Despite not working in the design space right now – once a designer, as they say.
I have toured more homes than I am ready to admit as we searched for our permanent Auckland pied-a-terre, with my keen designer eye always in focus. I noted things I could live without (like forever upside down laundry dryers that do not vent to the outside so don’t actually dry your clothes and carpeted garages) but others I fell madly for. Here are a few I will definitely be importing when we return to Canada:
The Scullery, Dahling
Despite sounding a bit Downton Abbey and where the ‘help’ might hang, the scullery, not to be confused with a pantry, is a main stay in the NZ kitchen. It is a room, not a closet, off of the main kitchen which houses small, unsexy counter appliances like your toaster and microwave, in addition to a second fridge, heaps of food and serving piece stores, a generous counter for food prep and if you are lucky, a second dishwasher. It is the jam. Call is already in to our architect in Toronto to make this baby part of our renovation. Can’t live without one, me thinks.
Keeping Stone Beautiful
Marble is gorgeous in a kitchen where no one will actually ever cook. More subtle than its granite relations, marble offers a quieter, albeit precious, countertop very much in keeping with understated design. But I have actually never specified it as I have always had visions of clients swearing at me with raised fists when that first ring of red wine leaves its mark. It is super porous and not suitable for the truly busy kitchen. That goes for limestone as well.
Enter resin coating which is standard practice in New Zealand. I know, right? Genius. It is not a polyurethane but a formulated polyester-based resin that goes on water clear and is non-yellowing, adheres to the stone and is stain and chemical resistant. AND it is applied on site so all good as an afterthought.
I wonder if they will let me bring this shizz home in my carry-on. So brilliant. Most importantly, it means we never have to use quartzite again. The days of Caesarstone are numbered. Why have something that is made to look like stone and fails but requires no maintenance when you can have real stone that requires no maintenance?
Thermomix
Less design and more cooking superbot for the gourmet nerd, the Thermomix does it all. Will measure, mix and kneed any dough. Will measure, sauté, mix and cook any soup. It is a food processor, fry pan, blender, breadmaker, chef who stands over risotto and stirs incessantly. Love mine to bits. Just need to sort out how to convert it to the right voltage in Canada.
Language Lesson
So I still get a little tossed when someone uses a different word for something than what I am used to. Here is your NZ vocabulary for the day:
Lounge – Living Room, sometimes Family Room
Rumpous Room – Basement/Kids space
Bench – Kitchen Island