Words Denise Irvine, Images Brydie Thompson
Creating a home environment that looks and feels good sounds simple. Yet it is so easy to get bogged down by the myriad choices and plethora of products available today.
Consult a good interior designer and you may discover how quickly they hone in on your individuality and seem to identify your taste and style better than you can.
Lynette Lochhead is one such designer. In over 30 years in the business she has seen styles change and evolve, products improve and multiply, trends come and go and return in a new guise. The one constant that keeps her inspired is that interior design is all about people before it’s about the places they inhabit.
“I love the creativity and I love the psychology of people,” she says, reflecting on the hundreds of projects she has been involved in and the many clients who have become friends.
Lynette comes from the position that interior design is essentially creating environments and atmospheres which enhance the enjoyment of life. So while it is important to assess the space she is working with, it is vital to understand the people who will live there. “I am focused on delivering style that reflects my client, not myself,” she explains. “I want the result to speak of who they are and how they live, to be a more authentic expression of themselves than they could have achieved by themselves.” Lynette sees her role as helping people determine a vision for their style and then keeping them on track when making decisions from what can be an overwhelming array of possibilities.
Design runs in the family. Lynette is a Te Puna local whose father was a well-known landscape designer and horticulturalist. Her husband, Peter, has been pivotal in the architectural design of many homes in the area. Their adult children all have design-based careers.
‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of Inspiration
Lynette lives and works on one of Te Puna’s most attractive roads and never tires of walking through her garden (which has featured in the biennial BOP Garden and Art Festival) to the showroom of her business, Design on James. It is not a retail space but a place to display settings featuring the furniture, textiles and accessories they can source. “In New Zealand we have exceptional exposure to global and local brands and the public may only see a small percentage of the ranges we can access,” she points out.
It’s not always ‘out with the old and in with the new’, and Lynette is always mindful of what can be recycled or upcycled, mindful of spending wisely and well. Her two-hour assessment service can be a great introduction, providing an overall view and guidelines for improving a home or a living space.
Lynette values the assistance of Paula McRae who is “part of the furniture”, having been with Design on James for over 20 years. They have worked on everything from one room to an entire house, from new homes to renovations. And across such a gamut of styles it’s hard to believe they were all created by the same team. A quick look at completed projects on the website reveals flair in contemporary, character and classic, luxe and laid back, beachy and country, minimal and maximal, new and renewed.
Lynette also values her relationships with others in the field, especially her preferred kitchen designers. “Kitchens especially, often need the input of a specialist.”
As Lynette appreciates art and has always supported artists, she is able to recommend work or have it commissioned. “If there is one thing many get wrong it is scale, especially in choosing art. Bigger can be better, less can be more,” she says, delighting in helping her clients make brave choices.
Lynette leads a full life. She’s in a book club, a food appreciation group, travels, and now treasures her time with her grandchildren. But life will never be too full for interior design. “If I didn’t do this, I might have to spend more time on housework and gardening,” she laughs. “Design on James is my happy place.”
Design on James
24 James Road, Te Puna, Tauranga (open by appointment)
