Stories

Here’s a heads-up to all those Cityscapers who like their sport – bigger is better when it comes to watching the game on TV, and with the Rugby World Cup coming in September now is the time to scale up the screen. In fact, whatever you like to watch on TV looks better on one of these monsters. Samsung’s latest Q900 QLED 8K televisions combine unbelievable picture quality with a slick, sophisticated design. That crisp picture is the result of 33 million pixels doing their thing, and with a range of sizes up to 98”, you’ll be well placed to argue with the referees. When not in use, the screen can be quickly transformed into a stylish display to complement the rest of your interior. Display pictures, art, time, weather, or take a snapshot of your wall to let the screen seamlessly blend in. LG also has 98” and 86” screens...

Winter luxury is all about feeling cocooned and the dramatic new colour trend of dark tone-on-tone rooms does just that. Furnishings that almost blend into the wall colour allow you to keep the overall look minimalist or plush, depending on accessories. The room’s grid format feature wall in Resene Twilight Zone adds another layer. Complementary tones such as the coffee table and sideboard in Resene Indian Ink; the vase, tealight holder and bowl in the true blue of Resene King Tide; and the muted Resene Excalibur on the tray and pot add strength and depth to the room. resene.co.nz

Give your interiors a winter refresh and take inspiration from the new range of products in store at Fabric House. For a simple pop of colour to break up your current décor, the blue and white vases (Large RRP $165, Small RRP $158) will add quirk and dimension to your side table or dresser and the gorgeous Tweedmill 100% wool throws (RRP $150) will not only add an extra layer of warmth to your bed but keep you cosy and warm through those cooler evenings. fabrichouse.co.nz

Christchurch artist Tony Cribb tells Cityscape how his hugely popular Tin Man creation was a happy accident that now has a life of its own. Is Tin Man based on anyone you know? For around the first 200 paintings (currently there are 935) Tin Man was very much my alter ego. A lot of the paintings are random silly things, but some things that happened to me personally would end up in a painting. For example, one day I went for a run in the Port Hills and everything was bliss, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and I was feeling great. Then a small bug flew into my mouth. This became the painting Tin Man 331 The Day He Filled His Lungs With Love, Freedom, And A Small Bug. Then I realised that Tin Man reminded other people of their own memories – they believed they were him, so...

American mezzo soprano Sandra Piques Eddy will be singing the part of Rosina in NZ Opera’s season of The Barber of Seville. She tells Cityscape how she got the opera bug, what she does to relax, and how much she is looking forward to performing for a New Zealand audience. You have an extensive career in the world of opera. If there was one performance that has been your favourite, what was it and why? It would be difficult to choose only one. My favourite moments on stage and in rehearsals are the moments that feel completely connected, acting and singing-wise. I’m most excited about the operas where the music and drama are equally matched. Optimal performances feel prepared and spontaneous at the same time. A few years ago, I was in a production of The Coronation of Poppea at Opera North in England and that was riveting, charming, sexy, and...

Confronting his past has liberated Jimmy Barnes. The Australian rock icon talks to Cityscape about the importance of doing what you love with the people you love. Honestly. Jimmy Barnes is heading back on the road to do what he does best. After a series of sold-out theatre shows associated with his bestselling memoirs, in which he laid bare a childhood of abuse and violence, it’s time to kick out the jams, a full-bore rock ‘n’ roll band behind him and a new album’s worth of songs to perform.  Your last tours were linked to your memoirs and featured stripped back versions of your songs but this tour sounds like a return to full-throated rock ‘n’ roll? How does that feel? It’s good. I’ve done a couple of tours now, like the book tours, and as much as they were enlightening and fun, it’s really great to be back doing what I...

Cityscape turns to the experts to find out what every kitchen really needs. Fads and fashions come and go but for Sandra McLay of Total Food Equipment, on Moorhouse Avenue, the real kitchen essentials are “a good knife, good cookware and a good food processor”. It’s 10 years in November since Sandra opened her store. After several shifts due to the earthquakes, TFE settled into its Moorhouse Avenue spot six years ago. As things have settled and people have stocked their rebuilt or replaced homes, she has noticed increased demand for quality. “People are realising that if you skimp on something, you’ll regret it. Buy once, buy right – and a lot of the younger generation are starting to realise that.”TFE is both a retail and commercial store, meaning everything it stocks, including high-end products intended for restaurant kitchens and the like, is available to the public. It also means commercial customers can...

We tap the experts at Belgian Beer Café Torenhof for a recipe and beer match perfect for these cooler months. This winter warmer combines the delicate flavours of seafood with the texture of a delicious buttery sauce and the astringent bite of spinach. The sauce ensures close contact between all the ingredients while the lasagne is baking in the oven and creates the unity of flavour that makes this dish so tasty. Match with: Hoegaarden White. Serves: 4. Ingredients 6 mussels in the shell6 oysters in the shell300ml white sauce15ml Hoegaarden White4 scampi, halved lengthways4 scallops, halved lengthways10 lasagne sheets50g spinach Method Place the mussels in a pan over heat and leave them to open. Remove from shells.Using the strained mussel juice and the juice from the oyster shells, make a smooth, thick sauce by bringing the liquid to the boil and whisking in sufficient white sauce.Poach the raw oysters briefly in...

The Euro chic interior and the buzz of its open kitchen deliver on important first impressions but it’s Earl’s fresh local ingredients and striking combinations that really leave you wanting to return for more. Earl’s Classic Meatballs have won over another couple of fans, smitten by the pork-rich goodness of the balls and the acidic zing of the tomato sugo that coats them. Our eyes were still taking in the Lichfield Street restaurant’s Euro chic interior of wood, steel and glass and the bustle of the open kitchen at its heart but with the arrival of the Share plate of meatballs the focus became firmly front and centre. Earl was buzzing on the busy Thursday evening that we visited. Regardless, we were soon seated and owner and maître d’ Tom had us sorted with menus and a plate of their house-baked sour dough with smoked butter. Earl’s wine list each week...

Cityscape talks new music, opening for AC/DC and favourite tour  food with Villainy lead singer Neill Fraser. What can we expect from your upcoming album Raised In The Dark? This is our third record and it feels like the true evolution from the first two. We wrote something like 110 songs before committing to the 15 or so we recorded and then paired it back to 10 for the final sequence. We're not a one trick pony "rock" band and there is a lot of variation across those tracks from the really balls-out heavy songs to more introspective tracks. I'm really looking forward to hearing which ones hit home for our fans because there is so much depth in there. How would you say the music industry has evolved since you guys first started out? When we started up it was still all about getting on radio, selling CD's and hitting the road...

Cityscape spoke with Vanessa Ortynsky about what excites her the most about Christchurch, what brand she would love to work with and her favourite early morning hotspot for a coffee. What excites you about Christchurch? There’s always something new to discover in Christchurch. New businesses are opening all the time and there’s so much opportunity here. I love supporting the hard-working people who are making this city such a wonderful place to live. Anything coming that you’re particularly looking forward to? I just got married (in Christchurch, of course) and my husband and I are about to embark on a working/studying honeymoon in Amsterdam. I love returning to Christchurch with a new perspective. Plus there are always new cafés that open up whenever I go away. If you had $5000 to spend in one store, where would you go? Infinite Definite is a beautiful locally owned store that supports New Zealand...

On the Instagram scene since its inception, Monique Tinnelly of Christchurch Insider (formally Christchurch Foodie), tells us where to get a bargain in the city, her favourite thing to do in winter and her top insider's tip. What excites you about Christchurch? I feel like Christchurch just keeps getting better. There are constantly new eateries, retail stores etc opening up around the city. I love that I can showcase these cool things about Christchurch and support local businesses. Where’s your go-to for bargain hunting in the city? Op shops! There are so many in Christchurch and you will find me in them every week. I'm loving the new City Mission store in the Boxed Quarter. What’s your favourite thing to do in the city during winter? Go for a hike in the Port Hills. You can't beat a blue sky in Canterbury in winter. We also love to star-gaze and chase the...

We sat down with Shayden Whipps, who along with his wife Georgia, have been sharing their own reno tales on their rad blog Mooch Style. Shayden lets us know what his best treasure find has been, how he'd show off the city to his friends in 24 hours and where he gets away from it all. What excites you about Christchurch? The next generation! Our children will grow up in a city that has had years of solid strategic thinking in its redevelopment and is tailored for their success. The opportunity that it provides for adventure, academic study and culture is endless. Anything coming that you’re particularly looking forward to? I’m really excited for Te Pae/Christchurch Convention Centre. The opportunity and business that the facility will bring to the city is very exciting. We own a home on the fringe of the CBD so we get very excited for developments like...

Cityscape had a yarn to Renee Stewart on what she'd love to see in Christchurch, where she'd drop 5k if she got the chance and her favourite winter hospo haunt. What excites you about Christchurch? I am so excited to see the city finally come together – there is always something new and exciting opening and I absolutely love it! Anything coming that you’re particularly looking forward to? I am such a foodie so definitely the new Riverside Market – it looks like it is going to be amazing! What’s one thing health, food or fashion related you’d love to see in Christchurch? My dream would be for US supermarket chain Whole Foods Market to open up here in Christchurch – I am obsessed! Who is your favourite Cantabrian (living or dead)? Even though she was technically born in Canterbury I have always had huge admiration for Kate Sheppard. Without her, who...

Michelle Sullivan, of the popular Christchurch Daily Photo, clues us in on who her favourite Cantabrian is, her no. 1 spot to snap a stunning photo and her favourite photos from her vast collection. What excites you about Christchurch? Anything you’re particularly looking forward to? Spring! I go into photo overdrive in springtime. I also really want the Heathcote cycleway finished. Then I will have an easy route into the city on my electric bike. Who is your favourite Cantabrian? It’s got to be Richie McCaw. Seriously, what a living legend and role model. Where’s your go-to for a guaranteed stunning photo? Christchurch Botanic Gardens during the “golden hour” of photography. What has surprised you most about the city over the last few years? How vibrant it’s starting to feel in the central city and how people really embraced scooters! I’m a bit of a fan myself, and have been known...

Cityscape spent five minutes with Mary Outram, girlboss behind Borrowed By Mary and Shop By Mary, about what she's looking forward to this year, the brand she'd love to work with and her go-to place to blow off some steam. What excites you about Christchurch? The inner city! Seeing our city slowly come back to life after the sadness of 2011 is really nice to be a part of and to feel a part of that change and seeing it thrive again. Anything coming that you’re particularly looking forward to? Cup and Show Week 2019! Easily one of my favourite weeks of the year. What’s one thing you’d love to see in Christchurch? As a whole I want to see more people getting dressed up and also more events! Sometimes I feel like if you’re dressed well or dressed up there is a perception of "What are you so dressed up for?" People...

We pore over their likes and drool at their Insta feeds but how much do we know about the people behind them? For one thing, don’t call them influencers. Google “I’m not an influencer” and you’ll find myriad examples of YouTube stars and Instagrammers keen to put plenty of distance between the word and what they do. UK beauty blogger Jamie Genevieve (1 million Instagram followers; 750,000 YouTube subscribers) is one of them: "Influencer. Ugh. That word gives me the boak," she told the BBC (Translation? Makes me want to vomit). "It's almost like it's manipulative – manipulating people into buying things. I don't do that.” For Jamie and many others in the world of blogging, the unease over the term is due to its connotations of only pushing products for a fee. “I won't work with things I don't believe in,” she says. “I won't promote it unless I like it. My subscribers...

In the lead-up to the grand opening of The Welder, we get the inside scoop on the impressive development and yarn to the Box 112 team about their vision behind bringing it to life, its unique offering and their other projects. The city is on the rise with a wealth of boutiques, eateries and social hubs having opened up shop in recent months, and it just keeps getting better with the hotly anticipated unveiling of The Welder – the first health and wellbeing centre of such a large scale – brought to life by the team at Box 112. Set to open in the first week of October, The Welder is taking up residence on the bustling Welles Street and joining the impressive rank of culinary haunts such as Welles Street, Winnie Bagoes, Burger Burger and Supreme Supreme alongside the Yoobee Colleges, Grow Active Daycare and the abundance of seriously slick...