Mother-daughter duo Mary Jane Tomasi and Katie Tomasi Edwards are Auckland property stylists with a flair for staging and furniture fit-outs. Both embrace apartment living and enjoy styling small spaces in step with the changing seasons.

Words Kim Newth  Photos Helen Bankers

Hobbies are what we do for fun, but sometimes they can spark a whole new way of life. For Mary Jane Tomasi, it was a penchant for reshaping interiors that inspired a change of direction from her previous career as a radio newsreader. What started as a relaxing diversion helping friends rearrange their homes gradually evolved into something much bigger – a fully-fledged family business, MJT Property Styling.

‘After a particularly horrific time in the newsroom – when there were some really dreadful stories about child abuse coming up – I was finding it hard to sleep at night,’ recalls Mary Jane, whose long media career spanned many different roles from co-hosting TV shows and talkback radio to being the voice of Vodafone and a network radio newsreader. ‘I had many great years in the media but was ready to leave it behind; I’d reached a point where I just couldn’t switch off. I remember being at a parents’ dinner for Katie’s school and sitting next to a police officer. I asked him how he dealt with the stress. He said find what makes you happy.’

That’s when her husband, Trevor, who was working in real estate, encouraged her to follow her passion for home interiors. The part-time home-staging hobby quickly evolved and grew wings – so much so that Trevor soon jumped across to lend a hand too.

Like her mother, Katie started out pursuing a media career – majoring in journalism at Auckland University of Technology – but was also drawn to property through her father’s involvement in real estate. While at university, she began assisting her mother on some home-staging jobs. ‘I thought, hang on, I love interiors too and I love working with people, so pretty soon we’d all decided to give home staging a go,’ says Katie.

Not every family would jump at the idea of working together in the same business, but Katie says they’re very close and that’s what makes it click. They have heated discussions from time to time, but there’s mutual respect too so conflicts are soon resolved.

‘We have our own strengths,’ says Katie. ‘Dad is the operations boss. He tackles the logistics side and soon tells us whether or not a couch is going to fit in the lift. Mum is so creative at bringing different colours and textures together. I love dealing with clients and suppliers. There are two arms to the business: home staging and creating turn-key furniture packages. I enjoy the furniture side of it, for example, assisting a developer with apartments that need to be furnished. Apartments are getting smaller and smaller but you can still tick all the boxes to create a beautiful home.’

Their business model is purposely geared around lifestyle. Katie and her partner Brendon have already trialled how things would work if they took time out to start a family of their own in future.

They have a good support team around them including contractors to do the heavy lifting.

Katie and Brendon live in an apartment that’s just five minutes from her parents’ Kingsland apartment. They all agree that apartment living feels safe and there’s easy access to everything in their local area.

‘We were also at a stage of life where we were ready for simplicity,’ says Mary Jane. ‘When you live in an apartment, you don’t have to worry about mowing the lawn or having to get the roof fixed after a big storm.’

As a long-time art collector, Mary Jane has many favourite art pieces that have followed her from home to home over many years. She is very aware of the power of art to transform and inspire. It is why art prints are a big element in her home-staging work, providing a springboard to colour and creativity. 

Katie observes that apartment living requires a considered approach on what furniture to include and how to manage clutter (think under-bed storage or the couch that doubles as a spare bed). ‘We don’t recommend going into one store to buy your whole set-up at once,’ says Katie. ‘It is better to collect things over time as you figure out how you want to live in your space.’

As a family business, they are known for their ‘less is more’ approach and keeping it clean and light. ‘We’re into minimalism but balancing that with nice plants, nice art, rugs and linen couches so it’s warm and inviting.’

No matter how small the apartment, Katie tries to include key staple items such as a dining table (even if it just seats two), coffee table, and comfortable couch. She says a low-profile couch will make a small space look bigger and a glass dining table with see-through ‘ghost’ chairs will keep it light.

For comfortable apartment living this winter, they suggest using a table lamp and a floor lamp in combination to provide layered light and ambience, as well as using a floor lamp to light a cosy reading nook. Both Katie and Mary Jane are avid readers who adore vertical bookshelves. Going up like this – rather than out – will help keep a small space tidy and add warmth and interest. As Katie says, ‘When I think of winter, I think of reading.’

For winter dinner parties, Katie suggests placing a lamp in the middle of the table as a softer alternative to bright overhead lighting. Use scented candles for added warmth and atmosphere.

Gentle, natural textures are recommended. Warm up floorboards with a soft rug or two. Linen couches, slim in size, will also feel snuggly. ‘Try pairing a wool throw or sheepskin rug over the side of the couch or occasional chair – we really love Wilson & Dorset.’

A family that works together in this case also likes spending time together outside of business hours, enjoying dinner parties, getaways to favourite places like Craggy Range in Hawke’s Bay, and of course sharing their passion for good books, good art and good living.

 

Trending style

What’s trending in interiors right now?

MJ: Natural fabrics and textures like linen and stone/marble.

What’s the most difficult commission you’ve ever had?

K: Having to do 10 townhouses in one day. We had to work with every hour we had and were still going late at night. Fortunately, it worked out well in the end.

MJ: That’s when I realised what an organised, clear brain Katie has for this work. She had everything labelled in advance and really nailed it.

How challenging is it to come up with something unique every time?

K: People come to us for staging as they like our aesthetic and look. We make sure we deliver on that while still providing a twist.

MJ: We often swap out the art to get a different look and change the vibe.

K: I like adding a cocktail cart so people can picture having friends over for drinks and a platter. It adds sparkle and helps them visualise the lifestyle on offer.