We’d love to start with the history of the site. Formerly the site of the ‘Cafe de Paris Inn’—which has a very iconic, rich heritage in Te Papaoiea Palmerston North. Did the site history influence the vision for the project in any way?

We explored the site's history, but we didn’t let it directly influence the aesthetics or function of what we built. As part of the city council's regulations, we needed to architecturally respond to the New Railway Hotel, which sits next to us and is a historic building. That requirement influenced some of Space Craft's detailing and scale decisions for the upstairs front windows facing the park. 

Despite not taking any tangible influence from the site’s past, it does mean a lot to us to be part of the history of such an iconic spot. The legacy of being one of the oldest areas in town, providing service and shelter for all kinds of fun-loving locals, gives us the sense we’re in the right place and the motivation to keep pushing.

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What inspired your decision to develop a mixed-use space blending commercial and residential?

Our inspiration was drawn from both necessity and desire. We had been living and working in close quarters in Palmy already, so we knew the lifestyle worked for us. It made sense to combine both of our businesses with our private residence so we could make the most of our time, ideas, and resources. The simplicity of having commercial spaces that we worked from and welcomed people to everyday downstairs, while having a residential retreat upstairs, excited us. We also knew this form of development is important for future-proofing cities, so it’s nice to take the lead in our hometown.

Were there specific design principles or aesthetics that guided your interior choices in furniture and art?

For every decision we make for interiors, we look for colour, texture, layers, quality, and comfort. We don't have a strict plan, and the collecting is ongoing, but we have a decent awareness of good New Zealand suppliers and have some artist friends who have set us in the right direction. We prioritise locally made first and always go for the boldest colour if there are options. No decisions are taken too seriously – if it fits the space and looks fun to live with, we go for it.

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What role did sustainability or craftsmanship play in your furniture and decor decisions?

Both are core values for our businesses, so they intrinsically link with decisions we make outside of work. Sourcing local furniture and art is always a priority, and making decisions we know we’ll love living with for a long time is key. We often become sentimental about objects if we know their backstory – we love a good yarn that we can share with visiting friends, or use as inspiration every day looking around our home.

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How do the Lightly chairs contribute to the overall atmosphere and functionality of your dining space?

The Lightly chairs contrast so beautifully with our wood oval dining table [Fragment Dining Table by Simon James] and cork floors, giving the room a fun push and pull of natural textures and colour. We have two in each colour (seating 12 total) and alternate the colours so they’re all mixed up. Conveniently, each colour speaks to something else in and around our home, which makes for a nice medley. We’ll often take a few outside to our patio, which is super easy since they’re stackable and light. We’ve sat in them with friends for hours chatting away, and guests often ask about them on their way out, noticing how comfortable they’ve been.

Jemma, how has your background in graphic design influenced your approach to the architecture and interior design?

Trusting the process and knowing it’s best to get the right people involved at the right times is a skill I’m grateful to have developed from my graphic design practice. Following intuition and responding to change rather than resisting it is another one. If a certain product or colour isn’t available, that’s no problem – it’s just another chance to have some fun and find a new way to go. We both have strong imaginations, which is helpful in those early stages (though it’s incredible how close Space Craft's renders are to the real deal!). But much like anything, communication is key. Being able to articulate what you’re thinking or feeling is super valuable. An understanding of colour and scale has influenced what we’ve done with the interiors, and we do love the good old form follows function principle.

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We’re a huge fan of the colour palette—the bright blue framing and yellow mesh panels. What inspired you and Space Craft Architects to push the boundaries of colour in this space? How do these contrasts influence the overall mood and functionality of the home?

Space Craft led the way with that, and we were more than happy to follow. Painting the steel beams bright blue highlights the structure of the buildings, which we’re proud of. There are no load-bearing walls, which means the spaces can be completely reformatted once we’re done with them (a long time from now, hopefully!). Bringing the bright blue and yellows through all spaces means you’ve got a sense of place no matter where you are in the building, and we’ve amped it up from there in various forms. For our work spaces, we’ve kept the finishings fairly neutral with woods and metals, but in our residential space, we’ve opted for a more-is-more approach and layered on the colour. Living with so much colour is simultaneously energising and relaxing for us. The colour density and combinations we see in nature when we’re out riding our bikes can be pretty hectic, which we feel gives us permission to reflect this within our home.

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Are there particular design principles from your graphic design practice that you see reflected in the layout, colour choices, or furnishings?

All the basics, which are always easier said than done! Form follows function, keeping it simple, staying true to your vision, within the particular lies the universal… Being a client of both Space Craft and ourselves has been an enlightening experience, which gives us even more respect for our own clients. There’s so much trust involved with anything design-related, but when done in good faith, it can truly exceed expectations and have a positive impact on what your day-to-day looks and feels like. 

And a few quick-fire questions to finish:

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Describe your style in three words: Playful. Functional. Natural.

What is your favourite book? (and favourite chair to read it in)? Too many (books) to name considering the quick-fire premise, so will just go with the most recent one: Blue Nights by Joan Didion, read mostly in our single-seater orange couch by Snelling.

Who’s your favourite artist? Oh gosh, too hard! Sandy Adsett, Grace Wright, Jeremy Fish, The Beatles…

If you could have dinner with two famous people, dead or alive, who would they be? Meryl Streep and Questlove.

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Strip-Mall was recently awarded Winner 2024 HERE Awards, Density, and Runner-up in Best House Aotearoa.

Design: Space Craft Architects
Photography: David Straight