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Steal This Look: A Moody Mid-Century/Japanese Mashup

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Steal This LookIssue — Spring Trends

Steal This Look: A Moody Mid-Century/Japanese Mashup

February 18, 2025

A while back, Alexa wrote about a project by one of our favorite designers, New Zealander Katie Lockhart. What we especially admire about Katie is her deft touch when it comes to mixing different styles and periods so that the overall look isn’t too fussy or contrived.

Below, we dissect the elements that make this living room, in an Auckland villa, one of the coolest we’ve seen.

Photography by David Straight, courtesy of Katie Lockhart Studio.

trowel polished plaster by resene rockcote, a plaster cladding specialist in ne 17
Above: Trowel-polished plaster by Resene Rockcote, a plaster cladding specialist in New Zealand, make up the walls throughout the home.
katie often works with her friend, carpenter grant bailey, to design custom fur 18
Above: Katie often works with her friend, carpenter Grant Bailey, to design custom furniture for her clients. For this room, they collaborated on the armchair. Much of the rest of the furniture was found after a sourcing trip to Japan. Katie had the sofa, ottoman, and armchair all covered in the same olive green upholstery.
custom built in walnut cabinetry runs the length of one wall, spanning the livi 19
Above: Custom built-in walnut cabinetry runs the length of one wall, spanning the living room and kitchen.
katie worked with jack mckinney architects on the project. their clients were i 20
Above: Katie worked with Jack McKinney Architects on the project. Their clients were inspired by a recent trip to Sri Lanka, where they encountered the work of architect Geoffrey Bawa.
to the right is an interior garden, conceived by katie and executed by her brot 21
Above: To the right is an interior garden, conceived by Katie and executed by her brother, landscape designer Jared Lockhart.

Here’s what you’ll need to replicate the look:

Furniture

katie selected the cs sofa from truck in japan for the living room; ¥77\1,700 22
Above: Katie selected the CS Sofa from Truck in Japan for the living room; ¥771,700 and ¥224,100 for the Ottoman.
the rush bench in the space is from japan. for a similar look, try this america 23
Above: The rush bench in the space is from Japan. For a similar look, try this American-made Woven Rush Bench by Mel Smilow; $3,423 at 1stDibs.
in lieu of a side table, consider an elegant rustic tall stool by sawkille; fro 24
Above: In lieu of a side table, consider an elegant-rustic Tall Stool by Sawkille; from $1,250.

Lighting

artek’s a8\10 floor lamp by alvar aalto is \$3,\240 at finnish design shop. 25
Above: Artek’s A810 Floor Lamp by Alvar Aalto is $3,240 at Finnish Design Shop.
the hotaru double bubble light is £66\2.50 at twentytwentyone. 26
Above: The Hotaru Double Bubble Light is £662.50 at Twentytwentyone.
the glo ball basic zero table lamp by jasper morrison is \$\268 at lumens. (see 27
Above: The GLO Ball Basic Zero Table Lamp by Jasper Morrison is $268 at Lumens. (See 10 Easy Pieces: Diffused Glow Bedside Lamps.)

Flooring & Walls

the tiles throughout the room are italian terracotta tiles from fornace brioni. 28
Above: The tiles throughout the room are Italian terracotta tiles from Fornace Brioni.
katie purchased the tuareg mat from kulchi. from the website: &#8\2\20;prod 29
Above: Katie purchased the Tuareg mat from Kulchi. From the website: “Produced by the nomadic Tuareg tribes of Mauritania – the Tuareg mats are handmade with reed and decorated with leather.”
the color on the walls is pause, from aalto paint, a new zealand paint company. 30
Above: The color on the walls is Pause, from Aalto Paint, a New Zealand paint company.

For the whole house tour, see Collective Composition: A Historic Villa Renovation in Auckland by Katie Lockhart and Jack McKinney Architects.

For more projects by the designer, see:

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 9, 2021.

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