Topdressing Daze

$33.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Veranda Entertaining by Veranda

$80.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

The art and allure of elegant entertaining, from VERANDA. From a festive al fresco gathering to a fun pool party to an extravaganza in an exotic locale, Veranda's stunning new book shows you how to give your guests the time of their lives. It's the ultimate inspirational guide to throwing a sophisticat ed and stylish soir e, big or small, inside or out. You'll find imaginative ideas for creating alluring ambiance, choosing an eye-catching centerpiece, selecting just the right appetizers and cocktails, and achieving that elusive "X-Factor" that makes your event stand out. Veranda Elegant Entertaining provides the perfect juxtaposition of engaging advice and gorgeous photographs to plan your own celebration--no matter whether it's a brunch, afternoon tea, Sunday supper, benefit gala, or any special occasion at all ...Show more

Charles Latham's Gardens of Italy: From the Archives of "Country Life" by Helena Attlee

$60.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

In the spring of 1903, Country Life's first staff photographer, Charles Latham, set off from London's Victoria station with his large-format camera and several boxes of fragile glass negatives bound for Rome. He spent the months that followed photographing some of Italy's finest historic gardens. In all , Latham photographed thirty-seven gardens, and his powerfully evocative pictures were published by Country Life in 1905 in two volumes under the title of The Gardens of Italy, with a text by the well known contemporary garden writer, Evelyn March Phillipps. Latham's photographs were immediately acclaimed and the images are characteristic of his work in their exceptional clarity. As a result of the political turmoil that overtook Italy in the nineteenth century, many of the gardens had already fallen into a state of picturesque decrepitude; others, around Florence, had been taken over by English and American expatriates and were in the process of restoration. But even though some of the aristocratic owners and their gardeners might have gone, the elaborate architecture, statuary and ingenious waterworks which Renaissance designers so admired remained largely intact and were brilliantly captured in all their faded magnificence by Latham's camera. Today, many of these gardens have vanished, destroyed by social upheaval and war, though a few were painstakingly restored in the post-war years. Charles Latham's outstanding compositions bear testament to the rich heritage of some of Italy's great gardens in the golden age just before the First World War. The 200 superbly reproduced photographs are accompanied by Helena Attlee's incisive commentary on twenty-one of these magnificent Renaissance and Baroque gardens. Helena Attlee has made Italy and its gardens her special subject for over twenty years. A leading authority on garden history, she writes for a range of journals and magazines, lectures widely, and leads specialist tours to Italy, France and Portugal. She is the author of several books, including Italian Gardens, A Cultural History (2006). ...Show more

New Zealand on the Move : 100 Kiwi Transport Icons by Matthew Wright

$50.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

As this country developed from 1840 on, transport was the key to opening up areas for farming, forestry and manufacturing. The trains, ships, cars, planes, motorbikes and trucks that we used on to get places and make us more efficient were so relied upon that they have become part of our DNA. In this li vely, well researched and affectionate survey of 100 'vehicles' of all descriptions, historian Matthew Wright takes us on a trip down memory lane, reacquainting us with the way we used to get around. The book features both New Zealand innovations and inventions and significant international brands/events/developments that affected this country. The text follows the winning formula of Wrights' earlier book Big Ideas: 100 Wonders of New Zealand Engineering, with around 500 words per topic, large images, and a chronological/countdown format. ...Show more

Black Barn: portrait of a place by Gregory O'Brien and Jenny Bornholdt (authors); Brian Culy (photographer)

$85.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table | Reading Level: very good

Meandering across the foothills of Te Mata Peak and through the Tuki Tuki Valley, Black Barn Vineyards has become one of Hawke's Bay's most popular attractions. Its evolution over the past 20 years is a story of enterprise and creativity - from a single cottage into a wine, food and luxury accommodation destination. Owners Kim Thorp and Andy Coltart envisioned not just a vineyard but a unique environment that would entice people to stay. With a collection of stylish yet low-key retreats, Black Barn is one of the most sought-after getaways in the region, while the vineyard, bistro, growers' market and outdoor amphitheater are a drawcard for locals and tourists alike.Black Barn- portrait of a place is a fitting tribute to a Hawke's Bay landmark. Lavishly photographed by Brian Culy, with text and poetry contributed by Gregory O'Brien and Jenny Bornholdt, and recipes from the Black Barn Bistro menu, it's the next best thing to being there yourself. ...Show more

This Old Harley by Michael Dregni

$35.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

A roll down memory lane is a lot better on the back of a Harley. We all have "firsts" in our lives-our nervous first date, our euphoric first rock concert-and most of us who have motorcycling in our blood remember the first time we saw a Harley-Davidson. Harleys have a way of catching the eye, that extr a something that sets them apart as the proudest, baddest, best-built machines around. There's no denying the fact that Harley-Davidsons are more than just motorcycles; since its founding in 1903, the make has become an American icon revered around the globe. In This Old Harley, editor Michael Dregni compiles the stories, tall tales, essays, and reminiscences of some of the biking world's most respected characters. Featured here are the words of the late daredevil Evel Knievel, custom bike-builder extraordinaire Arlen Ness, renowned motorcycle journalists Peter Egan and Allan Girdler, and many others-including Harley-Davidson historian Martin Jack Rosenblum and several ordinary folks with a love for Harleys and a good yarn to tell. Fully illustrated with special artwork (including historic and contemporary photos, posters, illustrations, old postcards, and more), the book tells the entire story of our fascination with these incredible bikes. So whether you're still in awe of the first Harley-Davidson you ever saw, still riding and wrenching on Harleys as a diehard fan, or only just dreaming of Harleys for the first time, This Old Harley offers a tribute to the bike that stands alone in American motorcycling history, told exclusively by those with Harley in their hearts. ...Show more

Veranda: A Room of One's Own: Personal Retreats and Sanctuaries by Kathryn O'Shea-Evans

$115.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Take a tour of the most exquisite intimate retreats--inside and out. These beguiling, intimate, and restorative spaces are marvels of design. From serenely dreamy bedrooms to charming reading nooks and sophisticated studies, Veranda reveals a spectacular collection of indoor and outdoor havens. Organiz ed by room and function, this gorgeously photographed book presents stunning kitchens with cerused-oak cabinetry, suspended shelves, and Parisian bistro chairs; grand gardens with sculptural benches, hammocks, and riots of foliage; and luxurious dining and living rooms. Throughout, designers reveal how they created and why they cherish these retreats, while "In the Details" sidebars call out elements like curated collections, hidden alcoves, and showstopping entrance halls that add intimacy and uniqueness to these private, personalized hideaways. ...Show more

A Place For The Heart by Petra Carey

$60.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Dave Comer was a highly respected and reknown photographer and film location scout, popularly known as `The man who found Middle Earth¿ for his central role in finding what are now the world famous locations for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. He lived much of his life in and around F iordland, New Zealand, photographing the region from the 1970s until he died in late 2014. A Place for the Heart presents some of his most beautiful and compelling images, alongside the story of Dave¿s life and work ¿ from the early years jetboating in the Hollyford Valley, to his involvement in the helicopter venison industry, to over thirty years in the international film industry. Above all, A Place for the Heart tells of Dave¿s deep understanding and love of Fiordland. Written by his wife Peta Carey, the narrative follows not only Dave¿s life, but her own journey in making sense of his legacy. A Place for the Heart is told through stories, letters and magnificent photography, and with a foreword by Sir Peter Jackson, offers a moving insight into one man¿s lifelong connection and understanding of the New Zealand wilderness. ...Show more

Scott Freeman: New Zealand Photographs by Scott Freeman

$40.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Scott Freeman is a landscape photographer. This book presents a collection of over 100 of his finest photographs. They are all New Zealand landscapes, ranging from the coast and offshore islands to forest interiors, rivers, glaciers and mountains. Introduction by Brian Turner. Price reduction July 200 9 from $50 to $25. First published 2000. ...Show more

Redoute, Roses by Petra-Andrea Hinz

$60.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

The refined and revered tradition of botanical illustration, produced under aristocratic patronage, stretches back to the Renaissance. It emerged out of the desire to catalogue nature in all its wild splendour, and it was a process that demanded the most precise and skilful of artists. French flower pai nter Pierre-Joseph Redoute is often viewed as one of the last and the best of these painters and engravers. Commissioned by among others, Napoleon's Josephine, Redoute studied with the finest flower painters in France and Amsterdam, and developed a breathtaking skill at translating his observations of nature onto paper. His illustrations of the botanical alphabets of D. M. Guillamain were a landmark in flower painting for their accuracy and beauty. He was also an innovator in the techniques of printing, introducing "stipple-engraving" to France, always striving for greater exactitude in his art. This is a glorious and completely faithful reproduction of his most celebrated work "Les Roses", which was published in three volumes between 1817 and 1824. In "Les Roses", he turns his attention to that most romantic and evocative of subjects, and this handsome volume preserves every detail of Redoute's masterful representation of nature's gifts. ...Show more

New Zealand Adventures By Rail by Denis Dwyer

$35.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Picturing the Pacific: Joseph Banks and the Shipboard Artists of Cook and Flinders by James Taylor

$53.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

For over 50 years between the 1760s and the early 19th century, the pioneers who sailed from Europe to explore the Pacific brought back glimpses of a new world in the form of oil paintings, watercolors and drawings--a sensational view of a part of the world few would ever see. Today these works represe nt a fascinating and inspiring perspective from the frontier of discovery. It was Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society, who popularized the placement of professional artists on British ships of exploration. They captured striking and memorable images of everything they encountered: exotic landscapes, beautiful flora and fauna, as well as remarkable portraits of indigenous peoples. These earliest views of the Pacific were designed to promote the new world as enticing, to make it seem familiar, to encourage further exploration and, ultimately, British settlement. Drawing on both private and public collections from around the world, this lavish book collects oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints and other documents from those voyages, and presents a unique glimpse into an age where science and art became irrevocably entwined. ...Show more