Summer: the season for laid-back living, blue-sky reflecting and reacquainting yourself with the outdoors.
All the homes we visited for this issue share an intrinsic link with the landscape that surrounds them. A series of modern cedar-clad cabins nestled into a kanuka forest on Kawau Island;a renovated cottage on a Finnish archipelago; the family farmhouse built using cowshed technology overlooking the Hauraki Plains; and a home that feels like a rural retreat set high on the hilltop above Brick Bay – the architecture of each of these properties celebrates a connection to the environment.
And it appears getting outdoors isn’t exclusively an Antipodean obsession. Our friend, Danish photographer Manja Washmuth (who now calls New Zealand home), returned to Copenhagen earlier this year and photographed Stedsans – aka “Denmark’s
most Instagrammed restaurant” – for us while she was there. This delightful pop-up sits within a rooftop community garden, paying homage to everything we love. While meat may be the main affair on the barbecue this summer, we encourage you to try Stedsans’ fresh produce-focused dishes that we’ve shared on page 126. They’re guaranteed to turn your otherwise ordinary barbie into a backyard banquet.
All the homes we visited for this issue share an intrinsic link with the landscape that surrounds them.
With entertaining in mind we asked a group of local tastemakers known for mastering their individual creative pursuits to flex their lesser-known skills as master entertainers. Claire Hammon, Juliette Hogan, Gem Adams and Billie and Leanne Culy all put on quite a spread. Find out whose dinner party you wish you were attending these holidays on page 37.
While we plan to spend most of our summer days disconnected from our digital devices, you can keep in touch with us on instagram @homestylemag, to see why #homestylelovessummer – both indoors and out.
Alice Lines @lineslikes
