ON THE SPOT

A New Plymouth apartment is brought to life by its latest tenant.

Janine Evans has lived all over the world in homes large and small – farmhouses in New Zealand and the UK, where she also lived in terraced homes, an Italian villa cut into a hill below a castle, a lukanda in Malta and a cottage in Cambridge, Waikato. The list is long. She’s also been a doer-upper. J (as everyone calls her) has renovated houses from different decades, including those from the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. “But I’ve never been happier than in this one-bedroom apartment,” she says of the rented space above a cafe just 200m from her job in central New Plymouth. There are seven coffee outlets within 50m and there are eateries everywhere. Across the road is an art design store, a boutique brewery, a sourdough bakery and a bespoke jeweller, and around the corner is the combined Len Lye Centre and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, which also has a cinema. J doesn’t need a watch – beyond the window, the New Plymouth clock tower chimes the quarter hour throughout the day.

Up wooden stairs, her home is hung with original artworks, filled with fascinating furniture, dotted with verdant houseplants and lit with lights from Mr Ralph, the store where she works.

It was the opportunity to work at the lighting store that bought J back to Taranaki two years ago. She was born in Invercargill and her family slowly moved up the country through her father’s post office job. J moved to Taranaki in the 1980s, married a farmer from Urenui, opened

a hairdressing salon in the small Taranaki settlement, had her children Carys and Tom and made firm friends, including with artists John and Chris McLean. She then travelled abroad before settling in the Waikato where she worked in high-pressure jobs.

When she turned 60, a health scare pushed J to make big changes. She quit everything, including her relationship, and went to Italy for two months and the UK for one.

While J was in Italy, a friend who founded lighting brand Mr Ralph made contact: “Why don’t we set up a studio in New Plymouth?” “Awesome,” J answered, knowing the beautiful lighting products would go well in the art-focused city. “I left my life, and everything fell into place. If I had written a brief of my hopes and dreams, it would have been this,” she says, gesturing at the apartment, the central city living, and work a two-minute walk away. “To me it’s about coming home in all ways… this is my tūrangawaewae. I wasn’t born here, but it adopted me.”

Despite renting the 1923 apartment, J has been able to make some changes, like painting the walls creamy-white Resene Merino – she likes the walls to be a neutral canvas, then add colour through furniture and art. The apartment has polished mātai floorboards: “People don’t like painting timber. I spent the first half of my life stripping down to the

original wood and the second half of my life painting wood. To me it’s still wood.”

She has added Mr Ralph lights throughout. It was a brave move: “Especially the three-armed pendant. It was a big decision because it’s rented. I had to get the electrician in.”

She has enjoyed ferreting out furniture and treasures to furnish the space. Recent finds include a mustard-gold ottoman bought on Trade Me and a grass-green armchair she had re-covered by a local upholster. She says these two pieces represent the best money she’s spent recently: “They change the look.” She often tackles restoration projects herself. “I love doing up furniture.”

Describing her decorating style as eclectic, J enjoys mixing old and new furniture, and upcycling: “I would rather have quality second-hand than crap new.” She follows the philosophy of buying what you like then finding a place for it when you get home.

In the bedroom, for example, a Designers Guild duvet, printed with bright pink peonies, is offset by bold parrot-patterned cushions from Kmart. “They are almost Bollywood, aren’t they? They could go with the curtains in the lounge.”

This is classic style à la J. She has the courage to mix classic design pieces, artworks and plants, with objects she’s found online, in junk shops and large chain stores.

She also spots upcycling opportunities

where others might not. Below the dining table are J’s hidden treasures – chairs from Junk & Disorderly in Auckland. Four of the chair seats have been recovered in goat hide and two have elephant hides. “I’m a hideophile.”

The latter coverings came from an unusual source. In 2007, J was in Bangkok and decided to have a piece of clothing made. She was shown swatches of mustard elephant hide, ethically sourced, and had a jacket sewn. She didn’t have a chance to check it and left Thailand with a jacket that never fitted her. “It sat in the cupboard.” J hates waste so had it recycled. “There’s the jacket on those two seats.”

Adding to the mix are two Louis Ghost chairs by Philippe Starck for Kartell. “I love anything that’s well designed.”

Looming from the corner is an alien-like giant floor lamp and hovering above the dinner table is a UFO-shaped George Nelsoninspired Bubbly Saucer pendant light.

The foyer of the apartment is like a mini art gallery, featuring works by artists PJ Paterson, John McLean, John Grgec and Nicky Deeley. Her apartment is also home to works by Michael Smither, Deb Grgec, Michael Jeans, Peter Lambert, Jean Laming and Evie Kemp.

“The art goes with you – it’s part of your life. You pick them up like your kids and they make a home for themselves wherever you take them.”

Beyond the apartment is a city alive with art. For 30 minutes each morning she strides past Len Lye’s Wind Wand and other sculptures, along the Coastal Walkway, the wild Tasman Sea pounding the shore.

“I take a photo most mornings and I take a big deep breath – I’m living the dream.”