Honiara, Solomon Islands

From Wellington to Heritage Park Hotel, Honiara

Last week I had the pleasure to leave my office in Wellington, hop onto a plane and venture aboard to my first international project...in Honiara, the Solomon Islands of all places.
I am working on a private project which won't been seen here on the blog, however I am able to share the sights I saw over the few days I visited. I was lucky to be looked after by my clients and drive in an air conditioned car to my locations - Honiara has a tropical rain forest climate and it was 30 degrees each day I was there, a rather dramatic jump from 10 degrees that I left Wellington in!
Before my trip, my knowledge of Honiara was of political unrest and ethnic violence especially from the late 1990's onwards. While I was there,  you can sense some tension remains. Scars and debris from past conflicts and floods are also visible. However, there is promise to the town and I met some great people - expats and locals, who are passionate about the country and who made my stay a pleasurable one.

Lush tropical flowers - a riot of colour by this car park

The days were hazy and the supposed stunning view of the surrounding islands were not visible during my stay

A friendly hitchhiker on the car windscreen

I visited a local hardware store to see what was available - love the old school peg board display

Solomon Islands House of Parliament

Seaside dining - a breeze is always welcomed.

Debris and scars remain from the April 2014 floods - worse flooding in history for Solomon Islands

An amazing hanging shell sculpture

We finished each day with Solomon Islands' finest - perfect for the hot weather

A crazy shell wall light at the Hibiscus bar, King Solomon Hotel

The 'guards' at Heritage Park Hotel

Photographs by Charlotte Minty.

Gregory Wellington Store Opening

Here's a recent and stylish addition to Wellington fashion scene. In the heart of city, fashion brand, Gregory has re-opened their doors in a new location and with a new fit out. Gregory is known for their clean silhouettes and attention to detail, and they aspire to create garments that have a timeless quality. So it should be no surprise that the creative director and the design team of Gregory designed the new retail space with the same ethos they use to create their clothing range.
"We still strongly believe that the traditional bricks and mortar, in-store shopping experience is an integral part of the business and allows us to set ourselves apart from the competition". A lofty space with exposed ceiling and large windows, this store continues the Gregory palette of concrete, marble, brass and glass that is found in all of their stores. This inviting and calming space includes statement furnishings, natural materials and splashes of greenery to create an luxury shopping experience for the Gregory customer. Lovely.

Photographs via Gregory.

Julianne Moore's Townhouse Garden

Recently featured in Architectural Digest is this slice of heaven belonging to actress Julianne Moore. Located In New York, this 93 square metre garden was designed by Brian Sawyer of Sawyer Berson and I think this town house garden is a perfect green oasis in the bustling metropolitan city.
Inspired by the gardens of Ireland, this courtyard features antique bluestone sidewalk paving slabs, a fountain created from an old English sandstone trough and a sculptural garden fence created from reclaimed cedar plank. The plantings include ivy, boxwood, birch trees and ferns. Delightful.
Read more about the garden and the design process here.

Photographs via AD and Sawyer Berson.

An Apartment with a Garden in Sao Paulo

How to create a oasis of calm in the middle of the relentless pace that the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil has to offer? Create a garden.
This occupant spend five years (such patience!) finding the apartment that had a quiet terrace and was within her budget. Once this was conquered, she worked with SAO Arquitetura to create this breezy, light-filled home and its defining characteristic - the narrow but elegant indoor/outdoor terrace. It's so nice to bring nature indoors in a big city. Read more about the design process and results here.

Photographs by Brian W. Ferry via Dwell.

House Plants

Plants on display and as an art subject in this Melbourne apartment by Hecker Guthrie.

All of the sudden I am really into houseplants. Yeah, I know, being an interior designer, you think I would be into them ages ago. While I have always loved cut flowers and foliage, over the last few weeks houseplants have been taking the lead.
I have seen many great examples of  plants in interiors over the last year, with Melbourne design firm, Hecker Guthrie being my main inspiration as they do plants extremely well, and I think this has helped me get over my silly association that house plants were a little.. well, naff.
Now my view has definitely changed and within two weeks I have three new houseplants inhabiting my home. There is something about having greenery inside that is just lovely.

 

Here, in the home of Paul Hecker, the houseplants add colour and soften the neutral interior.

 

The stylish home of Simone Hagg where houseplants make an appearance in several rooms.

 



Meet my new plants - a Phalaenopsis orchid and a Button Fern.

A Maidenhair Fern

Please go to links for photo credits. The last three images by Charlotte Minty.