Sara Black | The Estate at Home
Sara Black - Co-founder of Index, Island and The Art Paper magazines
Sara in her dining room, creating an ikebana arrangement with wild flowers picked from the garden.
Introducing the next profile in our The Estate at Home series
We catch up with Sara Black — co-founder of Index, Island and The Art Paper magazines — to discuss how Webb's The Estate, a fortnightly auction of mid-century, vintage and contemporary objects of design and craft fits within her personal world of art and beautiful design and objects.
Kitchen shelving with pieces by Olivia Asher, Stephane Rondel, Muuto, Charles Holmes, Temuka Pottery and more.
We hear you have just moved into a new home, congratulations! What attracted you to it, how would you describe it and… how amazing is that rangehood?
Initially, it was the bones — the textured stone walls, dark wood accents, vibrant carpet and abundant use of tiles. The thought of having a dedicated laundry space felt like a luxury too; I'd been sharing my personal space with clothes drying racks for too long. The architecture has quite a European aesthetic which makes me feel like I'm always on holiday but a glance out the window provides a welcome sense of Aotearoa as I'm surrounded by native bush. And yes, that copper kitchen rangehood... it's an artwork in itself.
Will you be doing anything drastic to the house any time soon?
We don't have any major alterations in mind but there's a whopping big rumpus room — almost larger in square meterage than my entire last home — that we're going to convert into a hair salon space for my partner Chris. He's run a salon in the city for the last five years or so and sees the space as an opportunity to provide a luxury experience tailored to those who particularly enjoy a calming atmosphere, where all senses are considered.
The orange carpet is such a statement. Has it been interesting to work with?
Very. At times I find it overwhelming, other times I appreciate its strength and grounding dominance. Decorating with it in mind is almost like working to a very strict brief — which can be a fun challenge in many ways. Updating it isn't on the agenda but ask me again in six months.
Sara’s unique 1970s home sits nestled among native bush in the Waitākere Ranges. She shares this beautifully curated space with her partner, stepdaughter and three dogs - Tedd, Sharon, and Wilma. The most vibrant of carpets hosts a Chapman Taylor stool, ErgoErgo seat, and other delights - many of which are from The Estate at Webb’s.
Sara’s Picks from this fortnight’s iteration of The Estate
A lot of your pieces are from The Estate at Webb’s — tell us a little about your history with Webb’s and what keeps you coming back?
I first became aware of Webb's when I moved up from Wellington in 2007. I've always had an appreciation for design objects and when The Estate auctions began I was immediately excited. They offer a great curation and I'm an avid researcher, so I appreciate the online aspect with the option of viewing in person. My first purchase was a vintage aluminium-cast vase by Anna Efverlund. It has a curvy modernist silhouette and usually sits like a piece of art without flowers because I'm not very organised.
That Dick Lyne painting is beautiful, tell us why you bought it and what you love about it?
I felt so drawn to it upon immediate (virtual) sight. I'd first seen it at Melanie Roger Gallery's online stockroom but I didn't reach out for a price because I find that a little awkward. About six months later, I saw it in a Webb's auction and made a bid. It was my first 'major' art purchase and an exciting experience. I love Lyne's rudimentary style and when I was researching his body of work, I discovered that he is self-taught and only started painting at the age of 65. Prior to his foray into the arts, he was a forestry worker. From those humble beginnings, his work now hangs in private collections in the UK, Europe and America. Go Dick!
The one-of-kind copper rangehood acts almost as a piece of art in itself.
What would be your holy grail at The Estate?
Oh boy, where do I start? I'm a fan of USM's modular furniture and would love some of their storage in beige to offset the existing colours in my home. I like the fact that some of The Estate pieces have a little wear to them. New things can look quite severe and uninviting to my eye. Plus it also takes the pressure off trying to keep something new in perfect nick. With three people and three dogs in the family, it's inevitable that most things are gonna get a little busted up.
Other brands and makers I'm fascinated by are Gaetano Pesce, Green River Project, Philippe Malouin, Waka Waka, Donald Judd, Martino Gamper, Jaime Hayon, Ron Arad, Ettore Sottsass, Mattiazzi, Enzo Mari, Softedge Studio, Gerrit Thomas Rietveld and some vintage IKEA. Local makers that make me happy are Alex Whitfield, Matan Fadida, Klay, Emile Drescher, Ford's Factory, Olivia Asher and Stephane Rondel. Art-wise, Brent Harris' work pulls me, willingly, into another world.
Do you have a bidding strategy?
I'm such a nerd about The Estate auctions that I'm looking through the selection on the day it's publicised. I love seeing what Cam and Karen have curated and the fact that it's all vintage eases my consumerism guilt. I generally then take a second look a few days in, just in case a few more lots have been added. And I'll visit the auction house if there's a large piece — such as a sofa — that I'm interested in or something that's tactile integrity is an important aspect of its appeal.
If I find myself in a 'bidding war' in the last moment, my strategy is to immediately come back with a counter-bid. I want to emit a style of confidence even though I'm normally sitting at my laptop fraught and fizzing at the idea of not having a certain piece in my life.
You and your business partner Adam Bryce have a long and very fruitful history of styling and photographing art, architecture and interiors for many local publications and brands… is the way you approach editorial styling similar to how you approach your own homes’ interiors?
It really depends on the client, their market demographic and how far I feel I can push things. I like to create work that resonates with the viewer but also challenges them; making them feel a little awkward or uneasy without being able to quite pinpoint why. Society's desire for 'perfection' doesn't appeal. Knowing the key principles of interior design and then pushing them a little bit is fun.
What would be your three interior styling pieces of advice you would give to someone approaching their first home interior or editorial project while using objects from The Estate?
1. Embrace what you can't change in your home. 2. Choose what you're innately drawn to and don't worry about other people's opinions. 3. Consider colour, proportion, patina and function.
Sara's first 'major' art purchase from Webb's—'Logging Scene 1953 at Taurewa National Park Centre Nth Island' by Dick Lyne.
You have three very lovely dogs, what are their names and how would you sum up their personalities?
We have Ted the toy poodle — he's a year old, quite neurotic and a right mummy's boy. Sharon, the chocolate pointer/lab cross, is about eight months old and our 'proper dog' dog who does proper dog stuff like fetching sticks and chasing birds. Wilma is about six months old and is part-Bernese Mountain dog. She's solid, bloody heavy and real clumsy, and has no sense of her presence which culminates in a lot of smothering 'lap dog' moments on the sofa. She's a love bug — very sweet and cuddly — but we sometimes call her Hurricane Wilma; if she's left alone in a room for a little too long, it won't be in the same state as when you left it.
What are some things that you are looking forward to in your career, or in life in general?
Magazines are and have been my life for a very long time and I want to continue working with that format; perhaps extending the concept of Island magazine into more of a coffee table book one day. I like consuming contemporary culture in non-digital formats; the tactility, the gentleness on my eyes, the ritual of making dedicated time to indulge in a pleasure which also inspires and encourages personal growth. In a more general sense, the only thing I like looking forward to are holidays. I like living in the moment because otherwise I tend to dwell on the past or worry about the future.
