Israel and Daisy Dagg's suburban retreat is the ideal first home

Article by Your Home and Garden

Renowned rugby union player Israel Dagg and his wife, The Rugby Pantry co-author Daisy, have settled in Christchurch in a Golden Homes house that’s anything but cookie-cutter

Who Lives Here?
Daisy Dagg (interior designer, Daisy Chain Interiors, founder and contributor to food blog The Rugby Pantry), Israel Dagg (plays for the Canterbury Crusaders) with Melo, their adopted cat, inherited from the neighbour.

Daisy, what is surprising about this home?
A bit of bling in the kitchen, including the sparkling cupboard handles and the silver-crackle-finish tiled splashback. In the brochure, the handles looked quite industrial but in reality the finish is more diamanté-looking – I like that, though. I used the crackle-finish tiles in the bathrooms as well as in the kitchen.

What is your favourite piece in the house?
The mirror on the wall in the dining area. I saw it at Zoo Warehouse when I was visiting Auckland more than a year ago and I immediately loved it. At the time, purchasing a big mirror was not on my necessity list but later I called the Ponsonby store and they shipped it down. We love it.

Words by: Ady Shannon
Photography by: Guy Frederick

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Daisy and Izzy are keen entertainers and love to host friends and family for casual meals. The wide island benchtop provides an excellent surface for preparing and serving food.

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“I deliberately chose not to have the sink in the island, so that I can use the entire space for food preparation,” says Daisy.

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A neutral palette on walls and floors proves an ideal backdrop to the combination of beach, country and industrial styling.

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Metallic stools, the ‘tinfoil’ tiled splashback and naked bulb lighting installations complement the brushed aluminium appliances.

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The large mirror behind the dining table is one of Daisy’s favourite treasures. Set into a frame of recycled wood that looks as though it was gathered off the beach, the mirror creates an illusion of space by reflecting the garden deck area beyond the wall.

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Piles of cushions cover the surfaces of couches, chairs, beds and settees. “I love buying cushions and I change them around quite a lot,” says Daisy.

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The colourful zebra print was one of four large canvases that Daisy purchased in Bali in 2014.

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Many of the photos on the walls have been taken by Daisy. In the master bedroom, black and white portraits of the couple hang above the bed.

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Silver, grey and white soft furnishings in the guest room are interspersed with splashes of pink.

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The oversized deck in the private, sheltered garden is a great spot for relaxing, eating and entertaining. Whenever possible, the couple enjoy the alfresco lifestyle.

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Izzy is king of the barbecue. Daisy leaves the large squabs on the furniture all year and stores cushions in a trunk nearby. “We throw the cushions on whenever we come out