Living artist
Tom Koene is a craftsman tiler - and an artist. He was born in the Netherlands and learned his craft doing restoration in Amsterdam, learning traditional methods and styles.
Tom has worked in New Zealand since 1982. One day he was asked to do the tiling on the gecko that lies beside Khyber Pass Rd, under the motorway. Since then he has not looked back. Some of his work is traditional, like Mexican bathrooms, but most is entirely unique, while influenced by Friederich Hundertwasser, an unusual and rebellious Austrian artist who also came to live in New Zealand and who designed the famous toilet block in Kawakawa.
Tom's designs are playful, anarchic, and finely detailed with tiles that are hugely variable and often unique, with imperfections from the production process that give them curious colours and textures. 95% of the tiles are created and hand glazed in New Zealand. Included also may be pieces of pottery and stones, all skilfully integrated into free flowing forms, like flowers and koru, and patterns that lead to discoveries of new resonances over time and space each day.
Examples of Tom’s work include bathrooms and kitchens, indoor and outdoor patios and walls, paths, steps, pool areas, arches, barbeques, baths, benches, murals, birdbaths, pillars and other free-standing structures. In my case it was an ensuite, and Tom welcomed my collaboration and help, although mainly in preparation of tiles, rather than design, which I soon learned was best left to the master, after defining the scope and dimensions.
The results are delightful and professional, works of art that can never be repeated. Thank you, Tom for catching that sense of fun and colour and bringing it into my home, to give me a sense of childhood delight each day.
For more pics: insta@tom_organic_tiling
Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
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10.1% Yes! New Year, New Me
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19.5% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
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70.4% Nah - not for me
Amazingly quiet night in Green Bay
All the Best for the New Year! The last few years they started banging days earlier already, but this year it was amazingly quiet. Now either people suddenly got smart and care about animals and the environment (which I don’t believe for a second) or it’s the clearest sign of the Cost of Living Crisis we are in. I’m just glad I can make a damn fine bread for under a dollar.
The Summer Kiwi Quiz is back by popular demand
Grab a copy of your local Stuff newspaper between 1 Jan - 28 Jan and participate in the Summer Kiwi Quiz! Test your knowledge, answer the daily New Zealand based questions, and find out how well you know our beautiful country!
Each correct answer will get you one entry into the draw to WIN 1 of 5 Ooni Karu 2 Portable Pizza Oven bundles, valued at $1024! Each bundle includes: an Ooni Karu 2 Multi-Fuel Portable Pizza Oven, Ooni Karu 2 Carry Cover, Ooni 12" Perforated Peel, Ooni Digital Infrared Thermometer and an Ooni Cookbook: Cooking with Ooni. The more answers you enter correctly, the higher your chance of winning. For more information and to submit your answers, click here
The Team at Stuff
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