Photo: Supplied: Bateman Books
Michael Mansvelt, who has spent 30 years creating beautiful spaces as a home, interior and landscape designer, says opulent home designs don't have to be expensive - it's about being brave to have fun and sticking to your values.
His latest book, Everyday Opulence, looks at how his style has been influenced by his life experiences: from humble beginnings in Hāwera - a haven for charming homes, he says - to working at Britain's largest privately-owned estate, Welbeck Abbey.
Mansvelt hopes his book will encourage people to think about the things or items they connect with - that might help create a little bit of paradise at home, even if they don't have a big space or a big budget.
"[Love] can cut out a lot of the wrong motivations for what we want in our homes," he tells Nine to Noon.
"I talk in the book about seeing so many people say to me, 'oh, when we moved into the house, we were going to do this and this' and you could see their minds going like all the things that were brought out by love, 'we're going to take out this wall and we love the old fireplaces and we love this' and then sometimes when you let fear come in it's like, 'oh well, fires aren't very practical anymore and we don't really use it'.
"I mean we're worried if we paint the house that dark colour we're gonna have to paint it too often or then all of a sudden they start compromising on their values."
There are many ways to show "love" in your home, Michael Mansvelt says, but it's important not to compromise on your values because you're worried about "the look" or practicality. Photo: Unsplash / Kristyna Squared.one
Homes aren't perfect, and if they are perfect, no one really wants to be in them, he says.
"There's a great example of a book that I read where a fellow built a house and he was a fabulous designer, he built the house and he'd spent years planning it down to right down to the cutlery, everything was perfect.
"All their friend group never wanted to come and stay. They'd go and stay at the other friend's cottage down the road because he built all these things to almost impress people … It didn't make people feel loved and didn't make people comfortable.
"We can talk about design or we can talk about home making and I really hope this book really talks to the homemaker in all of us. And that really is love, it's those memories, it's the smell of the house, it's the flowers. Those are the ways we show love to people."
Cherish used furniture with memories, Mansvelt says. Photo: 123RF / kutan.ru
Whatever little money you have to spend, it's about making the most of what you've got, he says.
"One of the things that I'm really inspired by is good craftsmanship and nature … but I think you've got to be creative in how you look for those things.
"I'm always inspired by second-hand shops and TradeMe and places like that. That's where I go to get good stuff and I'm always looking for things that are well crafted if I can get them.
"So one of the things I always try and push my clients is to look at rethinking antiques and pieces, older pieces that were beautifully done and have stood the test of time and quite often for a fraction of the cost of a new piece, you can pick up something that actually has heritage and is actually of real value in your home."
Too often people are obsessed with getting "the look" and forget to embrace that homemakers can have creative license without feeling there's a right or wrong way, he says.
"I think when you put all your eggs in one basket of a certain look or style or genre, then you're setting yourself up for failure. Diversity is always key."
Reflecting the outdoor environment indoors through design can help in compact spaces, Mansvelt says. Photo: 123RF / Photographee.eu
Bringing nature inside is also important for compact spaces, he says, and there's various ways to do that not just through plants.
"I'm a fan of keeping it real … So if you can't manage indoor plants and you really feel like it's going to be too much work then maybe beautiful botanical fabrics or cushions or wallpapers are the way to get that green inside. I mean, there's no point having it if it's just going to die…
"I also think it's super important for us to be thinking about what environment we're looking out onto and bringing in as much greenery into that space, whether it's through colour or texture or natural products like timbers and all those stone and things like that … They all bring in natural texture."
