "Of course," we said - that sounded like a fun job. We met Sasi on site soon after and suddenly realised what a huge task we had ahead of us.

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The site for the restaurant was the old Mid City Plaza and it was being split into three tenancies along Emerson Street. It really was just a crumbling shell with loads of potential, and a lot of work to be done. This was our first big commercial project, so we were very fortunate that architect Robin Larkworthy, of Dougan Larkworthy, agreed to help us with all of the plans and working drawings, and GR8 Construction took on the build.

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Our client, Sasi (below far right) already owns and runs the sister restaurant, 'SAI Old Bar Beach' in Sydney, and soon after our first meeting she flew back to Australia. Over the next few months Dael and I liaised with Sasi via email, designed the look and feel of the restaurant, and came up with various floor layouts (keeping in mind that neither of us had any experience with a commercial kitchen and what that entailed). With the expert help of Josh from Southern Hospitality, Isaac from Sydaz, Hamish Panton from Panton Consulting, and Robin Larkworthy and his team, plans were eventually sent to Council, and then it was a waiting game. In August Sasi returned to New Zealand with her niece, Wan, (below centre) who was to help Sasi with the restaurant, and eventually run it when it came time for Sasi to return home. The four of us worked closely together, and Dael and I are so thankful to both Sasi and Wan that they believed in us and allowed us to follow through with our designs.

Opening day was 8th December, and everybody involved in helping us create SAI worked extremely hard to make opening on that date happen. As well as all the tradies, Sasi and Wan's family flew in to help and it really was 'all hands on deck'.

We enlisted the help of our favourite painter and wallpaper hanger, Claire Condon, and her friend, Chris Heath, to create the fresco wall effect, and to hang the beautiful Elitis wallpaper. Asha and Marg from Little & Fox made the squabs and cushions; and Hutchinson's laid the floor for us.

Staff get ready for the very first guests (below) - everyone involved in helping to create SAI was invited to come and sample the delicious Thai food. The tiles, from The Tile Depot, around the open kitchen and behind the bar are one of my favourite features.

The food at SAI is authentic Thai food, and the staff are there to guide you, if you'd like, and answer any questions. They encourage customers to place meals in the centre of the table so you can share and taste all of the dishes.

My most favourite part of the restaurant is the beautiful bar which greets you as you enter. It was created by the amazing team at Sunshine Joinery, along with the cabinetry behind the bar, all of the bench and booth seats, the open kitchen bench top, and all of the shelving. We can't thank Rick, Ben, Felicity and their team enough.

The curved bar is created with strips of bamboo that bring gorgeous texture and warmth, and contrast beautifully with the deep teal featured throughout the restaurant.

When Sasi first briefed us on what she wanted for the restaurant, she told us her favourite colours were brown and grey. To say that Dael & I love colour is an understatement, so how were we going to make this work?! The tile, with it's earthy shades of brown, blue and grey was our starting point, and this led to the introduction of the deep teal colour. Lastly we brought in the rich raspberry red in the wallpaper and velvet sofa to balance the coolness of the blue and grey tones. Sasi was so great allowing us to do this, as we knew we were pushing her outside of her comfort zone. But luckily for us she embraced the colours and now loves them.

Thanks to the talented Laura Jeffares for the floral displays, and Rowan from Branded for all our signage.

All of the beautiful plates, bowls and cups are hand made in Thailand especially for SAI and are available to purchase. Look for the displays at the front of the restaurant and talk to staff if you're interested in purchasing anything.

It's so rewarding to see SAI fill up with people, the buzz of activity as staff ferry plates to customers, and the chefs busy in the kitchen. So much thought went into each part of the restaurant, and each phase, and we're extremely grateful to everyone who helped turn our design into a reality.

Although we thank Sasi for giving us so much freedom with our design, it was her initial brief and inspiration that shaped SAI. We took her brief and moulded it into the restaurant it is today. We may have pushed a few boundaries along the way, but Sasi was so open to our ideas, she was a joy to work with. I have been lucky enough to dine here a couple of times now, and I can tell you, wholeheartedly, that the food is amazing. There's no question where the Bibby + Brady Christmas party is being held this year!

We will miss Sasi as she heads back to Australia (today), but she's handing the torch onto Wan, and we have no doubt she will do a great job at running SAI.

A SAI website is in the making, but in the meantime have a look at this delicious menu. Bookings can be made on 06 835 3959, open 11am til late, dine in or take away. If you visit, make sure to tell them we sent you.

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The lovely photographer herself, Florence Charvin.

The lovely photographer herself, Florence Charvin.

Favourite Space | Kimberley Crisp + Liane Sanderson

When we first met our clients, Liane Sanderson (left) and Kimberley Crisp (right), Dael and I liked them instantly. Lovely, genuine people with big hearts, they truely appreciate the simple things in life and have created an enviable lifestyle for themselves. Kimberley and Liane already had a great sense of their own style, but just needed some help choosing paint colours and a few bits and pieces to enhance their home.

My favourite kind of home is one that tells a story about the people who live there, and Kimberley and Liane's certainly does that! We knew we wanted to feature it in our "favourite spaces" and share it with you, so once the paint had dried and the wallpaper was up we set off to visit the girls, with our awesome photographer, Florence Charvin, in tow.

When choosing colours for their home we took into consideration what they had inside in their textiles and accessories, as we wanted the house to have a sense of cohesion. We chose Resene Jungle Mist, a serene grey blue for the exterior of the house with Resene Smitten on the door. One of our hanging pod chairs provides the perfect spot to chill out on the front deck.

The couple bought their tiny Clive cottage two years ago after living for 16 years in a huge two-storey house in Napier. The maintenance on such a big property was a lot for two people, so the move allowed them to down-size and be closer to The Nest Kindergarten where Kimberley teaches, and Liane sometimes relieves.

The house is filled with furniture, accessories and momento's collected over the years. Liane has had the green velvet sofa for many years. Bags and baskets are a favourite item to collect, and may have something to do with their love of travel, as well as being great storage in the little cottage.

We used Resene Quarter Silver Chalice on the living room and bedroom walls. One of our favourites, it's a beautiful soft, silvery grey with no hint of brown or blue in it. It's a lovely neutral to use instead of white, and has just enough pigment in it to contrast beautifully with crisp white trims.

It's quite obvious when you're at their house that Kimberley and Liane love flowers, so Dael and I knew that a floral wall mural by Back to the Wall would be perfect on one wall. We chose a peony image by our great friend and photographer, Helen Bankers, to go on the wall at the end of the kitchen. In front sits a small dining table that can double as a desk, and the peony makes up for the lack of a window on that wall.

As well as working at The Nest, Kimberley and Liane have a Professional Development business and they regularly travel in their house bus, "Billie", taking workshops around the country. Kimberley works with other childcare teams teaching and inspiring them in all aspects of early childhood education. Liane has a background in landscape design and specialises in playground development and maintenance, as well as being in charge of the all the business administration.

Kimberley and Liane have travelled extensively around the world, to Budapest, Amsterdam, Asia, America and more. Travel is a hugely important part of their lives, but they are equally happy when they're at home in their little Clive community. "It's got everything we need here," says Kimberley. "The coffee cart across the road, the pub on the corner, two flower nurseries, some great shops, the bike tracks, and amazing sunsets". They also have their beloved pets at home - rescue dog, Lincoln, and two cats, Smooch and Sapphy - although Linc is also a regular passenger on Billie the Bus when Kimberley and Liane hit the road.

I asked Kimberley and Liane a few questions so we could get to know them better...

What do you love most about your home?

It's our little refuge from the world. We love all the tiny spaces and the indoor/outdoor flow. We can eat every meal outside on the decks or picnic on the lawn.

What has been the best find for your home?

The peony wall mural and the Axminster floral carpet that we had made into a rug in the living room.

Do you have any advice for others wanting to buy a house bus or camper?

Go with your gut and your heart, and get one with a permanent made-up bed.

What's your favourite time of day?

From 3pm - 7pm - the late afternoon sun, we both love sunsets.

Who or what inspires you?

Nature and animals, and people who live from their heart.

What are you reading/listening to?

Liane - reading: The Language of Miracles by Amelia Kincade • listening to: Ram Dass celtic harp
Kimberley - reading: all home & garden mags • listening to: The Genius of Play

Favourite summer meal?

Bruschetta, and to finish cherries and pomegranates!!!

Favourite drink?

White ginger tea, and as a treat, Bailey cocktails.

Favourite thing you own?

Billie the Bus, and Lincoln - although we don't own him, he owns us :)

Top of your wish list for your home?

A wood fired cedar hot tub.

Thank you so much Kimberley and Liane for welcoming us into your home and allowing us to share it.

You can see from our concept boards below that the girls have followed through with our ideas, including getting one of our amazing picnic rugs to throw out on their back lawn and take on the bus. We look forward to working with them further on their second bedroom/office, as well as their kitchen and bathroom area. Watch this space!

We Are Moving

Dael and I wanted to let you all know, especially you local Hawke's Bay peeps, that we are moving. We loved our first little office at 3 Ossian Street, Ahuriri, it served us well for the last year and a half. But we were bursting at the seams and the time had come to find a bigger space. We love Ahuriri so are super excited to be staying here, and from Monday you can find us down the road at 50 Ossian Street, Ahuriri. We will be sharing with a number of other cool and creative people, including our new landlords - design and marketing gurus - Band.

Here are a couple of old pics to give you an idea of the space and how great it is. The entrance is a large blue shipping container and we will be positioned to the right of that. A few structural changes are in the pipeline, so I will bring you updates as our space starts to come together.

Here I am, awkwardly clutching my cushions (Dael knows I hate photos!) and contemplating how we will fill this space. It's considerably bigger than our last office and opens up so many more opportunities for us - we're thinking the occasional styling evening and workshop may be called for, who's interested?

The larger space means we are able to set up a showroom to show off some of our favourite furniture, fabric, wallpaper, rugs, art and accessories. We've also taken this opportunity to update our logo and branding, which you'll see here on our website. If you live in Hawke's Bay and have an interior project you want help with, make a time to come and visit us, or just call in. Remember, if you live outside of Hawke's Bay we can still work together. A lot of our clients are from all over New Zealand and we can successfully work with you using our e-design service. Exciting times, big things are to come!