Autumn has been such a strange season - one day we're plunged into chilly temperatures with the South Island recording -1C and the next we're back up in the high twenties.
It's so hard trying to decide whether to dress for winter or summer.
Last week I left Wanganui on a clear 21C day, only to arrive in Wellington to rain and 12C - not very pleasant at all when you're in and out of the car all day.
I had the pleasure of a sneak preview of the latest wallpaper collections out of Europe and the US.
As you know, I have a passion for wallpaper and I could happily put it into every job I work on (but that doesn't happen as not everyone shares my passion).
Wall coverings arouse emotion as colour does in paint, but there's so much more to wall coverings. There's an array of beautiful textures in intricate patterns and neutral tones and smooth, silky finishes bursting with sumptuous colour, cleverly designed to tantalise the senses.
Every season I see new ranges coming through and every collection delights. This season, well, what can I say? I was in wall-covering heaven.
But what made these collections even more interesting than previous ones was the technology that had gone into creating some of these stunning ranges.
I viewed wallpapers that have been designed for a "clean" environment - perfect for some of my clients who have serious allergies. These coverings have been designed for both the residential and commercial sector. They look like the solid vinyl we've seen in the past, but these are luxurious coverings out of the US that have undergone rigorous testing and come up clean compared to many other vinyl papers on the market today, and by that I mean clean of arsenic-based biocides, heavy metals, formaldehyde and ortho-phthalate plasticisers - all the nasties that cause so many health problems.
Years ago I renovated our villa in Boydfield St, Wanganui East. I basically gutted half of the house, rebuilt and refurbished. Standing back admiring what I'd achieved over a period of several months and loving the colours and textures of the new carpet, paint, wallpaper, curtains, lighting, vinyl and recycled rimu kitchen, I realised that I couldn't stop sneezing and my eyes were streaming.
I had, unfortunately, put something or a combination of products into my home that I had a severe reaction to. It could have been any number of things: the vinyl paper, the backing on the curtains, the lacquer on the kitchen units or the glues used for binding.
It lasted for three months and during that time I felt as if I had been hit by a bus. Fortunately, whatever had caused the reaction finally dissipated and I felt normal again.
Twenty years ago we didn't have the technology to produce products like we do today.
If you're sensitive to these sorts of reactions and want to view or use these wallpapers, give me a ring or drop me a line on my email below.
The company also does a stunning range of hand-finished artisan wall coverings - a collection of old techniques such as colour-blocking patterns, foil printing and hand-weaving - techniques that have almost been forgotten. They make you want to look and touch to see how they're made. Delicate colours and materials meld together to form intricate patterns and textures, and each piece tells a story.
I love working with products that have been produced with attention to detail and meaning behind it to create the final result.
If you want to view any product I've discussed here or would like clarification on something, I can be contacted at Terry Lobb Colour and Design Ltd 027 602 3298, or terry@terrylobb.com.