Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News / Lifestyle

Rebecca Bowering: Let the walls do the talking

Hamilton News
5 Jul, 2013 06:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

I've been lucky enough to own several houses over the years, from an ex-state house, to a pretty English bungalow, to a lovely family villa, a French farmhouse, and my little workingman's cottage of today. I still have something on my house bucket list - a New York-style loft.

For years I kept looking at warehouses in New Zealand that may have been suited to such an aesthetic, but most here simply lack the character.

Our Auckland Atelier Textiles showroom used to be a motorcycle repair shop, and I love the exposed steel beams, skylights and concrete floors.

I think the juxtaposition of old and grungy works well with the opulence of our many fabrics and furniture on display.

More often than not the warehouses I viewed, which had the correct zoning, were simply too bland and I had difficulty imagining how I was to add the character required, besides employing an artist to reproduce the aged effect (just imagine the expense if I'd done that).

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This aged, raw look is huge everywhere now.

Not all of it is done well. As I walked the streets of Melbourne recently it seemed every fashion retailer was using the style as part of their window display and shop decor.

When I was in Paris in January I started to work with a paper company called Neodko (pronounced Neo D Ko). It is fabulous!

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The samples have just started to arrive at our showroom, and we're all so excited about it. The girls at Atelier all have their favourites and have already decided on one for the showroom kitchen.

Neodko produces papers that when hung look like full aged wall scenes suitable for many projects. Like a mural, they add interest, depth and will truly give a room any character you want. The company also has wallpaper for children, including one that depicts one of my favourite children's books, Le Petit Prince, as well as animals, jungle scenes and anything else you might imagine.

Fabrics and other wall coverings have also been following this trend. Rubelli has designed a fabric that echoes the archives of Venice.

Lori Weitzner designs wallcoverings that include stone, fabrics and grasses, and change the feeling of a room entirely. These are backdrops that work for almost all decor styles. Bricks or city scenes look great in a modern or retro scheme. A glamorous room could be enhanced with something neoclassical. A child may enjoy clouds, animals or a corrugated-iron shed wall.

These papers seem to make a room larger because the effect is much like that of trompe-l'oeil (when a scene is depicted with photographic detail and realism), but with a much funkier feel. As with trompe-l'oeil the result is a three dimensional effect, which suggests a bigger space.



So, now these options are available, it's back to reading the Property Press to find that special warehouse. Watch this space.



Atelier Textiles owner and managing director Rebecca Bowering explores the latest textile trends and new interior design ideas every week. For more information see www.atelier.co.nz

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Waikato Herald

NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her

Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest
Lifestyle

Watch: The latest highlights from Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Regional finals from Auckland, Canterbury, Far North, Northland, Nelson and Wairarapa.

14 Jul 10:25 PM
NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her
Waikato Herald

NZ actress accuses Australian policeman of using CCTV to spy on her

06 Jul 12:48 AM
Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu
Lifestyle

Watch: Smokefreerockquest and Showquest's finals around the motu

03 Jul 06:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP