Aki & Pien | The Estate at Home
Aki & Pien — Curators & Collectors of Mid-Century Design
Introducing the next profile in our The Estate at Home series
In our latest instalment of The Estate at Home we are thrilled to catch up with Aki Liyanage & Pien Kerckhoffs—a hugely accomplished professional couple with a love of Mid-Century design.
Pien holds a busy role as Anaesthetic Registrar, with a focus on managing the perioperative journey for patients, while structural engineer Aki is part of the design team for both the Starship Foundation Atrium Redevelopment for Health New Zealand and the B201 Building for the University of Auckland. Despite their demanding careers the duo somehow find time to pursue their many interests, including sharing their inspirations and personal home design story on their Instagram account @naopi.__
It's no surprise to learn the couple take as disciplined approach to their design vision as they do to their professional lives—researching thoroughly, biding their time to find those special investment pieces, and often going to great lengths to secure said pieces (as you’ll see below!).
Read on to learn more about Aki & Pien and get a peek inside their chic, thoughtfully curated home.
Congratulations on your achievements this year—Aki, for attaining your chartership in structural engineering, and Pien, for passing the famously-difficult anaesthetist exams! We are interested to know if/how your demanding professions influence your home design choices and the way you live?
Thank you! Given our busy day-to-day lives, we aspire to create a home that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Our space reflects our interests and provides a practical interior that gives us the foundation and mental freedom to excel outside the home. It is truly an extension of who we are.
Your apartment is a testament to thoughtful curation and clever design. What was the vision for your space when you started collecting and transforming it?
We are inspired by the clean lines of mid-century design, yet we wanted to incorporate 'curated maximalism' with our own unique twist. Drawing inspiration from the homes of Charles and Ray Eames, Alvar Aalto, and the Case Study House program by Arts & Architecture magazine, we are captivated by how the right furniture can transform a space and how these pieces, when complemented with art, create cohesion. Over time, we've been fortunate to acquire pieces from renowned designers that form the foundation of our vision; arranging them in our limited space has fueled our passion and defined our aesthetic.
You’ve acquired some incredible pieces from The Estate at Webb's, including the iconic Wink Chair by Toshiyuki Kita for Cassina. What drew you to these pieces, and how have they contributed to your home’s aesthetic?
We are incredibly fortunate to own such iconic designs. This piece traces back to a visionary designer—Toshiyuki Kita—who made significant contributions to the design world. Toshiyuki Kita explored the limits of form and the Wink Chair offers versatility as a lounge piece that converts into a chaise. We have always desired a lounge chair to unwind in after a long day, and in our opinion, there are not many lounge chairs that can surpass the Wink Chair in terms of design and comfort.
One of Aki & Pien’s recent purchases from The Estate at Webb’s—the iconic Wink Chair by Toshiyuki Kita for Cassina
As avid admirers of Charles and Ray Eames, how do their philosophies of form and function resonate in your collection and overall aesthetic?
Their innovative approach to design, which seamlessly blends practicality with artistic expression, serves as a guiding principle for us and our aesthetic. It influences how we curate and arrange our environment to ensure it is both beautiful and liveable. This dynamic duo was renowned for their contributions to design, architecture, filmmaking, art, and their legendary hospitality since the 1940s. They supported each other and provided a sounding board for generating solutions and ideas that a single person might not achieve alone.
In many ways, Pien and I draw immense inspiration from their teamwork, tenacity, and love for design to create spaces that evoke emotion and can be shared with family and friends. Aki applies these principles when designing structures and creating artworks, while Pien incorporates them into her care for patients.
Another Webb’s find—an Eames DCM chair manufactured by Herman Miller
You’ve recently begun sharing your home design journey on social media, and it's exciting to see that you're starting to collaborate with brands surrounding this too. How has developing a public platform influenced the way you view your home or your future collecting habits? What's next for you in this space?
We are passionate about sharing our love for design and showcasing what is possible in a small apartment through our Instagram page @naopi.__
This is a true passion project for us, and we will continue to do what we love, sharing our favourite furniture pieces with our audience along the way. We enjoy collaborating with brands that share our values and that we believe in and use daily. We've reached a happy medium with our space, and what's next includes hosting dinner parties and movie nights!
We're very impressed to hear that you recently hosted a dinner party for 14-people in your apartment! Thank goodness for extendable dining room tables. For others looking to incorporate thoughtful design into a smaller space, what advice would you give, especially when combining aesthetics with practicality?
We love hosting dinners for our friends and family, and in our enthusiasm, we once found ourselves accommodating 14 people in our 55m² apartment—a mix of excitement and a slight hiccup with the headcount. Despite the challenge, we were eager to make it work by maximizing our space with an extendable table, modular furniture that can be easily rearranged, and our collection of 60 stools by Artek, which serve both as side tables and additional seating.
It was great to see you both at one of our recent live auctions. The energy of these events—completed with the glass of bubbles, glamour, auctioneers' charm and competitive bidding—is really quite something. What do you enjoy most about the live auctions, and did you bid on anything?
The atmosphere at a live auction is truly unmatched and we thoroughly enjoy exploring the impressive array of pieces for sale. At the last live auction we attended there was a pair of Artek 400 Tank armchairs (designed in 1936 by Alvar Aalto) and an assortment of pieces by Arne Jacobsen, to name a few. We bid on two Eames DCM chairs manufactured by Herman Miller and successfully won them! We love how Webb’s introduces a whole new market of designer pieces in New Zealand, where they can often be hard to find. We appreciate the effort that goes into presenting everything for viewing, including the documentation and photography, and it's a joy to listen to the auctioneers orchestrate the event. Florence and Caolán, the auctioneers, did a fantastic job—it makes us eager to join in on the action!
Some of your artworks have a very personal touch and rather interesting stories. Can you tell us the story behind a few of the most special ones?
We believe art is essential for complementing a space and showcasing one's taste and expression. We typically create our artworks, such as 'The Blue Stool' (2024), inspired by Alvar Aalto's 60 Stool (notice a theme here). For this piece, we used paints derived from earth-based materials by Natural Paint Co., originally intended for residential spaces—proving there's no reason they can't be used for art! Another piece is 'Timeless in Sapphire' (2024). We’ve always been a fan of classic Mercedes-Benz models, like the Blue Metallic 1972 280S that inspired this artwork— it was actually sold at Webb's Auction at the end of last year. This particular piece was painted by my talented uncle, Champika Waidyaratne, who has a keen eye for automobilia.
An original PH5 Lamp by Poul Henningsen, a Mid-Century design icon
From a lamp disassembled in Melbourne to fit into your suitcase back home, to designer furniture with rich histories, every item of yours seems to carry an adventure. What’s your most memorable story behind an acquisition?
As you mentioned, our most memorable acquisition is undoubtedly an original PH5 Lamp by Poul Henningsen, which we purchased from Harper's Bazaar in Melbourne. We simply can't resist a good deal! Although it took two days to fully disassemble and required watching numerous YouTube videos, we managed to transport it successfully in our main luggage back to Auckland. Pien had to stop Aki from buying and disassembling an original Eames LCW chair to bring back in our suitcase—a notion Aki was seriously considering. Fortunately, we found an assembled one with our friends at Kiosk Store back in Aotearoa. The PH5 lamp stands proudly assembled above our dining table with its unique form continuing to captivate our attention.
The Estate auctions in-particular are known for their mix of vintage and contemporary design. What advice would you give to someone looking to start building their collection through The Estate at Webb’s?
There are a multitude of great pieces that come through The Estate, so it's important to keep an eye out. Furniture collecting requires time and patience—sometimes you win, and other times you lose, and that's okay. It's important to know what to look for. With so many options, it can be overwhelming. Finding homes with interiors that you like, and following Instagram pages (wink wink), is a great way to get inspiration. Attending the auction open days is a fantastic way to see the items in person and to meet the friendly team at Webb’s, who I'm sure will share their top picks. Be sure to watchlist the items you like or want to follow, set a calendar reminder for the auction, know your limits beforehand, and happy bidding!
With a growing collection of high-end design, do you have a ‘holy grail’ piece that you’re hunting for next?
We would love to acquire the 606 Universal Shelving System, designed in 1960 by the renowned industrial designer Dieter Rams at the age of 28 and manufactured by Vitsoe. This modular shelving system can adapt to various spaces and beautifully showcase our belongings. We believe this is such an elegant, practical, and simple design that we would love to have in our collection.
How would you describe/summarise the role that each of you play in your searching/curation/decision-making revolving your home design?
Although we share a similar design aesthetic and passions, Aki invests time in researching pieces and then thoughtfully presents his ideas to Pien, who has the final say. These discussions usually involve careful deliberation. In closely contested situations, Aki may present his findings as a business case, complete with a cost-benefit analysis for approval. Ultimately, any purchase we make is well-considered, ensuring it fits our space, serves a function, is beautiful, and will be cherished for a long time.
We hope Aki & Pien's home and story has provided plenty of inspiration for your own design journey. Be sure to follow them on @naopi.__ and if you're a fan of their aesthetic keep an eye on The Estate to find similar classic pieces for your own collection.
Thanks again Aki & Pien!