No matter how grizzled and grubby you are from a day on the boat, the farm or the sports field, a session in a well equipped, aesthetically pleasing bathroom will restore you to your relaxed, suave self. Your bathroom should be your own private sanctuary where you indulge in familiar rituals – there is something […]
Smart components now anticipate individual needs within the workplace resulting in an increasingly energised, efficient, productive and fun environment. Over the holidays I decided to read a few back issues of M2 and came across an article I had written in Issue 134 from July 2016 entitled “NEOCON 2016” about collaboration and well-being in the […]
Thirty Years of Design Passion perfectly describes a very special anniversary at Matisse. It wasn’t always easy. While discussing the development of his moulded plywood chairs, Charles Eames noted “Yes it was a flash of inspiration… A kind of thirty year flash.” When I look back on thirty years of bringing the world’s greatest furniture designs […]
After 40 years in the furniture and interiors business the one skill that I have learned which has been the most important to me is the ability to recognise whether a new design will become a furniture classic or will not. A modern furniture classic has the features which will turn it into a highly […]
It’s time to remove those items of clothing from the floor and invest in a state of the art wardrobe and storage system that will change your life. As with cars, watches and shoes, it pays to obtain the very best – over time they reward you with not only the pleasure of enjoying a […]
A home away from home for old salts has been transformed into a multi layered restaurant, bar and private club that has maintained its ‘On the Waterfront’ ambiance. A couple of years ago I became a foundation member of Seafarers Club, a private club venue situated above Ostro Restaurant occupying levels 3-7 of the historic […]
I have always had a fascination and great interest in how people past, present and future work in offices. Forty years ago I formed a company whose main purpose was to transform New Zealand office work by encouraging office management to discard their private partitioned offices and move into a landscaped office format dubbed “burolandschaft” […]
Natural, solid woods all have characteristics that are uniquely their own. Riva 1920 is an Italian company that uses such extraordinary woods that these features become an integral part of the design itself. Since 1400, the lagoon of Venice has been dotted with large posts rising from the water in groups of three to mark...
This year’s Milan Furniture Fair in April (Salone del Mobile 2017) seemed to me to be the busiest I have known in the 30 years I have attended this hugely successful annual expo of the world’s greatest furniture designs. Adding to the excitement were the sheer number of anniversaries of the leading design manufacturers. One...
