Life + Style 5 February 2015

Photo: Bruce Barnard

21 August, 2015

life+style The Weekend Sun 1

From showroom to your home: Tile Gallery is a work of art See page 2

THE WEEKEND

Featuring

Sustainable living | Food | Valentine’s Day treats | Living trends

2

life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015 5 February, 2016

A work of art Be inspired by Tile Gallery’s unique collection

Tile Gallery owners Gay Barber and Robyn Davis know how important it is to get the right ones to match your space, décor and desires.

“It’s a big investment,” says Robyn.

“Tiles are glued to the floor for a long time so every effort needs to be made to make the right choice.”

Having been in the tile industry for 19 years, Robyn and Gay have recently relocated to their new showroom in Judea, previously working out of Pahoia until November last year.

The move has allowed them to display their unique collection of tiles in one space, as well as providing a

“designer hub” in-house for the interior designers and architects that they work closely with.

What makes Gay and Robyn different from other tile outlets?

For one, they’re extremely passionate about tiles.

“They’re quite exciting!” shares Robyn. “Like any changing fashion trend, it’s interesting to see what new designs are being manufactured.”

They are also committed to quality and service, and from the moment you step in the showroom door to the ‘chink’ of Champagne glasses as you celebrate your renovations or build, Gay and Robyn are there to help.

“We get a real feel for our clients’ needs, what they are looking for and can help them with tough choices, or put them in touch with different

“We offer everything from affordable to the high-end luxury tiles” Gay Barber and Robyn Davis.

Photos: Bruce Barnard.

It’s one of the most important decisions a homeowner can make – we’re talking about tiles.

designers they may choose,” says Robyn.

They are focused on quality, which means many of the porcelain tiles in the showroom are from Italy and Spain, the home of gorgeous tiles.

“We are getting new tiles every week.

A large percentage are exclusive to us in the Bay, so we do stand out and offer everything from affordable to the high-end luxury tiles.”

So what’s hot right now? Trends shown at the Tile Fair in Italy this season were

a marble-look (Calacatta, Carrara and Statuario) porcelain, and wood-look tiles are perfect for all areas, especially in spaces where there is a lot of moisture, if you want that timbered style.

Another trend is big is best, even for smaller areas, and as well as the ‘normal’ size of 600mm x 600mm, Tile Gallery offers 1200mm x 600mm, 800mm x 800mm and 750mm x 750mm.

Tile Gallery’s showroom, corner of Birch Ave and Amber Cres in Judea, has both an

interior and exterior display, showing their comprehensive and ever-changing range, including deck jack 20mm porcelain pavers, suitable for decks and level entry, which can be adjusted to any height/slope.

Tile Gallery has been fortunate enough to be associated with several award winning homes and the latest being the National Supreme award for registered Master Builders 2015 House of the Year, located at Mount Maunganui, plus Regional 2015 Renovation of the Year.

5 February, 2016

life+style The Weekend Sun 3

Best buzz-ness in town New store earns its stripes

Photos: Bruce Barnard.

It’s easy to find Kris Jansen buzzing around town – just look out for her little yellow and black car with plates BEEUTI. Adopting the sunny shade of her favourite insect, the honey bee, is no coincidence as the business woman has an affinity for the winged creature.

Growing up the daughter of Robin Jansen, owner and beekeeper of the now-named Huka Honey Hives in Taupo, bees and their by-product have been a big part of her life from day dot.

“I was one of five kids – three boys and two girls.

One of my first memories is of Dad and his Bedford J4, full of beehives and millions of bees. As kids we’d sit in the truck and watch him go from hive to hive, beekeeper to beekeeper. He had about 5000 hives.

I loved it. I’d often get stung though because the bees would come through the vents. I didn’t mind.”

When her beloved father passed away in 1992, Kris took up the mantle. She was a busy bee, opening her first Honey Hive retail shop on the Kapiti Coast in 1995, before bringing the factory production down from Taupo as well, and opening a central city Wellington store under the name Honeymeisters. Then, eight years ago, she travelled to Christchurch to expand the brand.

But then earthquakes hit, her marriage came to an end, and Kris suddenly found herself wondering, ‘What next?’

“I tried and tried to make it work there, but people weren’t coming into the CBD, which is where I wanted to be.

“I looked at what I wanted to do. I had a couple of brothers in Tauranga, so I moved up here. I spend most of my time in the store and just a couple of days in the factory, as one of my brothers is now helping me out.”

The factory she refers to is her Greerton-based production facility, where she makes the various honey products she sells out of her Honeymeisters store in Mount Maunganui.

For the serious honey lovers, it’s the shelves of edible goodies that catch their eye in store.

Gingerlicious Ginger Bee (a mix of honey and ginger) is a popular choice in the Bay of Plenty, while Rob’s Apricot and Honey is created using her father’s 30-year-old recipe. And then there’s the Beenut Butters, a caramel-like combination of honey and peanuts that tastes heavenly.

“I always want to be able to create more and interesting products,” she says. The store allows me to directly connect with my customers and better understand their needs.

She’s turned her Mount store into a pseudo office, in which she can be found educating visitors on the joys of the honey bee – or rolling her own candles.

“There’s a growing awareness of the danger to the honey bee, particularly in New Zealand, but the problem is there are many people doing beekeeping for solely manuka, and in some areas there is too much. As soon as you do intensive farming in one area, that puts pressure on the animal and before we know it, there may be serious sustainability issues.”

Bee Inspired

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN

AMERICAN STYLE COMPETITIVE

CHEERLEADING?

PHONE 0800 BAYBLINDS NOW FOR A FREE MEASURE & QUOTE Huge Savings direct from the manufacturer Quality Blinds | 100% made in the Bay 8 Maleme Street, Greerton | 07 578 7794 | bayblinds.co.nz

Laura Weaser

4

5 February, 2016 life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015

Stowed safe and close to your heart, a Stow locket filled with precious charms captures your story – from Molyneux Jewellers.

Entertain your wife over dinner with these pure beeswax candles, hand rolled by the Honeymeister in Mount Maunganui.

Share the love this Valentine’s Day Valentine’s shopping made easy with Paradise @ The Mount.

Give your significant other a special treat to mark the occasion and show them how much you care.

HOME FRAGRANCE COLLECTION

Metal and wood signs of love and inspiration – available in the CBD at Indelible, Devonport Road.

is at

5 February, 2016 21 August, 2015 Give your loved one something hot this Valentine’s Day! Raw, fresh and natural sambal from sambalofthegods.com

Take a look at the fabulous range of ‘loved up’ accessories, soft furnishings and furniture – available from furnish.co.nz

These indulgent scented soy candles are the perfect gift this Valentine’s Day! Available at Flux Boutique, Maunganui Road.

life+style The Weekend Sun 5

6

February, 2016 life+style The Weekend Sun 215 August, 2015

Gathering resources Living off the land On a typical day, Tess and Marco Partridge’s farm in the Papamoa Hills is the picture of serenity – million-dollar views of Tauranga Moana, lush rolling green fields, bordered by the wilderness of evergreen natural bush.

Nothing but you and your thoughts to keep you company.

But for the past nine days, it’s been buzzing; the tranquillity replaced with the sound of chainsaws, drills, impassioned voices, laughter and funky beats as a community of locals and international guests have joined together to build a ‘cob cottage’.

The 10m2 structure is compiled of mainly recycled materials, including hardwood poles from Whangarei wharf, stones from earthworks on Rocky Cutting

“Back to homesteading basics”

End of Season Summer Sale!

70 Up to

r

rthe u f a ke on

ta S U PL

price unted k o c s i d c es sto ready the al elected sal s

% %

off 5 1 off

Last Days!!

Sale ends soon

13 Devonport Road, Tauranga - 07 579 0383 21 Wilson Road, Waihi Beach - 07 863 5300

Boutique

Also at Birkenhead, Tirau, Ngatea and Hamilton

Fabulous Fashion That Fits Sizes 8 - 20

Road, recycled cedar shingles from the ‘Yogi Bear’ movie set, recycled glass bottles and macrocarpa rafters from Tauriko sawmill.

Where Gib and plaster would normally be erected as walls, instead stands a thick layer of cob, a natural building material made from a mix of subsoil, water, straw, aggregate and clay that requires daily mixing.

“We have cob stomping sessions,” explains Tess.

“Our friend is a local DJ, so he played some funky music, and everyone does a little dance on the cob and that’s how it’s mixed. It’s quite a mission – the clay came from the bottom of the bush block on our property – but the power of people is amazing.”

That power is evident today, when Life + Style visits the 5ha property. Seventeen volunteers, a mix of Kiwis, overseas travellers and locals, have signed up to be part the cob cottage building workshop, under the umbrella of Tess and Marco’s company Crafty Gatherer, another local company Plenty Permaculture, as well as Sculpted Earth.

Despite the Bay’s 30-degree heatwave, they are all getting stuck in – mixing cob, building up the walls, hammering rafters in place for the roof, or keeping spirits up with water and coffee.

“Everyone has bonded, it’s been amazing energy.

I haven’t heard one person complain that it’s too hot or too hard,” says Tess.

The workshop and the creation of the cob house are just two of many ways Tess (28) and Marco (30) aim to live more simply and sustainably, a goal they hope to achieve and share with others under the banner of their Crafty Gatherer collective.

By the end of workshop, Tess explains there will be little more than one plastic bags worth of waste

Day Skipper Day Skipper Maritime VHF Operator Maritime VHF Operator Certificate Know what Certificateyou’re doing Boatmaster Boatmaster

For local course information: Phone 0800 40 80 90 or visit www.boatingeducation.org.nz

5 February, 2016 21 August, 2015

life+style The Weekend Sun 7 Tess and Marco Partridge, with son Jai.

“Our generation is really spearheading a move back towards this kind of living”

but also not too far away from family in Te Puke and Papamoa. It is also where they will bring up their sons, two-and-a-half-year-old Tahl and five-month-old Jai. While they are not completely off the grid yet, requiring a power and internet provider, the pair are making headway. The 8acres of useable land they have has been transformed into a vegetable garden and mini-orchard with foraging ducks. Chickens provide meat and eggs, 14 cattle for grazing and meat and potentially milking one next year, and Marco has fashioned his own beehive to provide honey, pollen and beeswax.

But as well as developing their own systems,

one of the biggest drivers for Tess and Marco is education, to share their skills and Crafty Gatherer creations with others, to show how accessible this living can be.

They’ve begun creating their own products, made from recycled or local natural materials which are designed to aid the home gardener or outdoor enthusiast.

“Our motto is ‘back to homesteading basics’,” says Marco. “Everyone has something in them that makes them want to live a little more natural, but some are more passionate and will act on it. It’s not meant to be easy, but there is something satisfying about living off the land.”

Laura Weaser

Photos: Bruce Barnard

– including all the food consumed during the two weeks – which is immeasurably less than a typical building site.

“Marco is a builder and sees first-hand how much waste there is on a new build. We’re just starting to get involved in ways to reduce our waste and this is an example of how it can be done.”

Teen sweethearts, meeting at Te Puke High, Tess and Marco embarked overseas early in their relationship and were inspired by the simple living they experienced across Europe and South Asia.

“We’re lucky – when you get together young there is a chance that your interests change, but because we travelled together, it really solidified our similar beliefs and ideas,” says Tess.

They spent much of their time as WWOOF-ers – Willing Workers on Organic Farms, which gave them real insight into the workings of rural areas.

“There was a place in Italy where they were pretty much self-sufficient,” says Marco.

“They had goats for milk and cheese, big veggie garden, would make all their food and the woman there was into growing her own herb medicine, and in France we experienced different natural building.”

Feeling inspired, when the pair returned home they looked for somewhere to call their own, to start their own place where WWOOF-ers could come and learn the skills to live sustainably, independent of consumerism and less wasteful.

Their Papamoa Hills property, which they purchased 14 months ago with Marco’s father, ticked a lot of the boxes for the young couple – somewhere they could make an income off the land, a water source in the form of two natural springs,

Sunday 7th Feb

2016 A&P Family Fun Day

SHOW

ENTRANCE FEE ADULTS- $5 CHILDREN- $2 UNDER 5 FREE

8

0%

OFF

life+style The Weekend Sun 21 August, 2015

50% OFF A MASSIVE RANGE OF BEDS Serenity Hayman • Firm feel.

• Features Sleepyhead’s low partner disturbance Pocket Spring system providing superior comfort and support.

• Lofted top with Eco-friendly Dreamfoam® comfort layers for added comfort.

Queen Set

50%

WAS $3,599

OFF

Now $1,799 Sanctuary Mansfield

Swisstek Lago

• Soft to Medium feel.

• Features Latex Gold, FusionGel® and Graphene comfort layers that work together with the Sensorzone® core to reduce pressure points and improve circulation.

• Medium Firm feel.

• Features Latex Gold® and Dreamfoam®.

• 7 zoned Swisstek Pocket Spring.

• Silverline infused bamboo fabric for natural health benefits.

Queen Set

50%

WAS $7,799

OFF

Now $3,899

Queen Set

WAS $4,499

Now $2,699

Chiropractic Ultra Sleeper

Renew

• Available in Soft, Plush and Super Plush options for one great price.

• Features Latex Gold® and Dreamfoam® comfort layers with a Torquezone HD spring unit for advanced support and durability.

• Endorsed by New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association.

• Available in Soft and Firm feels.

• Independent Pocket Spring core provides more freedom for undisturbed sleep.

Queen QueenSet Set WAS WAS $4,399 $3,199

40% 50% OFF

Now $2,639

Queen Set

Now $2,239

LARGEST LARGEST

VISIT US ONLINE TO FIND YOUR CLOSEST STORE WWW.BEDSRUS.CO.NZ PROU D TO BE LOCALLY

BEDDING 50GROUP STORES

STORE NAME BEDS R US

NEW ZEALAND’S NEW ZEALAND’S

INDEPENDENT BEDDING GROUP INDEPENDENT

NATIONWIDE

OWNED AND OPERATED

Address Details Ph: 00 123 4567

PROU D TO BE LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED

*Offer valid 04/01/2016 to 31/01/2016 or while stocks last. Excludes Everyday D TO BEand LOCALLY Dream Prices and clearance stock.PROU Q Card GE Finance lending criteria, fees, OWNED AND OPERATED terms and conditions apply.

30% OFF

WAS $3,199

40% OFF

30% OFF