Magazine

The power of textiles

Make your interior an experience for all the senses with touchable natural materials.

In association with Fisher & Paykel.

Sensory perceptions

On our journey to designing a home that’s good for us, reflecting our style while providing comfort, we’re always aiming to devise an interior scheme that satisfies more of our senses than simply sight. Do you ever stop to think about how you want your home to feel — physically and emotionally? It’s a step you don’t want to skip.
One of the easiest ways to add tactile appeal to your spaces is by layering textiles — opting for the best-quality natural fibres you can afford, then treating them with care so they’ll last longer. One of the benefits of such materials is they often become even more beautiful and ‘you’ with use.
To maximise their graceful ageing, appliances with top technology offer an invaluable helping hand, like two of our picks: Fisher & Paykel’s 12kg ActiveIntelligence™ Front Loader washing machine and 9kg Heat Pump Condensing dryer, both of which boast all the advanced features you need to care for your favourite threads. 

BACKDROP (throughout) Wall in Dulux Suede Effects in Eco Chic, dulux.co.nz. MAIN IMAGE, FROM LEFT Pinstripe linen tablecloth, $169, cittadesign.com. Vases, $180 and $350; bowl, $90, rachelcarterceramics.com. Plate by Duncan Shearer, $100, kaolin.store. CH36 chair by Hans J Wegner, $2000, cultdesign.co.nz. Rinnovo hemp fabric (used as curtain), hemptech.co.nz. Flora stylist’s own. ABOVE, FROM LEFT Basket Weave wool rug, $2090, nodirugs.com. Katie side table, $500, achomestore.co.nz. Espresso cup, $44, rachelcarterceramics.com. Line 2.0 wall lamp, $468, douglasandbec.com. Sove linen pillowcases, $80, cittadesign.com. Moon Beauty silk pillowcases, $99 each, penneyandbennett.co.nz. Disc cotton cushion, $160, klay.co.nz. Flat linen sheet, $159/queen, fatherrabbit.com. Sove linen duvet cover, $319/queen, cittadesign.com. Rice linen fabric (used as curtain), $46/m, marthas.co.nz. Books stylist’s own.

Touch points

Your living area is an easy space in which to layer touchable natural materials — nubby bouclé throws, cosy wool blankets, smooth velvet cushion covers… Woven and tufted fabrics can pill and attract dust and lint, so to keep them in optimal condition, wash them gently but regularly. This Fisher & Paykel washing machine has a Woolmark-certified wool wash you can always trust. Velvet cushion covers are best washed inside out on its Delicate cycle at a temperature below 30ºC. 

Curtain call

A stellar combination of form and function, hemp curtains can really cocoon a room and now rival linen as our sustainable fabric of choice.
Soft to the touch, environmentally friendly, and requiring no chemical sprays or extra irrigation during its growth cycle, hemp is becoming more mainstream, popular for how good the fabric feels and its feel-good factor.
Whatever your curtains are made of, at this time of year, checking them for mould will help maintain them and the health of your home. Your success when washing them will depend on their colourfastness, the durability of the print, whether they’ve been pre-shrunk and the presence of thermal backing. If in doubt, spot-cleaning (for water-safe and colourfast fabrics) or airing outside are always safe options — sunshine’s a great sanitiser. If the fabric’s been pre-shrunk or shrinkage won’t be too much of a problem, handwash them in cold water with mild detergent, or machine-wash, taking advantage of this machine’s handy Bulky cycle. Thermal-backed curtains should not be washed in a machine.

TOP, FROM FRONT LEFT Basket Weave wool rug, $2090, nodirugs.com. Horizon side table, $740, cittadesign.com. Vase, $80, rachelcarterceramics.com. Shaggy chair by Timothy Oulton, $5849, dawsonandco.nz. Globe cotton cushion, $160, klay.co.nz. Biscotti linen fabric (used as curtain), $58/m, marthas.co.nz. Square linen cushion, $230, klay.co.nz. Wool blanket by Røros Tweed, $425, everyday-needs.com. Cotton bolster, $175, klay.co.nz.

Dialled-up dining

We’re relishing entertaining at home again, in spaces that allow us to gather and connect, filled with people and pieces we treasure. Reclaim your dining room as a carefree and welcoming hub by using your best tablecloths and napkins without worrying about spills — now’s the time to live in the moment.
If the upshot of your fun night is food on your textiles, wash them as soon as possible, remembering that oily stains need warm water to aid removal, and other stains need cold. Cotton and linen can be spot-cleaned then washed; gently dab fragile dyed linen as rubbing can lead to fading. This machine’s Soak function combines tumbling with soaking to help lift stubborn stains.

And so, to bedrooms

Perfectly imperfect linen is a must for a laidback-luxe bedroom look and feel that’s easy to achieve and ultra-relaxing. Made from strong and absorbent flax fibres, quality linen is an investment that should last for a long time. It’ll get softer with every wash, but it’s not only about when you wash it — it’s also about how. 

Sweat, oil from our skin and the lotions and potions we slather on ourselves can all build up on our bedding, causing the fabric to deteriorate. To keep on top of this, wash yours frequently with mild detergent on an Everyday cycle; the large 12kg drum of this machine lets you wash your sheets and duvet cover in one go. Tumble-dry at a low temperature (this dryer’s reversing technology reduces tangling for a more efficient dry) or if you opt to hang your linen bedding on the line, avoid leaving it in direct sunlight for too long or the colour may become bleached. 

 

ABOVE, FROM LEFT Artisan White Gloss tiles, $99.50/m2, tilespace.co.nz. Brixton cotton bath towel, $40, fatherrabbit.com. Waffle cotton shower towel, $59, mavisandosborn.com. Clovelly cotton hand towel, $45, shopbaina.com. Watson side table, $600, achomestore.co.nz.

Major bathe

The joy of luxurious towels cannot be underestimated; look for organic cotton in textural ribbed and waffle finishes. Keep towels refined by washing them separately to avoid lint transfer from other fabrics. We love this washing machine’s dedicated Towel cycle, designed to keep them fluffy and hygienically clean, and the dryer comes into its own with absorbent items like this; its auto-sensing technology measures moisture and shuts off at just the right time. 

ABOVE, BACKDROP Artisan White Gloss tiles, $99.50/m2, tilespace.co.nz. Benchtop in Dulux Cardrona; cabinetry in Dulux Kauri Cliffs, dulux.co.nz. ITEMS FROM LEFT Knitted cotton cloths, $36/set of three, fatherrabbit.com. Soap dish by Misma Anaru, $90; soap by Sphaera, $26, everyday-needs.com. Fisher & Paykel 12kg ActiveIntelligence™ Front Loader washing machine, $3469; Fisher & Paykel 9kg Heat Pump Condensing dryer, $3069, fisherpakyel.com. Brixton cotton bath towel, $40, fatherrabbit.com. Hayes cotton bath towel, $80, shopbaina.com. Waffle cotton shower towels, $59 each, and hand towel, $25, mavisandosborn.com. Rakei basket, $139, cittadesign.com. 

Actually love your laundry

High-performance laundry appliances are a mood-improving addition to any home, and just like taking care of your textiles, the key to getting the most out of them is to show them some love. This washing machine has a Drum Clean function that reminds you when it’s been 100 cycles since the last clean. When you get the nod, empty the machine and run the cleaning cycle at 90ºC to let the hot water remove residue.
As for your dryer, the experts at Fisher & Paykel recommend emptying the filter after every load, as lint can become a fire hazard if it’s allowed to accumulate.

A+ ambience

With SmartDrive™ electronic feedback adjusting the action, there are fewer moving parts in the 12kg ActiveIntelligence™ Front Loader washing machine, for reliable, efficient and quiet operation. It’s designed to match the Fisher & Paykel 9kg Heat Pump Condensing dryer both functionally and aesthetically; install them side by side or stack the dryer on top of the washer.
fisherpaykel.com

Words Alice Lines
Styling Juliette Wanty
Photography Wendy Fenwick

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