GOING SMALL AND BEAUTIFUL

Resene Half Resolution

Resene Smashing The elegant lines of the Thomas Bina Blaine media console from Frobisher are accentuated by this playful, French-inspired colour palette featuring Resene Half Resolution and Resene Smashing. A bold electric blue wall in Resene Half Resolution elevates the ordinary, turning this living space into a gallery with pops of crisp white and Resene Smashing red. The colourful drama creates a complementary contrast to highlight the detail in the media console. This piece is raw and refined, classic and contemporary. Modern steel legs are the perfect counterpoint to a rustic frame and sliding door fronts, crafted from silver knotty oak solids and veneers in a unique slat-effect. Behind the cabinet doors are two generous sized shelves with cable management holes inside.

The Bubble Bubble table lamp from Frobisher creates a luxurious and lavish aesthetic. Taking inspiration from whimsical mid-century curves, this blown glass lamp moves into a contemporary world with polished iron fittings and an acrylic base.

Continuing the mid-century look, this classic Vogue 1950 print interrupts the Resene Half Resolution wall with a touch of drama. Connected to the surrounding accessories by the blue eye detail and crimson lips, this show-stopping print adds style to any space.

The red Roman vase by Pols Potten comes as part of a multi-coloured set with various silhouettes. Here the red Roman vase brings effortless style and character with a refined touch. Crafted in metal with a matte powdercoated finish with a soft tactile feel.

For more home style tips, visit abodemagazine.co.nz

Thomas Bina Blaine Media Console, Kristina Dam Cylinder Floor Lamp, Kristina Dam Brick Sculpture, and Nellcote Bubble Bubble Table Lamp from Frobisher; Mulberry Spray in Coral from Ballantyne’s; Vogue 1950 Print from Copper and Pink; Summit Stripe Rug in Black from Flooring Xtra; Annix Pedestal Pot in Cobalt from A&C Homestore; Roman Vase in Red and La Cottonaire Silk Sheer Curtain from McKenzie and Willis; Red Figurine stylist’s own; Resene Half Resolution and Resene Smashing from Resene Colorshops.

Lynette McFadden Business Owner & Mentor Harcourts gold @lynette_mcfadden Better writers, philosophers, scholars, poets – and even some wildly famous for everything but common sense – have had something to say about beauty.

Let’s face it, who hasn’t delivered a brushstroke onto this particular canvas?

From Confucius with “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it” to Shakespeare’s “Beauty’s a doubtful good, a glass, a flower lost, faded, broken, dead within the hour.” To Gwyneth Paltrow, who believes beauty is being comfortable in your own skin or a kick-ass red lipstick.

It’s a well-covered field so forgive me if I go small in this incredibly big realm. It’s the little things that mean beauty to me. First smiles – can you remember your child’s first smile, word, footsteps? Was there anything more beautiful?

Your grandparents’ hands when they held yours. I still remember my nana’s little wisp of a hand. Worn and wrinkled from working every day of her life and having nine children, hers was the most beautiful hand on an equally beautiful person.

Small wins throughout your life, like getting the job you interviewed for and putting on your wedding dress to marry the one you love. That’s beauty. Not objects nor cars, money, jewels, homes, all of which I’ve valued, but beauty touches your soul; it doesn’t just add to your assets.

Bev, one of the inaugural members of the Arvida Good Friends Community Living Well Centre in Addington, started with clear goals to improve strength, mobility, and balance. Over the last year, Bev has seen some impressive results.

Bev lives with MS and has found a supportive and inclusive environment at the Moving Well Gym, ‘lots of people in the gym have walking aids, sticks, and scooters like me’. Working with Laura, the Moving Well Manager, Bev’s consistency and hard work have allowed her to easily steady herself, move from her mobility scooter to furniture, sit up straighter and, most importantly, she is confident in her day-to-day life. Her progress has been noticed by friends and family, but also, her dentist commented on her improved mobility in and out of the dentist’s chair.

This speaks to the foundations of living well: staying flexible, fit, and strong. Arvida Good Friends supports older adults to keep and improve their mobility. Members can follow a personalised programme in the specialist 50+ gym and private 15-metre heated pool, supported by exercise scientist Laura Organ and her team, and attend all classes and activities.

The team is welcoming and friendly and is poised to discuss options with you. They also encourage you to bring a friend. There is parking right outside, and visitors are encouraged to have a look around and learn about all the activities available. You can even finish with a coffee and homemade treat at Natter Café.

Supporting older Cantabrians in living their best lives in the homes they know and love is Arvida Good Friends’ mission. They provide a vibrant community centre hub and can offer additional assistance such as private home help and home care support and helpful services like the Good Friends Go members’ rideshare transport for help with appointments, shopping, and socialising.

The Arvida Good Friends Community Living Well Centre is also available as a venue for clubs, meetings, or activities. All members, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations can book the upstairs space for free. It’s fully licenced, with catering and parking available. For more information call 0800 20 41 21.

goodfriends.co.nz

The Boutique Observatory Hotel is a significant milestone in Christchurch Arts Centre’s $290 million earthquake restoration.

The much-awaited Observatory Hotel at Te Matatiki The Arts Centre has a unique mix of Gothic Revival architecture, early Canterbury history, and a very modern take on Arts and Crafts interior styling. No two of the 33 guestrooms are the same, due in part to how the hotel spans three stone-clad, late 19th century to early 20th century buildings that once housed the Physics, Observatory, and Biology buildings of the original University of Canterbury. The interior styling is reminiscent of a large historic house but with a modern twist, featuring a lavish drawing room and library and distinctive furnishings made by local craftspeople.

“I liked the idea of visiting the hotel and being able to request a particular room that spoke to you,” says interior designer Jessica Close. “Every room has its own design scheme and personality.”

Eleven years after The Arts Centre was damaged extensively by the Canterbury earthquakes, the 7 May opening of The Observatory Hotel marked a significant milestone in its $290 million restoration.

“This hotel is nationally significant,” says Arts Centre Director Philip Aldridge.

“We’re not aware of any other hotel in New Zealand quite like it.

“It’s a unique ‘campus offering’ where you stay the night in the hotel but visit other places within The Arts Centre complex for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

“Guests also have access to a boutique cinema with two theatres, two museums, and dozens of permanent galleries and stores dotted throughout the site – all supplemented by an active events calendar.

“It’s a unique offer – imagine sauntering through the quads and cloisters in the moonlight back to your room, surrounded by exquisite art and vibrant interior design at its best.”

The bespoke approach includes art for sale curated by Jonathan Smart of The Central Art Gallery in the public spaces and The Creators’ Room artwork in the guest rooms.

The hotel is named after the 1896 Observatory Tower.