Style Safari
Christchurch design day
It might have been the unseasonably warm weather, or the welcome sight of cherry blossoms in Hagley Park, but HOME’s recent Style Safari in Christchurch had something of a festive air. With a punchy format, the event ran over a Friday afternoon, allowing plenty of time with some of HOME’s favourite design experts.
We started the day with morning tea and coffee at BoConcept, where Dan Walsh ran through the history of the company (which turns 65 this year) and showed off new releases including the ‘Adelaide’ chair. Trends this year: felt and velvet in shades of blue and navy are making an appearance in soft furnishings, while materials such as ceramic are making their way on to furniture, as seen with the ‘Milano’ dining table.
From BoConcept, it was a short drive to the Christchurch pop-up of Auckland designers IMO. In a lovely room of a former warehouse above Supreme Supreme cafe, we checked out the brand’s ‘Kase’ shelving system – on show in matte black – and chatted to IMO staff one-to-one about the system. Produced here in New Zealand, it extends into kitchens and can be used in a range of residential and commercial settings: it’s hard wearing and bloody good looking, too.
Afterwards, we dropped by the long-established Belle Interiors. (ECC, due to unforeseen circumstances, was unable to join us this year.) Here, owner Colin Foggo told us about three decades of business, and explained why his sofas – all of which are meticulously made to order in his Christchurch factory – have stood the test of time. (We were particularly taken with the ‘Cherry’ sofa in paprika velvet.)
Last stop: Matisse for wine, cheese and a chat, as the inimitable Caroline Montague showed us through new products – including the magnificent ‘Rimadesio’ sliding-door system (which looks very nice indeed with a kitchen by Arclinea), a fresh direction for the classic ‘Aeron’ chair and the new ‘552 Floe Insel’ sofa by Patricia Urquiola for Cassina. All in all, a fitting way to end Style Safari’s 2017 programme.