Stories

If you’re a design buff and haven’t visited ECC’s showroom in Victoria Street yet, what are you doing with your life? This is seriously the home of cool lighting, outstanding furniture, and general good taste. The space is meticulously designed, and walking through feels like entering an architectural fitout – perfect inspiration for your next reno or design project. ECC has been around since 1909, and has showrooms in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington. Each displays an exclusive range of some of the world's best lighting, furniture and design brands. In te showroom, you'll find leading international brands like Minotti, iGuzzini, Flos and Artemide, and items designed by a range of famous, exclusive, and top-of-the-game designers. It's a must-visit for anyone planning an architectural project or looking for an original and stylish spin on interior design. ecc.co.nz

Lala Lifestyle has arrived in Victoria Street! The high-end linen and homewares store’s new home is a beautiful, spacious studio with huge windows and a ton of possibilities. The space is fitted out in inspirational design, full of tempting buys for your next interior glow-up. Owner and international interiors pro Monique Bohnenn says customers can expect to see exciting new things. We’re amped to see her promised “huge expansion” of the entire Lala range. Looking for a finishing touch for your interior? Investigate custom cushions from the store’s wide range of fabrics, or book a private consultation with Monique to take your interior decorating game to the next level. She’s got the expert eye to help you design a luxurious and stylish home you never want to leave. lalalinen-nz.com

All the entertainment you'll need for the month of June on the small and big screens, plus books to lose yourself in and new albums to rock out to. Viewing on the big screen Elvis This biopic tells the story of The King’s life and career, from childhood to his unprecedented fame, with director Baz Luhrman’s signature glitz and glamour. Two things are for sure: it will be a visual and aural feast, and if the reactions of Elvis Presley’s family members are anything to go by, it will wring the emotions right out of you. Lightyear Calling Star Command, 90s kids and Pixar fans of all ages – nearly 30 years after Toy Story first took a generation to infinity and beyond, we’re finally getting to see the origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the intrepid space ranger that inspired the action figure. This tale of intergalactic adventure will have a...

Cityscape talks to its own publisher and editor-in-chief about championing Christchurch, and the changing of the era for magazines. Is it strange being interviewed for your own magazine? It’s not my favourite thing, to be honest. I generally like to be behind the pages. But here we are, so let’s talk about some cool stuff. Deal. What’s hot in Ōtautahi this year? The city just keeps coming along. I’ve always thought it was an amazing place to live, play and visit, but it keeps surprising me by getting even better. Think about the Strip. It was just such an iconic part of pre-quake Christchurch, but the Terrace has far surpassed it. That whole riverside area is one of the jewels of the city, and there’s something amazing and new happening there every few months. And then you look at places like High Street, Sydenham, and Merivale. The level of retail and...

Throwbacks! Futurism! Neutrals! Purples! Don’t be confused, read Cityscape’s guide to incoming interior design trends and get your home and office up with the latest. Conceptualise and minimalise Minimalism has been in and out of the spotlight for years. It has now become the defining style of our era, to the point where ‘2020s design’ and ‘minimalist design’ are almost interchangeable terms. This philosophy covers everything from how we decorate our homes, to how we shop, to how we design logos. Look to create space, especially in places where there isn’t much room to go around. Think twice about having multiple small tables in one area. Choose few elegant forms rather than many bold ones. Use a splash of colour instead of a block or, better yet, choose natural and soft colours. Several shades of grey Your home can be your sanctuary, your zen space where you go to relax and...

New Regent Street bistro Twenty Seven Steps has a new downstairs companion – named Downstairs – opening this winter. The great minds behind the classic upstairs restaurant are bringing things down to earth with a new bar set to delight the wine-loving palate with small plates and fantastic drinks. The cuisine sits somewhere between an entrée and a main course, an evolving, weekly menu focusing on locally sourced produce with an emphasis on vegetarian and fish. It’s rocking a relaxed atmosphere, vintage amber glass lights, dark walls, and welcoming service. It’s a wine-focused ‘pub’ with a huge range of local and international glass pours; your local, but in town. Downstairs adds to the fine New Regent Street tradition of speciality bars, puitting wine in the mix among The Last Word whisky bar, Casa Publica rum bar, and gin gin. twentysevensteps.co.nz

Christchurch’s newest high-rise dining experience on the seventh floor of The MUSE Art Hotel is all eye-boggling 180-degree views of everything from the Port Hills to New Brighton beach. Seven is a wine bar in the sky, a rare premium dining experience with creative dishes and a curated drinks list that’ll have you hanging out long after the grand vista turns into a lustrous matrix of city lights and stars. Every wine comes recommended, and every sharing plate arrives at the table looking like an artwork come to life. Presentation may be everything at Seven, but flavour is passion, and the chefs design each dish for exquisite flavour and wine pairing. The wait team are armed with expert wine and food matching advice, and with the huge potential for different combinations, no two visits need ever be the same. The contemporary menu focuses on making skilful magic with simple ingredients. Something...

2022 is a year of expansion at Devál Boutique. Cityscape gets acquainted with the iconic Wānaka store and finds out what’s coming next. Visiting Devál Boutique is like walking into a sleek Paris boutique. Racks of chic European apparel for the trying on, bubbles in hand. This is shopping with taste. Founder Debbie Lawson has effortless style and each curated piece in her collection tells that tale. Like a fashion genie, she manifests optimal outfits, dressing you top to bottom with the likes of Philippe Model shoes, Ivy Copenhagen Alice army pants, Anine Bing knits and a Zadig&Voltaire blazer. Devál can reinvent your wardrobe, one carefully selected piece at a time I’m greeted at the door by boss dog Cooper, then Debbie and her style team immediately thrust me into a dressing room armed with Caitlin Crisp and Frame pieces, very much to my liking. All the incredible items on display...

The Ōtautahi outlook is a mini-series catching the thoughts of Christchurch's leaders on the postitive things happening in Christchurch. What’s good in Christchurch this year? We’ve got so many positive things. We’re the newest city in the country, everything we’ve got is new. There’s the convention centre, the town hall, the library, there’s the new Court Theatre coming, we’ve got the Christchurch Adventure Park and the new Linwood Pool. And if you drive past you’ll see they’ve actually started ground work on the new stadium. It’s not just a stadium for Christchurch; it’s a stadium for Canterbury, and the whole South Island, really. What are you most excited about? I’m excited about people coming back into the country. What’s the last thing you bought, and where? The last thing I bought was a 1950 Bedford truck. I learned to drive in one of those things when I was 12… It’s been...

The Ōtautahi outlook is a mini-series catching the thoughts of Christchurch's leaders on the postitive things happening in Christchurch. What’s good in Christchurch this year? The fact that we’ve gone to Orange has been a huge benefit to the hospitality sector. It’s very, very positive. We’ve seen an immediate pick-up in hospitality venues. I thought it would take a month or two, but no. We’re also noticing that office workers are returning to work rather than working from home. I’m pleased to see a bit more happening in town, and every day is a better day. There are two new hotels opening [The Mayfair and The Observatory], that’s really positive, it shows confidence that the hospitality and tourism sectors are going to pick up What are you most excited about? Seeing people getting out and enjoying things. I can’t wait for the economy to get back to what it was two...

He’s a Canterbury and New Zealand cycling hero, Olympic athlete, mentor, coach, and now a real estate agent. Cityscape spins the wheels with the legendary Hayden Roulston. What have you been up to since retiring from cycling in 2016? I set up my coaching business guiding a range of athletes, from weekend warriors right through to riders that go on to win national championships. It’s been really rewarding but at the same time very stressful knowing your guidance has a huge outcome in a rider’s career. I was also men’s endurance development coach for Cycling New Zealand. What’s your favourite part of Canterbury to see on two wheels? The Port Hills and the Akaroa hills. We are so lucky to have that sort of terrain on our doorstep. I just liked being up high in the hills looking down on the amazing city we live in and also knowing it was...

The Ōtautahi outlook is a mini-series catching the thoughts of Christchurch's leaders on the postitive things happening in Christchurch. What’s good in Christchurch this year? We’re really excited about the borders opening up. Open the border and the people will come! We have seen people coming from different parts of New Zealand who haven’t been for a while and they say it really feels like an amazing new city. I think the ski season is going to bring a lot of people to the South Island, you just get the feeling it’s going to be a good season. And of course, Te Pae is now open What are you most excited about? In the coming months there’s Tīrama Mai. Every time I walk down the street I see the posters encouraging people to come into town. It’s going to start on the first Matariki public holiday. Of course, the other thing...

Nightworks Studio isn’t yet a household name in Christchurch, but the team are designing and making cutting-edge lighting that’s winning awards on the global stage. Cityscape heads behind the scenes to shed some light. Perhaps the most prominent feature in the foyer of the restored and renovated Public Trust Building is its chandelier. Drawing inspiration from Morse code, it consists of five long polished brass pieces, each broken up by dashes of sandstone and luminescent dots. It is elegant and refined, but with a raw quality to the rough-hewn ends to the lowest of the sandstone pieces. It lends a warmth and classic feel to the entrance of the 1925 heritage building, but on closer inspection, the chandelier is incredibly modern, with irregular distribution and lengths, and clean lines throughout. It’s a duality that can only come from very skilled design and immaculate craftsmanship. When Cityscape visits Nightworks Studio, the team...

Monarch is a sensory experience that feels like it belongs in New York, Tokyo, or London. Something special for the audiophiles among us who also enjoy a perfectly executed cocktail in a crystal glass. The concept is a ‘listening bar’, with a hand-made sound system delivering high-fidelity music so clear you can hear every tsk of a cymbal, every layer of sound and every note despite being in a central city bar. The bar is dedicated to music, and it doesn’t apologise for turning it up loud, but you can hear every word the people sitting across the booth from you are saying. There’s simply nothing else like Monarch anywhere in New Zealand. The bespoke wooden-boxed speakers are beautiful, and so are the three 300-watt power amps, on display and built into the wall behind the bar, each lit up with the famous McIntosh blue VU meters on the front. The...

The Ōtautahi outlook is a mini-series catching the thoughts of Christchurch's leaders on the postitive things happening in Christchurch. What’s good in Christchurch this year? When you look at the Canterbury economy, we’re in a pretty strong position compared to other regions in New Zealand. That’s underpinned by manufacturing and our primary industries, and our diverse sectors. We have quite a unique diversity of our economy and that’s served us well through the pandemic. Businesses are reasonably optimistic about the future despite the challenges of the cost of doing business and the long Covid tail. There appears to be a turning point, and optimism that things are going to improve. We couldn’t have said that two months ago. We’ve still got a pretty long Covid tail. The quality of life, we as Cantabrians can take for granted. It’s a great place to bring up a family,  lots of opportunity with new...

Fur Patrol’s 20th anniversary tour has become a 21st party tour, and the band are pulling out all the hits. Cityscape catches up with frontwoman Julia Deans to find out who Lydia was, and what’s good on the music scene. Is it strange to think that PET is officially an adult now? It sure is. They seem to be quite a pleasant, friendly adult though, considering how sullen and silent a teenager they were. And we’re glad about that. Who was Lydia, and did you really not hold it against her? Lydia was a semi-fictional character, a conglomeration of various people and situations happening in my life at the time. It’s a commentary on the way people often blame the third party in a love triangle. So yeah, nah, I’m not gonna hold it against her when he’s the ship-sinker. Talk us through the fairly intense cover art of PET. Our...

Emma Dilemma talks to Cityscape about her new solo career, the significance of vinyl, and filming nude on trampolines. We’re looking forward to your full-length album. How does Spit Side B follow on from Spit Side A released last year? It was originally gonna come out as Spit, as one whole album. But due to Covid ruining touring opportunities and the supply chain for getting vinyl records made, we decided to do it in two parts. But finally, this second half, I started releasing it at the start of this year and it will all come out as one big beautiful record on July 1st. Is making it a vinyl important to you? I haven’t done it before… I grew up with my dad putting on vinyl records. I’ve recently acquired this pair of speakers that used to be in the family home that my Dad’s brother made, like way back...

Emerging Ōtautahi singer-songwriter Sam Heselwood hit No. 4 on the charts with his single ‘18’, and now he’s following it up with his latest tune, ‘Don’t Speak’. Fluttering synths and warm guitar lines set the scene, and Sam puts forth a mesmerising vocal performance throughout ‘Don’t Speak’. Once again, the Christchurch boy proves he can deliver an authentic and relatable track. Sam says he wrote the emotive track after his grandad died. “After my grandad passed away early last year, I started to reflect on the fact that I never had a lot to do with him. My dad and his dad didn’t get along that well and never really spoke. I started to think about how grateful I am to have the relationship I do with my dad. That’s what sparked the idea.” ‘Don’t Speak’ arrives at a crossroads for Sam, as his dreams of playing professional rugby come to...