Attending: New Zealand Interior Style Book Launch, The Bloc, Auckland

If you are connected to any sort of interior design blog or social media you will have noticed that there is a new book in town.

It's not just any book.  It's a uniquely New Zealand Interior design based coffee table book that is superbly photographed by Larnie Nicolson and handsomly written by LeeAnn Yare.

This dynamic duo have been writting and snapping interiors for years and are on high rotate in most of the NZ shelters mag so it's no surprise that they have extended this successful formula into the book world.

Stylie peeps getting their book on at BLOC

Love this gal - Ju from Studio Home Blog.  Love this shop - Collected by LeeAnn Yare

They have handpicked 24 homes that are based all over NZ and certainly capture the creativity, design and uniquely kiwi interior flavours of this wonderful country.

I can also proudly tell you that I was luckly enough to be chosen to be one of the houses and it's quite the wee thill to see your home in glossy big pages.  An even bigger surprise was being featured on the back of the book - the cover went to LeeAnn's own house so I'm in good company.

Speaking of excellent company - some of my favourite homes included are by my colour design sister Anya Brighouse, the urban funked-out pad of the Federation couple Nick and Jenny Clegg, Wellington style queen and owner of Small Acorns Amanda Holland and furniture rad couple Stu and Melissa Bowman from Apartmento/Meluka.

The stunning home of the Bowmans of the Apartmento/Meluka fame

My skinny bathroom and white hallway

Dining in the dark (Walls painted in Dulux Piha) and kitchen

Jeff (my husband) and I also got to go to the launch up in Auckland at BLOC.  It was a fantastic night - catching up with old faces and meeting lots of new ones.  It was an absolute  treat! 

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Showing off the back of the book - the girls surprised me on the night  with my  'Jungle Room ' on the reverse.
Oh and look at Larnie looking all hot in front of the camera

With my gals Ses and Jen Style Files

Wanna win this book?  I'll post on Monday on how you can...

Thanks again LeeAnn and Larnie.

Thought-o-the-day: Keeping it real

I don't know about you, but daily I am exposed to beautiful things, places and spaces.

I read blogs, I flick through magazines and I check out instagram feeds (here's mine if you wanna look?) - it's all there for the taking.  A visual feast for the eyeballs and brain to gorge on.  And gorge I do.

Usually it's all fine and it's happy days, but sometimes, just sometimes it's all just too much.  The self-doubt can creep in and you start to feel a little inadequate.  I do and I know that you probably do too.  Perfect vignettes and pretty habitats, preened stylists and picture-perfect environs...

Today, I wanted to say, hey, it's ok.  I wanted to put my hand up and say that I'm human and so are my surrounds.  The power of the styled photograph is an extremely persuasive tool and mostly we are eternally grateful for photoshop and  clever camera angles.  The world would be a pretty ug place without them to be sure, but let's just keep it all in perspective.

Image taken by my neighbour Hanna.

 This is usually how I work - a dog or two in very close proximity, a glass of wine and in odd places thanks to wifi.  At the time of this photo we had taken out the two doors next to the fireplace (see below shot) and were replacing the old ornamental fireplace with a real open fire.  I didn't care that my floors weren't vacumed (with featured HUGE industrial vacum) or even that my fire surround was not in place.  I was just happy to sit and work with dogs, trackies and wine!

Image taken by Larnie Nicolson Photography

This image was taken the day that Larnie and LeeAnn came to photograph me and the house for Your Home and Garden.  I would just like to state that the chances of me sitting on the side of the couch and blogging are slim to none.  It is true that I will blog most places but this was a little tough on the thighs.  What it did do was show you all my pretty Swedish clogs and a great room perspective so that's all that matters really.

Hooray for good photography and clever photographer's everywhere.  It's such a skill.

Happy Monday - love yourself and your home.  It's a no-comparison-zone please.

*This blog post is written just as much for me as for you*

Shop it up: Bloc (Mt Eden, Auckland, NZ)

Bloc is collaboration.  No understatement.

The talented photographer Larnie Nicolson recently photographed the design lineup that is Bloc.  The images really speak for themselves.  

Cool Food

Bo Concept

Collected by LeeAnn Yare

Douglas and Bec - Homewares

Citta Design Homewares

This, my design buns, is a destination for the design savy and creative inspired.  Food, beauty, interiors, stationary - it's all covered off under one stylish roof.  Glory be.

Pencil

WORLD Beauty

I'm coming Bloc.  See you when I come for the URBIS Design Day.

The stylemakers - look at you all.

All images taken by Larnie Nicolson