Material girl (PROFILE Southern Region 2024)

Southland and Southern Lakes homes call for a particular approach to their interiors, says acclaimed designer Melanie Craig

Wānaka based designer Melanie Craig has carved out a reputation for creating punchy contemporary interiors that respond to their natural environment. From a dramatic kitchen bar

One of the questions interior designer Melanie Craig often asks clients is whether they’re the type to follow a recipe. If yes, she’s more likely to envision a space that would suit someone who likes things neat and orderly. “If they’re a bit more sporadic and throw different ingredients in,” she says, “then we know we’ve probably got a little more creative licence.” The award-winning designer has a reputation for punchy, contemporary interiors. Right now she’s busy designing for a skifield property and a couple of wineries, but residential design is her passion. Whatever the project, it’s the kitchen, “the heart of the home”, that makes for the ideal starting point. “We spend so much of our day in the kitchen, so having one that oozes soul is so important,” says Melanie, whose career began in kitchen architecture. “Then the rest of the interiors can feed off that.”

to a glamorous bathroom

Melanie’s is a slow and considered process, she adds, during which she aims to really get to know a client’s personality and lifestyle (hence the recipe question). Operating from a base in Wānaka, her 19-strong team now have their own joinery workshop, so any bespoke or complex furniture designs can be created on site.

The business has been steadily growing since Melanie set up a studio in the “building town” of Wānaka 12 years ago, after starting up from a shed in Gore in 2005. Even then, she was on a mission to make interiors more interesting. “I was working for a kitchen company and the kitchens were pretty basic and the houses were just plain,” she says. “And I thought, ‘Something needs to be done!’”

it’s all about combining unexpected colours and textures.

Although she’s commissioned by clients from all over the country, Melanie has an eye for Southern homes – and no, they’re not all decked out with black-watch tartan. The extreme nature of the seasons, along with the magnificent alpine landscapes and cool light, calls for spaces that reflect these environments yet provide a cocoon from the elements.

“If we are designing a project in winter, then that home almost has more of a winter feel,” she explains. “In winter we’re so much more indoors. We always have fires on. We need cosy, inviting environments around us. We don’t have the blue seas such as those in the North Island. A lot of homes are white around here, but it doesn’t really necessarily suit the environment because our light is so much whiter as well.”

The designers will work to soften this by incorporating natural products and bringing in warmer hues through window treatments: the addition of curtains in textured fabrics, such as heavy linens, for example. “Whereas when we’re looking at the kitchen, we want to make sure we are bringing some colour or vibrancy into the space. So we’re not just looking back at flat benches and cabinets, you’ll see quite a mix of materials.”

melaniecraig.co.nz

ON MY RADAR...

New Zealand’s leading fashion designers Nom *d, Kate Sylvester, Karen Walker, Juliette Hogan. I love how they can move their style so quickly. I’m often inspired by their colour selection and fabrics.

The Chrysler Building in New York is the building that I most admire. It was built in the 1930s and is a great example of New York style: elegant and beautiful with all the stainless steel and gargoyles.

The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Shaw who is a fabulous New Zealand author and an incredible storyteller. Had me hooked.

Stuff You Should Know is a podcast with a couple of intelligent guys who speak really well and always grow my mind with different ideas.

My handmade old-fashion butter bell This is the most recent thing I bought for my home, It’s made by a cool artisan here in New Zealand. It just makes spreading butter on toast easy.

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