The Resurgance of Parquetry

...Or maybe it never went away!? Well we have definitely seen the parquetry trend flourishing lately, and were excited to find a new supplier showcasing their parquet wares in Designmade this year!



If any of you have been watching The Block Glasshouse you will have noted the stunning herringbone parquet flooring from Renaissance Parquet that Dee and Darren laid throughout their apartment. Absolute proof that - if chosen carefully - it works just as well in a contemporary setting as it does in a traditional environment. Totally inspired! Now who's for parquet?

 

The Block NZ 2013 - Week 3

There seemed to be a running theme of black and white across the competition this week - but I would have to agree with the judges that there was something about the inclusion of the timber shelving to Loz and Tom's slick bathroom that clinched it this time round.

When used on smooth, flat, light reflective surfaces such as those in a bathroom, the combination of black with white can be quite harsh and clinical in feel - so mixing in the natural timber finish creates wonderful warmth and a touch of 'homeliness' without taking away from the overall contemporary aesthetic. If well prepped, sealed, installed and maintained, the timber should last just as well as a laminate or veneered wet room surface.

Perhaps not so hot? The choice of bath and basin! It is so easy to be seduced by the latest Italian designed products in glossy magazines or the bright shiny sanitaryware display in the local plumbing showroom - but it is so important to think really carefully about the practicality of your final choices.

The smooth, rounded lines of their uber shallow basin are great to look at, but not so practical when you're wanting to pop the plug in and fill it with water for a decent hand or face wash, and watch out for splash back from the tap in a shallow dish like this!

Freestanding baths create beautiful features in designer bathrooms - but are you keen to scramble around on all fours trying to clear the dust bunnies from down the back? Or fish out that facecloth/pair of undies/bar of soap that your child tossed onto the floor? What works for a professional couple may not work so well for a family bathroom - keep your end user or market in mind at all times!

Retro Kitchen Inspiration

We've just found these delicious images of a fresh blue and timber finish, retro kitchen... enjoy!

Via

Furniture by Trunk Studio

Somewhat reminiscent of the Don chairs of the 60's and 70's that us Kiwi's know and love, Canadian designers Trunk Studio are producing some very cool chairs and other items of furniture that are simple, clean lined and timeless in style and materiality to equally suit today's interiors market. Such a shame that they are so far away, but wonderful to admire images of none-the-less!

Their 'Station Chair' is inspired by memories of canoe tripping and snowshoeing through the forest, with the wool based upholstery evoking feelings of snuggling under a warm blanket at night. Lovely!

All images via

Bill - The French Polisher

When esdesign first began - we had a teeny tiny wee workshop down on the Old Hutt Road in Thorndon, in front of the furniture restoration company, Form Furniture. There, we worked alongside some very talented old souls and wonderful characters - one of whom was Bill.
He has the thickest Scottish accent, a brilliant sense of humor and an extremely talented pair of hands for the dying art of French polishing - the wood finishing technique that involves painstakingly applying thin layer upon thin layer of shellac to the timber surface that results in a very high gloss surface and deep, rich colour.

Back then, we used to do most of the timber restoration ourselves on our client's chairs, so he taught us many tips and tricks for making the old pieces look like new again!

We've been having a clean out of our photos recently - (a lot of photo documenting has gone on over the last 8 years of business!) and came across this lovely one of the man himself. Ahh memories!

Timber and Brick

Each and every room in this Adelaide home features some form of timber or brick, or both! The inherent colours of both materials create such a cosy, warm interior space and once contrasted with clean white walls all the cool and quirky pieces of furniture and artwork are given the perfect backdrop to shine.

All images and article found over at Beautiful Object.

Candywhistle

We've recently been helping the lovely Holly from Candywhistle with a particular element of some custom design work for one of her clients - so we thought we'd share a little about what she does!

Candywhistle is a furniture and spatial design company - specialising in crisp, clean, contemporary pieces of design work.

Her 'Gallons' table was recently a finalist in the 2012 HOME NZ Design Awards - pretty awesome really!

Head over to the website to check out more design goodness!


All images from Candywhistle.

Custom Made Desk

Check out this awesome desk custom made by our joiner, Terry. A lovely client of ours came to us with some images and ideas of the sort of thing she was looking for but just couldn't find - so we worked together to create this retro vibe desk from lightly white washed solid oak with turned legs and lacquered drawer front on push catch runners.

Sustainable Sled Beach Retreat - Whangapoua, NZ

Perched on a beach in the Coromandel is this neat little beach retreat. Built on sleds and designed to be moved  up and down the beach or onto a barge, this little hut is raw and simple in design with great industrial features and opening window hatches to the world around. Designed by Crossan Clarke Canarchan Architects it is considered a sustainable structure, from the use of timber in the cladding, lining and joinery through to the portable grey water tanks.

Found via 1 Kind Design.