New Zealand Design Pavilion vignettes

New Zealand’s picturesque high country is characterised by the purple haze draped around our imposing mountains. Golden tussocks, spiked matagouri bushes, in the springtime an abundance of blues, purple, and pink lupins and in the winter medicinal rosehips.  

Below the peaks of snow-capped mountains the endless glacial moraine becomes braided rivers and crisp blue lakes, dotted with ochre rusted rocks and deep forest greens. These mineral-based tones fill our alpine vignette, accompanied by textural velvets, boucles, jute, and the clean lines of natural timber and illuminated glass. 

Continuing the sensory journey across our backyard we descend through the lush rainforest towards the expansive ocean. An array of vivid greens decorate the landscape, mimicking the silky, bumpy, moss-covered surfaces we are accustomed to in our richly layered environment. Inspired by our natural landscapes we seek to bring the outdoors in through utilizing green – nature’s neutral.

“Our focus is on natural materials and textures, and a design aesthetic that is both modern and approachable. Our designs and ideas are inexorably linked to the colours and contours of New Zealand’s landscape. They explore soft forms, saturated colours, warmth, and texture. The whenua (land) is a focal point and enduring source of inspiration, influencing our daily habits and rituals.” Margot Acland, Citta 

We believe that embracing colour and pattern within balanced interior schemes can engender emotive spaces which allow people to be in the moment, relaxed but open to possibilities. Our design perspective is neither minimalist nor ornate, instead allowing colour and pattern to freshen the interior space while complementing the surrounding vistas. 

The coastal environment envelopes our island nation, at no time is it unreachable and therefore intrinsic to our way of life and a representation of the Antipodean spirit. 

“The design language speaks to a purity and love for wild places and the expansive diverse wilderness of New Zealand … Surrounded by coastline it is hard to not be influenced by the seas … these spiritual experiences come through in such pieces as Navicula, Maru and Coral which are seen in the Coastal room.” David Trubridge 
 
Muted blue and green waters expand beyond New Zealand, separated from us by chalky cliffs, golden sands, rocks, boulders, masses of shells, or rich black sands. Each beach offers a unique landscape and a glowing sunrise and sunset – these modern, warm neutrals surround us; encompassing shades of pink, gold, and red. 

We are deeply influenced by our space, place, and people – as New Zealanders we are inherently aware of our landscape and location. The colours, forms, and textures we live amongst provide a differentiated view of our designs, colourways, and tactility; while our relative isolation from the world informs our ingenuity and desire to forge our own path with independent design solutions.