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The thickest and most resistant of all commercial natural fibres, coir is a coarse, short fibre extracted from the outer shell of coconuts.
Coconut coir or, “Coco coir”, is a very versatile resource that is harvested from a fibrous layer underneath the exterior shell of the coconut. Since… View moreThe thickest and most resistant of all commercial natural fibres, coir is a coarse, short fibre extracted from the outer shell of coconuts.
Coconut coir or, “Coco coir”, is a very versatile resource that is harvested from a fibrous layer underneath the exterior shell of the coconut. Since coconut growers consider it a waste product, its utilization is highly sustainable. You may have heard of coco coir being used in gardening, but there are many applications for it across multiple industries, beyond horticulture. Here are 10 interesting facts about coco coir that you probably didn’t know!
• Coco coir has many uses including in textiles, upholstery, making rope/fishing nets, environmental cleanup and horticulture, floor mats, doormats, brushes and mattresses.
• There is brown coco coir & white coco coir, each with different properties. When coconuts are ripe, they produce brown coir which is used in gardening and horticulture. White coir is harvested from unripe coconuts, and is much finer and lighter, it even floats on water. This makes it ideal for fishing nets, brushes, and finer textiles.
• Coco coir works well as a snail deterrent when used in the garden.
• Coco coir is highly absorbent and can hold up to 10x the water as peat moss. Some use it as a sustainable alternative to peat moss
• People often use coco coir as bedding in terrariums for snakes, lizards, turtles, and spiders.
• When used for gardening, coco coir is usually packed in a compressed brick. You need to soak the brick with water which allows it to expand substantially. You can then use it as a growing medium or potting mix additive.
• Coco coir contains very low levels of nutrients, so you can’t normally use it as the sole growing medium for plants, EXCEPT, you can use it for microgreens due to their extremely short grow cycle. This is because they don’t require soil nutrients. You also use coco coir in hydroponics since you add the nutrients directly into the water.
• You can re-use coco coir several times in gardening as it retains its properties over time.
• Because of its highly absorptive properties, people sometimes use coco coir to help clean up oil spills and other caustic fluids.
• People use coco coir in litter boxes and animal bedding because of its highly absorptive capabilities. It is much more sustainable than traditional clay cat litter pellets, which don’t break down. Coco coir also absorbs much more liquid than hay, straw, or newspaper which people often use as animal bedding.
These are just a few of the many interesting characteristics and applications of coco coir. In the spirit of sustainability, the utilization of coco coir is a sound environmental practice. Spread the word and take a step in a more sustainable direction.
Resene and Your Home & Garden are on the lookout for the most stunning interior or exterior colour scheme created with Resene paints to be featured in Your Home & Garden magazine.
Monthly winners win $250 of Resene paint vouchers and the grand winner $5000 cash!
What we are looking … View moreResene and Your Home & Garden are on the lookout for the most stunning interior or exterior colour scheme created with Resene paints to be featured in Your Home & Garden magazine.
Monthly winners win $250 of Resene paint vouchers and the grand winner $5000 cash!
What we are looking for:
Clever interior colours
Inventive paint projects
Exciting exterior paint
Entries are now open!
How to enter:
Email photos and a 200-word or more description of your space to yhg@bauermedia.co.nz with your last name and ‘Resene Colour Home’ in the subject line. Please include your name, home address, email address, daytime phone number, the names of the Resene colours used, and details of when your space was painted. Please credit anyone who assisted you in choosing your colours. The five finalists will each appear in Your Home and Garden, starting from the December issue. Every finalist will receive a $250 Resene voucher and a feature in the magazine, with the winner taking out the Resene Colour Home Awards and $5000 cash. An extended story on the winning home will feature in the June 2021 issue.
Good News makes us feel good! It could be a colourful new art installation, a special new community garden project, a business doing something a little different or a missing kitty that's finally been reunited with its worried owners...
If something's happening in your neighbourhood … View moreGood News makes us feel good! It could be a colourful new art installation, a special new community garden project, a business doing something a little different or a missing kitty that's finally been reunited with its worried owners...
If something's happening in your neighbourhood that's made you happy spread some joy and let your neighbours know all about it.
Head to the Good News page to share your good news and we'll reward the best entries with a $100 Prezzy® card each week (plus there's spot prizes for supportive neighbours and entertaining banter!) Get involved!
Use tongue and groove landscaping timber and fence palings to create a stylish mini deck finished in Resene Woodsman wood stain.
Make the most of this weekend with this step by step project idea from Resene. Find out how to create your own
Hey neighbours,
In the lead up to the 2020 election, Stuff is keeping voters up to date with what’s happening in their electorate, through Neighbourly. Here’s what you need to know about the candidates in the running to be Waiariki's MP.
At the October 17 election, New Zealanders will … View moreHey neighbours,
In the lead up to the 2020 election, Stuff is keeping voters up to date with what’s happening in their electorate, through Neighbourly. Here’s what you need to know about the candidates in the running to be Waiariki's MP.
At the October 17 election, New Zealanders will have the opportunity to choose their regional spokesperson.
Through the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system, those enrolled can vote for the party they want as well as a local representative.
Why does my MP matter?
The person elected will be the voice for your region in Parliament. If you’re having trouble getting entitlements or dealing with Government departments, they can help. If your community needs funding for certain projects or activities, or there isn’t enough healthcare in the area, the elected MP can step in and help.
To find out more, click here.
Hey neighbours,
In the lead up to the 2020 election, Stuff is keeping voters up to date with what’s happening in their electorate, through Neighbourly. Here’s what you need to know about the candidates in the running to be Waiariki's MP.
At the October 17 election, New Zealanders will … View moreHey neighbours,
In the lead up to the 2020 election, Stuff is keeping voters up to date with what’s happening in their electorate, through Neighbourly. Here’s what you need to know about the candidates in the running to be Waiariki's MP.
At the October 17 election, New Zealanders will have the opportunity to choose their regional spokesperson.
Through the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system, those enrolled can vote for the party they want as well as a local representative.
Why does my MP matter?
The person elected will be the voice for your region in Parliament. If you’re having trouble getting entitlements or dealing with Government departments, they can help. If your community needs funding for certain projects or activities, or there isn’t enough healthcare in the area, the elected MP can step in and help.
To find out more, click here.
This is your final chance to grab our FREE 3-month Premium Business Listing
Usually $150, your 3-month Premium Listing enables you to reach thousands of people who live around your business! Find friendly locals who want your services, introduce your team and share what makes you stand out from… View moreThis is your final chance to grab our FREE 3-month Premium Business Listing
Usually $150, your 3-month Premium Listing enables you to reach thousands of people who live around your business! Find friendly locals who want your services, introduce your team and share what makes you stand out from the rest.
There's no catches and no hidden fees. It's just our small way of saying thank you for playing such an essential part in our communities.
Spring is a great time to get active on Neighbourly so grab your FREE 3 Month Premium Business Listing now
*This is a limited time offer
Why we have an endless fascination with mid-century modern. There’s just something about mid-century design (MCD) that captures the imagination. The architecture is emblematic, exciting, and nostalgic. It’s close enough in our history to feel familiar, yet far enough away to be inspirational.
… View moreWhy we have an endless fascination with mid-century modern. There’s just something about mid-century design (MCD) that captures the imagination. The architecture is emblematic, exciting, and nostalgic. It’s close enough in our history to feel familiar, yet far enough away to be inspirational.
We live in such a completely different way, that interiors of the 50s, 60s and 70s are responding to social behaviours and cues that are no longer the norm, so there’s something contradictory yet enthralling. It touched our generation, our parents, and grandparents, near enough to be real in a way that period antiques of the early 20th century and older, seem more relic-like – exciting sure, but less tangible somehow, coming from a world we can’t really imagine.
MCM exists in the post war world, reflecting a vibrant period of social, technological and political change where design was ground-breaking, architecture brave and sculptural. To those who may have felt that mid-century, retro design has been a passing fad, sit back down! Mid-century style continues to inspire and excite showing its face in new architecture and interior design.
As such, the choice to invest in or keep an original piece of mid-century design is a sound one. Not only are you engaging with something the interior world considers usable in perpetuity, you are continuing a legacy of stewardship and conservation of an important part of our design heritage.
In a world where capitalism has spent our lives teaching us to consume and discard, we are now moving rapidly towards an ideal of longevity and sustainability. So, when you make the decision to ‘adopt’ a classic piece of design, you are giving it another chance to invigorate an interior, and careful consideration to its conservation opens up a world of upholstery opportunities.
There are several main fabric types that seem to perpetuate and have the “flavour” or sentiment of mid-century style whilst also being suitable for upholstery. Simple textures allow the shape of a piece to stand out, warm wools will hug the shapes of these designs, while boucle feels completely relevant to this period.
Fortunately, there are a lot of careful and respectful retailers and upholsterers devoted to the maintenance and celebration of these stunning pieces.
Over the next few weeks we will hear from local upholsterers and retailers of MCD furniture who are equally as passionate about the style and their process for restoring these popular pieces of furniture.
With locations in Sydney and Auckland the owners of Tangerine and Teal Sasha and Vanessa were raised in a home surrounded by art and likely learned their appreciation for a cultivated aesthetic. Some of the well-known brands you may find with Vanessa in Auckland include Otto Larsen, Don, Jon Jansen, and Parker and in Sydney with Sacha you are likely to find Fler, Snelling, Featherston, Parker and Wrightbuilt.
What do you love about mid-century furniture and design?
Simple clean lines and great design feature in the majority of MCM furniture pieces, they are timeless in design and look great mixed in with contemporary pieces to give character and nostalgia to your home.
What items are you always looking out for?
We don’t import furniture from overseas and instead focus our search locally for interesting pieces by local New Zealand and Australian designers who are often underrated on the world stage but have great designs. Recently Vanessa restored and sold a lovely sideboard by New Zealand designer Rudi Schwarz and here in Sydney I just sold a rare dining suite by George Korody.
How did you come to select the fabrics for these stunning pieces?
The Mokum Mondrian Noir was selected for the pair of Parker furniture armchairs, originally these 60s chairs were always produced with wool cushion covers so the construction was a good fit. The Mondarian style black and white pattern is synonymous with the era and compliments the simple lines of the chairs.
The Piet Blanc was selected by our clients to reupholster their 70s Tessa armchairs. The luxurious soft texture in the white colour suited the stuffed cushions and brought luxury and style to the chairs in their setting overlooking the ocean in the northern beaches.
Quality and good design will stand for as long as we continue to look after and celebrate it. Classic pieces will transcend movements of the moment and will continue to add quirk and personality to your interior.
It also reminds us that new pieces bought now can be considered an investment, a collectible of the future, something to be treasured and enjoyed. As such, it’s important to consider with new furniture, buying pieces that evoke something in you – don’t think about fashion or trend, this is something you will be using and looking at daily for years to come, so compromise should not be an option! It should be a decision you are EXCITED about making.
Buying from reputable manufacturers, designer/makers and brands who stand by their quality and craftsmanship will ensure longevity – a legacy piece that generations of the future will be able to re-love, refurbish, and be inspired by.
We thought this was amazing. What a great way to teach your children the value of saving and getting them to add up the money is a fun way to do some maths. You could try using different bottles and different coins here in NZ.
Reusable coffee cup manufacturer Biopak has issued a recall for some products, due to the possibility of part of the cup detaching when liquid is present.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) issued the recall on September 30, advising people to stop using it immediately … View moreReusable coffee cup manufacturer Biopak has issued a recall for some products, due to the possibility of part of the cup detaching when liquid is present.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) issued the recall on September 30, advising people to stop using it immediately as a user could be burnt or scalded.
What you need to know:
- Contact Biopak or ring 0800 246 725 to get a refund on faulty items.
- The products were sold from January 2013 to September 2020
- All resuable coffee cups (8oz, 12oz, 16oz) in plain green or white should be
returned to Biopak.
- Those with custom names “SexieCoffie”, “Columbit”, “Echo”, “Hedland”, “Crop to Cup” or “Home Grain”. Should be returned immediately.
To find out more about this recall, see the government recall website.
Study in the Bay!
Meet Te Rumate Mahutoto who shares “I graduated from Awanuiārangi with a degree accredited by the Teaching Council NZ, benefitting from a teaching team that has taught in early years centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools, Kura Kaupapa Māori, rūmaki and … View moreStudy in the Bay!
Meet Te Rumate Mahutoto who shares “I graduated from Awanuiārangi with a degree accredited by the Teaching Council NZ, benefitting from a teaching team that has taught in early years centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools, Kura Kaupapa Māori, rūmaki and bilingual contexts. Teaching is not only about knowledge and skills but the desire to empower potential and make a difference. I am now teaching in a Year 3/4 bilingual class, and I am looking at doing a Master’s programme”
You too can help facilitate the learning journey of future leaders. Study with us in 2021!
Can anyone help!!!
Sadly our landlord has sold our house we called home so my family require a 3 - 4 bedroom home to rent. We have two well behaved outside dogs and two cats. Semi rural would be fine too.
We have awesome references, rent is always paid on time and we take pride of our home in and … View moreCan anyone help!!!
Sadly our landlord has sold our house we called home so my family require a 3 - 4 bedroom home to rent. We have two well behaved outside dogs and two cats. Semi rural would be fine too.
We have awesome references, rent is always paid on time and we take pride of our home in and outside..
If anyone has a home or knows off someone looking for trustworthy, reliable tenants please message me or contact me on 0274858537
Until the 11th of October, purchase a regional newspaper or the Sunday Star-Times, find the daily code and go into win 1 of 100 medium vegepod and trolley stands.
Abaca is a natural leaf fibre that comes from a relative of the banana tree family native to the Philippines that grows throughout tropical regions. It is also called Manilla hemp, though it is not related to actual hemp.
Abaca has great economic importance and is harvested for its strong, … View moreAbaca is a natural leaf fibre that comes from a relative of the banana tree family native to the Philippines that grows throughout tropical regions. It is also called Manilla hemp, though it is not related to actual hemp.
Abaca has great economic importance and is harvested for its strong, versatile fibre. Being regarded as the strongest natural fibres in the world, abaca can be put into various modern sophisticated technologies like the automobile industry and as a raw material for other important industries such as textiles, fashion, and the décor/furnishing industry.
Abaca is commonly used by the paper industry for such specialty uses such as tea bags, banknotes, filter papers and in medical filter sheets. While it is currently used mostly in paper products, abaca has a long history in textiles. Abaca fabric has a stiff quality and holds its structure (it is considered a hard fibre and is comparable in texture to sisal and coir). It has a very long fibre length and is one of the strongest fibres - flexible, durable, and highly resistant to saltwater damage. For these reasons it has been used over time for rope and cording. It can also be woven into home and fashion accessories including wall coverings, rugs, tapestries, and bags. It can be used to make handcrafts such as hats, bags, carpets, clothing, and furniture.
Abaca is generally considered to be a sustainable, environmentally friendly fibre that can empower communities. It has been identified by the United Nations as a “Future Fibre”. That said, not many standards and certifications are used for abaca, so transparency and doing your own due diligence around environmental and social impact are very important when sourcing. The Rainforest Alliance currently certifies some abaca farms.
The harvesting and extraction of fibre from abaca is painstaking process which involves many processes. Stripping and drying of fibres is either done manually or mechanically. After extraction, different grades of fibres are obtained which are then accordingly used for different set of industrial activities.
The world's leading abaca producer is the Philippines. While the crop is also cultivated in other Southeast Asian countries, the second largest producing country is Ecuador, where abaca is grown on large estates and production is increasingly mechanized. Almost all abaca produced is exported, mainly to Europe, Japan, and the USA. Exports from the Philippines are increasingly in the form of pulp rather than raw fibre.
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...
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