Down south . . . Mixing work and pleasure

Press, 27 November 1986, Page 16

Down south . . . Mixing work and pleasure

A little work and much pleasure was my plan last week. A friend, my dog G.D., and I left Christchurch at 9 a.m. one morning for Dunedin. Our first stop was for morning coffee and cheese and onion sandwiches at the Ashburton gardens. Rhododendrons, azaleas, pink and white May trees, water and birds combined to form a pot-pourri of beauty. The perfume of the lilacs was a delight. Feeling rather like tourists we bought Christmas presents at the gallery this side of Timaru. Further on we stopped at an antique shop.

Taking advantage of the glorious sunshine we spent a pleasant hour or so beside the river enjoying a gourmet lunch of chicken, salami, and black olives, finishing off with Stilton cheese and grapes. It was not surprising that we did not arrive in Dunedin until 5 p.m. It is amazing how much one can fit into four days. A morning was spent directing the photography of my hosts new home. Sitting and relaxing in their beautifully laid out sheltered garden. Visiting the Dunedin Public Art Gallery was something I had neglected too long. We spent a most enjoyable morning among the works of Van der Velden, Frances Hodgkins, the lovely ‘‘La Debacle” by Monet, and many others. The salmon pink walls in one of the galler-

ies made a perfect background for the paintings. During the next two days we were fortunate to visit both public and private gardens, each being more voluptuous and beautiful than the last. Dunedin could well be called “A City of Gardens.”

A daisy is a daisy is a daisy. Or is it? My inadequacy and ignorance was apparent as botanical names shuttled back and forth between my friends.

Try as I might, I could not come up with one ace of a name.

It must be marvellous to have time to learn those wonderful-sounding botanical names. Spoken with such dead seriousness, not a smile on the lips. Are they talking about a flower or a disease I wondered?

Ignoramuses like me take heart. We can still enjoy the beauty of the gardens, and love our granny bonnets and snapdragons!

Q. I would appreciate your advice on wallcoverings and window treatments for our as-yet unfinished house. The house is a do-it-yourself project for my husband, and is being constructed in two sections. At this stage, the back has been completed (dining room, lounge, bathroom, kitchen, laundry, conservatory). In a fortnight we will be moving in. This will enable the old house to come down and the front to be built. We have cork tiles in the working area and the rest of the house will be carpeted in Canterbury Twill, a mid-brown. We realise the openness of the plan means that we can not tackle one room at a time. At this stage the bathroom, laundry, kitchen, and dining room are the areas to be considered. Eventually the family room, lounge, and hall will have to be done, so is the wallpaper, and this need for continuity, about which we would particularly like your advice.

The kitchen will have a good deal of natural timber. The cupboard doors, beams, and a big window frame look through into the conservatory (mainly white pine, rimu, macrocarpa). After looking through numerous wallpaper books we both liked Cookie Jar, Peanut Butter, criss-cross pattern (VSI9801). We won-

dered whether the mix and match V 519803 could go into the laundry? We have lived in an old cottage with painted walls for years. Wallpaper is a new territory for us, and one we are not a 100 per cent keen on. Having decided on one we like for the kitchen, we have drawn a blank for the adjacent dining room. Please would you confirm, or suggest an alternative for the kitchen and lead us in the right direction for the dining room. We enjoy the plain and simple approach. Some long-term thoughts please for the two other living areas yet to be built. The small downstairs bathroom does not require urgent redecorating. We have just bought a sale-price, salmon pink hand-basin and will be putting tongue and groove rimu on some of the walls. Your thoughts please. R. R. Chch.

A. The plan of your home is most interesting, and I hope you will both be very happy in it. As you say, continuity is most important You have made a good choice for your kitchen and laundry’. Bring the blue from your laundry' back into the kitchen with a roman blind of Chintz, Federal Blue. From your dining room and throughout your house, hang the same

paper in a natural tone, Modemo Nimbus, 3273. Curtains, and other accents will give the required variety. For curtains in the dining room Stephanie, Mosaic. This fabric is in blues and soft tans and includes the natural colour of the wallpaper. A small, static pattern in the Cookie Jar book has tonings of all colours on a natural background. This would be ideal with your natural wood and salmon pink basin in the downstairs bathroom. Cookie Jar Ginger Crisp 9771. Good luck with your decorating.

Q. Our son’s bedroom is on the warm side of your home and we would like help with the wallpaper, curtains, and bedcover. The existing scheme has gold carpet (which must stay) chocolate brown bedspreads (ideal for teenage boys) and patterned curtains in green, gold and brown. We would like ideas to draw away from the carpet, and have an open mind about any colours you may suggest. The room, as the floor plan suggests, gets plenty of sunlight, particularly in the mornings. B. W. Ashburton.

A.What a lovely large room your boys have. I suggest for the walls one of Vision’s new wallpapers. Their new book is called Moderno, and I am delighted with its mix and match range. Their plains have a crushed suede appearance. A soft blue in this paper will be ideal for your sons’ room. Nimbus, number 3281, page 81, in the Moderno book, the curtains. Sekers Gigi colour canton. This is a diagonal design in blue, natural, and brick. As you say, the bedspread should be functional both in colour and durability of cloth. Wilsons Cambridge, Cl9lO Brick, or Wilsons, Cambridge Wedgewood (a dark blue) would be ideal. I hope your sons will enjoy their room.

If you have any queries on home decorating for Prudence Rothenberg, address them to “Living Space,” Home and People Page, “The Press,” Private Bag, Christchurch. Queries can only be answered in this column.