b'people who bought their rst piece of furniture from usof an old naval vessel on which Tim Heather once servedResene25 years ago and who are still coming to us. And nowas an ofcer. Their homeand those of their relativesBlack WhiteResenewere even getting the second generation buying from us also houses a lot of Rose & Heather prototype pieces. Craigieburnbecause Mum and Dad did. Prototypes are fraught with faults, because of all theReseneHalf CraigieburnRose & Heather furniture is crafted from ancient kauri,perfecting that goes on and the detailed hand-nishing, Resenewhichisvaluedforitsconsistenthigh-qualitydensitybut theyre so labour intensive, and because theyre theJimmy Deanand grain, and its intense colour. Mined from Northlandoriginalpiece,theygenerateahistoryfromthetime swamps, it results in nished pieces featuring rich cognactheyrecreated.Theyrejustoneofthosecharming shades,ratherthanthemoregoldentonesfoundinthings, says Martin.traditional kauri.And the family home serves as a great testing ground for Some of the kauri were looking at can be up to 43,000furniture too. years old. We dont know how much ancient kauri thereEvery item in our home has to stand up to the rigours of is down there, but we know it cant be an endless supply,everything our two boys can throw at it! so our customers are getting something really special, says Martin. The ability to stand up to lifes hard knocks was also a factor when it came to deciding on the homes colour While some of its original pieces were based on earlyschemeandooring.Thehouse,whichisadouble Colonial designs, it has since shifted to a more classic stylesquare-bay villa with a return verandah, is nished in dark to suit a wider range of homes and tastes. grey on the weatherboards, with white detailing.We learned that the simpler the product, the harder it is toInside, silvers and greys feature strongly. Resene Black White date, and the hallmarks of our work are found in every piece.is used for the trim and ceilings throughout the house, while We are inuenced by Swedish design, particularly from thethe charcoal Resene Jimmy Dean, with a silver paint nish, 1780s, and by the work of American architect Frank Lloydlends a point of difference to the ceiling detail in the formal Wright, but the overall effect is clean and simple. sitting room. The kitchen and library feature the lighter ThecompanysfoursignaturerangesTrenail,Eden,tones of full- and half-strength Resene Craigieburn.TumblehomeandNewportalsoowesomeoftheirI think your home is your sanctuary, and its colours and design features to the founding familys love of all thingsinterior themes should reect that. It makes me laugh nautical. Tim, an ex-naval ofcer, took inspiration fromwhen I hear people talking about overcapitalising on their 16th century boat design, and Martin, a keen yachtsman,houseif it makes your family feel happy and secure, says the curves on some of the pieces mimic the shape ofthen I dont think you need to worry, says Martin.a boats hull. The Trenail range was actually named after and built using a traditional boat construction technique, where a wedge is driven into an exposed dowel to secure the timber instead of using nails. And consultants from the Auckland store are currently managing the interior design for a 24-berth boat, selecting everything from the furniture to the cutlery and the carpet. For a boat-lover, thats a dream job, but Martin says that, special projects aside, he loves the furniture business.I think its so cool that people trust us with something that theyre probably going to have in their home forever.In Martin and MaryJanes own family home in Ponsonby, its not all Rose & Heather furniture, but it all tells a story. Taking pride of place is the dining table, which came out | 113'