NZ Herald - Spaces Feature November 2018

A New Zealand Herald Commercial Publication

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

build, renovate & decorate

INSIDE AUCKLAND’S TOP HOMES

KNOWING when it’s time TO MOVE

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nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

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nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Spaces contents Knowing when it’s time to move p7 Freshen up with a makeover p8

Auckland’s top homes p4

Working with a designer p6

Gardening p10

Editor Greg Fleming gregory.fleming@nzme.co.nz Advertising Ben Trethewey ben.trethewey@nzme.co.nz Spaces is a NZME commercial publication

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HOME OF THE YEAR

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Auckland Supreme House of the Year (W.G. de Gruchy Construction Limited) left. Above Auckland Supreme Renovation of the Year (Hargraves Homes Ltd). Pics Supplied.

BEST OF THE BEST

Photos / Supplied

Spaces takes a peek inside two of Auckland’s top homes. By Greg Fleming

Building your own home?

O

Check out these financing tips: ● Be very clear about the budget of your project, as this affects every step. There are many options for financing new builds. Talk to your bank or mortgage broker as they can give you a good idea what you can afford. Shop around as interest rates can vary greatly. ● Be sure to read the fine print and get legal advice before signing any finance deals. ● Once you know your budget, ensure you prioritise your ‘wants and needs’. Needs should always come first. Wants can be leveraged

ne hundred of the best home builds in New Zealand have been named as National Gold Reserve Finalists in the Registered Master Builders 2018 House of the Year competition and two stunning Auckland homes caught the judges’ eye.

W.G. de Gruchy Construction Limited won the Auckland Registered Master Builders 2018 Supreme House of the Year, a Gold Award and Category win for the New Home over $2 million award for their Devonport home. The company were also awarded the Craftmanship Award, Plumbing World Bathroom Excellence Award and the Heart of the Home Kitchen Award for their work on the home.

The judges said it was a spectacular build, that made extensive use of New Zealand natural materials.

“This is a well-designed and functional house. Its high ceilings and clerestory windows make it feel very open and spacious,” they said.

Timaru Bluestone has been used for the exterior cladding and interior

feature walls, while Totara Riverwood had been used on the fascia, ceilings, soffits and decking, along with Rimu Riverwood for flooring and skirtings.

Hargraves Homes Ltd was awarded the Auckland Registered Master Builders 2018 Supreme Renovation of the Year, along with a Gold Award and Category win for the Renovation over $1 million award.

It was a detailed renovation of a classical 1970s Robert Railley designed home that took place while the owners were still living in a part of the home.

The renovation included remodelling both the two lower levels and adding a new kitchen, bathrooms, and a third-level master bedroom, ensuite and study area.

Spaces talked to two judges of this year’s competition, Eric Dally and Clive Barrington about the trends they noticed when out on the road judging.

2018/19 trends Kitchens — Pendant lights are a popu-

lar trend in kitchens this year, with many homes featuring three hanging lights above an island. Judge Dally noted that lighting is becoming more sophisticated in kitchens with hidden LED strip lighting used in kitchen and pantry toe spaces, so these pendant lights are a great way to add style to a kitchen.

Bathrooms —While visiting homes across the country, Dally came across stunning bathrooms with wall-to-

into your building project where the budget will allow. ● Your builder and architect should be able to provide you with some good ‘rule of thumb’ advice to help formulate your requirements and let you know if you need to add engineers to your project. ● Know the difference between a quote and an estimate. An estimate is only an approximation of what the estimator thinks the job will cost. A quote is an explicit promise of what a job will cost — always get a quote in writing.

Source: Master Builders ceiling tiles. “In bathrooms, we are seeing tiling of both walls and floors continue to dominate. This has been a trend for a while and continues to be popular in many homes,” he says.

“This creates a cohesive, stylish and modern look for any bathroom.”

Exterior claddings— Across the country, judges are continuing to see black cedar exterior claddings continue to grow in popularity. “Black exterior claddings are still very in

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vogue and consist generally of cedar weather boards stained black, plaster systems painted black, and Linea weatherboards painted black,” says Dally. Clive Barrington agrees with this trend, saying many of the luxury properties he judged featured cedar that was generally stained dark brown or black.

Flooring — While polished and exposed concrete floors were a leading floor trend in 2017, this year timber floors were popular across many homes. “Engineered natural timber floors are becoming popular in living and kitchen spaces, and passages,” says Dally. Barrington also noticed the timber trend: “Timber is featuring more now than ever in all areas of the house — kitchens, interiors, floors.”

Feature walls — If you are looking to add a splash of colour to a room, bold wallpaper is a new trend being seen in many homes. “Bold wallpaper is becoming popular to highlight walls and, in some cases, whole rooms as it provides a dramatic effect,” says Dally. Barrington agrees, saying he saw “really way-out wallpaper coming on to the scene” in many homes he judged. ● National winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Auckland on Saturday 24th of November.

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nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Get the colour scheme for your house just right with these tips

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FLYING COLOURS

Timeless exteriors When your canvas is literally as big as a house, you want to ensure you get the paint colours right.

First impressions count It can be a daunting task deciding on a scheme for the exterior, especially given the cost of materials and labour.

House exteriors are subject to changing tastes and fashions but repainting the outside of your house is a lot more costly and timeconsuming than giving your living room a new lick of paint to suit your changing mood. Which is why most of us choose more timeless schemes for the outside.

The current trends are fairly timeless anyway — soft or mid-greys, white, black, grey-blues or greygreens. Muted colours suit exteriors, whether you’re in the city, suburbia or out in the country. They don’t fight visually with their surroundings.

Remember that white will make your house look larger, just as darker colours will make your house visually recede … but will also give your home a dramatic feel.

Black may not always be technically suitable for your house. Dark colours absorb more of the sun’s heat and can put stress on the cladding.

With any darker colour, consider using the Resene CoolColour range, formulated with special pigment technology to reflect more of the sun’s energy. This keeps the coating and substrate cooler, reducing the likelihood of heat damage such as warping.

Finding inspiration Let history and house style lead you — heritage tones for a villa, soft gelato shades for an Art Deco stucco cottage or brooding black for a contemporary masterpiece.

For inspiration, cruise the neighbourhood and check out similar styles of houses. Door-knock and ask the names of colours you love. Don’t exactly copy a direct neighbour, however, or you may be struck off the street party list. Keep a scrapbook of ideas, so you get a feel for your own style.

The environment may give you clues. Lots of leafy trees and bush may inspire you to stained cedar, or soft green weatherboards. Near a beach? Maybe palest grey-blues and crisp whites are the go.

While this country has a certain tolerance for freedom of expression, bedecking your home in tangy orange may be okay in a funky innercity suburb, but not in a more conservative area. In fact, some suburbs

House exterior in Resene Athens Grey mixed with Resene Black White and Resene Tuna.

Near a beach? Palest grey-blues and crisp whites are the go. Resene Periglacial Blue exterior on chair and seat, wall in Resene Poured Milk (left); colours look much lighter outdoors, especially in our strong sunlight. If in doubt choose a shade darker. Wall in Resene Safehaven (right).

have covenants that restrict what colours and materials you can use on your house exterior. Best find out what those are before you buy buckets of paint.

Handy guidelines Colours usually look much lighter outdoors, especially in our strong sunlight. If in doubt choose a shade darker. They also change if you put them beside other colours: a grey roof makes green walls look fresher, and a high-gloss finish (rather than a lowsheen finish) renders a colour brighter. Contrasts make a colour scheme more interesting, but only highlight details if they deserve the focus.

When choosing a colour family for your exterior, try the Resene Whites

and Neutrals collection. It’s rich in neutral variants from pale grey to stone tones and soft green-greys.

Always test your colour with a Resene testpot. Paint a sample on card so it’s easy to move around and test on both the sunny and shady sides of the house.

While cedar cladding can be left to slowly turn grey, this leaves it exposed to the weather. If you want to keep a natural look, stain it using the Resene Waterborne Woodsman range. Visit your local Resene ColorShop to see the colour options on different timber.

How many colours?

A controllable number of colours to use in an exterior scheme is four: one for the main cladding, one for the

trims, one for the roof and spouting, and an accent that you might use on the front door. You can then use one of these on the fence too. The more colours you end up with, the more you should consider using colour families or variants of the same colour. If you use too few colours, your house may end up looking bland and lacking personality. A hit of bold colour on the front door in a Resene Enamacryl gloss finish could be the remedy.

A dark colour on your fence, such as Resene Pitch Black, can help it recede into the background so your garden can take centre stage.

Look carefully at all of the different elements that make up your house exterior, from the roof and barge boards, to the cladding, window trims,

any ornate timber work, verandas and front steps. Will they all be painted, and in different colours?

What elements will remain unpainted but still be a significant part of the overall look and colour scheme: brick, timber, guttering and spouting and downpipes, steps? Also remember to extend the scheme into your garden, especially on decorative fences or those that sit in front of your house.

Wash and repeat Once you’ve finished painting, remember to plan a house wash every year with detergent and water, such as Resene Paint Prep and Housewash.

Just like cleaning your car, a house wash will keep your home looking good.

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INTERIOR DESIGN

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Yvette Jay (below) says of this Devonport home: “The villa’s interiors are honest to the architecture while weaving the owner’s personal style and stories into the elegant and refined finishing layers.” Photos / Sam Hartnett;

Ted Baghurst

Working with a designer Involve an interior designer when undertaking a new build or renovation. By Greg Fleming

T

he relationship between the designer and the client is all about trust, says Auckland interior designer Yvette Jay. “Designing the interior of a home is an intensely personal experience and the designer needs to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. They need to understand your vision and will be relying on your input throughout the process to help realise this.”

She says that when briefing the designer it’s vital homeowners ask questions if there is anything they’re uncertain about or don’t understand.

“At the same time, expect to be challenged by your designer — it’s their role to push your boundaries with their seasoned aesthetic skills and professional expertise. It’s always a good idea to involve an interior designer sooner rather than later when undertaking a new build or renovations as many of the finishes decisions are made during the consent documentation phase. This will ensure that the key early aesthetic decisions are on the right track for your overall vision for your home.”

What should homeowners consider when setting a budget?

It’s important to be upfront with budgets from the start of any project.

Interior trends for summer

I like to keep things simple….beautiful, thoughtful and functional are the concepts that drive my interior design decisions.

Yvette Jay

I often prepare a preliminary budget for my clients as part of the initial investigation of their brief. It’s a useful tool in helping them understand what the cost are likely to be and how they are spread over a project. It’s a good reality check for them.

There’s a preconception that only wealthy people can afford a designer’s services . . . true?

When clients budgets are tighter, it often falls to them to do more of the sourcing. My time is focused on meetings with them where we review everything and then refine the path forward. That way they benefit from my expertise without blowing their budget before their design is fully

realised.

What if the client has unrealistic expectations?

Every so often I do come across clients with unrealistic expectations and it’s important to be upfront with then about it.

Do you work closely with them throughout the design process?

It’s the best part of my role. There are so many decisions to be made and clients are often overwhelmed so I need to guide and advise them throughout the process. It is a big time investment for clients and takes commitment. It’s really satisfying at the end of a project to see how all of those small decisions add up to a magnifi-

Optimism Optimism is the mood for summer 2018/2019 and it is expressed with bold, confident and graphic colourblocking treatments and a playful, happy design aesthetic . . . green is a thing . . . and minimalism is still as chic as ever.

Maximalism from the 1970s is back This means lots of texture, patterns, bold graphics and colour.

Embellishment is everywhere, wallpapers, mirrors, marquetry and fringing . . . go heavy on the glam.

Conscious colours There’s a growing popularity of green and earth-toned colours. cent whole.

Of course every job is different but do you have a broad design philosophy that you skew to?

I like to keep things simple … beautiful, thoughtful and functional are the concepts that drive my interior design decisions. Everything is considered and designed to as a tactile, layered expression of the architecture and the clients themselves.

Timeless beige, minimal grey, and linen are coming back as neutral tones to balance alongside the flame reds, richer terracotta, deep blues and water reflection greens and chartreuse.

Minimalism’s new movement This combines the traditional elegance of Japanese culture with the modern and slight dark Scandi Noir aesthetic — Japandi. Japan’s sleek and rich colour palette, refined elegance and curves, and accents with screens and vases is contrast with Scandi rustic details and neutral colours, relaxed farmhouse flair, and accents with blankets, throw pillows and rugs.

What if there are problems — or the clients keep changing their minds?

Every client is different, so I have to work with them at their own pace and give them what they need to feel confident about the decisions they are making. If clients keep changing their minds, or struggle to make decisions, then naturally projects are drawn out and there are cost implications.

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MOVING

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Reasons for moving

made necessary by the end of a relationship. In this case, both parties will probably need all that they can possibly get from a sale in order to start over.

“You do see those situations and they can be very tense and stressful,” says Barbara.

“And you also see widows and widowers having to leave a house that holds a lifetime’s memories and while that’s sad, of course, it can often be uplifting too.

“We know of a lady who sold the big family home after her husband died and now lives five months of the year in France, where all her friends come to stay with her for in summer.

“She’s still in good health and has found the whole experience very liberating.”

More space, less space, better schools, new opportunities the reasons for moving are many discovers Louise Richardson

N

ew Zealanders are keen on real estate, and issues around home ownership are rarely out of the headlines these days.

Every homeowner who makes a decision to sell has a reason for undertaking what can be a stressful, tiring, but also potentially exciting move. Many of those reasons relate quite simply to the normal cycle of life, but there are many other factors that can come into play.

You’ve got to start somewhere Although there’s no denying that getting on to the home ownership ladder is tough, every year thousands of kiwi couples do become first-home buyers. Many settle for something simple as a springboard to getting ahead with carefully laid-out longterm plans in mind.

Chances are that that they’ll renovate, or at least redecorate that property and perhaps start a family there, but around half of New Zealand babies move at least once in their first two years of life.

Room to move Although it’s no longer a given that kiwi families can afford the traditional quarter-acre pavlova paradise, space is still a major consideration for those with growing children, so young home-owners often sell up in order

to gain more room. School zones are also a major consideration at this stage of life, and many moves are strategic in this regard.

When children are older, high school zones become arguably even more important, and the pursuit of those deemed the best ones is behind many thousands of house sales each year.

In Auckland, the celebrated double-Grammar zone, which refers to Auckland Grammar School and Epsom Girls’ Grammar School has a life cycle of its own as empty-nesters in Remuera, Epsom and Mount Eden, whose children have finished school and left home, regularly sell to parents with younger families who are following a few years behind them.

The finally free effect Stanley and Barbara Armon have been in real estate for many years with Barfoot and Thompson in Remuera, and they’ve seen all sorts of variations in the property life cycle.

“The baby boomers’ parents are getting out of their big homes and many are looking for a new lifestyle at an age when their own parents might have gone into a retirement home or village,” says Barbara.

The Armons say that these sorts of vendors want lock-up-and-leave properties requiring minimum main-

There are many factors that come into play when moving.

tenance and they think that this is definitely behind the huge move towards apartment living in Auckland.

“Some of them have realised that only by shedding the big family home can they guarantee that so-called ‘boomerang’ adult children, can’t move back in with them,” says Stanley.

He adds that now these older couples can go travelling independently, having freed up some of their investment by downsizing and many are joining an ever-growing group of cruise fans who love to spend months on the waterways, and at sea.

“Another thing we’ve noticed is that older people also love local getaways, as life in the city becomes busier and more hectic by the day.”

“Barbara and I realised that was exactly what we needed about 10 years ago, and now we have a bolthole in Awhitu for relaxing week-

Photo / Getty Images

end wind-downs.”

Serial renovators While some potential homeowners want to walk right in, unpack, and get on with everyday life, more and more of us are keen on renovating and redecorating, with some people doing it on a very regular basis.

Naturally, there are those who start out with the express purpose of making money, but the popularity of TV shows, such as The Block NZ demonstrates that a huge number of New Zealanders hanker after the perfect dream home and are prepared to work avidly to achieve it.

Then, if they’ve really enjoyed the experience there’s always the temptation to sell and move again, taking on a new blank canvas.

The sad stuff Of course, many property moves are

Money, money, money There’s certainly a positive side to money and real estate, especially if you got into the market before the incredible boom of the past few years.

If you are prepared to sell now in order to kill debt and get the use of your equity by moving somewhere more modest, that can be a great idea.

Selling a home to free up cash flow for a new business often makes sense too.

However, there can be a dark side to the financial part of moving and if you’ve over-stretched or overcapitalised, the resulting situation can be disappointing.

That’s life Of course there are still many more reasons behind people’s property moves. A change of job and location, a need for public transport or motorway access, sickness or immobilisation come to mind.

Vendors might need to be closer to invalid parents, and grandparents often want to be closer to their little ones. With a fresh flow of properties hitting the market after a quiet winter, one thing is for certain — moving companies won’t be twiddling their thumbs any time soon!

Before

THE KITCHEN IS THE HEART OF THE HOME No longer hidden away, the kitchen is where we live our lives. It’s where we eat, connect and spend time with friends. So it has to be comfortable with a crowd. And it has to have personality, texture and colour… all the ingredients of a good dish.

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MAKEOVERS

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Freshen up with a makeover What to make over:

Want a new kitchen or bathroom but can’t deal with the cost and upheaval of ripping it out and starting again? Try a makeover. By Raewyn Court

● Benchtops ● Cabinet doors ● Handles ● Paintwork ● Lightshades ● Decks ● Landscaping

“I

f the design of your kitchen is functional and the cabinetry is in good condition, then it makes sense to do a makeover rather than start again,” says Rob Thomas, owner of My Kitchen Makeover.

Thomas says New Zealanders just love renovating and redecorating their homes, because we think of ourselves as characterised by our ability to invent new things and new processes.

“Over time, our number 8 wire mentality has become a metaphor for our innovativeness — in our character and central to our economy.”

He believes there are other reasons too, such as adding value in order to climb the property ladder and because Kiwis enjoy keeping up with the latest trends coming in from overseas.

He attributes our love of new trends to our tendency to frequently refresh our home decor, and says that because we often want to do it ourselves, it can make sense to do a quick makeover rather than a full renovation.

“And this is the reason that companies who specialise just in makeovers are consistently having to ‘up-spec’ the offering to include new designs, colours and an international calibre of technology and innovation.”

Thomas notes there is a real surge in the trend to makeover what we’ve got rather than undertake major renovations.

“New Zealanders are embracing the convenience, cost and environmental benefits of doing a makeover

New Zealanders are embracing the convenience, cost and environmental benefits of doing a makeover rather than ripping out and starting again. Makeovers can be the cheaper route, but they also work so well — because you're only altering surface details. rather than ripping out and starting again. Makeovers can be the cheaper route, but they also work so well — because you're only altering surface details. Most minor cosmetic work can be done efficiently, on a budget, and gives people the ability to change with the seasons.”

In the business of making over kitchens, Thomas says one of the main reasons people prefer to give their kitchen a facelift rather than putting in a whole new one is the convenience.

“When you do a makeover, your kitchen literally stays operational

right throughout the makeover process — with the odd exception, for example if we’re doing a major layout enhancement. However, when you’re installing a new kitchen there is always downtime between the old one coming out and the new one going in.”

Cost is also a major factor, says Thomas, “because most of the time when you’re installing a new kitchen, there are extra costs involved such as moving the plumbing and additional electrical work.”

Enhancements to existing kitchens can include cabinetry

improvements to improve functionality, and in most cases it’s possible to increase bench space and existing storage space. Thomas says these are some of the most common requirements requested by his clients.

How much an old or dated kitchen can be made over really depends on its age, says Thomas.

“Because of the way kitchens are constructed, there are some kitchens that just cannot be made over and need to be replaced. But as long as the kitchen is in good condition and makeover-able, then updating the cabinetry and benchtop colours is generally the best way to create a more modern look.”

One of the most popular current trends is for kitchens to be light and bright. Thomas says most of his clients want to lighten up their kitchen space and this means the use of colour is very important.

“Resene has 75 different shades of white available and there are many, many benchtop colours on the market too, so it’s critical to choose the right-coloured finishes for your kitchen. With this in mind, most kitchen

makeovers should include a design service to assist homeowners in choosing the colours and finishes for their kitchen makeover, to ensure they complement the style of the home we’re working in.”

Another popular area to modernise and freshen up is, of course, bathrooms. Along with kitchens, these are important areas in adding value to a home and can also be madeover rather than gutted. And Thomas says another favourite facelift option is new paint.

“There’s nothing like a good paint job to freshen up your home.”

He notes, though, that outdoor spaces seem to be the most popular area to makeover at the moment.

“If you’re satisfied with your kitchen and bathroom, then adding a deck to create more outdoor space, preferably in a sunny area, is a great way to make your home more liveable — especially in the lead-up to the warmer months.”

If homeowners are looking for cost-effective ways to freshen a house for sale without spending too much, Thomas recommends painting and minor landscaping.

“These are great ways to prepare your home for sale without breaking the bank — especially because you can do it yourself if you really need to save money.”

Websites such as Pinterest are also great for ideas on how to accessorise your home with the latest trends, and New Zealand’s renovation retailers are large enough to offer competitive pricing on just about everything you can view online, says Thomas.

“I believe that first impressions count, so make sure the front of your home really shines when preparing it for sale as well as ensuring the rest is as tidy, fresh and uncluttered as you can make it!”

HOME ENVY

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

E9

HOUSE ENVY Here are some tips on how to deal with this monster. By Joanna Mathers

Photo / Getty Images

T

he 1960s-era home I inhabit is lovely. There’s the Game of Thrones-esque stone fireplace that extends across an entire wall; the glass-walled office with polished floors where I watch the moon rise on clear nights. The deep, curved bath, the bush-clad valley that’s best viewed from the wooden balcony running off the dining room.

Yes, all very lovely . . . but not mine.

House envy has a particularly painful sting when you’re a renter.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware that I’m extremely lucky to be able to afford such a beautiful home, but the three-monthly inspections are a sweet little reminder that I’m not really the queen of this castle.

When friends talk about the irritation of kitchen refurbishments, I have to keep myself in check. It would be very easy to blurt out something like “don’t moan, you spoiled brat”, but I don’t.

Others out there who don’t own homes, or own homes under par in the style stakes, will empathise with me. The “casual” (read highly staged) Instagram photos of friend’s elegant dinner parties in dining rooms make me wish there was an emerald green “jealous” emoticon. Instead I post things such as “jealous, haha”, which appears light-hearted but is actually laced with acid. But I must push through and not bow to such unworthy emotions. Here are some of my tips on how to deal with the monster of house envy.

1. Filters Nothing is real. Once you’re aware of

this, you’re well on the path to making other people envy you. It’s possible with the right phone filter to make your less-then-gracious home look like something rather special. All you need is a white wall, a semi-decent table and some artfully curated opshop crockery, plus table setting inspiration courtesy of Pinterest, and viola! You’ve created an illusion worthy of David Blaine. Add an artful filter and your cheap little dining room looks like a million bucks.

2. Declutter On a slightly more serious note, it’s easy not to see the forest for the trees when you live in a home that’s full of junk. Those with small children will understand how frustrating it is to endlessly tidy and retidy toys — it’s like a curse straight from the annals of Greek mythology. But less is more (as they say) and getting rid of excess stuff can make your home feel far more habitable. Unless you are extremely adept at trinket taming, it’s best to go minimal.

3. Bargain hunt If you can’t afford top-of-the-range, don’t worry about it. It’s nice to own

lovely stuff, but lovely stuff doesn’t have to cost the earth. I’ve found many a treasure on Trade Me and in op shops in the most unlikely places. Creating a lovely home furnished with pieces that have been sourced on family road trips is far more satisfying than credit-card maxxing top dollar purchases that will take years to pay off.

4. Cup half full Sure, it would be lovely to live in a gorgeous Mt Eden villa, but if you are living in a warm, dry home (rental or not) you are very privileged. A huge percentage of the world’s population would envy your way of life — running water, enough food, a safe country — so don’t let thoughts of unworthiness get you down. You are one of the lucky ones — even if you don’t have fully integrated smart home.

5. Treat yourself If there is something that you really covet, save up for it and treat yourself. There is a huge level of satisfaction to be found in working hard for something that will enrich your life in some way. People with loads of

The new home of real estate .co.nz

cash don’t have the same level of satisfaction when they purchase endless luxury goods as us humbler folk do. If you long for one really special thing that will bring a smile to your face every time you see it, work for it. It will be a reminder of how much you can achieve when you set your mind to it . . . and impress your friends at dinner parties.

6. Don’t take it too seriously Envy is an unpleasant (and rather embarrassing) emotion. But it is something that everyone experiences — rich or poor, young or old.

We live in a very materialistic world and people are often judged by appearance or wealth, but these things are temporal. Don’t get caught in the envy trap. For one thing, angsting over what you don’t have is exhausting. It’s also pointless and a waste of time.

7. Keep it in perspective Your friends with the lovely homes don’t have the same life as you. They may have a beautiful home, but beautiful homes aren’t the be all and end all of happiness. Try to enjoy

being in spaces that are lovely, but if you start getting too overwhelmed with envy, think of the mortgage payments. There are people out there who are barely able to afford to go to the doctor because their mortgage payments are so huge. Your little house may be humble, but it’s home.

8. Think of the housework Unless they’ve got a fulltime housekeeper (which is unlikely) your friends with beautiful homes must spend hours doing housework every day. It takes time to have a perfectly polished home, so unless you’re a clean freak yourself, just enjoy doing the stuff you love outside of the house and pity your poor friends and their endless tidying.

Humans are, by nature, competitive creatures. It’s only natural that we feel envy when we see others living in spaces that we covet. But even if you are never likely to own a home to grace the pages of a glossy magazine, it’s no big deal. Make the best of what you’ve got, take a deep breath, and have gratitude for what you’ve got. In the scheme of things, it’s likely to be more than enough.

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E10

GARDENING

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

From traditional to modern tropical – there’s a perfect garden for everybody. By Louise Richardson

I

t’s the time of year when our gardens are finally emerging fully from winter’s onslaught; scrappy and tired, but ripe for restoration and regeneration.

It often doesn’t take too much money or effort in order to bring our outdoor areas back to life in time for summer either. As always, imagination tends to be the most outstanding key ingredient.

Gardening writer Sarah O’Neil is already in her element, enjoying the promise that comes with a new season.

“This is the time to set the scene, paying special attention to the hard landscaping such as fences, raised beds and screens,” she says.

“I like to think of this part as building a theatre, providing a stage on which the actors — your plants — will star.

“Essentially, you are laying the foundations for a garden that will bring you huge pleasure, now, and in the future.”

She says that trees can be the best backdrop, providing privacy and shade, but it’s getting quite late in terms of planting them.

“You really need to get in right now and be careful where you place them as you want to avoid having trees growing too close to the house.”

O’Neil’s own specialinterest lies in growing her own fruit and vegetables and she says that every season she finds herself excited yet again by all the new seeds that are coming to market.

“There’s never been a better time to be a gardener — not only can you save money but you can also have great fun.

“Take tomatoes, for example,” she says.

“There are black, yellow, orange, purple, and of course traditional red varieties available now at garden centres and they all taste subtly different, as well as looking fantastic in a salad.”

O’Neil is a great believer in getting children involved in the gardening process, teaching them how to mulch the soil to keep weeds down, and how to water when necessary.

She’s noticed that lots of seedling or packet seeds now, cater for helping to raise butterfly numbers — another project that young family members will enjoy.

“Many people assume that the

Setting the scene

Wooden pergolas covering in rambling roses (top); An urban backyard vegetable garden with raised garden Photos / Getty Images beds (inset).

only hosts caterpillars like to feed on are swan plants, but that’s definitely not true as they also like many other flowers, including cosmos, marigolds and zinnias, and these are all great companion plants in a vegetable garden,” she says. “And of course the bees like a wide variety of nectars too.”

As far as flowers go, O’Neil has noticed a huge resurgence in the

popularity of traditional favourites such as dahlias.

“Again, you just wouldn’t believe how many new colours and different varieties there are out there and dahlias always make a spectacular show.

She says that other staples of our grandmothers’ gardens, including cornflowers, nigella, Love in the Mist and even carnations are also staging comebacks.

The great thing about modern gardens is that we not only design them and choose plants to give ourselves satisfaction, we design them to share and many happy Kiwi occasions are held on the deck or the patio, with friends.

O’Neil has some good ideas around this, too.

“I like to plant things that have a wonderful fragrance by my entertaining areas and queen of the night

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is a top contender, along with nightscented stock, which has the most amazing perfume.

“White flowers of any kind always look lovely and romantic in the moonlight,” she says.

Flowers and edibles apart, there are some more very distinct garden trends this season and in Northern climes, a sub-tropical vibe is top of the pops.

Luckily, these are the sorts of plantings that look great, can cover large areas of land, and require minimal input in terms of on-going care, although they do need plenty of compost at the outset.

If you’re in a hurry to achieve that island-resort look, banana palms grow quickly, giving almost instant gratification, with their huge, lush leaves. They need full sunshine and shelter from the wind — plus plenty of water. Some types are purely ornamental but if you want the added bonus of actual bananas, there are a number of online tutorials that

discuss all the ins and outs of growing them successfully. They don’t handle frost well, so are most suited to gardens in, around, and north of Auckland.

Also popular are various types of taro, which also put on a great display in a relatively short time and vireyas and clivias help to add colour, as will coleus, with its green and bright-red or pink variegated leaves.

Tropical garden fans often add in the ever-popular canna lily, and bromeliads are very eye-catching when they are massed together but these relatives of the pineapple family do require a lot of work as they regularly produce ‘pups’, which need to be separated and re-potted.

The good thing about tropical style is the fact that you can add in traditional favourites and they work well. The dahlias we talked about earlier look fantastic with palms and leafy shrubs, and begonias can be used to add extra colour too.

E11

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018

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E12

nzherald.co.nz | The New Zealand Herald | Wednesday, November 14, 2018