Next New Zealand – September 2019

Photographs

Getty Images and supplied

ON THE

Vee Kessner owns Space Studio and

designs incredible interiors, like those

at Six Senses Fiji, below

INSIDE

MY JOB IN ONE SENTENCE: I’m always looking for new inspiration

to bring to the design of hospitality spaces.

WHAT I ENJOY MOST ABOUT MY WORK: Every project is unique

and allows for the creation of a new experience for guests.

A PERK OF THE JOB: I get to travel to exotic locations that people dream

of holidaying in – often when they’re still untouched.

MY CURRENT CAREER GOAL: I’d love to work with an owner and

operator to create a truly unique New Zealand hotel brand.

MY MORNING ROUTINE: I like my mornings quiet and simple. After a shower and a smoothie, the relaxed drive

from my home in Piha into the city through Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges is where I gather my thoughts for the day.

MY WARDROBE: I like to be comfortable, so I tend to aim for classics with a twist. Rather than following

short-lived fashion trends, I choose investment pieces.

MY WORKSPACE: My desk is in open-plan of ce that allows for quick communication with the team. We also

have large layout areas where we develop interior schemes and  nishes.

MY WORK RULES: I maintain a culture of care and compassion, invest in the growth f d

will never subscribe to a soulless corporate structure.

SUCCESS IS: Inspired design delivered well. Seeing people inhabit the spaces we cre

and enjoy them the way they were intended to be enjoyed leaves me feeling a measure of succe

MY BIGGEST CAREER CHALLENGE: Managing a fast-growing business.

MY BIGGEST CAREER LESSON: Working for pe ople who don’t value what you do is

soul-destroying. Be brave enough to move on.

HOW I UNWIND: Living in Piha, the end of the day is often spent watching the sunset and

feeling grateful. Maintaining balance is always hard and it constantly shifts. Being mindful

of this and remembering that family is the most important thing helps.

HOW I COPE WITH STRESS: Exercise is my go-to – and the support of my husband.

HOW I MANAGE MY INBOX: I check my emails  rst thing in the morning and halfway

through the day, deleting anything that’s not important and unsubscribing when necessary.

MY THOUGHTS ON MONEY: Be responsible with it and not a slave to making

more of it. It’s not the maker of happiness.

A WOMAN I ADMIRE: My mother – in her early 20s, in a very conservative

society and in an age in which women didn’t work, she started a printing business.

For her, there was never a question that she wasn’t able to do anything she set her

mind to. I carry her determination and those values with me.

PROFILE

72 NEXT / SEPTEMBER 2019