Boxdesign- Thinking outside the square with fun and funky mailboxes

Your street frontage is the first thing your visitors see and lets face it, first impressions last! The team at Boxdesign have come up with some awesome contemporary mailboxes that really make a statement. We have just used their mailboxes in a 37 lot subdivison 'Hidden Hills' here in Wanaka. I will post a photo as soon as they are completed which is not too far off.....

Outdoor Beanbags from Coast

The outdoor beanbag from Coast is becoming a well known feature in many New Zealand gardens. These high quality, weather durable beanbags are a great relaxed alternative to formal outdoor settings and offer great flexibility as they are easily moved from outdoors to indoors or thrown in the back of the boat for a family day out. The 'splash' of colour that these give is great way to liven up an outdoor area as our clients at Tiritiri Lodge in Wanaka have done in the top photo shown.

BBQ In Style

Who ever thought a BBQ could become a classy piece of 'furniture' or the main focus of an outdoor eating area? In the past we have worked hard to blend ugly solid BBQ's into courtyards and make them less visible while still practical to use. Electrolux now have a classy range of outdoor entertaining products with discreet, minimalist design. Here's hoping other BBQ manufacturers will soon be following in their footsteps!

Local Bluestone

Now days with sustainability being such a hot topic and something we think strongly about at Georgie P, imported stone paving is something we are no longer prepared to specify. Lucky for us, there is a source of local bluestone available from Timaru Bluestone. Ideal as a pool coping edge or a courtyard paving, the stone is absolutely stunning. Being of a darker tone, paving glare is not as issue. We have samples of many of the options available at our studio for our clients to view.

Plants Galore

With the introduction of home maintenance focused chain stores over the past few years, the old fashioned type Garden Centre as we once knew it is now becoming hard to find. There is no better was to spend a peaceful weekend wandering through a garden setting and being able to browse the plants with the expert knowledge of real gardeners close at hand. Wanaka Garden Centre owners and operators Helen Brown and Graham Haslam (and I dare not forget Holly the Golden Lab!) offer just this very service with an excellent range of high quality plants and pots available along with a wealth of local knowledge. They are happy to order in plants that they don't have available at the time and are both enthusiastic and inspirational in the ideas that they have. So next time you are looking for the ideal Sunday drive location, be sure to visit the Wanaka Garden Centre at 555 Aubrey Rd, Wanaka. Phone 03 443 7846.

Swings & Things

Whether you are creating a simple swing for your children at home or looking in to the much more complex issue of a school or preschool playground, there is a wonderful range of interchangeable swing and play components available from Auckland company Swings and Things. In a recent playground design we did for Omakau and Districts Playcentre in Ophir, Central Otago, we used simple wooden post structures to hang the swings from. This gives the children and teachers choices as to what fun they are having as the components are easily changed. Do be aware that there is now a playground standard (NZS5828:2004) which requires careful thought as to safe fall areas, heights, surfacing and a number of other issues, so be sure to use a designer or landsape architect that is familiar with the standard.

Enviro Friendy & Portable Hot Tubs

A great option for holiday home owners that want the fun and luxury of a spa but don't want the maintenance and cost hassles that come with one. Kiwitub is not a spa pool and it uses no chemicals, electricity, pumps, or plumbing. It runs on firewood, gas, or other fuels. It uses clean fresh water or sea water. Kiwitub fits up to six people and what's more it's very tough, comfortable and easy to transport
Kiwitub is designed to be filled and used as required and is also available with a timber surround or keep it as the green plastic and amongst clever planting you wouldn't even know it is there! Do remember to check with your local authority regarding the fencing requirements for pools and spas.