STYLING 101 – ART Art can be a confronting topic and though everyones tastes vary your art should be meaningful or beautiful to you. My one big ‘but’ would be that no matter what your art represents and whether it be monochrome or colourful, acrylic or watercolour, photographic or typography its only design requirement is that it be proportionate to the space. A particularly large wall needs a particularly large piece of art or a number of pieces that How to choose the right art for your home
STYLING 101 – ART Art can be a confronting topic and though everyones tastes vary your art should be meaningful or beautiful to you. My one big ‘but’ would be that no matter what your art represents and whether it be monochrome or colourful, acrylic or watercolour, photographic or typography its only design requirement is that it be proportionate to the space. A particularly large wall needs a particularly large piece of art or a number of pieces that 
How to bring Nature Indoors
HOW TO BRING NATURE INDOORS I recently wrote a blog for Flooring Xtra with tips on How to Create a Great First Impression. The message I tried to bestow is that if you keep your home guest-worthy all the time you will be doing yourself and your family a huge favour too, and its not that hard; take a peek over here to see how. One of the points I made was to bring a little nature indoors. Sangria
SANGRIA SANGRIA There is something about those long lunches with girl friends; the conversation never dies, the laughs are quick and sometimes even the tears. Those lunches are special, each one marked, noted in my memory bank. Remember when… This one we had Sangria. We talked, laughed, shared and that drink now has a special place in my memory. So, a recipe is in order. Sangria is Spanish, traditionally made with Red Wine. I prefer White or Rosé. I’m Lagom
LAGOM What do we kiwis know about Lagom? Is it a way of life that we could adopt to create a better place to live? New Zealanders will argue that we are the greenest country on the planet, but perhaps that is only because we are such a young country with more space than population. At-the-moment! While sitting in early morning traffic in Albany, on Aucklands North Shore I took a really good look at the construction going Good to go
FOR SALE There comes a time when one has to let go of things, not because you don’t love them anymore, but because they add no particular value to your life. Lucky for you my things that are ready to go can become things that will add value to yours. Some of these items have been used in my home but others are simply pieces that were used for product styling or home staging. They are all Book Worm
BOOKWORM Book Depository and I have a special relationship… I give them money and they send me beautiful books. Perfect! A match made in heaven. I’ve piled up a few of my favourites to share with you. Eat Drink Nap, Soho House Full of recipes, interior design tips and how to make a peaceful place to rest. A gorgeous natural textured cover with black print, inside it opens up to elegant spaces and food styling to get you Anzac Bliss Balls
ANZAC BLISS BALLS I’m usually a Anzac Biscuit Baker but this year I’m all about the Bliss Ball! Actually I burnt them, so a quick internet search brought me to this somewhat trendy and easier option. Traditional, perhaps not, and sadly lacking the crunch, but the good old Chelsea Golden Syrup gives you the Anzac-ey flavour that we kiwis are all about this time of year! We spend our Anzac Morning at the local reserve where the service Nooks & Storage
NOOKS & STORAGE Old homes have their idiosyncrasies; the not-quite-level floor, the mismatched skirting boards and the somewhat annoying lack of plugs. All of these can be lived with or fixed quite easily, but perhaps the most annoying of all is the lack of built in storage. Creating extra cupboards means you lose floor area and so often it is up to the dweller to find extra space by using clever little methods that adds both an aesthetic Happy Easter
HAPPY EASTER The Easter weather forecast here in NZ was a little foreboding with Cyclone Cook heading our way fast and furious. The warnings were enough to shut down the central Auckland City sending workers home early. Schools closed and everyone shunned the usual night before Easter long weekend drinks and headed home loaded with water and candles. It didn’t arrive in Auckland; last minute it veered off its anticipated path. Parts of NZ did get a battering It was a nice idea
IT WAS A NICE IDEA “Do you have children” is a common conversational question. Yes I do I have a son, Nick, he is 5, hes 10, hes 15, hes 20. At 5 a common retort would be “are you having any more”, at 10 its a just a questioning look, at 15, surprise, at 20, confusion. No one actually says – why just one – but they think it. There was more, little bundles of cells that