Your Home and Garden

This month I’m… Watching season two of The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties or L’Agence as they say in French on Netflix. The reality TV series follows the Paris-based Kretz family of real estate agents (father, mother and three of the four sons) who deal in luxury apartments with views to the Eiffel Tower, chateaux in the country and incroyable resort-style houses in St Barts. It’s compelling viewing and not just because most of the real estate has their own personal hammam-style spa. They’re such a lovely family, it’s a heart-warming show. My mother was an avid wallpaperer and no painted wall was safe from her attentions. She’d have her glue brush out in no time, happily pasting up some giant repeat pattern onto it. I must have missed out on that particular…

WE LOVE Sydney artist Britty Flynn brings together the outrageous and the ordinary with her canvases of giddy, unadulterated joy. @brittyflynn TRENDING ONLINE The Foxtrot sisters add wool blankets to their success story. yourhomeandgarden.co.nz Get lost in the city of dreams with fabulous rooms styled by an up-and-coming LA interior design firm. @lalareimagined CONNECT WITH US We love seeing images from our #yourhomeandgarden community. @yourhomeandgarden PODCAST OF THE MONTH Jessie and Lennie Ware host Table Manners, a food show about all things delicious – and even better company. TOP INSTAGRAM POST Open-plan living never fails to bring the wow factor. @yourhomeandgarden Instagram @yourhomeandgarden | Facebook facebook.com/yourhomegarden | Pinterest pinterest.com/yourhomegarden…

LIGHTS UP Soften any space with these tactile Muskhane felt lampshades. Handmade in Nepal, using natural and renewable materials, these will have you reaching for the light switch. $149, from hapa.co.nz Be our guest TRANSFORM YOUR OFFICE INTO A SPARE BEDROOM WITH THE EFFORTLESSLY CONVERTIBLE OVERLAP SOFA BED. COOL IN COPPER, IT’S SOFT TO THE TOUCH. $1799, FROM NOOD.CO.NZ SLEEP LIKE A BABY A soft cotton jacquard finish meets playful Sage x Clare styling with the Benny baby blanket. With hues of pesto, rose and strawberry, it’s almost good enough to eat. $129, from shutthefrontdoor.co.nz WELCOME HOME Greet your guests in style with a statement-making Bringolla doormat. We love this fresh take on bold geometric shapes. $32.95, from freedomfurniture.co.nz POT-LUCK SERENITY IS IN YOUR GRASP WITH HAVE YOU MET MISS JONES’ LATEST SCULPTURAL MASTERPIECE. THE GATHER BOWL IS PERFECT…

For winter wellbeing, we’re all about creating warm interiors to make your home look and feel inviting to family and friends. The Warehouse has a range of quality, cosy bedding and homeware to help you stay on-trend, with affordable options for every corner of your house. Cosy style. Snug price. Swap your cool summer linen for cosy blankets and duvets. A soft mink blanket is the perfect topper for extra warmth during the colder months. Consider a plaid-patterned bed covering and wooden furniture in honeyed tones to create a restful and comfortable sanctuary. At $59 for this Dylan duvet, you can afford to change with the seasons. Layer on a blanket in a warming shade and congratulate yourself on making some savings at the same time. There’s nothing better than mustardy-rust…

A backpacking trip with a friend to Kenya and Uganda when she was 22 tapped into Helen Dean’s adventurous spirit. It was an enormous cultural contrast to life in the English coal-mining village where she was born and raised. “Visiting the developing world at this age had a big impact and led to my interest in working with migrant communities,” says Auckland-based artist Helen, who also teaches English to refugees and migrants. After finishing art school, she travelled and worked in France and Spain before taking off on another big trip, this time to South America travelling through Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Helen settled back in the United Kingdom, living in London for the first time. It was here she met her Kiwi partner Tony Drumm and how she ultimately landed in…

Since becoming a mother, 14 years ago, I’ve learned how complex, messy and relentless raising children can be. Chances are, if you’re a mum, you’re nodding your head while reading this. Despite its beauty and life-giving experience, being a mum requires us to access an extra dose of patience and energy daily. Knowing this, I can’t help but ask myself: Is one day a year truly enough to celebrate your mother and show her how much you care? There are numerous ways to show love on Mother’s Day; however, if you’d like to do something a little more special than the requisite Mother’s Day card or box of chocolates, might I suggest a few simple and meaningful ideas? 1. Recreate or start a family tradition Despite the chaos of the past couple of years,…