Our People

For Gosia Piątek, the founder of the iconic label Kowtow, life is a delicate and intentional balance between the domestic hum of London and the creative, salt-aired energy of Te Whanganui-a-tara, Wellington.

On a Taranaki hilltop, Lars and Christina Binsbergen have hand-crafted a life defined by deliberate artistry, Swiss precision and a resilient spirit that transforms timber into beauty.

Returning to Aotearoa after three decades, Ruebena Paraha, in her 70s, traded a career in interior design for a paintbrush. Crafting intricate, celestial narratives that bridge her global travels with the deep spiritual traditions of her ancestors.

Move over minimalism, wine-dark palettes are reclaiming the home with saturated hues offering a sensory sanctuary. Discover why deep tones are the ultimate tool for personal expression and mood-led interior design.

Often brilliance is driven by a touch of madness and Central Otago is renowned for mad pioneers that forged paths into unfamiliar territory to achieve beautiful outcomes. Ryan Sanders and Marco Creemers have embodied this pioneering spirit with their grand renovation of Earnscleugh Castle.

Built between calving sheds, kindy runs and nap times, Sarah and Will Kirkland have created a skincare brand grounded in A2 colostrum, science and the realities of family life.

Where Life & Design Intertwine

Miranda Osborne’s life and work are deeply inter-connected. There is no sharp line between home, family and business; instead, they flow into one another, shaped by care, creativity and connection.

For Sarah Dickie, a mindset and wellbeing coach based in Bannockburn, Central Otago, her best seat is often found in the hills that surround her.

Raised among heritage seeds, with a deep respect for the land, Amber Rose believes the future of health lies in remembering what we’ve forgotten – how to grow, cook and eat.

Small-scale flower farms are growing in numbers across the country – and for good reason. We head inside the world of cut flower farming in the sun-drenched Upper Clutha Basin.

For speech therapist Renee Taylor, food is more than fuel; it is culture, memory and dignity. After leaving the public health system to reconnect with her heritage, she discovered that the ocean’s calm offered the ultimate cure for a weary soul.

Take a moment to slow down and unwind with this easy textured canvas art project. Perfect as a solo creative reset, a relaxed date night, or a girls’ night in, it’s all about playing with texture, pattern, and depth to create something uniquely yours.

Add a little magic to a kid’s room with this DIY magnetic wall.

From Disconnection to Divine

A whirlwind of passion, enthusiasm and deep-seated compassion, Amy Shaw is a powerhouse of a business leader, creative director and healer – beautifully balancing logic with spiritual connection.

Settle Back & Swivel

Mark Lewis is no stranger to enduring design, with his furniture business preparing to celebrate 80 years in 2026. While his brand new showroom bursts with creative seating solutions, his favourite swivel chair takes pride of place.

Bright & Breezy

This summer we are all about blurring the lines between inside and out. Think texture, pattern and timeless shades to make dining, relaxing and entertaining al fresco just as easy and stylish as it is inside. Pip Goldsbury explains.

Magic in the Mundane

Nature’s greatest splendours and the grandest of objects are not all that attract this artist’s eye. It is likely to be a ray of light catching a water glass and refracting onto the kitchen bench that sparks her excitement.

At the Edge of the World

Nestled above the sandy sweep of St Clair beach in Dunedin, Derek and Rachael Morrison, have built a life as vivid and windswept as the waves they love.

All Shook Up

When Elvis Presley stepped out of his blue suede shoes and left the building for good in 1977, the world mourned. The undisputed King of Rock n Roll was dead at just 42 years old. An icon and a legend, his passing is still mourned. However, in the unlikeliest of places, a surprise awaits – a private museum of international proportions dedicated to the King himself.

Meet your Brain

Joy is so much more than a moment of pleasure; it’s a practice that rewires your brain for greater ease, connection and wellbeing. In her new book, Jen Sievers shares an insight into how to grasp onto it to ensure you are living a colourful, juicy life.

Rooted in craft and guided by conscience, fashion designer Biddie Cooksley unashamedly celebrates modern femininity in her designs. From her family’s legacy in garment-making to her thoughtful approach to sustainable production, she’s proving that style and substance can live beautifully side by side.

Visually rich and thoughtfully edited, New Zealand Rustic showcases a collection of homes designed to harmonise with the landscape, evoking a sense of place and belonging. Presented through a distinctly New Zealand perspective, the book highlights sustainable building practices, featuring locally sourced materials as well as recycled, upcycled, and repurposed resources.

As the days lengthen and we welcome the warmth of spring, it’s the perfect time to get our creative wheels whirring with the season of fresh starts! Pip Goldsbury offers some inspiration.

Melanie McKenzie challenges traditional visual perception, inviting viewers to see the world through a softer, more ethereal lens. While her hard wire stool might be a juxtaposition to that, even her best seat is an example of the different ways in which softness can be experienced. 

From sewing Barbie doll clothes as an eight-year-old, to producing award-winning World of WearableArt entries as an adult, creativity is in Leanne Day’s genes. Her far north home is the embodiment of her love for craft, colour and clever design.

A chance to build a contemporary house on a ‘cliffhanger’ site with extraordinary views also proved to be an exciting and enjoyable building experience for Bruce and Annette Cave of Whanganui.

Blenheim siblings Wendy and Ross Palmer have restored a cottage garden into a woodland wonderland, with a goal to delight and immerse visitors within the beauty of nature. Eliza’s Garden Cottage will be showcased at the Garden Marlborough Festival for the first time this spring.

Keep your favourite magazines organised and within easy reach with this stylish, X-shaped magazine stand. This simple project requires just a few straightforward cuts and no nails or screws, making it a perfect weekend DIY that’s quick, easy and rewarding!

Interior designer Wayne Good is passionate about colour, antiques and food, culminating in a home he describes as evoking a sense of ‘WOW, because that’s what I hear when people enter – it’s welcoming and very interesting.’ We talk to him about his vibrant use of colour.

Storytelling is a powerful tool for igniting change and sparking conversation. It is a super power that photographer Camilla Rutherford has in spades.

When the whenua is your inspiration and your connection with the land deeply ingrained, choosing to leave frenetic Auckland for the tranquillity of Rawene must surely lead to a quieter lifestyle. Not so for contemporary landscape artist Joanne Barrett. Life may be calmer, but it’s as busy as ever for the talented artist, designer and writer!

Fiona McIlraith, the mastermind behind our favourite woollen slippers, Woolfi, inspires us with her top winter comforts.

There’s a quiet revolution happening in rural New Zealand, and it has nothing to do with tractors or milk prices. We head in-store with Farmlands to uncover how they are bringing style and substance to rural living.

Milking cows is not something Wayne Good ever imagined he’d do, but life in the country suits this former chef and interior designer whose creativity is transforming a quiet rural block north of Hamilton.