It is often the smallest details that shape how a space is experienced. In the bathroom, a room defined by ritual, these moments take on a particular significance.
Developed in Matakana, just north of Auckland, Matakana Essentials brings a considered, place-led approach to these everyday acts. Founded by Kym Bracewell (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāi Te Rangi), the range is informed by a dual perspective — a meeting of traditional knowledge and contemporary science, grounded in both heritage and material understanding.
At the core of the range is a deliberate commitment to locality. Rather than looking outward, the formulations draw from what exists here; bioactive botanicals that have long been part of Aotearoa’s landscape, specifically kawakawa, mānuka honey, and mānuka leaf.
“By harnessing what occurs naturally in New Zealand, we are able to create products that both elevate and ground,” she says. “There is no need to look beyond our own environment, we have an abundance here. It’s about using that carefully, and with intention.”
Produced in small batches, the range spans hand and body wash, moisturiser, room spray, and bath salts, a tightly edited offering of gently restorative properties.
Within the contemporary architectural bathroom where materials are refined and every element is resolved, Matakana Essentials introduces a different cadence: a layer of scent and decadence that connects our experience back to the land, and returns a sense of beauty to the everyday ritual.
