Favourite Finds

Many years ago when I was a full-time interior blogger I had a series of posts called Favourite Finds. When you’re constantly searching and sourcing beautiful products it’s hard to not want to buy one of everything for yourself! So I started a private Pinterest “wish list” board where I save all the beautiful things I’m coveting, not just furniture and homeware, but favourite fashion pieces, makeup, jewellery, books, appliances even. Anytime I want to treat myself I go straight to this board. We’ve decided to bring back this blog series so we can share with you a few of the favourite things we’ve found.

V I C ’ S P I C K S : : the first piece I want to share with you is a gorgeous ottoman we had custom made using one of my favourite fabrics. I love furniture pieces that are multi-purpose and this ottoman is a perfect example. Place it in front of your sofa so you can put your feet up, and it also works beautifully as a coffee table. Add a tray and/or a large coffee table book and layer with some favourite decor pieces. Alternatively pop it at the end of your bed to ‘anchor’ the bed. Handy for putting your shoes on and off, and to throw your clothes at the end of the day.

Pattern and colour are two things that make me happy, so this fabric by Catherine Martin for Mokum is my pick. But we can have these ottomans made up in a wide range of fabrics that will look stunning with the matt black powder coated metal legs. Measuring 1300mm wide x 650mm deep x 360mm high, the cost is $1890, which we think is a great price for such a special, custom piece of furniture. Get in touch if you’d like to buy this baby, or talk to us about getting one custom made in another fabric.

I’m wearing my second favourite find in the pic above. The Mazzy ankle boot from La Tribe has been on regular rotation in my wardrobe the last few months. In our job we can go from a client meeting, to moving furniture, to an on-site visit at a construction site, all in a matter of hours. We like to look good, but also need to be comfortable and practical, and these boots tick all the boxes. Bonus - they look great with jeans as well as skirts and dresses, I love the caramel suede and the cute Western cowgirl vibe.

You know you’re getting old when you get excited by a piece of cleaning equipment - sheesh! But my last pick, the Karcher Window Vac, has been a game changer for us. Cleaning windows is one of those jobs that no one likes, but boy does it make a difference to have sparkling clean glass to look out. The Karcher Window Vac is so awesome because it vacuums up the excess window as you clean, which I love. No more old towels along the bottom of the sills to catch the dirty drips. It almost makes cleaning windows fun - almost.

But what we’ve found this product really handy for is to clean our tiles at the end of every shower. When you spend a small fortune on gorgeous Italian tiles for your new ensuite, you really want to look after them. It only takes a couple of minutes to suck up all the water left on the tiles after a shower leaving them looking sparkling new. Come on now, you know you want one too ;)

Now moving onto Dael’s favourite finds…

D A E L ’ S P I C K S : : In my downtime I love to read (among other things), and “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” is a recent fave. I love this charming, quirky and enduring book. Eleanor has the ability to make you feel protective of her plus enjoy her company, even with her totally inappropriate social skills. Recommended by Reece Witherspoon as part of her book club, if it’s good enough for Reese… :)

As Vic said above, we need to look good in our job, but there are days when we might be climbing on ladders to hang art, or moving sofas around a room, and on those days a dress just isn’t going to cut it. These trackie pants are super comfy while still looking smart. The only problem is - I have to be stern and force myself to stop wearing them everyday!

I’ve recently finished renovating our kitchen and dining area and my last item is now top of my wish list. In fact, these chairs have been on the top of my wish list for far too long. I can't wait to have these stunning and comfortable chairs around my dining room table. If you share my love of green velvet these chairs can be yours too for $695 each. Drop us a line and we’ll make that happen.

As a part time member of our team, our friend Sally has contributed her three favourite finds as well. Let’s check out her choices…

S A L L Y ’ S P I C K S : : At no. 1 is The Beauty Chef Glow Inner Beauty Powder. It supports gut health and skin rejuvenation. An award winning delicious powder that contains more than 20 organic bio-fermented and probiotic superfoods to enhance your skin luminosity, clarity, hydration and texture. Mix it into filtered water, pop it in your smoothie, or sprinkle over your breakfast. Who doesn’t want luminous skin and inner health?

Next up, I love these Elho plant pots. Made from recycled plastic, they’re manufactured using 100% wind energy - how cool is that?! They come in a range of sizes and are great to pop a store-bought plant straight into. A great way to bring life and texture into your home.

Last but certainly not least, I’m definitely coveting this super pretty Society of Wanderers Euro Pillowslip Set in the Winifred Floral print. I love this beautiful print on 100% French flax linen, it’s perfect for adding a bit of colour to a plain linen bed setup. Now, with three daughters I just have to decide which bed they’ll go on, or maybe I’ll keep them for myself.

Well there you go folks, a bit of a medley, I hope we’ve inspired you with our favourite finds. If you have any questions about any of them, leave us a comment below or get in touch with us through our website, and look out for more of our faves coming to you soon.

Favourite Space | Marilyn Perko

It’s time for another of our ‘Favourite Space’ blog posts. We get to meet so many fabulous and talented people in our job, and when we see an interior that is really special and a true reflection of its owner, we just want to share it with you. Marilyn is a client of ours and was kind enough to allow us to photograph her home and share a bit of her journey with us.

Marilyn in her living room, which for some time during the renovation was her bedroom | photo: Florence Charvin

Before we get to Marilyn’s story though, I wanted to tell you a bit about our relationship with her. The way we worked with her is not our usual process. Normally, with a renovation like hers we are a lot more hands-on, but we quickly learnt how capable Marilyn was with managing her own renovation. A long-term Piha resident, upon arriving in Hawke’s Bay she came to us for advice on colours and fabrics, and we helped her choose, make and install all of her curtains and wooden shutters; we purchased her wallpaper for her bedroom study, bedlinen, and a lot of fabric for countless beautiful cushions and squabs we had custom made. We worked with Marilyn on an hourly rate for design advice and whenever something arose that she needed a second opinion on, she’d pop in to see us. We have the utmost admiration for how she handled her renovation (which we know can be a stressful experience) and for the beautiful home that she has created for herself. Marilyn, you’re a star, and now over to you…

We supplied fabric for curtains, window squab, cushions & furniture | photo: Florence Charvin

About your renovation:

B+B: How long did you live in Piha, and what made you choose Napier to relocate?

I lived in Piha for 21 years, it was my retreat from the world of work. I decided to retire in 2017 and I knew it was time for a move, much as I loved Piha I wanted to be closer to amenities, theatres, galleries. I initially looked at inner city properties but the escalating real estate prices in Auckland put that out of reach and I wasn’t quite ready for apartment life. So I set about looking out of Auckland, my check list was to be near the sea, walking distance to shops, not too far from an airport and room for visiting friends and family. North of Auckland was a contender and no further South than Hawke’s Bay or New Plymouth.

A beautiful side table spied by Marilyn and sourced by Bibby + Brady | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: Did it take you long to find your Napier home?

I spent some time checking out a number of areas but I was drawn to Hawke’s Bay. I narrowed my search to Napier and, as I hadn’t been there for some time, I flew down one weekend just to look around. Or so I thought - I ended up putting in an offer on a 1920’s bungalow on the hill, and that was the end of my search! I have renovated several times and I knew this property needed serious work but I feel in love with the view, I could hear the sound of the waves, it was close to Napier City and less than 10 minutes to the airport. All my boxes ticked! Something I didn’t expect living so close to the city was the bird life; Tuis, Bellbirds and Kereru.

Marilyn’s living room with views over Napier and out to Cape Kidnappers | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: What is your favourite space in the house, now that it’s all finished?

It has to be my bedroom area with ensuite, walk in wardrobe, study nook and view of sea and city. I just love the wallpaper, an indulgent Designer Guild feature wall in the study nook, expertly papered by Claire Condon.

We had beautiful wooden shutters installed in Marilyn’s bedroom | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: What were the highlights and lowlights of your renovation?

The completed renovation took 10 months and with old houses there are always surprises (and there were a few), but I was fortunate to have a wonderful builder, "Wayne Reid Builders", and a band of exceptional tradies. An Auckland friend put me in contact with his friends in Napier who had recently completed renovations and they passed on all their contacts. The difficult part for me was living around the renovation, moving from room to room, no laundry or kitchen, inadequate heating…...I’ve been down this path before but it does get more challenging with age, however I am thrilled with the end result. A big thank you to Dael and Vic who have been there to give advice on colours and furnishings, and for their never ending enthusiasm for my project.

We sourced the Designers Guild wallpaper from our friends at Icon Textiles | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: Do you have any advice for others undergoing their own renovation?

Take your time to find a builder, someone who sees your vision, and if you require Council consents/plans include your builder at the planning stage if you can. You must be well organised, living on site was an advantage as often quick decisions need to be made, but most importantly keep a detailed account of what you are spending.

Beautiful linen curtains over French doors seperate the inside & outside dining areas | photo: Florence Charvin

Getting to know you better:

B+B: What’s your favourite time of day?

Dusk, the fading light as the sun disappears and the city lights begin to twinkle. A time for quiet contemplation and a glass of wine.

B+B: Who or what inspires you?

I’m inspired by the generosity and kindness of those who give to their communities. The hours and hours of voluntary time caring for the young, our precious environment, the disabled and elderly.

Marilyn’s love of art is evident in her kitchen and dining area | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: What are you reading/listening to right now?

One of the first things I did when I moved to Napier was to find a book club, at the moment we are reading “The Forest of Wool and Steel” written by Japanese writer Natsu Miyashita. I’ve just finished reading “Drive your Plow over the Bones of the Dead” - hard to pin point the genre but described as ‘a meditation on human compassion and a murder mystery’. With the longer nights I enjoy listening to my Jazz collection.

Marilyn brought these tiles into us for our approval. We love them, of course | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: Sweet or savoury?

Definitely savoury.

B+B: Favourite drink?

Depending on the occasion - Celebrate with Champagne, Martinborough Pinot Noir and a single malt by the fire.

The dining table is one of our favourites in recycled oak | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: Favourite thing you own?

My painting by Dean Buchanan is a favourite and I have it in my lounge, I never tire of looking at it. Dean lives in Karekare just over the hill from Piha, the painting is of Cathedral Cave at Mercer Bay. I bought it from Dean’s studio in Karekare and he told me how he would climb down to the cave to get mussels.

The painting by Dean Buchanan is very special to Marilyn and reflects colours found in the living room | photo: Florence Charvin

B+B: Do you have any future plans for your home?

Scaffolding and building clutter took its toll on the garden, so I've been busy outside. I’m looking forward to Spring! I'm also toying with the idea of developing a studio/bedsit under the house.

Accents of black in the dining room add a touch of depth | photo: Florence Charvin

Thank you so much Marilyn for letting us be a part of your renovation story, for allowing us to share your home with our readers, and for the celebratory champagne on the deck ;)

Rocking Colour on a Dark Background

Over the last six months Dael & I have addressed the question about "how to find your interior style" at several workshops. One of the things we suggest is to look to your wardrobe to see what colours, patterns and even style of clothing you're attracted to - relaxed, Boho, tailored... I was in Auckland this weekend with three girlfriends and we know each other so well we can virtually pick the clothes our friends are going to make a bee-line for. "Oh, that is so you, try it on", we'd say. Your home should be the same. When your friends come over they should instantly be able to see that it's a reflection of your style, taste and lifestyle.

While shopping with my friends this weekend I tried on this gorgeous shirt (above) from Stolen Girlfriends Club. It is a classic example of my taste in fashion mirroring my taste in interiors. I love the drama of colour against a dark background, whether it's a fabric, a wallpaper, a piece of art, or a room. The dark base is deep and moody, and any colour layered on top just seems to jump out at you. I couldn't stop thinking about that shirt and I'm very happy to say that it's now hanging happily in my wardrobe.

A couple of my favourite James Dunlop fabrics display the same qualities - love them!

Of course metallics look stunning on a dark background. The gold pineapples on this black wallpaper by Rifle Paper Co create a look that is both fun and glamorous.

I've recently painted my living room a deep, inky blue and I love how my brass and light wood accents are dramatically lifted by the dark colour. Artwork, cushions, flowers and greenery all look amazing against a dark base.

If you want some ideas about working with, and mixing colours in your home or wardrobe, one of my favourite websites is Design Seeds. Here you'll find thousands of beautiful colour palettes mostly inspired by nature. Browse the latest or search by 'colour' or 'collection'.

Does your home look anything like your wardrobe, can you see a common thread? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave me a message below.