Small Garden Design by Paul Bangay

$65.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Paul Bangay is renowned for the expansive and elegant gardens with classical lines and symmetrical plantings that he has created in Australia and all over the world. Yet gardens on this grand scale are not accessible to everyone. With more of us living in apartments, townhouses and terraces, our gardens are now being squeezed into small spaces such as balconies, courtyards, lightwells or rooftops - and this makes for challenging garden design. In Small Garden Design, Paul applies his 25 years of experience with gardens of all sizes to reveal how best to structure, design and choose plants for small spaces. Chapters on Balconies & Terraces, Rooftops, Inner City, Lightwells and Courtyards are lavishly illustrated with photos by Simon Griffiths and enhanced with lots of practical tips on plant types, paving, irrigation, soil, outdoor dining, lighting and making the space appear larger. In this accessible and practical book, Paul shows us 'how to make the most of the small space you have, and how to transform it into the paradise that we all aspire to'. ...Show more

Mid Century Living: the Butterfly House Collection by Christine Fernyhough; Damian Skinner

$60.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

An incurable collector shares her astonishing collection of vintage New Zealand art, objects and design and her classic 1960s seaside bach. For over 30 years, philanthropist and best-selling author of The Road to Castle Hill Christine Fernyhough has built an extraordinary collection of over 4000 everyda y objects of mid century New Zealand craft, design and folk art. From furniture to toys and games, tableware to ornamental objects, Royal Family memorabilia to Kiwiana, Crown Lynn to hand-coloured scenic posters, together these objects are a gloriously nostalgic, colourful and tangible record of the way we lived and the things we surrounded ourselves with. Christine has devoted her classic 1960s seaside bach, 'The Butterfly House' to housing her collection, transforming it into a beguiling mid-century fantasy that never fails to delight visitors. This beautiful book shares that collection for the first time, for all to enjoy. Crisp, colour-drenched photographs by Studio La Gonda bring to life the bach and all its rooms and revealindividual objects in situ through rich close-ups, taking the reader into our quirky, crafty and often 'make do' past. Christine's intimate, lively, deeply informative text tells the story of how it all came to be. She entertainingly blends her own family stories with those of New Zealand's manufacturers and craftspeople, sharing her journey into collecting as well as her knowledge and passion, and evoking nostalgia for the beach, the bach and bygone summers. This is a deeply immersive, generous book that celebrates twentieth century life in Aotearoa New Zealand and provides an important record of our social and cultural history. ...Show more

Topdressing Daze

$33.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Native Birds of New Zealand by David Hallett

$30.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table

Native Birds of New Zealand is a photographic book of New Zealand native birds that will appeal to the casual bird-watcher as well as the ornithologist. Many books in the past have been aimed at the serious ornithologist, with illustrations designed to show distinct feather patterns but not to create an image that is also pleasing to the eye. The photographs in this book have been taken by David Hallett, one of New Zealand's leading wildlife photographers, who captures the beauty of New Zealand's native birds in their natural environment, from the subtropical north to the Sub-Antarctic Islands, and from the oceans to the alpine meadows of the Southern Alps. The text is kept short and avoids the in-depth academic material found in some of the very good reference books on the market. It does include all the interesting facts that set our native birds apart, presented in a short, concise format that makes the book ideal for browsing. With the advent of digital photography, many more birders are now equipping themselves with cameras as well as binoculars when they go into the field, creating an increasing awareness of wildlife photography. This trend, combined with the affection New Zealanders have for their native birds, makes Native Birds of New Zealand a book that will have widespread appeal. ...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

A Place For The Heart by Peta 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

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

Singing the Trail: The Story of Mapping Aotearoa New Zealand by John McCrystal

$60.00 NZD

Category: Coffee Table | Reading Level: new

The very first maps were oral maps made by early Polynesian and Maori settlers which were waypoints, described as "survey pegs of memory," lists of places in songs, chants, karakia, and stories that showed direction. Hundreds of years later, the Dutch Abel Tasman sailed here and made the first attempt a t a physical map; he was followed more than 100 years later by Cook, whose map was much more detailed as he circumnavigated the country. Once the detail of the coastline was filled in, more detailed maps of the interior were made by those in search of resources to exploit. A clever look at New Zealand history and also at the intriguing tradition of map making. ...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

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