American spirit

Silkwood Living brings cleverly-crafted, environmentally friendly furniture to New Zealanders, all the way from the US, and each piece will last a lifetime.

Words Casey Vassallo | Photos Jahl Marshall

Searching for unique homeware and furniture in out-of-the-way places
has been a lifelong hobby for Rod and Corina Snow. So it’s only fitting that they’d choose a little township away from the hustle and bustle to offer up the said homeware and furniture for sale to the public.

Just a 20-minute drive from Tauranga, in Paengaroa, you’ll find a curated collection of expertly styled homewares alongsidea range of indoor and outdoor furniture that you won’t find anywhere else in the country. Their pieces will instead transport you to The Hamptons, and the mountains of Montana. 

“One of the coolest things in the store is often I'll be sitting there in the office and you'll hear someone come in and go ‘Wow’,” co-owner Rod Snow says. “Now that happens very frequently. People are just blown away, because the furniture and home decor are so different.”

The owners of Silkwood, Rod and Corina Snow, started travelling through America back in 1989, falling head over heels for the landscape, hospitality and decor. They’ve long made a point to go back most years, and more recently twice-yearly as they hit up the big wholesale trade fairs and make their way through 39 states and counting. They even have their own motorhome parked up in Montana. “We just love the US. The people, the scenery. Everything,” Rod says. 

During their travels with friends, exploring and shopping, they always found decor they loved and wished they could take home to New Zealand. “We’d always say ‘why can’t we buy that type of decor at home?’,” Rod says. “As I tell customers in my lingo, one night sitting around the campfire in Big Sky, Montana, I thought, ‘I know what we can do...’.” So Silkwood Living was born.

Essentially, the business has become a way for Rod and Corina to make their passion for travelling and affinity for America work in their favour. And, of course, their customers reap the benefits. 

The couple are passionate about sourcing a mix of traditional and modern American pieces that make a statement and won’t just last a few seasons. That’s especially so of their Breezesta and Berlin Gardens ranges, which they exclusively import to New Zealand.

Both labels make comfortable, striking and solid pieces that are low maintenance. Better yet, as made-to-order suppliers, Silkwood Living’s clients can customise their furniture, choosing from a suite of colours to mix-and-match between and cater exactly to a home’s style. 

But it’s what they’re made of that’s most unique – recycled petroleum-based milk and water bottles removed from landfill.

It’s a material called poly lumber, which is made using high-density polyethylene recycled plastics. To put it into perspective, the supersized Breezesta Adirondack chair that sits on the store’s roof like a beacon is made from 48,000 milk bottles and weighs 256 kilograms.

Despite what you might think, these pieces look and feel like authentic wood. However, the poly lumber furniture won’t crack, chip, peel or rot like wood often does in the elements, whether that be rain, wind, snow, salt or high-UV rays… Something the Snows know of too well after living on Pāpāmoa Beach Road for 15 years.

Based in Pennsylvania, Breezesta has its own recycling plant to manufacture poly lumber, and guarantees their pieces with a lifetime residential warranty. Berlin Gardens offers a 20-year warranty and is made in the heart of Amish Country in Ohio. “What that means is the quality of the workmanship and attention to detail is second to none,” Rod explains. 

Rod says they are already seeing clients return to add to their initial collection, which is made possible with a poly lumber product because it retains its colour and doesn't fade with time or a weather battering if it’s taken care of. “That’s your best testament – when people come back and buy more after a period of time,” he says. “There’s nothing else you can buy that lasts the distance like these products do.” With customers all over the country, from Northland to Southland and most places in between, that says a lot. 

They also stock rustic pieces from Montana Woodworks, which uses
standing dead lodgepole pine trees gently harvested from the Kootenai National Forest in North-west Montana. The pieces are exactly what you’d find in an authentic log cabin, à la Yellowstone, the award-winning drama series that has everyone wanting a cowboy hat and rocking chair.  

Despite their niche product made using a material that resonates, it wasn’t an easy start for the business. They were due to open the week New Zealand went into its first lockdown in 2020. And ever since, importing goods from America has come with a huge set of challenges. Three years in, they are finally getting deliveries within three to four months. That’s just in time for summer, if you’re wondering.

Rod jokes that they both work eight days a week. Corina continues to run her revered bridal studio The Bridal House (which adjoins Silkwood Living), and utilises her eye for beauty to style the store when she’s not designing and tailoring dream dresses for brides-to-be. Rod works in the finance world, but now can be found tending to their herd of 212 steers on their farm in Paengaroa when he’s not checking on shipments, assembling furniture and chatting away with customers at Silkwood Living.  

Silkwoodliving.co.nz

The Sunday Society guide to incorporating vintage furniture into your home

In the latest issue of UNO, we spoke to Kristyn Thomas of The Sunday Society about her love of bringing new life to furniture that might have otherwise been forgotten. Here, she shares her tips on how to incorporate vintage and antique furniture and decor into your home; what to look for, and how to find it.

UNO: Hi Kristyn! You’ve built a business on having an incredible eye for vintage European furniture; how do you know which pieces to bring home?

Kristyn: My advice is always to buy things that you love. I would never suggest that someone would go out with the intention of trying to achieve a certain look. When you see something you love, even if it isn’t necessarily the look you’re wanting, if you have a reaction to it, that’s what you should build your decor around. People get concerned that things don’t match, but if you step back and look at the whole picture, there will be a look running through it. You usually have similar taste across all items, even if you’re not aware of it. It’s better to fill your home with things you love. If you love it, you can make it work.

Do you stick to a particular era?

I prefer a very layered look from different eras, rather than everything looking so 2020, or so 2015 (or so 1932!). If you’re mixing eras, it really tells a story of your lifetime and experience. It also means you need to update it less. You buy once, and buy quality, keeping pieces that are going to last. It goes beyond what’s in fashion. I have 250-year-old intricate carved French antiques mixed with mid-century eastern European pieces and it kind of works, I love each piece. 

For someone that’s never bought any vintage furniture before, where’s a good place to start?

If you’re a bit nervous about incorporating vintage items into your home, you can always start small; choose smaller elements, like an old breadboard in your kitchen for example. It’s a good way to bring that warmth into an otherwise contemporary space. Then you can build up to those big pieces of furniture. I think it helps to think of things in different ways as well - even if it’s something that’s quite industrial, you can use it in a way that is very far away from its original purpose. 

And how do you find those special items?

Take the time to wander around, visit different shops that have a range of different things. Whatever speaks to you, ask yourself: what is it about that item? Is it the proportion, the colour, the type of timber? Then try and identify that common thread to help you find more things you like. I’m inspired by a lot of European Instagram accounts, and people that have that European aesthetic I love, like Lynda Gardener. You can use Google Translate to search for what you’re looking for in another language online too!

What has been your most treasured find to date?

In our hallway, we have an amazing set of telegram drawers. It was an online find from about eight years ago - we’d been looking for something for almost ten years prior. I had always kept an eye out. We’d just finished building our house, and definitely had no budget to be buying interesting, fun things. But we saw it, and it was perfect, and we just asked ourselves when we’d ever find it again! It fits perfectly in the space - so sometimes you have to just jump on it. With vintage pieces there is only one - if you want it, you have to get it! Make it work!

What about a favourite find for your store?

One of my favourite things we’ve had in the store recently is a matching pair of twelves drawer units in solid French oak, from an old cotton factory in the North of France. An identical pair - that’s pretty rare!

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Read more about The Sunday Society in the latest issue of UNO, or you can visit them at their store in the Matangi Dairy Factory, at THESUNDAYSOCIETY.CO.NZ or on Instagram @THE_SUNDAY_SOCIETY_NZ

Danish Furniture: when great design and sustainability combine

WORDS ANDY TAYLOR PHOTOS SUPPLIED

Importers of ethically made pieces carefully crafted from sustainable materials with a wealth of design history behind them, Tauranga-based business Danish Furniture brings a lot to the table.

A conversation with Drew Copestake makes it crystal clear that Danish furniture is his passion – in fact, he loves it so much that he and partner Karin own a business named just that. In just over a year, they’ve taken it from strength to strength; Danish Furniture, which imports and distributes indoor and outdoor pieces from Danish design company Houe (pronounced how-ay), has 10 retail outlets around the country and a spacious new showroom in Unutoto Place, Tauriko. Tauranga-born Drew had previously worked in adventure tourism as a white-water rafting guide, first in New Zealand from the age of 16 and, later, all over the world.

But in 2019, he joined Houe as a sales manager and a new love affair began. He loved the product, he loved the role, and he loved seeing how people reacted to the innovative styling and design of the furniture, so when the opportunity came up to buy the business, he and Karin – a chartered accountant Drew describes as the brains of the business – grabbed it with both hands.

“We bought the business the day we went into lockdown last year, which was frankly terrifying!” he says. “There were quite a few sleepless nights, but we went on to have a fantastic season and the biggest issue has been keeping up with demand as shipping schedules have been disrupted. When people ask me what I do and I say I import Danish furniture, I get one of two reactions: They either say, ‘Oh, nice!’ or ask what the big deal is about Danish furniture. People have either already fallen in love with it or want to know why it’s so special – and I enjoy responding to both of those reactions.”

So, what is the big deal about Danish furniture? “Danish furniture really kicked off after the Second World War,” says Drew. “When other European countries were using industrialised processes to make furniture, the Danes went back to traditional craftsmanship and natural materials, clean, minimalist lines and great design. So when you think about great mid-century design, you think of Danish furniture, and though Houe is a relatively young company, having only been around since 2007, they’ve really embraced Denmark’s tradition of design.”

They’ve not only picked it up, they’ve run with it. The company has won numerous awards, including three prestigious German design awards for their furniture. The most recent of these was in 2020, when they were recognised for the Falk chair made from recycled plastic waste, turning an environmental problem into a thing of beauty. “Even the seat cushions were made from 98 percent recycled polyester, and they looked great,” says Drew. “Houe also uses sustainably sourced materials, including bamboo, which has strength properties unrivalled by any other wood and grows incredibly fast.” Houe proves that an ethically produced and sustainable product can still be great looking.

“People typically look at our range and say, ‘Wow, that’s really different, but in a good way,’” says Drew. “It’s stylish, colourful and contemporary. Life’s too short for boring furniture. Everyone has to sit down and eat, whether indoors or outdoors, so you might as well sit down on something that’s beautiful and made sustainably. We believe the future is brighter when we combine great design and environmental sustainability. It’s an affordable luxury.”

DANISHFURNITURE.NZ

DANISHFURNITURENZ

Stylist Amber Armitage shows us how to create a space to call home

PAINT + WALLPAPER Resene STYLING Amber Armitage PHOTOS Wendy Fenwick at Flash Studios

Resene Wallpaper Collection MG11102, walls and floor in Resene Nero. Art print original by Claire Stapleton X LA TRIBE. Frame from Country Road, Inside Pendant Lamps by Oblure, Tokyo Stool OMK 1965, ‘Von’ armchair by Ercol, all from Good Form. Cushion from Mood Store. Arch Lean mirror by Made of Tomorrow. Brass drum coffee table from Contempa. Books and magazines from Sunday Home Store. Pot, plants and candle stylist’s own.

Expert tip: By pairing the wallpaper with a bold colour paint, you add even more impact. We’ve teamed Resene Wallpaper Collection MG11102, a gold patina look wallpaper, with Resene Nero to add even more drama.

Resene Wallpaper Collection 218741. Walls in Resene Alabaster. Floor in Resene Colorwood Rocksalt. VV Cinquanta Twin wall lamp by Astep from Good Form. Soho 3 seater sofa and Juno Ottoman in Olive from Contempa. Cushion covers and Elevation side table, all from Città. Sophie So Shady hat by Sophie Store. Ay Soho sunglasses, Veja sneakers and framed print, all from Father Rabbit. Books and magazines from Sunday Home Store. Vase stylist’s own. Rug from Mood Store. Arch Lean mirror by Made of Tomorrow.

Five top interior trends for your autumnal refresh

WORDS Nicky Adams PHOTOS Jahl Marshall

From eco-chic to indoor plants, the world of interiors is currently one that reflects the moods of the world outside.

Home is evermore a sanctuary and a safe haven, and comfort is key. For obvious reasons the last 12 months has seen a surge in home renovations, interior decorating and general home and garden improvements. Whilst it’s important to reflect your own personality in the choices that you make, we’re inevitably led – all be it sometimes without even realising – by what’s trending in home interiors, so with that in mind it’s worth looking at the direction 2021 is taking.

Pleasure zone

There is no real fashion barometer for what homely looks like, however for this year the move is towards indulging in cosy comfort. Think sink-into-sofas, and rich, tactile fabrics. Luxurious candles, unusual pieces from craftspeople rather than mass-produced items – there’s a real shift to furnishing your home with items that will stand the test of time as opposed to something that will only last until the next fashion cycle. Imagine soft wool rugs underfoot, chairs that you want to sit in and sofas that you can’t get out of. More than ever there’s an increased love of carefully selected pieces, and an appreciation of artists and artisans.

Staying Revived

‘Granny chic’ is a trend that is working its way into our homes in all kinds of ways. Humming away in the background has been a growing nostalgia that has led to a love of retro-trends, so much so that the term ‘cottage core’ has been termed. In terms of our homes, there has been a steady revival of accessories that bring to mind the comfort of bygone eras. Stunning antique pieces, home crafts such as crochet blankets, fine china, floral cushions or coverings, and to be honest vintage touches and whimsy in general is hot to trot.

Nice and Natural

Natural and recycled fabrics look as though they are edging ahead in the popularity stakes. Sustainable and natural textiles don’t just fit with the heightened awareness of environmental impact, they are also beautiful both to the touch and to the eye. Organic cotton recycled polyester and low impact linen are all favourites that are huge for the year ahead in both home furnishings and fashion.

Club Tropicana

Global inspiration is a reoccurring theme to the looks for 2021 – and one way in which this is playing out in home décor is through a relaxed tropical vibe. It’s not hard to see why this has struck a chord, because it means that while we can’t get to the tropics, we still have the power to bring representational elements into our home. Bold and beautiful, spaces that reflect travel can be seen incorporating florals, lush greenery and seascapes, all bringing a contemporary edge to a more classical feel. The ‘distant shores’ trends incorporate tropical brights, subtle monotones and soft yellow into one huge aspirational wave of joie de vivre.

Potluck

Not since the 1970s have indoor house plants have been more on point. Plants provide a wonderful double dip when it comes to an interior feature – aside from the plant itself, there is also the all-important pot that it sits in. Perhaps the popularity is in part due to the quality of faux plants. No longer the lack lustre imitations, it’s now pretty impossible to tell the difference between a plant that needs watering and one that doesn’t. Add to this the extensive selection with everything from hanging creepers to elegant palms, and you have a statement piece that is almost unprecedented in its versatility within the home.

sandalihome.co.nz

How this mother-son homewares store found a new direction after devastation

Starting afresh, Sandali Home is once again brimming with treasures.

WORDS Nicky Adams PHOTOS Jahl Marshall

At 5am on a Saturday morning, the phone rang; unanswered, it rang again. Then again. Sandy Crooks finally got to it. “I heard a pre-recorded message saying, ‘This is Tauranga Fire Brigade. Please attend immediately. 7 Clarke Road is on fire.’ And my heart – it just sank into my stomach,” Sandy says. “I threw on a sweatshirt and raced down there.”
Sandy initially assumed that Clarke Road Kitchen Eatery, her cafe based at Te Puna Village, was the premises on fire. But upon arriving at the scene, she realised that it was actually Sandali Home, the furniture and homeware store she co-owns with son Ali Mohammed.

This was just over a year ago, and the loss to the business was devastating. When Ali awoke to the news that Sandali Home had been decimated, he was “overcome with emotion.” Together, he and his mother Sandy had spent three years building up a successful store and, in a flash, it was gone. 

The fire had started in a neighbouring premises and spread to Sandali Home, which was engulfed in smoke. Surveying the aftermath, Ali remembers, “I knew straightaway that it was going to be a case of starting from scratch.” 

However, the ensuing onset of COVID-19, lockdown and travel restrictions have made this an epic journey that neither Ali nor Sandy could have imagined. 

When the entrepreneurial pair first toyed with the idea of opening up a homeware store, it wasn’t the wildest of leaps. As Sandy says, “I had always dreamed of being an importer, and at my previous café, Delicacy in Eleventh Avenue, I introduced some of the lovely artisan home pieces that I adore.” 

Ali, on the other hand, has grown up in a multi-cultural family (his father is Egyptian) and home was a reflection of travels and an appreciation of beautiful artefacts. He is a naturally warm person with a love of interior furnishings; together, Ali and Sandy realised they could create something really unique. 

Throw into the mix Sandy’s acquisition of a new café situated opposite the premises, and the vision became reality: Sandali Home would not just be a store, but a destination.

Post-lockdown, however, it became clear that the way Sandali Home had previously sourced its stock would have to evolve. Shopping trips to rural Indonesian villages to handpick locally crafted treasures were – for now – on hold. 

The 10 months it took to rebuild the store gave the pair time to plan the new direction for Sandali Home. It was imperative that they stay true to their original vision of unique, quality pieces, but the place they found themselves in slowly became even more exciting. Sandy, always positive, points out, “We have been able to take the stock in the direction that we were naturally heading towards – clean, simplistic, uncluttered, with neutral colours.” 

Ali agrees. “We had seen exactly what people loved and we work to that. We’ve also expanded our gift range; customers often come looking for something really special but don’t want to travel further afield. Our beautiful handmade Japanese ceramic range, for example, has been flying.” 

Buoyed up by the phenomenal support of the existing clientele who were thrilled to see them reopen, and excited about new customers, Sandy and Ali are quietly confident they have hit their stride. 

As a result, Sandali Home has reemerged as a sleeker, more evolved version of its original, lovely self. The emphasis is still on the desire to support artisans and helping their clients to shop sustainably. They are still sourcing beautiful, hidden gems – always, as Ali says, “hunting and gathering”.

sandalihome.co.nz

7 Clarke Road, Te Puna

07 552 4556