Town Meets Country
On a midweek afternoon Fi Sidey is relaxing at home and cooing over her grandson, who admittedly, is super cute. He toddles his way around the coffee table touching faux fur cushions and reaching for anything interesting.
Words: Pattie Pegler Images: Dorothy McLennan
Towns Meets Country
As adults we have to be a bit more restrained in our response to interiors, but I can see where this kid is coming from. A florist by trade, with a flower and homeware store in central Rangiora, Fi’s work shows in her home. Whilst the basics are elegantly neutral it is full of artfully displayed objects that draw the eye – from the golden pheasant on the dining room table to the cow hide chair and the bowl of orchids behind the couch. The florist’s secret to keeping them perfect? “Water them right through just once a week,” says Fi. “And feed them four times a year. Most people overwater.”
“I wanted somewhere that had a rural feel and this section just felt so good,” she says. With plenty of open space, not many neighbours and views of Mount Grey, it fitted the bill.
The developer already had plans in progress for the house and she had just 24 hours to study them and make changes. She got them to swap out brick cladding for the tasteful white plaster with black window frames and sleek black front door. She also dropped windows right down to the floor. The result is the ‘black and white townhouse’ she always wanted with sunlight flooding the rooms.
The subtle indoor colour palette is punctuated with plenty of green foliage and floral displays and blends easily with the garden. A small, neat lawn, multiple outdoor seating areas and beds bursting with plantings make this look like the work of many years. But, like the house, the garden is just four years old.
“I wanted a white and green garden, it’s a simple theme,”
explains Fi. “I marked it all out and sat and looked at it before I started planting.” Two corner beds mirror each other bringing balance and are planted with flurries of white and green. There are white camelias and magnolias giving height and white primulas, daphnes and hyacinths sit at the front of the beds.
A mature ornamental cherry blossom dominates in one corner. It was originally planted by renowned Canterbury florist Mary Gerard who Fi also worked for in her own early floristry career. When Fi bought this section she was adamant that the tree remain and the builders had to work around it.
With the garden now firmly established, Fi estimates she spends a couple of hours a week maintaining it. A keen gardener she also likes to bring a little interest with outdoor ornaments and a trio of stone hares gather on the far side of the lawn, a mirror with rustic black metal trim hangs on the fence and collections of pots are dotted around.
Fi’s tip for gardeners is dense planting – more is more and it’s a good look in a garden. Mix up plant heights for a tiered effect and look for things that flower in different seasons, so you’ve always got something going on.
In four short years Fi has brought together a very distinct look both inside and out. She has brought together treasured pieces from family and friends and added plenty of interest without looking cluttered. It’s a new house that feels like real home.
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What is your favourite item in the house and why?
The rustic coffee table as the timber is over 80 years old!!
What is your most recent purchase for the house?
I haven’t purchased anything for so long as it is either a broken or scratched piece I bring home from the shop as it can’t go out for sale!! Amazing what glue can fix!!!
Where is your favourite place to relax in?
The den (second lounge) as it’s so cosy and lovely garden views.
Is there anything about the design of the house you would change?
No, it all works so well, I particularly love the indoor/outdoor living.
