DESIGN EDIT ISSUE 47 | DESIGN TOUR
Our home should be all about expressing ourselves and bringing personal joy into a space. We drew on the rich feelings associated with travel to transform the open plan living and dining area of this home.
THE BRIEF
Having recently completed a special beachside getaway for these clients, they tasked us with refreshing their city home. They wanted to create spaces that reflected their fun personalities, that could be shared with friends and family, adding new pieces to be enjoyed forever, to mix effortlessly with existing family pieces and collected treasures.
INSPIRATION
Interior design and travel are similar in that they go beyond the physical - they both create an emotional connection, engage our senses. These clients are enthusiastic travellers, having travelled extensively for both business, leisure and adventure. We wanted to help them translate these memories and experiences into their home - to infuse the flavour and feel of their travels to enjoy everyday the sense of escape, the new, the exotic, the inspiring.
““Travel creates special memories. Integrating aspects of these into your interiors will create a home that’s unique to you. And more importantly, drawing inspiration from travels helps create a home that will bring you joy every day” ”
COLLABORATORS
We wanted to add thoughtful pieces to the spaces, items with timeless appeal and exceptional quality, that would be treasured forever. We loved choosing an eclectic, rich yet curated selection of fabrics with Seneca Textiles, the colours and designs of the fabrics historically inspired - including Baroque-like damasks, Moroccan antiquity inspired patterns and a diffused floral like a 17th century Dutch still life.
For the furniture, we worked with David Shaw Furniture, one of our favourite NZ designers and makers based in Christchurch. We particularly love the European flair infused in their designs. Pieces are made by hand by specialist craftsman - the attention to detail and the resulting quality are something we are both very proud of.
While the timber, steel and upholstery were all finished by hand by the David Shaw team, we added another highly personalised layer to some of the pieces - a custom metal finish. The liquid smokey bronze liquid metal was applied expertly by hand at Remarkable Surfaces in Christchurch, each layer cured over a few days and the “moon-rock” texture created by layering the liquid metal paint over bubbles of water that etch a dent in the surface when it dries. This detailed process requires expert and very patient hands!
Special mention should be made of the amazing patience of these clients as we perfected the bespoke finishes during a period of unprecedented disruptions to manufacturing, shipping and travel.
But I think they’ll agree - the resulting pieces are heirloom quality and personality filled - all evoking memories of special adventures and travels.
DESIGN DETAILS
We like to think that mixing styes and origins of pieces is part of our signature - displaying treasured pieces with stories to tell is key to creating a home that is unique to you. And incorporating souvenirs from our travels allows the the feeling of escape in our own homes. We don’t think pieces need to “match”, but they should be considered - balancing the pieces and collections around a home in playful and unique ways.
INSIDE EDGE
When collecting treasures from your travels we always recommend looking for one of a kind pieces - things that are unique and unexpected that no one else will have in their homes. And of course, always choose things that you love and will remind you of your special adventures.
THE RESULT
This living space is now a treasure chest that evokes the memories and experiences of their travels, for them to enjoy everyday the sense of escape, the new, the exotic and inspiring. A curated mix of thoughtful new pieces and collected treasures, the space is a true reflection of our clients passions and personalities that they love to share with family and friends at every opportunity.
