Priestley Renovation | Before + Afters

August 22, 2024

One of our favourite things to do is to work with returning clients. It means we’ve already developed a relationship, learnt how they live and what they like, and that a trust has formed between us. We had designed a dining room, living room and sunroom for this family five years ago, so it was wonderful to be called back when they were ready to renovate their kitchen and a small living space off the kitchen.

The clients’ brief included a more functional kitchen space where they could have more than two people in there at a time, and an allocated area with power for their coffee machine. They also said the current desk off the kitchen wasn’t working with the curved top, and the living space was used all the time but they knew it could be better.

The space plan we designed shows the removal of a door into the dining room to allow for an extra large pantry. To the side of this we left an area for the coffee machine, and the existing window was to be replaced with a longer picture window creating a more balanced and aesthetically pleasing look. Although our clients were initially unsure about removing the dining room door, they now fully appreciate having much more storage space, and it’s only an extra few steps to use the neighbouring door.

Our 3D visual made it easy for our clients to imagine their new kitchen

The kitchen before with a smaller window and bench top and exposed rangehood

A progress photo shows the new window installed

The clients liked the colour of their old walls but we decided to use that as inspiration for the lower cabinetry and keep the walls and upper cabinets white for a lighter, more spacious feel. We replaced the exposed rangehood with a powerpack concealed behind a cupboard with additional storage cupboards either side. By painting them white and keeping them handle-less they almost disappear making the newly enlarged view the hero. We worked alongside our joiners, Classic Kitchens, who created and installed the kitchen and living room bookshelf to their usual high standard.

Previously the coffee machine took up precious workspace on the bench

The removal of the dining room door made it possible to fit large pantry storage next to the fridge and still leave a space for the coffee machine. Tucking it around the corner leaves plenty of room on the main bench for food prep and dishes, and it’s a lovely space for our clients to make their coffee while taking in the amazing view outside.

The door to the left was removed leaving the door to the right as the remaining access to the dining room and hallway

We removed the existing flooring of tiles and carpet and ran wood flooring throughout the kitchen and living room. By having the same flooring in both spaces it creates a much better flow and sense of spaciousness.

The existing kitchen had a small desk running between it and the living room, but the curved desktop meant it wasn’t terribly practical. We had the option of using the space for an additional storage cabinet, but the clients decided that they would like to keep it as a desk if it was more usable.

The desk before, and then removed awaiting an upgrade

The living room is a lovely space with an existing deep built-in window seat. Despite having two other living areas, the family spend a lot of time in this room. We knew we could make it more inviting and functional with the right furniture and layout.

The old furniture felt a bit disconnected, we immediately wanted to pull everything closer together

We recovered the window seat in a smart olive green indoor/outdoor fabric, as it gets a lot of sun, and placed a comfy two seater sofa opposite to create a cosy social setting. A custom wool rug was made to fit the space and ground the furniture so it didn’t feel like it was just floating in the room.

We included lots of curves in the furniture to help with the welcoming, cosy feel. The wooden coffee table and side table both have a gorgeous chunkiness to them. Although it might sound counterintuitive, overscale furniture, art or fixtures can actually make a space feel larger rather than smaller, and they evoke an air of warmth and comfort.

In the living room before everything was pushed to the edges of the room leaving a large empty space in the centre.

On the back wall there was a recessed nook which our clients had filled with a freestanding bookshelf. We designed a built-in bookshelf to replace this. Built-in cabinetry will always look more polished and purposeful and will elevate your room. We kept the cabinetry consistent with the adjoining kitchen for a sense of cohesion.

The freestanding bookshelf fit the space quite well but looked a wee bit messy

Having cupboards at the bottom allows practical storage for items our clients don’t necessarily want on display, with the top shelves perfect for displaying some favourite pieces.

The finished result is a space that is highly functional for the family of four (plus the four legged family members). But it’s not all about practicality, you also want your home to look great and be inviting. As we like to say… A well-designed home sets the stage for a life well-lived. It promotes well-being and allows you to relax, recharge, and re-energise.

JULL BATHROOM | BEFORE + AFTERS

May 31, 2024

At Bibby + Brady our aim is to create homes that are a joy to be in. Not only because they look beautiful, but because the functionality of the design changes they way our clients live, making everything easier and more enjoyable. The most rewarding part of the process for us is to see our designs come to life and witness the transformation of the space and life for it's owners.

This is a bathroom we recently renovated as part of a larger home renovation. The room is used by the children of the house and guests.

The layout of the room actually worked well and by leaving the plumbing in the same place we saved time and money for our clients. We wanted a fresh look but one that was still relevant to the character of the villa, so we removed the wall tiles and clad the entire room in Hardie™ Groove lining. We retained a dado rail but took it much higher to line up with the top of the tiles in the shower.

We chose a soft blue paint colour and wrapped it over the walls, ceiling, the door and all the frames to create a soothing, calm space. It also helps to blur the lines in a small room where there are a lot of elements.

The vanity is a similar shade to the walls and by having a wall hung option with air underneath, it creates a more spacious feeling in the small room. A custom mirror runs up to the dado line, and the curved bottom edges of the mirror along with the wall lights add a nice softness to juxtapose the straight lines. Touches of pink and watermelon red are a beautiful contrast to the blue.

The bath tucks neatly into the left hand corner of the room and features a lovely curved right edge, which, again, adds a softness to the small room.

We removed the old shower box and created a new modern shower with simple custom made glass walls on two sides. Inside we chose tiles with an artisanal handmade effect with subtle undulation. A large recessed niches provide a spot for shampoo and soap, with a smaller one below handy for shaving legs.

Because we kept the room very tonal and calm, we could afford to have a bit of fun with the floor tiles. The terrazzo-look tiles combine all of the colours in the rooms - blue/green, pink, black and white.

Colour always plays a big part in our designs, even if it's a neutral palette. By saturating the room in this soft blue we've created a calm, welcoming space, and have been selective with the small bursts of visual stimulation.

Despite what's going on in the world right now, home should always be a place for respite, to relax and recharge. We would love to help you create this in your home. Our goal will always be to effortlessly blend functionality with aesthetics, and make a house feel like a home. If you’re interested in working with us you can fill out this form to tell us more about your project.

See more of this beautiful family home here.

Art in the Home

July 12, 2023

That final layer in a home is so important, and can also be the hardest for us when we’re designing for our clients. The reason being it’s this last layer that puts your individual stamp on a home. It’s so personal, it should reflect you and tell everyone who comes into your home a little bit about you. When you look around and you’re surrounded by things you love, some of which may have memories or meanings attached, this is what makes your space so enjoyable and special for you to be in.

“Disco Shoes’ by Brian Culy | photo: Florence Charvin

Out of all the elements, art is by far the most challenging for us because it’s so subjective, but for that reason it’s one of the most special and impactful elements. We can recommend to our clients to keep the colour palette relevant to the rest of the room, and help get the scale right and the frame, but the art itself needs to ‘speak’ to its owner (note: scale is everything! You are going to want to go bigger than you think).

Commisioned artwork by Robyn Fleet | photo: Florence Charvin

For anyone that is interested in starting their art journey we asked local art gallery owners, Richard and Elisa Boyd-Dunlop of Boyd-Dunlop Gallery, for their expert advice on all things art…

What should you look for in a piece of art?

BOYD-DUNLOP: Find that piece of artwork that sings to you. You may feel powerful emotions and a strong attraction to it, something that has the x-factor. Art is subjective so each person will have a uniquely different view or experience with different artworks. Art can be a great way to celebrate key moments in your life or remind you of a person or place of significance. It’s a great way to spend time with others you live with, or friends, or an art group, and of course provide a stimulus to conversation when people visit your home.

Does art always increase in value?

BOYD-DUNLOP: You shouldn't see art as a commodity but as a pleasure. The money invested in art is an investment in your pleasure. Everyday you walk past a piece of artwork it speaks to you on a higher level which can't be quantified in monetary terms.

Of course some artworks do increase in value sometimes in a short space of time, we have watched it happen over the years. If you are wanting to buy art as an investment there is investment grade art, which is characterised by artists who have a strong collector base, recognised names and a track record of achieving high, if not record breaking auction sales.

How do you spot a breakthrough artist or next big thing?

BOYD-DUNLOP: There is no sure way to spot the next art star, however due diligence and time spent gathering information from as many sources as possible will help with this. Take time to visit dealer galleries and form a relationship with the dealers who can guide you. Visit art fairs, art school shows and a range of dealer galleries. Also read art magazines and publications, both hardcopy and digitally, such as Art NZ, Art News, Artnet, Art Collector, and The Art Paper. Following art competitions is great way to spot emerging talent, as artists need to be motivated to crack the big time with a capacity to continue to produce great work.

Are art prints good investments?

BOYD-DUNLOP: Art prints such as screenprints and limited editions can be a good investment when they are from recognized artists and can be very collectable. The print market has proven to be solid in auction as we have seen some artists achieving much higher values than those spent originally purchased for in the galleries. It is good to do your research here to see if any of these editions are making it to auction and what kind of prices they are getting. When buying print editions consideration should be taken on how large the edition is and what the print medium is, also whether the art print is signed or authenticated by the artist. A screenprint is still a handmade artwork requiring layering of pigment whilst a digital prints are reproduced using a printer. Traditionally screenprints were seen to be more valuable however in recent times the digital archival qualities have brought forward digital print values.

‘Mahia’ limited edition fine art print by Freeman White

What do edition numbers mean (eg 1/30 or A/P, OE)?

BOYD-DUNLOP: Edition numbers - for example, 1 of 30 mean there are only 30 of that image printed and the 1 denoted that this is the first of the 30.

Usually screenprints, and sometimes digital prints, have an artist proof. These are marked as A/P, this is usually the first print from which the artist ascertains that they are happy with the artwork. Sometimes there is more than one A/P print available and also these can have irregularities if changes have been made before the final print run is made. Sometimes the A/Ps are considered more valuable than the edition as they are seen as more rare.

OE stands for open edition, in these cases there is no set number or print editions however often these prints can still be limited as the artist constraints may mean only so many ever get printed.

Limited edition prints by surrealist Jeremy McCormick available exclusively through Boyd-Dunlop Gallery

If a painting is reproduced in print form does it decrease its value?

BOYD-DUNLOP: If a painting has been reproduced in print this does not necessarily decrease the value of the artwork, usually the print functions to make the artwork more known to the public therefore increasing the value of the artwork. An artist owns the rights to an image he or she is painted, not the owner of the image unless they have bought copyright of the image. It has become more common to reproduce painted images in the print Edition now that digital quality has become archival. This also helps the artist with an additional income stream and in support of the artists we believe this is a good idea.

What is the ideal amount of art needed in a home and are there rules about spacing artworks?

BOYD-DUNLOP: Art is an important part of the home as it sets the mood and personality of the owners. There are no real rules around spacing in your home although it is good to give each piece its own space, and also have the centre of the painting at eye level so as to relax while viewing the painting. As your collection grows this could be harder to achieve but is also part of the fun of an art collection.

Make sure you put thought into the placement of artworks, for example, if you have photographic prints make sure they're not in direct sunlight. Oil paintings are more durable and can withstand more sunlight than artist prints. If you have a minimalistic home one or two large pieces could be all the personality you need for your house.

How do you start an art collection?

BOYD-DUNLOP: If you are looking at starting an art collection you can begin as small as you want. Art collecting is a fun activity almost like a sport. It can be done alone, or with a partner, or a group of like minded friends or colleagues. You and your partner can share research, visit the galleries and see what you like. This is the most important thing - there's no point in having something on your wall that you do not like.

Visit student shows, group exhibitions, local exhibitions and see what galleries are doing online, and ask around to read magazines. There are no rules about collecting. Some collectors approach their collections differently wanting to get certain artists in their collection. You do not need a large budget to start an art collection. Start off small and once you learn more you can then start to make more daring purchases. Keep your collection diverse, keep your collecting fun, like any other collection it should be enjoyable.

How do you start an art group?

BOYD-DUNLOP: Starting an art group is something to do with people that enjoy getting together and discussing art, talking about their purchases, and also should be an enjoyable venture. Keep it simple and set out ground rules early on as you don't want to get caught up in any controversy over works that might start to increase in value. Set up a budget and also do your research, don't just jump into the first thing you see. You may decide that you each get a turn to purchase, or that one member brings a selection of three choices to the group and then a vote is taken. Works can be rotated amongst the members' homes. This is a great way to pool knowledge and resources across more people. However the more minds involved in the purchase the harder it can be to decide.

Do you have payment options at Boyd-Dunlop Gallery?

BOYD-DUNLOP: Absolutely, we have quite a few clients who like to use My Art to purchase. It is a really easy and nice way for people to finance art purchases interest free. Quite a few people like to use it to allocate their monthly art budget, and the great thing is you get the artwork right away.

We also offer layby and payment plans in the gallery regularly, however people have to wait until it is all paid off before they take the art home.

Richard Boyd-Dunlop with Pat Hanly panels

Thanks so much to Richard and Elisa, that information is so helpful. If you’d like to visit their Boyd-Dunlop Gallery you can find it at 4 Hastings Street, Napier. You can make an appointment for a personal viewing or simply pop in, they’re open seven days.

Sarah Paulson’s home - Architectural Digest

If you’re still learning what sort of art really appeals to you, and want to get super inspired, one of my favourite ways is checking out Architectural Digest’s “Open Door" on YouTube. You get to step inside celebrities’ homes and get a personal tour. Celebrities are creative people and these homes are always unique and packed with personality - some will appeal to you, some won’t, but what I love is that each home is a great representation of the owner/s. Their artwork is often very personal and very cool. Some of my personal faves are Lenny Kravitz, Sienna Miller, Sarah Paulson, and Troye Sivan. Go well on your art journey.