This is such a tricky subject, as it's often so heavily reliant on budget. So having the luxury to buy quality handcrafted, locally made, sustainable items usually goes hand-in-hand with a larger price tag, which we often can't justify. People might currently be going gaga over a host of mass-produced chainstore items, get themselves whipped into a frenzy and lose sight of how totally over that purchase they will be in two weeks. Or it will discolour, fall apart, stop working, or just look really cheap once they get it home and it will end up in the bin. An $18 duvet set might seem like a bargain - until you actually sleep in 100 per cent polyester. Some things are always worth paying more for quality, such as 100 per cent cotton bed linen. I say buy local, support local small businesses, and then you'll probably tick most of those boxes.
When in life are you minimalist?
My values, what goes around always comes around. It's what I tell my kids daily.
What rules in interiors are the same when applied to life?
Pretty much everything . I guess you'dcall me a glass-half-full person. Nothing is unachievable, so don't be fooled into thinking you have to follow a set prescription, or be limited in any way. Anything is possible.
What makes you feel beige in your soul?
Nothing, ever. Don't get me wrong, beige can have its place, for example, I have a long length of beige linen with raw edges I use as a tablecloth, but overall it's just not a go-to colour for me.
What object in your own home has the best back story?
We have a very old dining table that's more than 3m long. I bought it with the view of having big dinners with family and friends, and we literally designed our new kitchen around the table. The downside is that's it's a daily dumping ground. The piles just grow bigger, so most of the time only about half the table is useable.
Predict the next big thing.
More individually curated interiors. Achieving uniqueness is hard but totally worth it. Kiwis strongly embrace the internet and interior magazines for research, but generally we still need to learn how to be inspired rather than how to copy. I want to encourage people to take a look they love and make it their own, using their own creativity.
As a pilot, describe the feeling you get when taking off or landing?
It's been a long time, but I do remember my very first flight in a teeny two-seat plane really clearly. I was instructed how to do the take-off and it was almost a surreal experience. It's really no different in a 777, just bigger and faster.
What's the craziest interiors idea you've had while flying and how did you fulfill it?
Spotting a big blue Ikea store right next to the airport. Luckily we were staying for a night, so a "wonder woman" moment with a quick change of clothes and I was there.
