Baz*ar and Saben

April 22, 2013

On Friday evening Dael & I popped in to see the lovely girls, Hayley Stuart & Nardine Kelly, at their fabulous shop Baz*ar The Empire. A newbie to Ahuriri, Napier, BAZ*AR is a little slice of heaven with fabulous, hand-picked fashion and accessories from quality designers. You always get a warm welcome from Hayley and Nardine, and the shopping experience never fails to delight you - not only because of the beautiful clothes, but you'll often find bowls of lollies, or plates of cookies dotted amongst the accessories to treat you.

Friday night was a collaboration with Saben, so we could see their new season trends, and drool over the beautiful range of bags, clutches and wallets. Being greeted with individual bottles of bubbles, and a free manicure with Ruby polish was a great start to the evening.

Then the gorgeous and vivacious Brooke Fairgray took us through Saben's latest range - once known as Saben's sales and marketing manager, Brooke's now known as 'coffee drinking, secret sharing chaos maker'. Each bag has it's own name - Harper, Madison and Chloe (to name just a few), and Brooke talks about them as if they're her babies. "They all have their own personalities" she laughs. Dael's favourite was Charlie - Giraffe, and, although I could've happily walked out with half a dozen different styles, if I had to choose just one, it'd be the Caroline clutch. The perfect size, and sporting a classic purse clasp, it's reversible, making it super versatile. Use one side for day, and flip it over for a glamorous evening purse.

Giant black & white posters adorning the walls feature some of Saben's most stylish friends modelling their favourite Saben pieces. Brooke explained the Portraits of Style campaign, and I love the concept. Celebrating individual style, Saben asked their friends to show us how they wear their favourite piece and had photographer, Mike Rooke capture their personality. No professional models here, just super stylish people, including the lovely Nardine from Baz*ar. What's your favourite bag, and what would you prefer your title to be?
I think I'd be 'bubbly drinking, animal loving colour junkie'!

The Sabenettes - Anna McAlister, Roanne Jacobson (designer), & Brooke Fairgray

Nardine Kelly - owner of Baz*ar The Empire

Alex Blanco & Mino Kim - street-style blogger & photographer for Foureyes

Kylie Cooke - fashion stylist

Cute as a Button

April 19, 2013

I love working on kids' rooms - they usually love colour and pattern as much as I do, so it's always fun. We're currently designing a little girl's room for Bibby + Brady. It's Scandi with a B+B twist - a white base with pops of colour layered on top.

White walls and a perfectly sweet white bed and drawer set are the starting point. One wall boasts a striking mosaic wallpaper, and lots of bright, textural accessories pull everything together. Have fun with your kids' rooms, and make sure to get them involved so they can be excited and proud about their space too.

Project 82

April 18, 2013

I came across this image recently on Pinterest, and loved so many elements - the beautifully crafted side table, the upholstered bed head, the colourful bedding, with the touches of black to ground it, and those styling touches of turquoise balance the warm tones perfectly.

When I looked into it further, I found that it's the work of Project 82, a furniture and interior design store in Sydney, who also offer a range of interior design services. They specialise in both commercial and residential projects, and work closely with a range of local architects, craftsmen, upholsterers and cabinet makers. Style and craftsmanship is married superbly into one of their residential projects, Dover Heights home.