from the editor

The phrase “personal journeys” sums up the homes and gardens in this month’s issue. Places the owners have created and nurtured in response to what they needed, not what they thought would be best for resale or was the right thing to do. Take our Home of the Month, the Feilding townhouse of Trish and Max Bryant which became the talk of this small Manawatū town (page 34). The couple “stepped outside the architectural square” with this bold design, a “fusion of dark metal, timber and concrete” that includes a cantilevered glass panel over the front door, dramatic floating staircase, pink walls and a bold water feature. Whispers got back to the couple including “the opinions that it looked like a bomb shelter or resembled castle ruins”. But the Bryants wouldn’t change a thing.

Likewise, Rae and Gavin Hamilton’s very specific requirements dictated everything about their stylish Pt Wells, Auckland, home (page 66). Gavin’s health issues meant their new-build had to be on one level, with easy access between the inside and out, a garden that wouldn’t require hours of labour and some “metime” spaces. A lot of planning went into the project and there’s no doubt the result ticks all the boxes and is really quite visionary.

A hilly Christchurch site didn’t deter Amanda Booth and Roland van Bommel from creating the garden of their dreams (page 112). Their Redcliffs section had great ocean views but they realised a team of experts was required to develop a garden that was “in harmony with its surroundings and soothed their souls”. Dream achieved: the garden won a Registered Master Landscapers gold medal and it’s easy to see why.

If your focus is on personalising your interiors then our Special Feature/Fabrics is a great place to start. Deputy editor Sharon Newey has summed up the current trends in furnishing fabrics (page 123) and matches them perfectly with the mood of the times.