Urban Oasis

All images Courtesy of Ohtel, Wellington.

From the cool exterior signage to the sleek collectible furniture, the colourful New Zealand and German ceramics, the designer lights, high-tech mod-cons and enormous bathrooms, Ohtel is all about providing guests with an elegant-yet-hip environment to unwind in. Think pleasure-plus. Think indulgence. Think of never wanting to leave. I’ve seen the insides of more hotels than is probably decent to mention and while many of them are superb, I am inspired by a hotel that goes the extra mile to create a unique and memorable ‘persona.’ All that pattern and colour and texture – wonderful! And there’s a sense of ‘home’ ….it’s the furniture that does it. For many it will bring back memories of the 50s and 60s; for young collectors who now see that period as ‘collectible,’ Ohtel will be a feast! www.ohtel.com

Take a Seat

Stylecraft, Melbourne, Australia. Nov 2008. Ajr

I had a great time peeking through the windows of Melbourne’s Stylecraft on the corner of Flinders Lane and Russell Street last week. Well….the lower pavement peek-a-boo windows that is; the building’s main street-facing windows were about eight feet off the ground. They specialise in distributing exclusive designer commercial furniture and while some of you might think that sounds dull, there is a whole range of loveliness available to architects, designers and ‘office builders’ these days – just take a peek at the Stylecraft website if you don’t believe me. I felt totally sneaky crouching down on the pavement and taking these shots – and as you can see, I got caught – but it’s all for a good cause isn’t it. www.stylecraft.com.au

Graffiti Art Opens Doors

Mr Mod, Christchurch. July 2008. Ajr

In some quarters it’s hip to associate with graffiti artists. I love the way Christchurch’s Ross Morrison of Mr Mod has hired Christchurch graffiti mural artist, Jacob Ryan, to give creative heft to the roller doors that secure his classic furniture business. Oh that more people would have the courage to give credibility to the more creative sectors of the graffiti art movement. www.mrmod.co.nz

Meet the People - 13

Another in the series, Meet the People - Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things - Ross Morrison has furniture in his blood. He served his antique restoring and wood carving apprenticeship with his father, well known Christchurch cabinetmaker, designer and art dealer, John Morrison and now, almost thirty years on, there isn’t much Ross can’t tell you about furniture. He’s just opened the doors on a funky new showroom and warehouse – Mr Mod – in what was an old gas station and hire centre in suburban St Martins, where he and his partner, Monica specialise in Modernist and Post-Modernist classics. From punchy decorative European antiques to big names from the 50s, 60s and 70s, Mr Mod has it covered – names like Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton, Bruno Mathsson, Oman Junn and Herbert Hirche are just a few of the many he has on hand. The chairs on the wall behind him in the above photograph are by Danish designer, J.L.Moller. www.mrmod.co.nz

In Love With Design Classics

Mr Mod, Christchurch. July 2008. Ajr This is just a tiny sample of the fabulous displays at Ross Morrison’s Mr Mod – a designer heaven that specialises in decorative European antiques and classic design from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I love it when creative people put a unique and striking stamp on things – and it’s not as if these enduring furniture favourites don’t deserve being shown off to their best advantage. I also like the way that Ross has incorporated many of the old building’s original features – pipes, old taps, the open rafters – into his contemporary displays. Three cheers for originality! www.mrmod.co.nz