Published bi-monthly, Urbis features stylish interiors, spaces and objects, fascinating places, interesting people, technology updates and car reviews. Through its sophisticated design, Urbis appeals to design-savvy consumers and style-makers, as well as design and architecture professionals.
Editorial
Contributors
Shorts
Food & Drink • We explore two recently opened Wellington eateries, which are sating not just our culinary needs but our appetites for good design.
THINGS TO DO AND SEE THIS SEASON
Technophile • The most tenacious technology lurks in kitchens and bathrooms. These are the most waterproof, heat-resistant and sturdy of our personal tech – some can even be plunged into melting fat or burning barbecues. Some are wholly unnecessary, of course, but that’s all part of the fun.
Hot Cabins • These two tiny cabins inspire slow living and back-to-nature retreats during the warmer months.
TOP SHELF:Oh-so solid • With presence, solidity and timelessness, greyscale is cool concrete, yet a seriously hot commodity.
TOP SHELF: Crushed rose quartz • These objects of desire appear so tactile, we can almost feel a soft powder-coat at our fingertips.
Urbis Drive • Andrew Kerr trials three flagships that combine new dimensions in luxury with big road presence.
Spring fibre • Are they rare flowers in different stages of bloom or exotic birds in a timid game of hide and seek?
Inside Story • From Motueka to Brooklyn: interior designer Danu Kennedy is at the heart of restaurant and hotel design in North America. She takes us into her home and shares the objects she loves.
Material minded • New Zealand-born designer Hayden Martis creates limited-edition design pieces from beautifully finished natural materials in his London studio. He has an unhurried design process, which results in pieces of technical difficulty and exceptional refinement.
Where the Art is • They’re handy with a spray can, have attitude to burn and no blank wall is safe around them. Three Wellington street artists/illustrators tell Urbis about how they’re making their marks on their city and on their homes.
Kitchens & Bathrooms
Daring to be disruptive • Tasked with reinventing the Mumm Champagne bottle, internationally renowned Welsh product designer Ross Lovegrove created what is considered to be the most innovative champagne bottle in history. Lovegrove worked in collaboration with Cellar Master Didier Mariotti to design a revolutionary new bottle, which would both challenge tradition and enhance the aromas of the cuvée. The result… a true technological exploit.
Spaces
MUSIC IN THE MANGROVES • An award-winning musician and his partner team up with an up-and-coming young designer to build a fresh and vibrant home overlooking Auckland’s Meola Reef.
VILLA GONE ROGUE • Strict heritage protections did not stop this villa from becoming somewhat of a rebel among its neighbours.
A HOME OF TWO HALVES • A SPRAWLING 16TH-CENTURY SWISS HOUSE NEAR LAKE LUGANO PAYS HOMAGE TO TWO ERAS AND TO THE COUPLE THAT HAS LOVINGLY RESTORED IT.
GARDENS OF THE GREATS • The soon-to-be-released book Gardens of the Greats: Expressions of Extraordinary People celebrates philanthropists in New Zealand and overseas who have devoted their love, time, money and energy to the causes they care about. The book illustrates the ways in which their own gardens reflect their personalities and generosity.
Hidden histories
Morgan Cronin • Cronin Kitchens’ founder talks to Leanne Amodeo about his creative process and the big trends in kitchen design for 2019.
Hot to handle • These appliances and finishes take a modern kitchen to the next level.
Natural space • Biophilic design is on the...
