ABOUT

THE STUDIO HOME BLOG

New Zealand’s first design blog - since 2008

After beginning life as NZ's very first design blog in 2008, for its first 9 years, this site tracked a path exclusively focused on connecting you with the work of talented NZ/AUS creative brands/people/products and projects.
The intimate, casual reporting and interviewing style used by many early bloggers has slowly been adopted by the media at large to profile makers and artists in their own environments, free of overtly staged imagery and revealing the humans behind the work. We LOVE this. And it is terrific news for our local design industry!
But for me (mostly operating as a one-man-band) - I no longer felt the drive to compete or try to better the output of those sites.

In late 2017 I redirected Studio Home to a place I could continue my passion for creativity but produce useful information based on my personal views, ideas and ponderings around home, design, gardening and my own art. 

With a background in interior design, 15 years of creative-based writing, sharing and business behind me, a solid art addiction and an undying passion for making a space my own - I always aim to create and share content that feels relatable, personal and local. 
In my little Studio Home universe I invite you to join me as I share my adventures in creating a garden and a guided discovery of finding your own nesting and decorating style - ultimately a common theme of posts exploring everything HOME. 

12 years of blog posts called for a cull!
This site features new and previous posts starting from 2017….

MY ART PRACTICE

After years of experimenting behind closed doors, 2020 saw me launch my own artwork for sale.
"Creatures from my Garden” seems the right title to give this new series of artwork which is wholly inspired by the joy and magic I’ve found in growing flowers, gardening and re-found connection to the seasons. All made from home in Christchurch, New Zealand

I’ve grown, arranged/collected seasonal posies, photographed then gone on to paint over beautifully printed versions in an effort to visually share the aura I’m sure that shimmers from these specimens as much as the feelings I get from them.

With launch in June 2020, the first drop of 10 paintings sold out quickly. Invitations to exhibit at Garden Marlborough, Sculpture North Canterbury and the sending of work to Australia for top stylist Bree Leech to style for Dulux NZ/AU has since followed. I am so excited to have found this work in me and am looking forward to its growth.

Below you can view a short vid profiling the process of growing to picking to photographing to painting to framing that happens in totality here at home.

In 2022 I locked myself away in my studio to undertake online courses and months of endless practice to pursue my urge to paint landscapes. My learning is well underway and am mountains of paintings and oil pastel artworks as I continue to practice, I offer my best results for sale on my online store.

All artwork is framed in-house at Studio Home Framing.

STUDIO HOME GARDENING

Both my mother and I still feel a bit shocked that I caught the gardening bug SO badly! 
In 2017 I moved into a lovely villa in Linwood, Christchurch and was immediately confronted with the wonderful banked vegetable garden that I would need to plant up to "look good". Armed with my Yates Garden Guide and plenty of family that I could drag back there, I discovered a new realm of creativity that has transformed my everydays. 
Hungry for knowledge targeted at the absolute NZ beginner but only offered vegetable gardening information en masse, I have set about sharing all my own learnings with others that are in the same position. 

This led to the creation of separate social channels in 2019 for @studiohomegardening, a new blog series plus an exciting film series; "The Magic of Gardening" revealing inspiring and fascinating stories of New Zealanders and their gardens (currently on hold while an exciting new filming opportunity is planned).  
I feel lucky to have forged ongoing partnerships with Garden Marlborough and was enlisted as the beginner gardener ambassador for the new Grow Ōtautahi festival in Christchurch.
During the festival I hosted a daily "Ask an expert” panels in the Terra Viva Workshop tent with my knowledgeable, invited guest gardeners and horticulturalists from Canterbury.

In 2021/22 I hosted a series of 3 guided talks across three gardens for the Hurunui Garden Festival.

Over almost three years I wrote 90 articles as part of my beginner gardening column for New Zealand’s premier news platform Stuff. This came to a natural end in May 2023 when I felt the urge to have more control over the content I presented by interviewing gardeners outside of my physical reach. The result has been the launch of my online gardening magazine and archive - Unearthed. An affordable membership based platform offering a minimum of 7 rich features, across two drops per month. In a sense, I feel this is a return to my blogging roots which I loved and offered well.

In 2021 I wrote and photographed Petal Power and Flowers for Friends (both Koa Press) which have been sold throughout NZ/AUS/UK and the USA. In 2022 I contributed the creative and technical writing for Zoe Field’s beautiful book Lost & Found.

My NEW book - A Guided Discovery of Gardening will be released in NZ/AUS in September 2023, followed by UK/USA in early 2024.
(See more below).

MY BOOKS

Petal Power

A book to inspire starting a garden to feed your soul – indoors and out!

Petal Power is written in reflection of Julia Atkinson-Dunn’s own adventure as a beginner gardener, sharing a fun selection of flowering plants that can be grown in her homeland of New Zealand. It’s the friendly volume she wished she could have got her hands on while still sussing out her perennials from her annuals. In addition to 12 plant profiles tested and photographed in her own garden, the book helpfully demystifies garden lingo and offers ideas for homegrown seasonal arrangements. The result is an invaluable guide, encouraging new gardeners to experiment further with confidence.

Written with a casual, relatable tone, Petal Power provides a friendly partner in your flower gardening experience, effectively demonstrating the benefits of reconnecting with the seasons regardless of the size of your space.

‘Patience is enforced by Mother Nature, the instant gratification of our modern lives blown out the window. There are no negatives, only a gentle opening of the eyes to find nature again, all on your own terms. Have a go!’
– Julia Atkinson-Dunn.

••••••

SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 260 x 200 mm, portrait
Pages: 192
Cover: paperback with gatefold and embossed title

Grown, produced, published, and printed by Koa Press in Christchurch, New Zealand
Foreward by Penny Zino of Flaxmere Garden
PETAL POWER was selected as a finalist in the 2021 Best Awards

Flowers for Friends

This is a book about flower arranging from the perspective of a gardener.

It’s easy to lose ourselves in the fast pace of life, family, work and global events beyond our control. Moments of meditation, creativity and connecting with nature are often difficult to find, but we are well reminded of the benefits when we do – the pinching of 30 minutes in a day to wander with secateurs in hand and the calm comfort in playing with foliage and flowers to be enjoyed during daily, domestic life. Flowers for Friends is both a reflection, and story of the seasons brought indoors by Julia Atkinson-Dunn when harvesting from her garden and foraging in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Written in her signature casual tone (as seen in her first book Petal Power), Julia offers an accessible guide to picking, conditioning and arranging home-grown treasures, celebrating their quirks and encouraging unexpected combinations. Seasonal chapters profile arrangements she has made, detailing plants in season and inviting readers to play without the hunt for perfection, or restraint.

”Whether you are an aspiring florist or an inspired gardener, Flowers for Friends is so much more than a ‘how-to’ book - it is a true expression of the delight and the unencumbered joy that flowers can bring to our everyday lives’
- Melanie Stapleton of Cecilia Fox

…….

SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 260 x 200 mm, portrait
Pages: 192
Cover: paperback with gatefold and embossed title

All photography and most flowers grown by me at home in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Proudly published by New Zealand based, Koa Press.
Foreward by Melanie Stapleton of Cecilia Fox
Illustrations by Amy Jones of Cheese before Bedtime

RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE

If you are keen to learn a little more about me you might be interested in:

• “Bloom, bloom, pow” Flowers for Friends extract Homestyle (Dec/Jan 2021)

• “Strike a posy” Flowers for Friends extract Haven magazine (Nov. 2021)

• “Pick of the bunch” Flowers for Friends extract Your Home and Garden (Nov. 2021)

• “How to harvest flowers for spring floral arrangements” Flowers for Friends extract, Mindfood online feature (Oct. 2021)

• Keepers of the Craft interview and campaign for Zeffer cider.

• “Garden to vase” Petal Power extract, Shepherdess Autumn 2021

• “Echinacea” Petal Power extract Your Home and Garden April 2021,

• Interview with Super Creative podcast - (March 2021)

• “Come into Bloom” feature + book extraction - WOMAN magazine, (February 15 2021)

• “Good as Gold” - Petal Power extract, Haven magazine (Feb 2021)

• “Feeding the soul” - online HOME magazine (Jan 2021)

• “Floral Evolution” feature - Haven Magazine, Issue 1, (Nov. 2020)

• “Bring it Home” feature - Stuff Homed and The Weekend Press segment (24 Oct. 2020)

• Cover feature “Finding her own way” - Latitude Magazine issue 71 (June/July 2020)

• “The house that made a gardener” - Stuff Homed + print (2020)

• “A growing passion” - Metropol Magazine (Jan 2020)

• Featured in the book "Our Spaces" - inspiring, contemporary homes in NZ (2019)

• "Lessons learnt during my first year as a gardener" in Stuff Homed + print (2019)

• "At My Place" feature by Stuff Homed (2017)

• A recent feature in Renovate Magazine (2017)

• Past mentions also include Homestyle, Your Home and Garden, Urbis, Abode magazine, Peppermint, NZ House and Garden, NZ Marketing website and Stuff.co.nz

WRITING FOR OTHERS

I have been very lucky to work with brands and publications that share my point of view and like my conversational style of writing.

• Launch of my beginner gardening column online and in regional papers for Stuff Homed.
  (90 articles from 2020 - 2023)

• The writing of creative profiles and botanical copy for Zoe Field’s book Lost & Found. Koa Press 2022

• Guide to making a bedside posy for Wallace Cotton (2020)

• Project concept, imagery and video creation for Feel Good with Flowers - NZ Flowers Week (2019) 

• Regular artist profiles for Latitude Magazine (2019)

• "How to be Inspired, Not Influenced" article and worksheet shared on the nood life blog (2019)

• "Finding the Heartbeat of your Home" article and worksheet shared on the nood life blog (2019)

• "New Zealand ceramic artists keeping it fresh" Stuff Homed and in print (2019)

• "Seasonal Nesting" Abode Magazine (2019)

• "Colour and Pattern in the Mid Century Home" Mr Bigglesworthy (2018)

• "A Beginners Guide to Mid Century Modern. It's Roots, it's Philosophy and it's Design". Mr Bigglesworthy (2018)

• "Small Spaces, Big Potential" Abode Magazine (2018)

• "Future Family Heirlooms" Together Journal (2018)

• "Confessions of a Beginner Gardener" Abode Magazine (2017)

COLLABORATION AND PARTNERING

• In 2019 I was a proud ambassador for HP New Zealand 

• I was thrilled to design a rug with Dilana in early 2020

• In 2020/21/22 I am the Beginner Gardener Ambassador for new event;  GROW O Tautahi - Christchurch Garden Festival. 

• In 2021-2022 I am a proud partner and ambassador of Avon City Ford who have generously leant me a new Ford Puma to help get my work done!

• In late 2021 I was proud to work with NZ clothing brand; hej hej on a story and shoot using a piece from their new collection.

• In early 2022 I was thrilled to undertake a collaborative shoot for local Christchurch lifestyle store Infinite Definite, photographed by Naomi Haussman.

Over the last few years Studio Home is proud to have worked closely with Nood, Ico Traders, Wilson and Dorset, Govino NZ/AU , Latitude magazine, Wink, Wallace Cotton, Instax NZ, Zeffer and Garden Marlborough. 
In past years I have also created one off promotional projects for iRobot NZ/AU, Russell Hobbs NZ/AU, Jucy, Jetstar, Dulux NZ and Fujifilm amongst others.

In 2015 I launched my own collaboration project named TEAM.WORK, which saw the production of joint products with Trestle Union, Mushama and Me, Radical Yes!, ALAS and New Lands.
This great project came to a natural end in 2017. 

I am always keen to discuss new ideas, writing opportunities, joint ventures and partnerships so please don't hesitate to contact me here. 

BEHIND THE KEYBOARD

I'm Julia Atkinson-Dunn aged 42 years old.

I live in Christchurch, New Zealand with my husband; T in an old blue villa with great bones. The brilliant work done by the owners before us means we have enjoyed plodding through the fun bit of repainting, decorating and making changes when we can afford it, to make the place our own. What's more, the beautifully set up vegie and garden beds guilt tripped me into making use of them and I find myself in the midst of a full blown (VERY unexpected!) gardening obsession!

T is a master bricklayer by trade and a new picture framer within the little studio we run together around our full-time work. Studio Home Framing is run from our home - I help with the consulting, he does the framing. It’s just a few years old but something we hope to foster into the future.

My own style of living is imperfect, casual, layered and homely. I'm all about texture, collected treasures mixed in with meaningful ones and natural elements - I gain a ridiculous amount of satisfaction from viewing corners of my home at their best times of day and year. My attention to detail is pretty loose, so a manicured magazine set you will not find here!
The pink in our bedroom first thing in the morning, the view down the hall to the back garden on bright sunny days, the magic light that slinks into the living room around 5. Maybe that's a tad over romantic but I'm into it ...

Family and friends time at bachs, diving and fishing trips, lakes and ski fields are the tops! Boats, rivers, wines in late afternoon light, South Island high country, old buildings and homes, new buildings and homes, other people’s homes in general, are all things that spin my wheels. I absolutely LOVE living in Canterbury.

I love Art MORE than I love a healthy bank account (and yes this has proven to be a problem!) and am relishing uncovering my own style and practice. I love to write and take photographs, over the last few years the focus of both those loves has been around my pursuit and sharing of gardening knowledge!
Gardening has been the biggest revelation to me in adult life and I am totally consumed by the positive effect it has on my day-to-day brain, body, creativity and patience.

Over my adult years in addition to my blogging, design and collaborations I have written and travelled a workshop focused on teaching small creative businesses about utilising social media before moving on to work as an independent online marketing consultant, getting stuck into the businesses of my clients as a Social and Strategy Sidekick. Small creative businesses and one-man-bands are forever my favourites and who I could contribute to best.

In 2019 I refocused these skills with the launch of Studio Home ART  where I hosted exhibitions in our home representing NZ artists online as well, mostly through curated group shows. This was a true extension of my years as a design blogger, taking my work into the real world and achieving my long-held dream of working with so many of my local art heroes.
Like many others, the arrival of the pandemic in 2020 with resulting lockdowns forced a change in direction and I took this opportunity to concentrate on my own art practice which has more than exceeded my expectations. Thus wrapping up my short but sweet stint representing other artists.

I’m enjoying using my experience in online promotion for mostly my own projects now.

My background swings through the snow industry (ski instructing and marketing/sales) and back through the design industry (furniture sales and independent interior design consultant). Aside from just one salaried job, I have always worked for myself and as a result, learned some business lessons the hard way!

And no, my hair is thanks to a bottle not genetics. Sad I know.

Cheers,
Ju xo