Shed 5 Apartment | Before + Afters

October 16, 2020

One of the first enquiries we got in 2020 was from a lovely Auckland couple who had just purchased an apartment in Ahuriri, Napier with the dual purpose of an Air BnB to rent out, and a home-away-from-home for when they were visiting family in Hawke’s Bay. They hired us to help them furnish the apartment and turn it into a space that they would really enjoy staying in.

We wanted to create a “moment” at the front door to welcome the family and guests in. On the right we hung a series of hooks above a smart black bench seat. This is practical for hanging coats and bags, and plopping your handbag down when you arrive, or putting your shoes on when you’re about to leave. You can see we also painted the front door a glossy black, which elevates the entrance and links to the black elements inside.

On the left as you enter we put a beautiful, sleek console table and created a vignette on top. We chose furniture pieces with simple, clean lines in keeping with the modern loft apartment vibe we wanted to create. Above the console a large mirror is great for checking your appearance, putting on lippy etc as you head out. The circle adds a nice softness and contrast to the straight lines around it. We replaced the roller blind on the front entrance window with gorgeous white shutters, and how amazing do they look?! Because you can angle the blades it allows light and privacy at once. We are huge fans of shutters!

The stairs are a big architectural element of the apartment and are quite industrial. You can see in the “before” photo there was a chunky desk under the stairs when we first visited, but as the stairs are already quite heavy looking, we wanted to keep it a lot cleaner and lighter underneath.

We had the sofa custom made in a soft, neutral colour, and it’s super comfy for the family and their guests.

So many people make the mistake of pushing all of their furniture to the outside of the room, up against the walls and then have this cavernous space in the middle of the room (see above). What we like to do is pull the furniture in to give it air and a more spacious feel. This is where a large rug is great, it grounds the furniture so that it doesn’t feel like it’s floating in the middle of the room.

By adding beautiful soft and floaty linen curtains we’ve added a softness and texture to the hard, straight lines of the room. They’re not needed so much for privacy so we didn’t need to line the curtains, which allows a lovely filtered light to come in.

Upstairs there are two bedrooms. The master bedroom has a small second space beyond separated by black French doors. We added more linen curtains here, this time lined to stop the morning light from streaming in and, again, to add softness.

We wanted the bedroom to have a boutique hotel vibe, so we had an extra wide headboard custom made that ran behind the bed and the bedside tables. We also switched the old wall lights out for simple matt black lights to tie in with the other black touches throughout.

The bedding is from Foxtrot Home, including the fabulous reversible quilt at the foot of the bed, and we had the long lumbar cushion custom made.

A black bench seat at the end of the bed is the perfect spot for popping your bag or suitcase when you arrive.

The second bedroom had a couple more challenges for us. Our clients wanted two single beds for their children to use, but also the versatility of being able to push the beds together to form a king bed if guests wanted that. Echoing the long headboard in the master bedroom, we had another one custom made to run the entire length of the back wall in the second bedroom. This way it works with either bed configuration.

You’ll notice in the “before” photo above the awkward spaces set back either side of the wall. We weren’t sure what the purpose of these were, but the space made it difficult for conventional bedside tables, especially with the different bed configurations. Our solution was to design and have our joiner make the little bookshelves with a cupboard below. These can act as bedside tables and gives those nooks a purpose. Again, we replaced the old lights with matt black ones, and the little stools at the end of the beds are great for bags as well as seats.

Our clients were thrilled with the end result and we thank them for allowing us to share their apartment with you. If you’d like to stay here or recommend it to friends, you can find it here (tell them we sent you).

Chambourcin Cottage | Boutique Accommodation

December 20, 2016

2016 has been a brilliant year for Bibby + Brady, and one of the highlights for us has been working with our awesome clients, Kim Brann and Bruce Polderman, on their Te Awanga cottage. Designed and built in 1978 by Hawke's Bay architect, Steve McGavock, it's vaulted ceilings and use of native timber were inspired by renowned New Zealand architect, John Scott.

When we first visited the cottage in April this year we were excited about the potential. The bones were there, and the architectural details were fantastic, but everything was a little tired and it was in definite need of attention. Kim and Bruce had been living in the main house (which is a larger version of the cottage) for several months, and needed our help with paint colour and flooring, as well as what to do with the beams and lighting. The decision was made to start with the cottage. Initially, once renovated, the plan was to rent it out long term, but within the first few weeks it was decided to turn it into boutique accommodation - the perfect couple's retreat, "Chambourcin Cottage".

The first decision we had to make was what to do with the beams. It was quite dark in the cottage on our first visit (mainly due to some of the windows being covered) and the beams felt a bit heavy overhead, so our first instinct was to paint them white and make them disappear. But upon reflection we realised every detail of the architecture was well thought out and the beams were an important part of the design. All of the light and electrical switches were black, as were the negative skirting boards and architraves.

The beams were a dark brown that didn't look like a natural wood colour, so we wanted them to be painted black and the ceiling in Resene Quarter Merino for a crisp contrast. We chose Resene Eighth Lemongrass for the walls of the living room. The soft, peaceful colour with a hint of green complimented the black and white, and because the neutral tone had a touch of colour it helped move and bounce light around the room.

Kim and Bruce hired their own painters and builders who did a fantastic job. Painting the beams was a fiddly job, but the finish is excellent. The old joinery was replaced with new matt black joinery, and the woodwork was brought back to life. We wanted to keep the window treatments simple and unfussy, using white curtains and blinds with matt black accessories (curtains rods and cleats).

When it came to choosing furniture and accessories for the cottage we wanted to create a beautiful retreat with comfort in mind. The scale was important in the small cottage, so although the sofa is large and solid (and super comfy), choosing it in a colour similar to the wall means it takes up less visual space. Accents of velvet and brass introduce a touch of elegance. At the time of these photos the cottage was about 90% finished - this dining table is a stand-in as the brass and marble table we chose won't be ready until early next year; and a few finishing touches like art are still to arrive.

The flooring was old and varied throughout the cottage so we chose to use carpet in the bedroom only. Everywhere else features polished concrete which is both beautiful and practical. David Trubridge pendants in the living room and bedroom suit the style of the house and look amazing. We hung my own Billie Culy print for the photoshoot and we loved it in the space, although it was a little small, so we ordered a much larger one to take it's place.

The bedroom is a really great space. A queen size bed fits snuggly on one side with room for a chair in one corner, and another small wing fits a large wardrobe, a small desk and a loft above.

We painted the bedroom area the same Resene Eighth Lemongrass as the living room, and the beams and ceiling also got the same treatment. We commissioned Francois Guittenit of Le Workshop to make the floating bedside cabinets for us. As the space around the bed was tight, we didn't want heavy bedside tables taking up precious floorspace. They have an airy feeling and work perfectly. Bedside lamps are still to come and our upholsterer, Asha Payton of Little & Fox, is making us an upholstered bedhead.

In the corner adjacent to the bed the beautiful velvet arm chair echoes one we put in the living room. It sits below an artwork by Jane Denton which we love. The simplicity of this piece works really well with the mid century style of the cottage. Beyond is a little courtyard to sit and enjoy a coffee and the spectacular view in the morning, or a glass of wine in the evening.

I love the wardrobe and desk area of the bedroom. Kim and Bruce's builder Lee Tiedemann of Russell Knox Builders did an amazing job putting new doors on the wardrobe and installing the brass inset handles we chose. He also built the shelves to the left of the wardrobe.

I designed a screen for the side of the loft inspired by mid century breeze blocks, and Lee finished it off beautifully with a timber edge. Francois built the loft ladder and the little desk. Beautiful new wool carpet by Cavalier Bremworth was laid in the entire bedroom area.

The original kitchen cabinetry was still in pretty good shape so it was given a new lick of paint and Lee added a wooden chopping board at the far left of the bench and a wooden surround to disguise the range hood.

Kim and Bruce wanted additional storage in the kitchen and a small table and chairs. Because of the tiny space Francois came up with the idea of building a unit that wrapped around one side of the kitchen. This not only gave them cupboards and shelves for storage, but also additional bench space and a breakfast bar overlooking the vineyard. It's the perfect use of the small space.

A small shelf was added above the stainless steel bench and we replaced all of the fluorescent lights throughout the cottage with copper tubular lights. We sourced a beautiful stoneware dinner set and accessories, and gorgeous hand blown glassware. All these details add to the experience for the lucky couples who choose to stay at Chambourcin Cottage.

On the other side of the kitchen is the front entrance and a hallway that runs down past the toilet and bathroom to the back door. When we started this project there were three different kinds of flooring from the back door through to the living room. Now it looks really smart with polished concrete flooring the entire length, softened by the occasional rug.

We designed a floating vanity similar in style to our bedside cabinets and Francois built and installed it in the hallway by the back entrance. Once again we wanted it to be floating to create a sense of airiness and space, and the large mirror above it reflects light around.

Opposite the vanity is the tiny bathroom. Although it caused a few heads to be scratched with things that cropped up along the way, we're really proud of this space as it's so awesome! We chose a small hexagon tile and the entire room is tiled from floor to ceiling. Matt black accessories pay homage to the original design details, and to add warmth we introduced accents of wood, brass and leather.

The outside of the cottage has come along way since we took this first photo (below) in April. We carried on the black and white colour scheme from inside, and worked with our favourite garden designer, Yo Kjestrup of Yo Designs, on the garden at the front. We wanted to create a garden with clean lines in keeping with the mid century style, and Kim and Bruce also wanted to direct people down past the French doors to the main entrance just beyond. Yo came up with a clever design using dark stained planter boxes to stop people from automatically entering through the French doors while also creating another private patio space.

We are so delighted with this little cottage, and Dael and I both love it so much we were ready to move in ourselves, as was our photographer Florence when she visited to take the photos. If you're looking for somewhere to get away for a relaxing and romantic break, I can't speak highly enough of Chambourcin Cottage in Te Awanga, Hawke's Bay. The views are spectacular over the boutique vineyard, Heretaunga Plains, and the Kaweka and Huiarau Ranges beyond, it really is a special place! Your hosts, Kim and Bruce, are the loveliest people and will be able to advise you on all the amazing things there are to offer around their beautiful coastal region. Tell them we sent you ;)

Click here to read more about this project and to see 'before' images.

Halcyon House

June 22, 2015

As a big fan of Australian interior designer Anna Spiro's work, I watched with interest, and huge respect, the development of one of her most recent projects, Halcyon House. Situated in one of Australia's most idyllic beachfront towns, Cabarita Beach in Northern New South Wales, the luxury boutique hotel is a breath of fresh air.

Anna's love of pattern, beautiful fabrics, picture walls and gorgeous vignettes has translated into stunning accommodation with an inviting, homely feel.

Each room features different fabric on the walls (yes, not wallpaper!) and headboards, and although there are common threads that unite the rooms, each has it's own personality.

"I love to stay in a place that wraps me up and is beautifully decorated. When you go home you dream about visiting that place again. I wanted each room to be different so that guests can find their favourite room and then choose to stay in that room each time they visit." Anna Spiro

I have been quite underwhelmed by the accommodation that I've stayed in over the last few years, and I always look forward to getting home. But to stay at Halcyon House would be an absolute joy. It's so refreshing to find a hotel that is so stylish and unique, I love absolutely everything!

photos via Halcyon House, their instagram, and Anna Spiro's instagram