Art | Rae West

January 22, 2016

You may remember, when I showed you images of our finished kitchen last year, that I was on the hunt for a piece of art with maximum impact for the wall opposite our back door. Most of our guests use the front door, but the back door is the one that my family and close friends use, and I wanted something amazing to greet us when we entered.

Don't you love those times in your life when things unexpectedly fall into your lap?! Towards the end of last year I got a Facebook message from a local artist, Rae West, introducing herself, and she attached images of some of her pieces. They were amazing, and just what I had been looking for. I arranged to visit Rae's studio and ended up commissioning her to create a piece for our home.

As you can see from my previous blog post I love this colour palette - deep inky blues, turquoise, teal, and just a hint of magenta. I absolutely love my tondo that Rae created. My photos don't do it justice, in reality it's even more rich and mysterious and so striking with a beautiful glossy finish.

Rae has been working in this new medium of acrylic inks and resin for the past year. It really suited the direction she wanted her painting to develop, from the subjective to a more abstract expression of colour. She uses multiple veils of pigment, resin and at times gold leaf which blend and react against each other creating beautiful forms and textures.

If you live in Hawke's Bay you can view the magic of Rae's work for yourself at the a+e gallery on Hastings Street in Napier next month. The Solo Show PULSE will run from the 24th February until the 14th March. Everyone is welcome to come to the opening night from 5-7pm on Wednesday February 24th.

If you're not in the Bay, never fear, here's a full list of galleries that stock Rae West's art:
Black Door Gallery, Parnell • Flagstaff Gallery, Devonport • Moko Gallery, Hot Water Beach • Inspirit Gallery, Cambridge • Soul Gallery, Hamilton • Kura Gallery, Taupo • a+e Gallery, Napier • Ora Gallery, Wellington • Little River Gallery, Christchurch • Vesta Design Store, Queenstown • Art Bay Gallery, Queenstown.

Of course you can also visit Rae in her Clive studio by appointment. You'll find her Fox Street Gallery at 11 Fox Street, Clive - a picturesque part of Hawke's Bay. Phone for an appointment on 021 287 3275 or 06 870 1070, or you can drop her an email - raewest@xtra.co.nz.

Stormy Seas

January 20, 2016

I spent many hours and days of my childhood playing in the surf at Wainui Beach. As I grew older I became a little intimidated by the ocean and it's strength, but I've never stopped admiring it's beauty. I am drawn to the colours - the glittering turquoise of a calm sea, and the emerald greens and deep teals of a stormy sea.

It's this rich, dark, and moody palette that I'm really loving right now. I love the drama and the sophistication it brings to a room. I would recommend using these colours in a room with plenty of natural light, because you get the most beautiful effect as the light moves and changes in the room. If the room lacks natural light the colour may just appear a bit flat.

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Despite the fact that my school uniform was green and blue, I still love this combination in an outfit. Choose shades with some depth for maximum impact.

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If you're not sure about using these deeper colours on your wall, start by introducing them in smaller doses. Whenever you're working with colour, whether it's in your home or your wardrobe, make sure it moves you (in a good way). What colours are you drawn to when you enter a shop? What pages stop you in your tracks in a magazine? These are the colours you should be surrounding yourself with.

Messervy House For Sale

January 18, 2016

Matt and Kate Arnold discovered the Messervy House whilst on a walk down a quiet cul-de-sac in their hometown of Christchurch. After talking to it's owner, they learnt that it had been designed for her family in 1964 by architect Allan Mitchener, and she'd lived happily in it ever since. Matt and Kate kept in touch with Biddy Messervy, and when the time came for her to move out, they bought the house off her.

As only the second owners, Matt and Kate spent last year restoring Messervy House back to her former glory. They painted inside and out in the original colours, replaced the cork flooring and cracked windows, had new linen curtains made, re-wallpapered, and replaced the kitchen benchtop. Everything was carried out with the intention of maintaining the original design of the house, and using the original materials where possible.

Now that she's finished, Messervy House is on the market, and it's very important to Matt and Kate that her new owners are design enthusiasts who will fully appreciate her. Not only the highly imaginative design, but also the effort that has gone into her restoration. The house has a stream at the back with a footbridge connecting to Ilam fields and gardens, and it's a nice walk across the park to the University of Canterbury.

For more information about the house and how you can view and/or buy it, click here. I asked Matt a few questions about the restoration process, read on for his answers.

What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?
Finding cork tiles. We hit a national shortage, nobody had them. Kate called almost every Bunnings in New Zealand and sniffed out anybody who had cork tiles stashed away. We scrounged together just enough by buying them in small packets from all over the country. We almost went down the route of parquet floors, but finally got the cork.

Tell me more about the wallpaper you used?
The house originally had wallpaper, which is slightly unusual for a modernist house, but it seemed to work. The old wallpaper was done for, it was torn, faded and stained, but finding a replacement was surprisingly difficult. Have you ever shopped for wallpaper? It's bewildering. We finally settled on a seagrass, but at the last minute we spotted the green arches designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune (architects we really admire) and we were away.

Do you have any advice to help people find the right architect or draftsman for their project?
Go straight to Michael O'Sullivan.

You've done such a fantastic job with this home, will you be taking on another restoration or renovation in the future?
I think we will. There are lots of these wonderful little houses in and around Christchurch designed in the 50s and 60s that are perhaps a little bit under-appreciated. And when they're made of concrete, like this one, they don't rot or leak, and all you need is some white paint and enthusiasm. I think with these types of places, the less you do the better, really.

photography: Sam Hartnett

I wish you luck Matt and Kate, and to all my readers... if you are interested in buying this beautiful home, or know someone who might be, get cracking! I have a feeling it may be snapped up quickly.