Sweet Marise

Entirely self-taught, Marise Rozing is a self-effacing cake-maker, successful catering director, sensitive wedding photographer and mother of three, with menagerie of guinea pigs, chickens, fish, cats and a 20-year-old turtle. In her spare time, Marise has a fondness for trail-running up mountains. By Nicola Belsham. Photos by Sharisse Eberlein.

Despite all this activity, Marise exudes calm. She has a designer’s eye for colour, shape and form. All of which, she which will dispute. Marise does not consider herself creative, despite having trained at design school. She considers her photography “dabbling” in spite of the fact her images have been published, and that she often works alongside award-winning Wairarapa photographer, Sharisse Eberlein (whose photos illustrate this article). She declares herself an “un-qualified chef”, but has been cook and director of successful wedding catering business, Crescendo Cuisine with Margaret Coney and Leigh Butler for the past five and half years. She is the only person to perceive faults in her beautiful ‘Sweet Marise’ cakes which are high in demand, if only advertised by word of mouth. She laughed out loud when we asked to visit her home.

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Marise and Sander Rozing purchased a modest property in Featherston six years ago. Both from the mighty Hutt Valley, Marise and Sander met 19 years ago when working together in a garden centre. Sander, a trained horticulturist, has his own creative nature and likewise, is constantly busy with multiple occupations. Today the home epitomises the couple’s ‘work-hard’ ethics with a shared eye for design and creative flair. To Marise, it is all “pottering and a testament to what you can do, not spending any money”.

All of the renovations and decor achieved on the property have been done by the couple with their own hands and with items “begged, borrowed, and won off Trade Me”. As soon as they purchased the house, Sander ripped up the carpet, the wallpaper and sanded the floors. The interior respects the wooden floor and frame integrity of its era, tastefully enhanced and delicately adorned with personal belongings and special keepsakes. Marise hand-made the curtains and before it became popular, purchased a range of wallpapers from the UK. Each room with its own design and whimsical detail, embodies the personality of whoever occupies it. The bathroom is the only space not wallpapered, but with its own charm, shows off a ceramic wash basin mounted upon an antique Singer sewing machine.

Outside, an impressive vegetable patch certainly minimises mowing by taking up half of the back garden. It gives way to allow for an equally impressive glasshouse built by Sander out of old window frames ripped out of Marise’s sister’s house. A large chicken coop, guinea pig run and rambling tree house complete the feeling that this is a home full of joy and respect for those who occupy it. Just like Marise’s beautiful cakes, the result is sensitive, quirky and sprinkled with treasures.

Yes, Marise, you are definitely creative.

For Marise’s cakes and Crescendo Cuisine, click here.