The "Nook Look" Store

Have we got some exciting news for you! We’ve been brewing this one carefully behind the scenes for a little while now. We took notice some months ago that clients and friends were enquiring about purchasing our curated looks, from cushion combos to the artwork on the walls. That’s why we’ve decided to go ahead and launch a wee online store!

We surf the net constantly for products that last, are current season or are just too dang lush to pass up. We want to save you from having to go through dozens of websites to create a cohesive look for your place and want to provide you with the ultimate zhoosh-potential by simply visiting ours with the click of a button! 

How it works: Every month we’ll provide a capsule collection of beautiful new, vintage and pre-loved products, especially curated in the look of the season. Hence our store name - “Shop The Nook Look”. You’ll be able to purchase individual items as they pique your interest, creating an accumulative look for your space. Our items will change month to month and we are taking great care into creating a small but varied selection of items we absolutely love. Keep checking back regularly as it’ll be a great find for anyone looking to spruce up their home, AirBnb or rented property, as so often we need to!

Because of the nature of our job, we’ve worked with every product that we’ll be posting up in our store and we rate them. With our recommendations, and your sense of style, we really do think we can give every space that bit of ‘oomph’ it’s needing. This includes those of you looking to purchase a few things which are relevant to your target market for the duration of your sale process. It’s amazing how a few simple products can catch the eye of a buyer! 

So, are you ready for our first drop for the “Nook Look”? Stay tuned for more “looks” in the months ahead, but for now hop on over to the shop portion of our website and feast your eyes! We are so looking forward to providing you with these curated collections of treats. We think you’ll love our cushion combos the most as you can buy the entire set in a one-off purchase! Head over to our ‘Shop’ now and let’s get you sussed!

-The Girls

What We're About

It’s nice every once in awhile to remind our readers why we’re here, doing what we’re doing. We thought we’d take the time today to share what Nook Staging and interior design means to us, why we focus on small apartments and small spaces, and how Nook has grown in the last couple of years!

First of all, Nook has become a little family. It isn’t just Megan on her own anymore roping her hubby in for late night staging jobs after she’s been out all day hustling consultations. It isn't running out of a storage locker with a smaller number of products at our disposal now either. It’s actually becoming a bit of a machine! This year we have some new plans and expansions in business up our sleeves! Megan has a partner by her side (aka me) throughout the week and we’re currently swimming in furniture packages, staging jobs + a renovation city-side! We have a big ol’ warehouse where all of our products fit for staging jobs and we’re dreaming up of where-to even from here! It’s a pretty exciting time to be a part of the business, to be honest.

We focus on staging smaller spaces and apartments in Auckland because Megan noticed a couple of years ago that there was a need for that in the industry. She wanted to bring quality design, service and products to those looking to sell their apartments from a bespoke brand. She’s been developing that brand continuously and now we fit out Airbnb’s and small properties all over Auckland. We have solid relationships with our sales agents and regular clients and have even put our hand to renovating a property under Nook just off Symonds Street. We’re feeling really lucky to be where we are and to have some cool opportunities to expand Nook.

We love what we do. That’s why we do it. From brushing shoulders with people on their A-game in the industry, to helping clients sell their homes at the price point they were expecting to, it’s just a pleasure to go into Auckland properties throughout and dress the place to it’s potential. We’re also pretty nerdy about putting together look-sheets on our computors and creating hypothetical environments then get really stoked when we get to see those colours and feature pieces bring a place to life. We find it rewarding. Our clients do too. That’s why we do what we do. If you’re looking for interior designers, home-stagers or consultants with passion - you’ve just met your match. :)

The Met, Air Bnb Package

A lot of people are unaware as to the service we offer for short term rental accommodation (mostly Air Bnb properties), so we thought we’d talk about a package we did a few weeks ago for an offshore client to give you an insider’s look into the whole process!

It all started when an overseas client was referred to us by our friends over at Guest Easy, an Airbnb management company! To start off with we went around to the property when the client was in the country, took measurements, sent a quote and got working on mood boards to create a bespoke look for the property.

It was a really cool project. It already had dreamy windows and high ceilings, beautiful walnut floors and fresh paint! We were excited as soon as we saw the property.

We altered the looks we sent our client based on his personal preferences, and went back and forth to select furniture choices he specifically loved. We discussed art choices and narrowed down our options to either coastal vibes, or green foliage. We looked into a number of different cushion and soft furnishing combinations based on all of the above and were then able to narrow down some of the smaller choices and order all the kitchenware and small decoratives from our suppliers.

The 2.5 seater brown leather sofa became a beautiful medium for the walnut floors and other oak furniture items as it was a darker brown than any of the other tones of the room while also keeping consistent with the earthiness of the place, not to mention comfy! You could just melt into its cushions! The wool ottoman at its foot enhanced the luxurious experience that much more as it provided a texture your feet would definitely approve of. 

We decided on a white tulip dining table and white table-top coffee table to become the brightest contrasts in just the right places, while the oak dining chairs and sturdy entertainment unit softened the look between these contrasts. The chairs had beautiful curved backs to provide comfort for guests while also being a light piece to move around. The entertainment unit wasn’t going anywhere once we put it in its place - no guests would have to worry about knocking the TV off. 

The rug underneath the living room arrangement was the perfect cream to neutralize all the colours of the living room and brought a warm pop to an earthy habitat. Our client was a fan of blues and he wasn’t wrong to be so! We dressed the sofa and the bed with masculine blue tones that complimented the greenery going around by way of the plant in the living room and the art above the bed, also the hint of blue in the living room art pieces! We played with different hues of blue throughout our cushion combos and decided on a baby blue for the bedside lamps that, again, brought just the right pop of lighter tones where we needed them. Our bedsides drew in the look of the living room into the bedroom, which is important when its an open-plan studio apartment, by pulling in that oak visible throughout the studio. Just like that, voila! We were ready for the smaller details like dining table pieces, kitchen appliances and putting light bulbs into our lamps! A job well done we think!

Something to note about Air Bnb packages that a lot of people forget is that people are living and breathing the choices we make when they stay (rather than it being a static installation like in a home staging). This means we have to perfectly balance function and form, while sticking to a budget the client approves. It’s a tricky job but we are unique in Auckland in terms of this service we offer.

If you want to check out more photos of this project head over to our website gallery here.

Could Interior Design be for You?

You might be finishing up high school at the end of this year, you might be in the middle of your university studies. Maybe you’re thinking about a career change in the prime of your own and finding those cafe meetings or trendy offices are the part of your day you actually enjoy the most. Perhaps it’s because you’re more preoccupied with the vibe of a place and how its interiors set the tone for said meetings. If you’re a keen bee after beautiful spaces and find yourself thinking about how you could switch just a couple things around at your friend’s house to create a better feel for the room then honey, you might just be an interior designer in the making! 

Here are a couple of confessions from our latest staff member, Hannah, you might benefit from if you’re considering the career!

1. As an 18 year old I wanted to change the world. I was so buzzing and eager to hop into a degree that I thought would aid me in activism. I didn’t have a particular cause I was interested in but that didn’t stop me from dabbling in both a Religious Studies and Social Work degree! If you’ve ever done the “Strengths Finders”, test one of my top ‘strengths’ is Restorative. That basically means I like taking broken things, or things I think could be better, and bettering them. I thought the way this strength could be best used was if I applied it to my idea of people that needed help. That got old quickly because I soon realised people are people everywhere and my teenage strength wasn’t enough to make them happier all the time! Actual Social Workers are heroes that walk among us! But I was the kid that had to try a bunch of different things to figure out what she wanted to do! 

2. During my studies I found myself thinking about how I love beautiful places! I’m a nature baby at heart but if I have to be indoors I want those places to be cool because I value how those places make myself and other people feel. I see it as an extension of hospitality when I get to invite friends and clients into atmospheres I’ve been busy putting my mind and hands to. Hospitality was something my momma raised me in. Our home was always a place full of people and there’s nothing quite like having smiles and laughter because, in part, you’ve created a moment for others to rest into and take a load off because of.

3. I started down several different career paths before I found interior design and styling. Prepare yourself for an extensive list. It goes like: Youth work, barista, poet, manager, flipping houses, early childhood, health care, marketing - you better know I gave my all to those things and found they just didn’t stick. Then I put my hand to styling and LOVED IT! Because I got to make spaces.. better.. and so began my romance with interior design. 

4. Fast track down the road a bit and here I am, surrounded by creatives in so many different fields! With projects coming out of our ears! Truly, I found something that makes me come alive. There’s so much diversity in tasks throughout the day that there’s barely any time for boredom, Nook is a business looking to expand itself constantly and it’s an exciting time to be a part of the business! Every job we take on we bring a new look and I still get to work with people! Have I even mentioned that it’s fun?                                                                                                                      

If that sounds like a bit of you, first, check us out on Instagram if you need to be nourished by our enthusiasm because you don’t know where else to go! We genuinely love being able to say at the end of the day that we made something beautiful throughout the course of ours. Second, plug in to some other accounts, get to talking to some interior designers and/or stylists! Third, get to talking to the people you trust around you about if they think this could be a career choice for you! I encourage you to do so because I get to wake up being thankful about what I do. Aim to make your main hustle the one that makes you thankful, I reckon. If yours ain’t that - reach honey’s, reach!

Smart Products for Small Spaces

We think it’s time to spill the tea about some of our favourite small-space furniture items. So go grab one yourself as we tuck in for more small-space tips!

Our style is obviously a mix of Scandi and minimalism which means we have to think strategically about what furniture and accents we’re going to use for each space. Can’t have any  ‘dead zones’! These are some of the most helpful and beautiful products we’ve come across, plus use most frequently, for said spaces. Here are our current recommendations for your apartment if you’re trying to resource products for a smaller space:

1. The Fable Occasional Chair from Cittá is a perfect example of our style. It's a clever oak design that holds its smart fabric with strength. It photographs well because the oak hugs the back of the chair as well as accents the fabric all around, remaining a feature from all angles. This chair is the Beyoncé of occasional chairs. It doesn't overwhelm a smaller space while also maintaining the sophistication and comfort you're looking for.

2. The Sketch Root Round Dining Table from Soren Liv is just a treat. We like to go for circular tables for particularly cosy dining spaces as it keeps the room looking open and allows flexibility of placement. We also acknowledge that some of our clients are young parents and need the lacquered finishing to keep their cleaning process quick and their tabletops spiffy. We recommend this dining table for the practicality and efficiency effect.

3. Loves a rug! No matter how cool your floors are everyone loves a good rug. We can't count the number of times we have added a rug for a part staging job, and had the client tell us afterwards "I can't believe I've never put a rug down before, it looks so much better!" The Elias Floor Rug from Freedom Furniture has all the texture and appeal that a dinner party turned to sleep over party could want! We love the wool and viscose blends of this fabric, and lug it everywhere we can for jobs because it’s our fave. It comes in different sizes and at affordable prices depending on the measurements of your space.

4. With its nifty size, dreamy appearance and supportive back one has to vouch for this piece. The Radial Dining Chair from Cittá is our go-to! She has classy legs and a lengthy seating frame. It's actually pretty light when you consider that it's made of sturdy oak too! It wears really well, and looks even better over time. Have I mentioned that she’s pretty yet?

Those are just a few of our favourite things in rotation currently and we thought we’d let you know what we’re into, what they’re called and where they’re from in case you’ve wondered about them in any of our posts or stories on Instagram. Please let us know if you have any enquires and remember that you get the benefit of a stylist’s discount at most places when you hire Nook Staging for consultancy! Have a groovy Monday and we’ll catch you on the gram tomorrow.

A Hannah Excerpt: My favourite Auckland Apartment

Since it’s cuddle-season, I thought I’d talk about the ins and outs of my latest love affair.

As in I didn’t just like this particular job - I loved! Apartments like this don't just come up all at once but when I saw the freshly painted walls, spacious living room, thoughtful light fixtures, generous window allocation, curves and corners of this one I couldn’t resist but get romantic about it. It had all the natural lighting and views of the city a gal could ask for. Those are just a few reasons as to why this has been my favourite job so far this year!

The other reasons come down to (as per usual) the products we brought to this full-stage. Products like the complimentary white dining table to the wooden floors, gentle consoles against piercing walls, a neutral sofa holding autumn cushions in all their crisp glory, to the simplicity of the oak clock singularly scaling the kitchen wall. We kept the theme of autumn minimalism throughout the house as we dressed the beds with light bronze, burnt orange and faded mustard details.

We brought darker pieces to lighter rooms and vice versa to bring a consistency to the place. We also took advantage of the extensive outdoor area and brought an additional set of outdoor furniture to create a sense of privacy from the stretch expanding from the master bedroom to the living room. We told a story where you could go from having meals outside with friends on one side to cute wee coffee dates with your partner on the other. The visual narrative almost had me putting a deposit down too!

Side note, did you know that we as a brand like stick to luxury touches such as Ashley and Co. soaps, Compagnie de Provence sponges and bath salts, Citta towels and assortments of hand creams to our bathrooms? We like to have every room in our Auckland apartments keeping up with the rest of our aesthetic. Have you also noticed yet that we like to have our kitchens look like you could whip up a Penne Pasta with fresh herbs at a moments notice? I’m not quite sure as to why, but I think it’s because we can’t imagine anyone wanting to go a day without pasta. A fair call.

Finally, I loved that we’ve chosen My Father’s Florist as our floral provider because, especially at this property, you couldn’t help but drool over the bouquet of hers we brought in. I kept catching it in my peripheral on my stroll from the kitchen to the living room. It centered the flow of each space and gathered the rest of the wandering autumn features into a perfect understanding with each other.

If this hasn’t been a profession of love - I don’t know what is. Head over to our gallery for more pictures of this romantic piece of property and interior design.

-Han

Part Staging

Please feel free to grab a hot drink on this windy day and go through our excerpt about part staging. If you’re looking to sell sometime soon and don't feel that a full stage is for you due to cost or living circumstances (for example if you're living in the property or have nowhere to store your furniture!) we highly recommend this option. We haven’t talked much about part staging because we do full stages more frequently, but it’s a great service we offer which definitely helps our clients properties go up in value.

This week we did a couple of part stages and were reminded again at how much the whole atmosphere of a place can be changed by a. Bringing in Nook products and b. Borrowing the thoughtful and fresh eyes of Nook as a team. We have a lot to offer in helping you use your own furnishings, change the location of existing furniture you own, and mix it all in with ours! We believe we can help you achieve your optimal part staging outcome, should you choose that option.

The process of a part stage is that our girl-boss, (Megan), comes out to your property to evaluate what Nook can do for you. She chats with you about your preferences, living arrangements and has a look through your property to see how we can best maximise its value. With a background in property management and property investment, Megan has a few tricks of the trade up her sleeve. She takes lots of photos of your property to use later for detail development, should you decide to go ahead. Once there’s been an understanding of what Nook can provide for you Megan creates a plan regarding placement of furniture, what to organise prior to our arrival to ensure you get the maximum value from our service, and what we will provide out of our stock for your property. Megan and myself (Hannah), then go through the photos that were taken at your property and put together a plan about what colours, textures, measurements, artwork and decor to reach for. Depending on the job, part staging usually only takes a couple of hours. We arrive on site, put our furniture in place, style with your existing furnishings, bring out ours, help pack away any items needing to be de-cluttered, double check everything is in place and looking sparkling then leave your space to it for the remainder of your hireage period.

We constantly have clients commenting on how different a place can look with a simple rearrangement of furniture, new linens, soft furnishings and fresh eyes.

A number of our clients ask how the process works with having our linen on their beds if they are still occupying the property. It's not nearly as difficult as you might think. We simply lay our full set of linen over the top of yours for photographs and then ask that you pop it into a cupboard during the week when you are sleeping. This can be bought out and placed on the beds the morning of your open homes throughout the sale process. It takes all of a couple of minutes, and completely changes the look of a room. Well worth it!

We then come back at the end of that period to take our stock out, wish you well and get to celebrate with you about how your property has sold! It’s a satisfying time for us to see you happy and to know our product contributed towards that happiness.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time as we’d love to chat. Again, we highly recommend this option because we never leave a space without having lifted the feel of it and we pride ourselves in that.

How To: Talk to Your Interior Designer

You might be a little nervous to approach an interior designer if you don't know what to expect. Truth is, interior designers often love people! It'd be weird if we didn't! That's why we're in the business of people and design! If you're intimidated nonetheless about how to approach one we thought we'd provide you with a simple "How To" with some questions to have prepared for when you meet with yours.

What are you trying to accomplish? 

Have a think before you meet with your interior designer about the gist of what you’re looking for from your space. For example, do you entertain company quite often in your living room? But do you have kids too? Do you value the comfort of a sofa, or is the look of it super important to you? If you have ideas around what you want to achieve then let them know up front and don’t hide that stroke of genius for later! Your designer wants to help you get what you want as efficiently as possible and wants you to feel like your time is being spent well. Treat your first meeting as a collaboration between yourself and the designer if you have a direction in mind for your space. Even small creative ideas can help the designer get an idea about your style and what is important to you! If you have no idea what you’re after then ask yourself some of the following:

Let’s get specific! 

Make a list! Check it twice! Help - I’m hearing Christmas jingles. Going through a basic, fundamental list of what a room usually requires can be helpful.

Are you looking for cushions, artwork, large pieces of furniture, smaller decorative items, rugs, throws? What is it you’re keen on or need? 

We often hear from clients that they know what they 'don't like when they see it', so a simple but wonderful tool we suggest our clients use is a Pinterest board. You can start with broad searches at the beginning, for example 'living room', and eventually find something specific that captivates your attention. This is a very helpful tool for a client and designer to be able to communicate to each other about preferences and style, if you're finding it difficult to communicate what it is you're interested in. 

How involved do you want to be in the process? Set clear expectations with your designer. Do you want to approve every single item and selection made, or would you prefer the designer creates and overall look and feel for you while you focus your energy elsewhere?

Do you trust your designers aesthetic? Check out their website or Instagram to get a sense of what preferences they have - if you haven’t already! You don’t want to pick a designer whose taste is completely different to yours. Pick a designer with a vibe you like! Then if you’re comfortable, give them your parameters. This might be things like budget, if you want frequent updates about where they're at with their progress so you can confirm choices along the way, colour schemes, etc. and leave them to chip away at sussing your space. Alternatively, you can totally get involved! If you're wondering how much you're allowed to be involved then let me enlighten you by saying you're allowed to be as involved or uninvolved as you'd like - as long as your budget permits. Most designers hire themselves out at an hourly rate. An interior designer’s job is to help you figure out what you want, provide you with a beautiful end result, and send you off satisfied with their service and product.

Wanna know a secret a lot of designers don't advertise? We often get fantastic discounts with different suppliers. When you pay your designer's fee, you often save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars with our discounts, as well as get guidance and advice about what to do with your space. We highly recommend this type of service if you're restyling, moving into a new place, need to renovate or are just interested in upping your game in your interiors. At Nook Staging we provide this service and would be delighted to grab a coffee and have a chat with you any time. Talk soon friends! Otherwise, we hope you find your perfect fit in an interior designer and would love to see what you've done with your space.

An Autumn Excerpt

Trees are brushing off their neutrals, burnt oranges and reds in those chilly winds, fall fashion is layering up our sun-kissed bodies, we’re holding on to coffees a little longer than usual for extra warmth and what we’re cooking for dinner is slowly accommodating for colder times too. Let’s talk interiors. Auckland skies are holding more clouds and our sunlight is disappearing quicker, so it’s important to have a space that provides a positive environment for the wintery times ahead.

Time to take inventory of our surroundings. First of all, what’s going on with your lighting? We spend more time inside in man-made light as the weather changes, so we highly recommend getting this right! Do your light bulbs give off a white or yellow light? Which of the two makes you feel calmer? Or makes your space feel bigger? It’s important to have good light throughout winter to optimise your mood. Adding a lamp here or there can be a help too! Secondly, what’s going on with the textures of your rooms? Draping a blanket on the arm of your sofa or chair, or replacing a couple of cushion covers with texture could work a charm! Even plumping your cushions regularly is a simple tool to help your living room feel cosy. Keep in mind that the fabric of your cushions affects the experience of temperature you and your guests have too. For example, do you feel chilly when you think about leather cushions during winter months?

Last but not least, colour! Depending on the room you’re working with you might want to play with darker, neutral colours - to set your intentions for rest. If you’re needing to wake up the room you might want to add a tinge of pop to solidify your expectations, through aesthetic. That is just scratching the surface of the whole colour conversation but hey - it’s simple advice you can take on board immediately!

Have a chat with your family about their favourite colours at the dinner table and see if you can give your home character with their character throughout this winter. A little something for the kids to smile at whenever they see it. Or chat with your partner about lighting and see how they feel about whether or not you have enough in your home for those books you’re both about to get stuck into. Or have a play with textures on a rainy day by yourself and feel it transform your room. Make it a conversation with yourself and the people around you and keep warm, friends!

Dried Florals, My Father’s Florist

“I don’t think I’ve shared this before, but a big part of my business and my love for dried florals is grief. But grief interwoven with learning how to step into gratitude and step into joy.” A quote from our new obsession over at My Father’s Florist. Joanna is a beautiful weaver of stories and she tells those stories through dried florals. Based in Auckland, this dreamy woman spends her days foraging in the wilder parts of Piha and the like. Her care and hard work is so evident in every bouquet, in her modern circle designs, in her mood boards, frames and oh my - you should hear her talk about her brand! This woman is belly-full with belief about why she does what she does, and we’ve fallen for her brand too.

The reason why we’ve chosen Joanna is because her products speak for themselves. In our line of work we want products that will create an aspirational space for potential buyers, will last a fairly large amount of shifting, and will add a sense of magic to what we do. Dried florals have an amazing lifespan and we’re chuffed to be working with a local business we can get behind. If you’re thinking she sounds like a good idea - we’re right there with you! Check out her website and give her a cheeky follow on Instagram to get in touch or keep up with her Piha adventures. Her arrangements and displays are perfect for the colder months because they pair so sweetly with autumn and winter tones. We’re obviously a little bit into her and found her at the right season for our designs!

- Megan and Hannah

Introducing Nook's New Team Member - Hannah Bates!

Meet our new team member Hannah! We welcomed her to the business a couple of weeks ago and we’d like you to know the woman behind the face a bit more. We sat her down for a quick chat:

Where are you from?

The first thing you’ll notice about me is probably my accent. Originally, I’m from Texas. I grew up in Fiji and India for the most part though. My parents were aid workers so we moved around a lot. I’m almost a citizen of New Zealand now though - yay! Been here for seven years.

What got you interested in interior design?

A sense of home has become increasingly important to me because I’ve lived in so many that I had stopped putting effort into what my space felt like, because I knew we’d be leaving again. Over time, every space has become important to me because of how they can make you feel. I’ve learned there’s so many things you can do to provoke a certain sense of a place and even perpetuate a certain lifestyle by how you invest in your surroundings. I’ve been fascinated with people’s homes for a long time because each country I lived in had different trends, cultures and placed value on different parts of their houses. I think how people present their homes gives away secrets about them. It’s a special thing to be invited into them and an authentic extension of ones self to invite others into your own space. I believe creating beautiful spaces is a hospitable work and I love that I get to do that for a job!

What is your favourite room in a house?

My kitchen. I love to cook and have friends over. There’s something so romantic about opening a nice wine and chatting away with friends while I prepare something fresh and delicious. Again, the art of presentation gets involved here. I love all the colours in my kitchen from canisters, to spices, to plates, to garnishes. I almost dance while I cook because my kitchen is my favourite place to be and I get to dress a dish after spending all day dressing rooms. It makes me so happy to make the things around me look beautiful.

What’s your favourite part of your job with Nook Staging?

Planning colour schemes and fit outs, getting to meet new clients, doing the actual instals, browsing the web or shops for new products we could bring into our work. It’s pretty cute though, Megan or I always bring the other a Long Black in the morning, and it’s a nice little practice to have while starting our days off together to acknowledge that we’re in this together and that we’re about to work hard. I love it.

Bespoke Furniture Packages - The Process

The furniture package market has been steadily busy for Nook throughout winter. I often get asked what is involved in the process, so thought I would blog about it. Clients have been seeing great results by putting together something unique for the rental or Air Bnb market, which will differentiate their property from the masses. Particularly with Air Bnb properties or holiday rentals, potential guests tend to gravitate towards properties which have some personality. This has lead to some really fun projects for me where I have had more scope to inject a slightly quirky style into the final look in comparison to my home staging (which is by nature to appeal to the mass market).

When a client asks me to create a tailor-made package for them, I have to go and sight the property first. This often results in us being able to utilise existing furniture pieces, saving the client money. Should there be existing items in the apartment we are keeping, I then use these to kick-start our overall look for the property. For example recently I did a furniture package for a property which had a few silver coloured furniture items still in very good condition, however the overall look was dated when coupled with the rest of the furniture. Rather than throwing everything away, we created a furniture package which had a very slight retro feeling to it to work in with the silver look. This meant we could keep the TV table, dining table and side tables. 

I discuss a general budget with the client, and then spend time sourcing items which are ideal in size and style for the package. 

During this stage, I put together "Look Sheets" for each room, which is a bit like a mood board. This shows the items I have earmarked for the property, and the colours and style I would suggest. I also create a proposed item list with a pricing breakdown. This gets sent through to the client to check. Dependant on the client, this part of the process can be very quick or more hands on - some people like to be very involved in the finished look, and others leave me to create what I feel will be best.

After getting approval on the total cost and general item list, I purchase everything. This is the fun part - shopping! Most of my work can be completed online, as I have good relationships with my suppliers and am familiar with the quality and look of the items suggested. However the "finishing touches" like candles, coffee table books, plants, and accessories are often purchased from a number of different suppliers, and can involve us driving around the city looking for the perfect goodies to complete the look. 

Nook can even help with the providing of crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils and appliances should the client need these.

After ensuring everything is ready for installation day, we book with our moving team to shift everything into the property and have any items which need construction built. Removal of rubbish (which can be a huge amount!), set up of furniture and presentation to a staged standard is all included in our price. We often meet the professional photographer on site at the end of the process, to provide access and ensure everything looks perfect for photography. 

I couldn't recommend professional photography for Air Bnb and rental properties highly enough. It is still an area where many landlords "skimp" and do not use proper images. This means if you do, your property will stand out massively in the market.

After that, the client just has to sit back and wait for the guests to start lining up!

Winter, Hygge and How I Am Trying to Achieve it

I've been in a bit of a mid-winter rut for a few weeks. The cold weather has bought with it a feeling of sluggishness, and a lack of motivation for me. In order to combat this feeling, I have been looking into "Hygge" (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah!). Hygge is seemingly being mentioned everywhere at the moment. It is a Danish word which is used to acknowledge a feeling or moment at home or outside, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special in some way.

There's apparently no English word which directly describes Hygge - but there are a few which can help us understand the general idea. Cosiness, happiness, a feeling of contentment, security, comfort and simpleness are all along the lines of the feeling of Hygge. 

Winters in Denmark are cold and dark, and yet the Danish continue to rank as some of the happiest people on earth - so I figure they must be onto something. 

I'm trying to approach my time at home with a feeling of Hygge as opposed to feeling guilty or lazy. I'm trying to relish the moment and acknowledge how good it feels to do things a little slower for a time. I am finding this is making it easier for me to then be productive and get things done afterwards!

So, how do we create a feeling of Hygge? It will be personal to each individual, as it is a "feeling" rather than an object or thing. I have found lighting beautiful candles when I am working, showering in the dark with a scented candle at night time, making a fragrant cup of tea with a teapot, having a great glass of red wine at night with dinner, walking my dog on a cold morning with lots of layers on, and sitting at my desk with a soft blanket over my knee are all bringing a feeling of contentment or cosiness for me this winter. Most of these things I would be doing anyway, but stopping to appreciate them seems to be doing the trick.

What are your favourite things to do to create Hygge? I'd love to know!

Megan

Why Home Stage? A Few Thoughts and Figures from Megan

It was while I was working as a property manager that I became passionate about presenting properties in their best possible condition. I saw time and time again that the properties that were well maintained and presented in their best condition rented quicker, for higher rent and to better tenants, or sold faster and for higher prices than those which were not. 

New Zealand continues to lag behind when it comes to getting in the right mindset with investment property. We tend to want to do everything ourselves, and with minimal money spent. While this is commendable in many ways, it also means many of us struggle to see an investment property as just that – an investment. Investments by nature do not cost nothing to upkeep. They tend to need some money spent on them in order to get a return. 

I have been doing some reading on overseas markets to get an understanding of the differences the NZ market has. I found some interesting statistics compiled by the National Association of Realtors in the USA, where home staging is almost a routine occurence. 32% of agents believed staging a property increased the dollar value a buyer was willing to offer for a home by 1-5%, and 16% believed it increased the dollar value by 6-10%. If we are looking at a standard apartment, even a 1% increase in value more than justifies the cost of staging.  There are also many other less quantifiable benefits for staging apartments. These include making the apartment stand out from other listings in the same building, which in turn could decrease the time taken to sell the property.  The same survey also found that 28% of agents believed buyers were more willing to overlook other property flaws if the listing was staged. 

So how can you use this information to your advantage? Well, obviously contacting Nook Staging to furnish or stage your property is a great start! There are also a few other tricks of the trade you might like to keep in mind:

• Remove as much clutter as possible. People need to be able to imagine living in the property, and it makes it tricky for them to do this if there are personal belongings filling up every square inch available. Remember that in apartments storage is at a premium, and therefore storage spaces need to be clear of clutter as well to make them look as large as possible.
• Make sure your apartment is presented in a clean condition, and smells good. I use diffusers and candles when staging to ensure the property smells good for the duration of time it is listed.
•  Have the property painted/carpeted with neutral colours throughout. 
• Don’t fill small apartments with heaps of bulky, large furniture. Glass is non-intrusive. Couches which have space underneath the base are less intrusive than those which sit directly onto the carpet. Mirrors are also a good way to make rooms feel larger.
•  Great art and plants elevate a property from being boring to amazing!
• Make the property as light as possible by having all curtains drawn, all lights on for viewings, and lamps in any dark patches. Consider changing bulbs for brighter daylight types if possible.
• Fresh flowers and small touches are the cherry on top which make a house feel like a home. 

I am happy to work with you to ensure your property is presented in the best possible condition for rental or sale. Be sure to send me an email if you wish to find out more about how Nook can help your apartment look sharper.

Megan

Abbey's Winter Edit

Hi guys, Abbey here!

Winter has always been my favourite season. Coats, boots, scarves….Layers upon layers. It’s all about the layers!!

At Nook, we have been creating warm and cosy rooms with a range of textures/fabrics which mimic the layering effect for interiors.

You can still use all your basic neutral pieces which translate across the seasons, but you can update the look for winter by adding the equivalent in homewares to a cosy sweater or scarf to build up texture and warmth in your home for the change of season!

My absolute favourite this winter are velvets, chunky knits and classic linens. A mixture of crisp, cosy and classic!

Fabrics can give such a tactile experience to a room. Velvet pieces often have beautiful dramatic shades and rich textures. Jewel colours create a glamorous luxe look which is perfect for creating a winter nest to relax in after being outside in the cold.

To keep the look feeling effortless, you can't go past linen. Neutral shades and washed pastels are stunning when layered with contrast or feature colours. I also love a traditional check wool throw, which works well with natural fabrics and wood furnishings creating a harmonious effect in the Scandi vein Nook is well known for.

All you need after that is a good book to curl up with!

Here's a few of my favourite pieces I have been loving working with over the cooler months:

Clockwise from top: Siesta Wool Throw from Citta, Gava Dish from Citta, Reflect Wool Embroidered Cushion from Citta, Space Works Book from Alex & Corban, Luna Wool Embroidered Cushion from Citta, Moss Stitch Wool Throw from Citta, Washed Velvet Square Stitch Throw from Citta, New Zealand Sheepskin from Thread Design.

Happy snuggling! 

Abbey x

Introducing Nook Staging's Main Lady - Abbey Meehan!

Sometimes you get really lucky. Towards the end of last year, Nook got lucky! I was looking for an addition to the company to help with the workload that was coming in as word spread, and my business from referrals increased. I put the word out that Nook Staging was looking for someone and (to be frank) was overwhelmed by the interest I received back from people! It was so great to see how many people were enthusiastic about the work Nook had been doing, and wanted to be a part of it. 

One of the people who got in touch with me was a great friend of mine, who knew of the perfect person to join me. Along came Abbey Meehan - Nook's newest member.

It seems only fair that in this blog article I recognise the hard work and help that Abbey has done behind the scenes to help Nook Staging become even better.

Since Abbey joined us just over 6 months ago, the business has gone from strength to strength. We have completely re-designed the processes we use for preparing and packing for jobs, and have streamlined the system to the point where I had to go away for a short period last month and Nook Staging was able to continue to do installations. What an achievement - and one which I would never have thought possible at such an early stage in starting the business.

One of the main things I have been especially passionate about is building up a business that is great for people to work at and which attracts talented and enthusiastic people. There is still so much for me to learn, but I feel Abbey has been a first step in that direction.

We've marked just over one year of Nook Staging being in business by taking a progress shot of the business the way it looks now (and with High Tea at Ostro, of course!) However, behind the scenes is where the real difference has been. 

Abbey and I are really looking forward to bringing many more wonderful staging spaces to you in our second year of business.

Megan

A Guide to Furniture Buying for Petite Spaces

A friend of mine recently bought an apartment in Auckland to live in and was struggling to work out what sizes and types of furniture to buy for it. He was finding it hard to work out what furniture would maximise the space, but still be a decent size for him to be able to relax in.

I realised this is probably a common issue, hence my new blog topic!

It's always difficult to talk about buying furniture across the board as each space is slightly different and has its own quirks, but generally apartments are relatively similar in proportions and shape. 

Here are my tips for choosing furniture for petite sized spaces:

• For an average apartment, a 2.5 seater couch works really well. It doesn't take up too much space (I find 3 seaters too large for most apartments until you get up near the 45 sqm mark), but you can still stretch out on it.

• A 2.5 seater works well with an occasional chair to give you extra seating. Using a 2.5 seater with an occasional chair means you can move the configuration around to suit if you have guests or feel like a change.

• If you have the space, an ottoman is another great option for flexibility. You can use it as an extra seat if you have guests, and it can double as a side table when required. You can also use it to stretch your feet out on the couch - giving you the comfort of having a chaise couch without the lack of flexibility.

• Chaise couches tend to be reasonably limiting for apartments, as they can cut the space off. Having said this, some spaces lend themselves to having one nicely - and it is nice to be able to stretch out. If you haven't really had a chance to be in the space much, I wouldn't recommend buying a chaise couch until you have triple checked it will fit well. I have transformed a number of spaces which looked very small by removing the owner's chaise couch and replacing with a 2.5 seater and an occasional chair, it opens the space out so much more.

• If the room is narrow a circular coffee table (unless it is very small), is often a bit awkward. You want to allow room to access sliding doors to the balcony without hindering where people will walk. I would recommend a slim rectangular coffee table for these kinds of spaces. If you are really short on space a table nest works well for flexibility as you can curve it around the arm of the couch and keep most of the space in front of the couch clear.

• Plants, plants, plants! Apartments and small spaces need some greenery to transform them from concrete jungle to homely and inviting. A taller plant works well in areas where you need to add some interest. I often use tall but narrow plants in an area that already has pictures on the wall but needs something extra to fill a void. Rather than filling all the walls with pictures and "things", a plant keeps the space looking clean and uncluttered, but adds interest and texture.

• A smaller sized square dining table is infinitely more flexible than a rectangular or medium sized round one. I use a 90cm x 90cm square style for a lot of apartments. This size is brilliant as you can use it as a 2 seater for everyday use, and also as a comfortable 4 seater if you have extra guests. You can have it right up against a wall to free up space in the living room.

• Generally interior designers will tell you to buy a much larger rug than the furniture you have. This is normally correct, but with very small spaces a large rug can make the space feel a lot smaller. Shop around for medium and petite options - a medium sized hide rug (which is not a uniform shape) work better than a large and cumbersome rectangular rug. For even tinier places, things like a goat skin or sheepskin on the floor can be used in place of a large rug to add texture.

• Shop around for petite options! Sometimes just when I start to feel like I am never going to find the perfect item, I will find it. Keep looking around, and don't settle on options which aren't right for the space. You will find it!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! It was a cracker year for Nook Staging last year - a big learning curve as I navigated starting my own business and all that it entailed. I am so excited for 2017, and to take everything to the next level. Last year I hit a milestone and had an additional staff member come on board. No doubt many clients will meet Abbey Meehan this year, she is absolutely brilliant and I know she will help to get Nook operating even smoother than last year. Over the Christmas break I secured some brand new suppliers to work alongside my existing suppliers. I can't wait to use their beautiful new things in my staging packages this year. I will post in the next few weeks so you can see some of their gorgeous items. 

I also have a blog to come this week about buying furniture for apartments and specifically what I have found works well for small spaces, so keep an eye out!

Thanks for your support over 2016. I am looking really forward to achieving even more in 2017. 

First Homebuyer Series: Heidi & Dylan

Heidi and Dylan are the type of people I love to sponge knowledge from. They continually make clever and well thought out decisions when it comes to property (and everything else!), and when you add a tonne of hard work into the mix, the result is that they have both a home to add value to AND a tidy rental property. Talk about high achievers!

This week I talked to Heidi about their 3 bedroom home in Mangere Bridge, Auckland. Her and Dylan are at the tail end of a exciting renovation and I can't wait to see the end result.

I will also do a feature on their rental in the next few weeks - so stay tuned.

M: How long have you been living in your home? 

H: Five and a half years. 

M: What was your main purpose when buying it? 

H: We bought this as our first home with the view that we may not stay here forever. Our purpose has changed since buying it and we now have decided to stay here longer term. 

M: What immediately appealed to you about the place? 

H: It was an old do-up. It was a pretty villa under the poor paint job and tired decorating, so we were able to purchase at a good price and do the hard yards ourselves to make it into what we wanted it to be.

M: Tell us about what it was like when you first moved in:

 H: FREEZING, leaky, a horrid coloured yellow with mustard trims, lots of poorly built additions that needed attention. 

M: What have you done to the property since you bought it?

H: Basically everything!!!! 
In our first phase of renovations we
- Insulated the entire house, walls and all - this means re-gibbing and painting all the walls in every single room
- Added an ensuite
- Painted the exterior
- Re-did the toilet
- Got rid of the overgrown garden
- Built a small retaining wall to tidy up the driveway and planted a rose garden here

We then decided to stay put for the longer term so in the second phase we decided to extend the house, which involves
- A new laundry
- Open plan living/dining/kitchen in the extension
- New bathroom

M: Phew! That sounds like a lot of work! What was your best purchase? 

H: I love my Penny Stotter and my Ali Gulec prints! Also the solid wooden door which I've repurposed into my desk so I can work from home :)

M: Do you have a purchase you regretted?

H: Dining room chairs, I wish I'd spent more on getting some good quality ones from the beginning.

M: What do you love about the place? 

H: It's warm, highly practical, has great light and we've made it our own so it feels like home.

M: What don’t you love about it? 

H: Not a lot to be honest, I would have said the kitchen before the second round of renos as we're keen entertainers, so having the kitchen in a separate room was not conducive to good conversation while entertaining.

M: Describe your interior decorating style: 

H: Eccelectic? New and old, wood and metal, concrete and wood - all the opposites.

Investing in Practice - Jason Hoe from Argo Property

One of the great things about being in the property industry in Auckland is that it is small. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with some very experienced and knowledgable people in different areas of expertise. One of those people is Jason Hoe, who I worked with when I was a property manager. Jason and I both studied a Bachelor of Property at the University of Auckland, and have gone into different areas within the industry - but have both focused on Auckland apartments.

Recently Jason started a consultancy company called Argo Property which helps people who are not knowledgable about the apartment industry make informed decisions when it comes to investing.

He recently shared with me a story about how he and his partner purchased and renovated an apartment earlier this year and achieved over $7,000 positive cash flow. There's details about some of the problems they faced and a complete breakdown of the numbers on his blog.

Having more of an interest in design and presenting properties for sale than being numbers-based, I find it helpful to see the costs and income drawn up for me - something Jason does very well! My only gripe is that he didn't use Nook Staging to furnish or home stage it for him, crucial error! (Haha).

Have a look by clicking here - it makes for some very interesting reading.

Megan