Reflecting on 2015

December 2015, By Nicole Langelier

In 2015 I jumped off a mountain – both figuratively and literally. Just a few hours ago Tim and I Para-Glided off New Zealand’s highest commercial launch point and sailed smoothly and safely into the end of 2015.

As this will be my last blog post of the year, I feel that it is only appropriate to reflect on the year gone by – and oh what a year it’s been. 2015 was a year to remember – one of great changes, challenges and accomplishments – most noteworthy of course was the birth of our baby – Design & Diplomacy. 

D&D was conceived one night in 2014 after glamorous cocktail event for Kay & Burton Real Estate. That evening Tim and I befriended the husband of the then Kay & Burton CEO, and the following day he sent us an email telling us how great it had been to meet “the Designer’’ and “the Diplomat” – the subject of the email read ‘Design & Diplomacy’.

It stuck. The seed had been planted and in early 2015 (after a turbulent 2014), Design & Diplomacy was born. It was a smooth take off in the beginning – sailing into the year winning Inside Out magazine’s People’s Choice Stylist of the Year competition and working closely with private interior design clients for the first 6 months before our real master plan took shape and we launched the property styling division of the business. Boy did we hit the ground running!!

As soon as word got out that we were back (well, I was back and Tim had ‘arrived’), we were off. The calls and the clients and the property styling jobs came in hard and fast and we delivered. From day one we delivered a product that exceeded expectations in style, service and value for money. 

The calls and emails have not stopped – right up to Christmas day and through today. We have an, ‘almost full’ dance card for January and so will hit the ground running once again as we always do, in 2016.

We are blessed and grateful and willing to work our ass’s off to prove it. We thank our family and friends and clients and supporters from the bottom of our hearts for making 2015 a year to remember. We will continue to work hard for you going into the new year – proving that with commitment, dedication, passion love and long hours there’s no stopping us.

Thank you for your continued support. Wishing you a blessed, healthy, safe and prosperous New Year. See you in 2016. XXX 

P.S. I haven’t forgotten the tragedies and atrocities of this year gone by. It was a year of great loss in epic proportions across the world. My heart weeps for all the terror, mass murder and natural disaster that caused such epic destruction. All this sadness magnifies the depth of my gratitude. I thank my lucky stars every day, and pray for those who have suffered immeasurable loss.