Habitat 13 - Off the shelf

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Habitat 13 - Off the shelf

New products and ideas for the home.

summer time
Summer is here and what better way to get into the mood than to reinvent your outdoor look. Waikiki from Warwick is a fun outdoor collection consisting of a multi-coloured stripe and coordinating plains. See www.warwick.co.nz.

fresh colour
Resene has launched its exciting new The Range 2011/12, packed with some vibrant new colours. It reflects a trend for colour schemes that are becoming more individual as decorators focus on creating more simple homely spaces. Colour trends are lasting longer, with a slow waxing and waning of favourites. Colours for 2011/12 are generally cleaner and less complicated, with more feminine hues. Nature continues its strong influence with sunny yellows and fresh greens. Reds are in abundance. Blues are also growing in number, with intense blues becoming a viable neutral alternative to grey or black. There is a slow move from the grey neutral to those based on warm browns and a comeback of cool white. Available from Resene ColorShops or order your copy online.

ultimate alfresco cooking
Why settle for less when you can have the full featured Maxim S7SB barbecue to create culinary masterpieces with ease, outdoors? With five main burners, an infra-red back burner and a gas hob, and electronic ignition the Maxim S7SB comes with a 12V battery rotisserie kit, a tailored heavy-duty cover and is made of stainless steel to reduce rusting and keep its good looks. Visit www.rinnai.co.nz.

find a tradesperson
Many of us often find the need for a good competitively priced tradesperson, but don’t know where to turn. A new website, www.builderscrack.co.nz, links homeowners and tradespeople using a reverse auction process, where you list the renovation or repair job you need done, and let tradespeople bid for the work. Photographs of the work required can be included and homeowners can see how previous clients have rated the tradespeople who respond. There are plenty of reviews available as more than 5000 jobs have been posted on the site.

The system is free for homeowners (tradespeople pay a small fee on work they secure) and all home trades are covered, including painters, builders, plumbers, roofers, drain layers, interior designers, landscapers and heat pump installers.

past and present
The designers of Vision’s latest wallpaper found inspiration in tactile and architectural shapes, such as the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing. The various layers within the wallcovering and the use of metallic accents create a constant play of light, which seems to breathe life into walls. Available from Resene ColorShops.

top stuff
The recently launched Resene Summit Roof waterborne low-sheen roof paint has been voted best new product by the NZ Master Painters. The paint combines a durable and desirable low-sheen finish suitable for use on a variety of roofs. The Resene Summit Roof range is also available with Resene CoolColour technology, ideal for those wanting darker colour roofs without the associated heat buildup. Order your chart free online from www.resene.com or pick up a copy at your local Resene ColorShop or reseller.

suds up
No need to reach for the slippery soap ever again. The new Indulge Shower System from Foreno Tapware connects to your existing slide shower and, filled with your favourite body wash or shower gel, the shower delivers a foaming stream of water. Rotate the holder to turn off and rinse with clean water. The indulge shower system uses a surprisingly small amount of body wash or shower gel per shower and works best in houses with mains pressure systems. Visit www.foreno.co.nz.

organic textiles
Organic hand-printed fabrics featuring creations from up-and-coming Australian and American designers are now available through Vida Textiles. With an emphasis on upholstery, all of the textiles are either certified organic and/or sustainable and use water-based ink. There’s also a range of organic towels and linen. See www.vidatextiles.co.nz.

all steamed up
Top chefs using Electrolux professional cooking appliances have long combined hot air and steam to create food that’s both crisp and golden, while retaining taste, texture, flavour and vitamins. Now you can emulate those professional results at home with the Electrolux Compact Steam Oven. And because it’s a combination steam oven, you can prepare everything by traditional convection methods too. Find out more at www.electrolux.co.nz.

texture your walls
Muros decorative wall panels offer unique options and ideas to dress your walls. Choose from a range of innovative designs – white stone, raw concrete (pictured), silver weave or multi-coloured brick. Lightweight, space-saving and easy-to-install, the Muros Wall Panel system provides depth and relief in any space. Panels can also be painted or highlighted using the Resene Environmental Choice range. Visit www.muros.co.nz.

magnetic art
These unique magnetic wallscapes are perfect to use with Resene Magnetic Magic – then you can enjoy them in any room of the house without damaging the walls. Halfway between art and play, they are handmade from selected upcycled fabrics, vintage wallpapers and various other materials. There are many designs available and the creator, Helen Riley-Duddin, can also do custom-made designs.

tough going
Portfolio strand bamboo flooring is the latest new product range available from Teragren™. Portfolio comes in a choice of 10 distinctive fashion colours and textures as well as with accessories such as stair parts and trims to match. Great for high-traffic areas, 154% harder than red oak, Portfolio is also extremely eco-friendly and comes with a high standard of environmental credentials. Installation is simple with the patented self-locking system. Just drop and lock each plank in place for a tight, clean seam that doesn’t require glue, staples, or nails. Visit www.teragren.co.nz.

swatches by touch
Resene’s iFandeck has expanded to include wallpaper and the Resene Curtain Collection. Now you can access thousands of Resene paint colours, wallpaper and curtain swatches at the touch of a finger simply by installing Resene’s iSwatch on your iPhone or iPod Touch – it’s easy and takes just 60 seconds. The ‘live’ version accesses information on the fly from an online database or the app version that is stored on your phone but is updated less frequently. The live version works on a range of mobile phones too. To find out more go to www.resene.com/iswatch.htm.

sofa with extras
This new sofa system combines the elegance of designer Antonio Citterio with the innovation of Vitra. Accessories such as the tall headrest, a desk tablet which attaches to the back of the sofa and the footstool make this a multifunctional design piece which could suit any space or living style. See www.cite.co.nz.

walls with wow
Retro Blocks 3D feature wall tiles are a new and unique innovation designed to create maximum impact for interior feature walls. The range includes 17 geometric and organic themed designs and can be custom-finished or painted to suit any interior. Although designed specifically for commercial projects, Retro Blocks are just as effective for domestic projects. The 600mm square tiles are made from environmentally-friendly, fibre strengthened gypsum. They are 100% recyclable, fire resistant and non-toxic with excellent sound insulation properties. Installation is simple and they can be finished in Resene paint tinted to your favourite Resene colour. Visit www.retroblocks.co.nz.

paper plates be gone!
Simple, beautiful and functional, Wasara eco-friendly compostable Japanese tableware is ideal for weddings, picnics and outdoor meals. Wasara products are water and oil resistant, and suitable for hot or cold food and drink. Sturdy and durable, they are made of sugar cane fibre, bamboo and reed pulp, with no chemicals or resins. There are 14 pieces in the collection. Available through selected retail stores or see www.epicuretrading.co.nz.

flutter on by
Flutter Design has remodeled this classic chair using modern materials and fashion styling. Made famous in the 1950s for timeless casual comfort the chairs are now available in a choice of frame colours and interchangeable covers, some featuring NZ print artist Philippa Bentley’s limited edition Dragonfly series. Hand screen printed using durable UV-proof ink onto waterproof UV-resistant fabric, the design also comes as a single large dragonfly image. Visit www.flutterdesign.co.nz.

yesterday… today
Silhouettes are once again at the forefront of fashion. This beautifully simple design style is the inspiration behind the new Organza wallpaper from Vision. Ornamental shapes, chandeliers, trailing vines and stylised florals are found throughout the collection, evoking thoughts of a bygone era, but with a modern twist. Available from Resene ColorShops.

makes sense
Resene introduces two eco-friendly innovations wrapped up in one product. New Environmental Choice approved Resene Earthsense Ceiling Paint has a special renewable extender pigment, providing at least 20% by volume of renewable raw materials in the final paint film, and 65% in the wet paint with the inclusion of water. The Resene Earthsense pails are also made from 100% recycled industrial waste. Available fromResene ColorShops.

snap, touch then ColourMatch
If a colour catches your eye – be it in a dramatic cloud formation, sunrise, spectacular floral display or on a building or fabric – that colour can be caught on an iPhone and matched to a Resene paint colour with Resene ColourMatch. The application gives instant access to thousands of Resene colours enabling you to colour match from any image taken on your iPhone. Or use the colour spectrum to select a colour and find the nearest Resene paint colour and complementary colour suggestions. Colours can be saved to Favourites and emailed to colleagues, friends and family for them to view. Available free from the App StoreSM. See www.resene.co.nz/colourmatch for a direct link to the free download.

exotic blend
Inspired by one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the world, the Villeroy & Boch Samarkand range exudes finesse and evokes an exotic bygone era. The tableware’s intricate bordering features a different combination of stepped and chequered patterning. Colours include white, ivory and sand hues with accents of gold. Four boldly coloured buffet plates bring further vivacity. Available from selected stores; call 0800 442 784 or visitwww.villeroy-boch.com.

fab four
“It was 20 years ago today, Sargent Pepper told the band to play, it’s been going in and out of style, but it’s guaranteed to raise a smile!” This much admired Beatles tribute by Rose & Heather features upholstery-weight jacquard weave stripe inspired by a pair of George Harrison’s bell-bottoms! There’s a choice of colours in stereo or mono. See www.roseandheather.co.nz.

guilt-free flooring
Strong global demand for bamboo building materials in recent years has resulted in the felling of natural forests in parts of China, to make way for bamboo plantations. Bamboo Direct now offers bamboo flooring with FSC-certification, which certifies that there has been no forest conversion, and assesses the harvest and production process. FSC is the only forest certification system supported by all major environmental groups.

carpet samples direct
Cavalier Bremworth now has online sample ordering to make it easier to have carpet samples sent direct to your home. This simple, no-fuss system allows you to order samples any time – the ‘order samples’ button is underneath the colour tiles on every product page of the company’s website at www.cavbrem.co.nz. You can also research products, get carpet care help and use the Cavalier Bremworth floor calculator tool.

well trusted
Resene is proud to have been voted a top performer by New Zealanders in the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand 2010 survey.

affordably frameless
The Sereno Frameless shower system by Crest is making the tiled shower accessible to everyone, combining the best features of top-end custom-made 10mm frameless glass showers with the benefits of the simple but well-known ‘white plastic shower’. Classy yet not expensive, convenient without compromising on quality, Crest has a wide range of standard sizes available at your local bathroom store. Visit www.crestshowers.co.nz or ring 0800 404 042.

sailing to sleep
This cute baby cradle in the form of a boat is finished in Resene paint and made to order by the very clever people at www.gracecraft.co.nz.

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