Minti | Summer 2013-2014 Sneak Peek

If you're a design-savvy parent of little people, chances are you'll be familiar with Minti. Quite possibly one of the coolest kids clothing range ever, and a firm favourite of mine, I first introduced you to the Melbourne-based brand in this post. 

One of my lovely Facebook followers got in touch the other night asking if I had a sneak peak of new Summer 2013-2014 range, as pre-orders were due to be taken from today. Her excitement was palpable, and she's not alone. Jumping onto the Minti Facebook page it was obvious from the comments that parents everywhere have been desperate to get a glimpse, and the clever team behind Minti know only too well, even setting an exact day and time when all would be revealed! That was this morning, and as always the designs are awesome. Here are my picks. 

Due in-store mid-August, see the full Summer range, including cute-as-a-button babywear here. For pre-orders, find your local online stockist here. 

Interview | Paper Plane

If I happened to reside in the gorgeous NZ town of Mount Maunganui I'd be feeling pretty happy right now, thanks to the recent opening of the new design store Paper Plane. Instead I'm a tad envious, especially after looking through photos of the amazing interior and range of products sent to me by co-owner Krista. 

Luckily for us, Krista very kindly agreed to be interviewed along with her husband and business partner Timothy John. In case you missed my last post on the creative couple, Krista is an interior designer and Timothy is a talented NZ furniture designer and creator of the fabulous Sidekick Collection of furniture. In addition to Timothy's own designs, Paper Plane stocks an exciting range of homewares and furniture from NZ and around the world. Hotly anticipated, I'm very excited to be able to share these photos and the story behind the new store with you today.  

Timothy and Krista in their new store, Paper Plane

Gorgeous products on offer. Loving the custom made shelving


Aahh.. so much eyecandy 

Have you always lived at Mount Maunganui? What do you love about living there?

We’re the new kids on the Mount block! We moved here from Whakatane back in May this year and are loving it. Timothy grew up in Whakatane but spent a lot of time in the Mount over the years, camping at the base of the hill, and surfing off Matakana island. I grew up in Vancouver, Canada. A beautiful coastal city but a far cry from the world class subtropic climate and coastline we’re spoiled with here.

The Mount has a great vibe all year round. There’s a fascinating melting pot of travellers, good cafes and a seriously talented group of young local creatives we’re getting to know like the Y.S. Collective, George & Willy, the crew from You Know We Ain’t Limited (who are behind the fashion brands Lower, Five Each, Now & Then etc), Chaos & Harmony and so many more.

Our favourite Mount pastimes definitely revolve around the beach and activities that don’t require shoes. We play in a beach volleyball league most of the year which I’m shamelessly obsessed with and Timothy spends a lot of time on his surfboard.

Can you tell us a bit about your backgrounds and how you came to launch Paper Plane?

I did an Interior Architectural Design degree in Calgary, Canada then worked in the industry for seven years before meeting Timothy while he was peddle biking across the country, training for Ironman. We moved back to NZ and I did a six year detour into Regional Council IT and Civil Defence, oddly enough.

Timothy is a builder by trade, but when we met in 2006 he became interested in furniture design and studied pretty intensively for a couple of years, then launched his first collection at the MOAD exhibition in Auckland. The work was very experimental and art based which was a fun period governed by nothing but imagination.

We’d been toying with the idea of opening a design store for years and in 2012 we decided to actually bring Paper Plane to life. I was ready to get back into the design industry and we’d taken a turn with the Timothy John design brand to a more accessible direction. Paper Plane is a lifestyle choice for us professionally and as a couple. I love business and product sourcing, and Timothy now has a platform and specific target market to design for. When the perfect location on mainstreet Mount Maunganui opened up, we sold our house, packed our bags and moved up the coast without any hesitation.

What can people expect to see on offer at your store, and where are the products sourced from?

Paper Plane is all about thoughtfully curating products with a point of difference but at an accessible price point. That’s a huge challenge in itself, but a welcome one. Rather than clutter and knick-knacks, I appreciate and want to offer practical every day items with a twist. There is a heavy focus on quality materials.

When sourcing, we start in our own backyard, Mount Maunganui, then branch out to the rest of NZ and then globally. I do a little victory dance when finding new independent creatives to work with or when Timothy comes back from the workshop with something spectacular for the store.

Beautifully presented, design goodness at its best

Do you have any favourite products from the store?

Timothy’s top three are the woven Palm Leaf & Leather Bags from France, the Hand Made Slingshots from Fallen Trees in San Francisco and Cork and Ceramic Range from Portugal.

My favourites are the Washable Paper Bags from Tuscany, Timothy’s hand carved solid ash Cutting Boards and the range of beautiful Soft Leather Goods. Oh, and the Sidekick Stools. I better include those, right?

The clear public favourites at this early stage are the Art Prints. NZ artists such as Evie Kemp, Birdinabunnysuit and Endemic World are making a well deserved splash.

Some of the gorgeous leather products on offer. The soft Leather Clutch and Leather Bin are both calling my name

Hand carved Wood Boards, Washable Bags and Slingshots - oh how my boys would love those! The ceramic & cork Tea Pot which also makes a great vase is definitely on my wishlist

The famous Sidekick Collection

Always a winner, Paper Plane has a fantastic range of Art Prints on offer 

How would you describe your personal styles and how does this reflect in the store aesthetic, interiors and fitout?

We both verge on being minimalists but with different flares. Timothy loves extreme contrast and the contradiction of a modern fitout in a raw industrial space. My aesthetic is a little more subtle, with a focus on quality materials and architectural details. We definitely agree that less is more.

If Paper Plane was in the middle of Amsterdam you’d see a much bolder space and product range. Here in Mount Maunganui we have applied the needed restraint to relate to and transport our customers, just the right amount.

What inspires you - other creatives, travel, the web etc?

The vast potential of raw materials, young creatives who love what they do and do it well (like Polka Chocolate growing the roses they put in their bars), the beauty in simplicity, our flawless local beach, and enthusiasm in general.

Retail therapy and chocolate. What more could you ask for? 

Timothy, you've had amazing success with your Sidekick Range of stools and tables. Are there any new designs in the works?

At this stage, all my new work is designed exclusively for Paper Plane. We just launched the Nordic Chair with every single piece being meticulously hand turned. I hand carve our Kitchen Boards and oversized Wall Hooks from solid American ash which is a fun way to offer something a little more personal to the public. We’re also just finalising a table and floor lamp design.


Closeups of the stunning products in store, including Timothy's Nordic Chair and hand crafted Hooks, hand carved Wood Boards and Ash Houses 

Luckily for those outside of Mount Manganui, Paper Plane has a webshop which is now up and running. Yeehaa! You can also follow Paper Plane on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Huge thanks to Krista and Timothy for both the interview and images.

Est Magazine | Issue #10

Hot off the virtual press, Issue #10 of Est Magazine arrived in my inbox last night, providing the perfect bedtime reading. Page after page of fresh finds and stunning interiors, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek of the beautiful homes that are featured in this fabulous issue. 

The first home belongs to Prue Brown, co-founder and director of lingerie and sleepwear label Love & Lustre. Incredibly stylish, I love how Prue mixes glam sophistication with a pared-back aesthetic. Her stunning collection of artwork and enviable wardrobe will have you drooling.  

The image above is captivating. Featuring Prue's favourite artwork by Veronica Kent of a sleeping child, it reminds her of her own daughter. A vintage Missoni dress, artwork by Mike Parr and Givenchy shoes create another strikingly elegant corner in Prue's home. 

Dutch felt artist Paula Leen's home reflects her love of wool and simple, organic living. Calming interiors that feature a natural colour palette and rustic materials like reclaimed wood and steel are seen throughout.  

One of my favourite cities is Melbourne, having lived there for a while when I was younger. I sometimes imagine moving back there with my family, and having a weekend escape in the beautiful spa town of Daylesford. This next home belongs to a gorgeous young family who are living the dream. The stunning Scandi-style renovation and picturesque location provides an idyllic rural retreat and is also open to anyone wanting a country getaway. 

Liz Leuchars, owner of fashion and homewares emporium Pond has a signature style that is understated and elegant. Reflected throughout her home, I love the muted palette, textural elements and timeless quality. 

To subscribe to Est for free, pop over here. As well as being able to read Issue #10, you will also get access to the entire issue archive, email updates and reader exclusives. 

Home Build | String Styling

If you've been following my Home Build series, you'll know all about my obsession with String, the iconic Scandinavian shelving system. Having first wrote about it in my living room inspiration post, I'm happy to report that the String Shelf arrived safely, thanks to Bob and Friends who I introduced you to here, and is now assembled and ready to go! 

Over the weekend I started to unpack a few things and had fun rearranging them on the shelves, taking a couple of Instagram pics as I went along. My iPhone camera is getting a lot of use lately - I promise I'll take some better photos on my camera soon! 

I bought a few new plants yesterday, one of which is a small palm, perfect for the String. I also have my eye on many more gorgeous things including books, candles, prints and other decorative pieces. All fit in with the monochrome palette, along with touches of grey, blush and gold. As well as plants, I'd like to add more pale wood, ceramic and metallic details for layers of texture. 

Shelves of any kind provide a great way to display treasures and inject personality and soul into a home. Here's a selection of items from my wishlist, that will hopefully inspire you too.   

01 String Shelf Styling by Nordic Leaves
02 Wooden Clint Box by Ferm Living 
03 Tom Dixon Eclectic Candle
04 Kate - The Kate Moss Book
05 The Fashion Book Mini Edition
06 Eames House Bird
07 Kubis 4 by By Lassen
08 Deer Framed Print by Angela McKay for Father Rabbit
09 Vedel Bird by Achitectmade
10 Gold Bag by Uashmama from Girl & Graaf
11 Milk Lamp by &Tradition
12 Tom Dixon Eclectic Cast Mini Jack
13 Styling with Green Plants by Stylizimo

Justine Hugh-Jones Design

Thanks to Est Magazine, I recently discovered the inspiring work of Sydney designer Justine Hugh-Jones. Captivated by the clean lines, elegance and charm of her interiors I jumped straight over to her website to find out more. Met with an incredible portfolio of projects categorised by how we live, I've picked out some of my favourites to share with you.  

Using predominantly white and grey palettes that showcase beautiful art, Justine creates incredibly calm, muted spaces that ooze style, with a little bit of luxury thrown in. I love Justine's use of natural materials such as stone and timber. Layered with linens, velvets, wools and silks, the homes are beautifully textural. Punctuated by colour, often by way of the art, there's always a dash of drama and contrast.

European influences from France and Scandinavia are seen throughout, from Justine's time living and studying in Europe. Since establishing her practice in Sydney in 2004, she has adapted her design to take advantage of light, with open plan spaces and outdoor living. Winner of the 2013 Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Readers Choice Award, it's easy to see why.

To see more, visit Justine Hugh-Jones Design. 

It's the last day of the school holidays today, so I'm off to have fun with my boys! Have a lovely weekend and I'll see you back here Monday x