Garner an insight into the world’s most inspiring design by following these Instagram accounts that are abundant with fresh ideas.
@studiolowsheen A goldmine for those with a penchant for muted palettes, lavish outdoor areas and purist architecture, @studiolowsheen — aka architectural designer Brent Lee — boasts inspiration in spades.
@carawoodhouseinteriors New York City-based Cara Woodhouse Interiors has an impressive repertoire of projects, each of which showcases alluring furniture in Woodhouse’s distinctive, modernistic style.
@ashleytstark Checking off decor, furnishings and even minor home accoutrements, Ashley Stark, influencer and Creative Director of Stark Carpets, delivers finished projects that serve as full room inspiration.
@mdezeiner Interior architecture student Marlene Zeiner Borthen posts a revolving door of projects bursting with refined home decor, each of which makes a bold case for simple minimalism.
@ninatakesh Whether it’s showcasing a slick blue lacquered kitchen, unexpected use of marble or simply a standout lighting fixture, interior designer Nina Takesh is reminding us that the devil is in the details.
@roseuniacke London-based Rose Uniacke offers her followers an arsenal of simple but luxurious interiors, utilising her roles as designer and antiques dealer to bring a glorious blend of antiques and new pieces to the fore.
@ianschrager As one of the most sought-after visionaries, it comes as no surprise that hotelier, real estate developer and Co-Founder of Studio 54, Ian Schrager, has an Instagram worthy of poring over.
@tamsinjohnson Sydney-residing Tamsin Johnson is responsible for a number of fine interiors, all of which display her distinctive effortless and elegant style. Her impeccable taste makes for an incredibly inspirational ‘gram.
Christmas’ imminent arrival, despite being a time of fun and frivolity, can spark a sense of dread for most. Put simply, that’s because the art of Christmas gifting is one that becomes more difficult with each passing year. There’s always that one person whose taste is so refined that gifting becomes a minefield, and it’s impossible to avoid that lofty relative who seemingly has everything they could ever want or need. There’s a good chance you will wind up having to buy a gift for someone you barely even know, a new acquaintance perhaps, or the office’s intern, following an unlucky Secret Santa draw. If this sounds like you, then fear not — because no matter what your gifting woes, Simon James Design‘s vast and varied collection of coveted wares make buying for the difficult, easy. To make the process even easier for you, we’ve cherry-picked a selection of presents perfectly suited to the hard-to-buy-for. You can thank us later.
We suggest opting for the left-field route wherever possible, unexpectedness is key. Take these sculptural Streamer Candle Holders, for example, which see glistening brass candleholders balanced off-centre upon a cylindrical base of brown marble. While, for those with an especially evident taste for luxury, may we suggest Jessica McCormack’s small stud, diamond earrings, from the designer’s latest Moonshine collection. Set with a half-moon-shaped diamond and handcrafted in 18k yellow gold and blackened white gold, they make for a gift that really goes the extra mile.
L-R: Binchotan Charcoal facial soap, Streamer Candle Holders, Jessica McCormack Moonshine Small Stud Diamond Earrings, Echasse Bowl, Wine and Bottle Opener Set Skultana
If you’re looking for a universally-pleasing gift, appropriate as a stocking-filler for close friends or an intriguing present for vague acquaintances, the Binchotan Charcoal facial soap, by Morihata, should do the trick. Crafted from pure Binchotan Charcoal, not only is it an offering that will get put to good use — charcoal is renowned for its moisturising and detoxifying benefits — it also makes for a far more elevated option than your standard sprays and smellies. While, for those who consider themselves an aesthete of sorts, this sleek Echasse Bowl will certainly make a bold impression. At once sophisticated and playful, it sees a delicate glass form set atop slender, golden legs.
When in doubt, opt for a gift that boasts aesthetic appeal while remaining inherently functional. A kitchen item, especially the case if the receiver is hosting plenty of seasonal events this year, is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Take this gilded set of handmade wine and bottle openers, designed this year by Studio Skultuna and handcrafted from IP-plated steel. Be sure to gift them alongside a fine bottle of wine to truly bag those Christmas brownie points.
Still struggling? Click here to browse more crowd-pleasing presents from the Simon James-curated Christmas Gift Guide.
Scott Eady is an artist known for his playfulness, his works are often conceptual sculptures that play with colour — many pieces come in attention-grabbing saturated hues — texture, and humour. And yet despite his distinctive artistic style, no two Eady exhibition are ever similar, and thus they always come with an ample dose of surprise. His most recent installation, currently on display at Sanderson Gallery, is especially unexpected. Entitled Images Of Love, it is unique in that it explores many facets and purposes of art, all while making us question the relationship between decorative and practical.
The installations comprise a selection of glistening, stainless steel vases which, while obviously part of a set, are unique and attention-grabbing in their own right. While one, for example, boasts an undulating exterior reminiscent of a smooth wave, another is complete with the addition of shimmering nodules, or triangular shapes. Even the plinths which the vases are placed atop are crafted at the hands of Eady himself, via repurposed furniture from his home. The main purpose of a vase of course, despite its ornamental properties, is to house flowering blooms, and as such Eady has harnessed the talents of four different florists to create a bouquet of flowers for each.
To round off the installation Eady has complimented his shimmering pieces with a vibrant, hand-crafted rug, which not only ties the whole collection together — its fibres pick out the flamboyant hues of the blooms perfectly— but also makes the space feel welcoming, warm and home-like.
To say that the home of Juliet Arent, co-founder of design studio Arent & Pyke, is a family affair, would be an understatement. Having bought an entire apartment block in Sydney’s North Bondi neighbourhood with her cousin as a place for both of their families to live, Arent’s newly-renovated abode is warm and welcoming, designed with family at the forefront. In no room is this idea as apparent as the kitchen.
To improve the flow between the kitchen and the living room, an elegant archway was used in place of a traditional door. Maximising the potential of the long, narrow space via a shrewd use of natural light, Arent also introduced reflective cabinetry above her Fisher & Paykel rangehood that works to open the space and mirror the greenery of the garden immediately outside.
But the most impressive element of this kitchen lies behind its sophisticated, jewel-toned cabinets. Seamlessly integrated into the structure of the space, sits a full suite of innovative Fisher & Paykel appliances that have been fitted so that they are either hidden behind the green cabinetry, (like the French door fridge) or flush with its sleek, minimalist lines, like the eleven-function black oven, the gas-on-glass cooktop and built-in rangehood.
When there’s the promise of sharing a kitchen with one of Ireland’s most famous TV-chefs, you know you’re in for a memorable experience. Ballymaloe, nestled within the green landscapes of rural Eastern Cork, is a sprawling 400-acre estate owned by prominent Irish chef, TV personality and writer, Darina Allen.
The cookery school itself, set on the nearby 100-acre organic farm, focuses on sustainably-sourced, farm-to-table fare and offers everything from cheese-making courses to intensive, 12-week certificate programs. Just as much about the rearing of the food as they are the cooking of it, Ballymaloe also runs courses on the likes of beekeeping, chicken rearing, home butchery and organic gardening — each of which is a hands-on experience enjoyable for cooks of all grades, whether Michelin-star, sous, or kitchen novice.
Accommodations are as vast and varied as the courses, and heads can be rested in a multitude of places, including a stoic Norman tower or a welcoming farmyard cottage. When guests aren’t cooking up a storm or kicking back in their premium abodes, they can while away afternoons strolling around the pristine gardens, trying their hand at croquet or soaking up the Irish atmosphere in the charming township.
When to visit There are never any promises when it comes to Irish weather, but April, May, June, September and October tend to be relatively mild and with fewer crowds.
How to get there Ballymaloe is approximately 40 kilometres from Cork Airport, where all major car hire companies and taxis operate out of. If flying into Dublin, a connecting flight to Cork takes just 50 minutes.
Tip The world-famous Jameson Distillery and Museum is just 15 minutes away by car — be sure to celebrate all your hard work in the kitchen with an exploration of one of Ireland’s finest whiskeys.
Some pieces of furniture are designed to blend into the surrounds, their sole purpose merely being one of function — not form. Other pieces of furniture, however, are designed to teeter the thin line between home furnishing and objet d’art, often immediately capturing the attention of whomever wanders into the room it resides. The Girgenti sideboard falls into the latter category. Anything but inconspicuous, it’s opulent design ensures it makes a long-lasting impression, even to those desensitised by bold interior additions.
The piece, crafted by Italian furniture atelier Arte Veneziana, is inspired by the quaint town of Concordia Saggittaria in Venice, and is the epitome of dazzling Italian design. Fashioned from extra-clear glass, that’s been partially mirrored with antiqued finishing, and featuring a robust metal structure, the sideboard is at once elegant and luxurious, with an entirely unique aesthetic. The glass is elevated by the addition of hand-applied gold leaf decoration, which sits alongside shades of white colouring, rendering the standard furnishing a glistening work of art.
The Girgenti delivers a masterclass in luxe, daring design, simultaneously reminding us why there’s no place for wallflowers when it comes to conversation-starting furniture.
You may not know her name, but you will recognise her illustrations. Ruby Jones is the brains (and heart) behind: “This is your home, and you should have been safe here.” The artists’ response to the Christchurch attacks, which depicted two women embracing, was promptly shared across the world upon her posting on Instagram. The single image received international attention on such a large scale that Jones was consequently singled out by Time magazine to design a cover for its April issue.
Now, the young illustrator has released her first book, All Of This Is For You: A Little Book of Kindness, a heartwarming publication filled with pages of enlightening, soul-stirring illustrations and hand-drawn messages. It is beautifully simple and oozes Jones’ applauded compassion, but no one can describe the book better than Jones herself. And so, here, we sit down with the artist to learn more about her touching debut.
Hello Ruby! Congratulations on the new book, it’s wonderful. Can you tell me a little bit about All Of This Is For You: A Little Book of Kindness? Thank you! It’s a small book exploring the ways in which we can be kinder to ourselves, each other and the world we live in. It aims to shine a light on some tender moments we often shy away from and might only think to ourselves at 3am when we can’t sleep. It’s not a guide to anything, instead, I want it to be a set of reminders of things we already know but might sometimes forget.
Is there an overarching theme? Its focus is really just about what it means to be a human in the world today; what that involves, feels and looks like. Within that, it covers themes such as body image, mental health, relationships and social media.
How would you describe it in three words? Small, tender and honest.
There are so many illustrations in the book, do you have any favourites? I do have a couple! One of them is ‘look after yourself the way you’d look after your 5-year-old self’ which is something my mum told me as a teenager and I’ve tried to live by ever since. Another one is ‘your family is whoever you love’ with a group of friends sitting around together. I think that’s an important reminder for everyone, especially for people who don’t always feel accepted or valued by their biological family.
Is there anything that you hope people will learn from the book? That no one on this earth is worth more than anyone else. Social status, ethnicity, sexuality, culture, religion, bank balance etc., none of it matters. We are all just silly tiny humans going through this weird, confusing thing called life and we need to remember to help each other through it rather than turn away from each other. I think the two main things I hope it will do is make people feel less alone and spark important conversations between people.
We’ve read that some of the proceeds go to a good cause, can you tell us a little bit more about that? Some of the proceeds from each sale of the book are going towards I Am Hope’s Spare Change Fund which provides free counselling for 20-25-year-olds. I felt strongly from day one about giving proceeds to a cause around mental health. I think mental health is an enormous area that we’re really struggling to tackle in New Zealand, particularly when it comes to young people, so I’m really pleased we can help out, even in a small way.
You illustrated Time Magazine’s incredible cover in April, how did it feel to be tasked with such a huge job for such a weighty publication? I tried to not overthink the publication it was for and just focus on the story it needed to tell. I knew it was big and exciting, but it wasn’t what was important to me at the time — suddenly an enormous magazine cover seemed like nothing compared to what our country was actually going through; real loss, real pain. And I think Time knew that in choosing a local, unknown illustrator to do the cover, they simply wanted an image that captured the feeling of our country in the aftermath.
What kind of reaction did you receive? A really overwhelming response from people all over the world. I think it meant a lot to New Zealand, especially our Muslim community, to have our story shared.
Was it a tough decision, landing on one particular image? Weirdly no, as I said I knew I couldn’t overthink it. It was the first image that came to mind and I knew it felt right. I wanted it to show how quiet it felt here in the following days, but also how much the attacks had brought us together.
Were there any other contenders? No. I was totally prepared to do a few but they liked the first one. There was just one change made and then it went to print.
Your works are instantly recognisable: soft and cartoonish and colourful. Can you tell us a little bit about your creative process? It’s all about the idea for me. If I ever sit down and try to draw without anything in my head it’s a disaster. So I’ll usually be inspired naturally by something — an event, a song, a little moment in time — often that’s when I’m out somewhere so I’ll scribble a note down or write it in my phone to myself. Then when I am ready I’ll start sketching it out on my iPad, then do a final version and add colour/text etc.
Is there anything you are working on at the moment? I’m doing a few commission jobs and working on building up my online store. There are a few bigger projects on the cards but I don’t think I can discuss those just yet!
What can we expect from you in the future? I’ll always continue to put my drawings out there for the world – hopefully both in digital and print, maybe even another book someday. I’d also love to get into some hands-on work around mental health at some stage.
Kindness in all its forms resides at the core of everything you create. What does kindness mean to you? Kindness to me is giving your time and your heart, even for just a moment.
Ruby Jones’ All Of This Is For You: A Little Book of Kindness is out now, available here.
Ingestible beauty is hardly a new concept — powders, supplements and gummies have been around for quite some time now, with many coming and going as fast as they burst onto the scene. However, there’s one supplement, in particular, that seems to be delivering on its claims — collagen. But probably, like us, you’re a little confused about how it actually works, if it does work, who can take it and how to take it. Clinically proven to deliver results — think stronger nails, rejuvenated hair and plump skin (increased dermal thickness by 83 percent and skin hydration by up to 91 percent) — it’s also a common misconception that all collagens are created equal. To clear up the confusion, we speak with Julia Matthews, founder of Two Islands — a New Zealand company that produces a very popular range of Protein Powders and Collagen Beauty Powders.
Julia Matthews, founder of Two Islands
What exactly is collagen? It’s the most abundant protein found in the human body. Think of it as a type of ‘glue’ that holds our skin, hair, nails, ligaments, cartilage and tendons together, providing it with the support, strength and flexibility that it needs. As we age, our bodies have less ability to produce collagen – with production dropping by 1% each year — and a total 30-50% total loss in women post-menopause. Additional factors such as smoking, stress, sun exposure and poor diet can also contribute to a loss of collagen and essentially speed up the appearance of ageing. Two Islands collagen is sustainably sourced French marine collagen that is a by-product of the fishing industry and would otherwise go to waste.
How does it work? Hydrolysed collagen, also known as collagen peptides (what Two Islands Collagen Beauty Powder is made from) is bioavailable and simply absorbed into the bloodstream upon digestion. Hydrolyzed means that the amino acid chains have been broken down into smaller units, a process that allows the powder to dissolve in both hot and cold liquids.
What benefits can we expect to see when taking Two Islands Collagen Beauty Powder? Many clinical studies have shown that supplementing with collagen can significantly improve the appearance of skin by improving hydration, elasticity, density and decreasing fine lines and wrinkle formation. Regular users of Two Islands Collagen Beauty Powder have commented on their stronger nails, improved hair growth (especially postpartum) and improved skin appearances such as smoothed fine lines — some even noting a vast improvement in skin issues such as eczema or acne. Other benefits are less joint pain and improved gut health.
Who benefits the most from taking collagen? Males and females from early 20s onwards — especially those who suffer from dry skin, increase in fine lines, eczema, breakouts, brittle nails and thinning hair. There are no harmful ingredients in the collagen –— so it’s safe for both pregnant and breastfeeding women, and is particularly good for those experiencing postpartum hair loss. We do recommend checking with your GP first though, just to be safe.
How quickly can we expect to start seeing results? Some see results in as little as one week, while others may take up to one to two months. It really depends on your age, your lifestyle, and also the type of results you’re looking for — nails and skin tend to see results faster than hair.
How do you recommend we take Two Islands Collagen Beauty Powder? Two Islands Collagen Beauty Powder dissolves easily, and so it can be mixed into a variety of liquids: your morning coffee or herbal tea (it’s heat-stable), smoothie or juice. It can be added to oats and even into baking. The Pineapple & Coconut flavour is a delicious way to spice up your morning water, and, lately, we’ve been making iced coffees and adding a scoop of either Vanilla or Unflavoured collagen powder to the mix. It’s incredibly easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Collagen is an internal moisturiser so is as important — if not more — than slapping on your facial moisturiser.
How much Two Islands Collagen Beauty Powder should we be taking? We recommend taking one 10g serving every day – consistency is key in order to see results.
What makes Two Islands different from other collagen brands? We are high dose — each 10g serve contains over 9g of high-quality marine collagen — so you don’t have to use as much of it or wait as long to see desired results, as you would with other collagen brands. We have no unnecessary fillers — for example, the ingredients in our unflavoured Collagen Beauty Powder are simply collagen peptides and Vitamin C (to help with absorption).
We’re giving away a three-month subscription of Two Islands Collagen Beauty Powder, so that you can witness the magic yourself. For more information and entry, click here.
*This competition has now closed. Congratulations Jade Hurst*
Auckland is on the up and up, fast becoming a city whose presence belies its size and now, the city which was once synonymous with family abodes on sprawling plots of land has come of age with modern luxury apartment living now available in the inner city. The CAB is a preeminent example of this new trend and is well under construction, with completion scheduled for 2021. It is changing the face of Auckland living and redefining the inner city experience. The anticipation for its opening is palpable, and it’s hardly surprising, given the calibre of the residences that are housed within.
Each are anchored by spacious bedrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows, which allow light to flood in and those inside to enjoy the stellar views — either uninterrupted panoramas of the historic Town Hall and beyond or, from the western side, the Sky Tower and the iconic Harbour Bridge. Much of the residential development’s allure lies with its location. Situated adjacent to Auckland’s bustling Aotea Square and a moments walk from Federal Street, The CAB will give residents direct access to an unprecedented urban lifestyle.
Not only has the major refurbishment of the Aotea Centre seen the space transform into a world-class events centre, but there’s also a plethora of enticing restaurants, cafes and bars within mere walking distance. What’s more, Auckland’s new City Rail Link will boast a dedicated Aotea Station, giving The CAB’s residents easy access to state-of-the-art public transport. With over 50 percent of the apartments already sold, those who are hoping to secure an iconic freehold residence will need to move quickly. The CAB will be one of Auckland’s most sought after addresses, and by virtue of its location will always be uniquely desirable.
Here to guide you through the long hot summer months ahead is the latest issue of Denizen, Golden Days, on sale today. Inspired by the phenomenon of summer nostalgia, in this issue you can expect to find a number of standout pieces that incite warm reflection on years gone by — from The New Classics, a visual essay of nostalgic gastronomical delights, to Those Were The Days, a sprawling thinkpiece that celebrates the decades of yore, and the fashion, cultural happenings and design elements of these decades that are just a prevalent today — if not more.
Weaved throughout the reflection pieces are Denizen’s usual suspects; inspirational trend pages in the Coveted section, compelling interviews in the Design section, first-hand travel pieces in the Navigator section — this time on Tel Aviv — and an amalgamation of ways to up your cultural intake via our Culture section — in which, you can thumb your way through every book, TV series, film, experience and event we think you should be gorging on this summer. So pick yourself up a copy of Denizen, a Goody Goody Gumdrops ice cream, and head to the nearest sun-drenched space — our golden summer tome makes for some exceptional beachside reading.
Pick a copy from a decent newsagent near you, or click here to subscribe.
For more exclusive access to what the city has to offer, engaging content, excellent imagery and thought provoking commentary on the life that surrounds you, subscribe to Denizen magazine now.
