Design Notebook: Rugging Up

It's the time of the year to start cocooning, bringing tactile texture and warmth to your home. We love the look of these floor rugs from Laura Ashley in creams and whites to bring a clean aesthetic but with subtle patterns to add interest. Priced from $737 (some items may have to be ordered from Australia).
Laura Ashley, Two Double Seven, Newmarket, ph (09) 486 7659.

Let there be light

When you think of Nordic design you tend to think of natural hues and wood finishes. But as this lamp shows, they are also open to a bit of opulence - albeit it with clean and understated lines. The Topan Pendant was the first mass-produced lamp by Verner Panton and was originally created in 1960 for the hotel and restaurant Astoria in Trondheim, Norway. Here the pendants hung en masse, working to divide large rooms and create intimate spaces. Available in a range of colours, but it's the matt black and gold which will truly add an an air of sophisticated glamour to your interior.
Available from Design Denmark, 12 Maidstone St, Ponsonby, ph (09) 361 3333 or designdenmark.co.nz.

A decorative read

Fans of Stafford Cliff, the former creative director of the Conran Design Group in London, will welcome this latest edition of The Way We Live ($49.95: Thames & Hudson). It's part of a series of books (which includes The Way We Live Alfresco, The Way We Live with Colour, The Way We Live in the City and The Way We Live by the Sea) and contains over a thousand images of houses and places around the world which are guaranteed to get the creative juices going when it comes to decorating your home. The text inspires you to look at your immediate environment and how you live your life and then encourages expression through design and architecture. Truly stimulating.

A cut above

We couldn't go past this gorgeous wall plate from the gift and homeware store Crave in Birkenhead. The patterned plate has been cut with a superfine waterjet and comes in three designs: the Butterfly, Hummingbird and Pear Tree (shown). We suggest you buy all three and group them together on the wall for maximum effect. Made in Australia, they retail for $100 each.
Crave, 219 Hinemoa St, Birkenhead, ph (09) 419 9535 or cravehome.co.nz.

French flair

Bring a touch of European elegance to your home with Grange, a handcrafted collection of furniture which has been made in France since 1904. The range combines over a century of craftsmanship with the latest technology to create furniture that is at once classic and contemporary. Each piece is made and finished to order to allow you to add your own individual touch. Available in exclusive stores around the globe (think Harrods, London; Bloomingdales, America) exclusive distributor Domo, in Parnell, Auckland now bring the internationally respected range to New Zealanders.
Domo, cnr Farnham and Churton Streets, Parnell, ph (09) 921 5574.

Water watch

The thing with indoor plants is they need water. Obvious to most, but when you lead a busy life it's just one extra thing to remember. That's why we love the idea of these Lechuza planters from Germany - designed with a water reservoir in the bottom and a sub-irrigation system that ensures your plants receive the exact amount of water for 12 weeks. Stylish and practical and available in a range of colours.
Priced from $50 at Bromhead Design, 161 Marua Rd, Ellerslie, ph (09) 525 7322 or bromheaddesign.com.