This article on Blenheim based interior design & landscape design studio, Collaborate, was initially published in our Spring 2019 Bayleys Marlborough Preview Magazine.
Good indoor-outdoor flow is something of a New Zealand fascination. Certainly, any interiors magazine will extol the virtues of adopting a seamless transition between your dining room and your deck. As real estate agents, we know it’s a hot selling point and something that can attract a premium price.
Introducing Collaborate:
Firstly, to connect your indoor and outdoor spaces well, you need an overall vision. Furthermore, you also need your interior designer and landscape architect to work together. That’s where local husband and wife team, Jenny and Christo Saggers, come in. They established ‘Collaborate’ a couple of years ago on the back of designing residential and commercial landscapes for twelve years under the ‘Christo Saggers Design and Build’ brand. Jenny and Christo recognised that by adding Interior Design (Jenny’s speciality) to the mix, they could provide a one-stop-shop for their Marlborough clients.
Jenny and Christo have long been fans of the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright considered the house and its landscape to be one organic whole. It is this concept that the couple aspires to.
As their name suggests, the pair design collaboratively. Above all, they believe every landscape design should incorporate both the architecture and the interior design of the building it surrounds as all these elements are inherently linked.
Their modern approach to design is firmly based upon everyday practicality and balanced aesthetics. Jenny and Christo love to use quality materials and furnishings. By emphasising the continuity of colours, textures and materials, they create harmonious spaces that provide a sense of calm.
Working Collaboratively:
Since establishing Collaborate, the couple has worked on residential and commercial projects of all sizes. Their male and female design perspectives, which allow them to approach and look at tasks differently, are certainly part of their success. But so too is their ability to deliver the best results possible for an allocated budget.
The spirit of collaboration certainly doesn’t stop with Jenny and Christo alone. They always prefer to work with other locally based businesses to deliver exceptional results for their clients. Favourite partnerships include Thomas’s for their cherry-picked selection of homewares. Nazareth Joinery for kitchen and cabinetry designs delivered with enthusiasm. Tony Gibbons Building and George Guthrie Construction for top-notch building works. Devon Nursery for consistently high-quality plants and Multi-Dig and Paving Innovations for quality groundworks.
As Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.” This certainly rings true for Collaborate who, as a result of their recent achievements, have plans to take their business to the next stage. Over the next twelve months, Jenny and Christo plan to open a design showroom in Marlborough. A space for clients to view a curated selection of products for their home; including flooring, tiles, fabrics, paint colours, pots, plants and building materials. Always looking for an opportunity to join forces with others, the couple also plans to use the showroom to host workshops on all kinds of design projects.
