Ed’s letter: Naomi Larkin admires those who take on big changes.
For various reasons I’ve spent a lot of time in laundromats over the past five years. And while you’re sitting watching the clothes going round and round and the soap suds foaming, you get plenty of time to think. I've dedicated a lot of laundry hours to what I’d like to change in my life and in my home. Upping stakes and moving is a frequent visitor (and I have done it many times before), however these days there are too many fish hooks in that scenario. As a result it makes me admire those who do.
Take Cassandra Gaisford and Laurie Wills who followed their instincts when moving from Wellington to the Bay of Islands. Inspired by a chance meeting with the then owner of their new home, the opportunity to live on a 4ha lifestyle property near Kerikeri was impossible to resist. They bought the property without having seen inside the house because it offered a lifestyle they were ready to embrace. They renovated both the house and the garden extensively and now have what they describe as “a vibrant, fun place to live for those who yearn for less stress” (page 50).
Similarly, after generations of family holidays at Tasman Bay, Sara and Andrew Murray left their life in Christchurch and made Kaiteriteri their permanent home. “I connect with the Māori concept of tūrangawaewae,” Sara says. “Because we always came here as a family, and I have come here my whole life, it became our happy place.” Local expertise was central to the construction and design of their new build (page 62) and the result is completely fit for purpose: “Whenever friends come and stay they say ‘I don’t want to go home’ and I think ‘Ah, we are home’,” she says.
Well-known art dealer Anna Bibby sold her successful Auckland gallery and moved to France where she first bought a rundown house in the medieval village of Martel. She completely overhauled it, turning it into a bed and breakfast before selling it and buying a collection of dilapidated farm buildings near Bergerac in the Bordeaux region. We visit the Bordeaux renovation in this month's Kiwis Living Abroad feature (page 76) and discover Anna has done it again, this time creating a romantic property – two gîtes (holiday rentals) and a home for herself – that many of us can only dream of owning.
Perhaps, like me, relocating is not on the agenda but maybe a makeover is a secondary option in 2021. If so, consider deputy editor Sharon Newey’s comprehensive report on trends for windows and walls (page 129). She finds whimsical wallpapers, natural colours and a focus on curtains are this year’s interior touchstones. As one colourist so aptly sums it up: “Design trends for 2021 will reflect our desire for reassurance and strength, with nurturing palettes drawn from nature and furniture and decor that speaks of familiarity and comfort. At the same time, expect to see unpredictable material and colour combinations creeping in that encourage us to adapt our homes to new ways of living and working.”
Whatever changes are coming your way this year, go with your heart.