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Interview | Claudia Kozub

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of meeting Claudia Kozub, a talented Auckland-based interior and lifestyle stylist. With over 15 years experience, Claudia has her own company Style etc and is a regular contributor to NZ House & Garden, Life & Leisure and several other publications. She also styles weddings and events, and is now about to embark on a new and exciting venture, with the opening of Indie Home Collective, a furniture and homewares store in Nuffield St, Newmarket.

During that first meeting with Claudia, I was very lucky to have been given a sneak peek of the store, which at that point was in the early stages of renovating. Blown away by the sheer size of the space, I cannot wait to see the transformation, which will no doubt reflect Claudia's incredible style and love of white Scandinavian interiors, organic loveliness and boho cool.

So inspired by Claudia's passion and free-spirited approach to life and work, I was eager to ask her some questions, especially in the exciting lead up to the launch of Indie Home Collective. Not only has she answered them for us, she enlisted the help of her sister, photographer Eva Kozub to take beautiful photos of her work and home.

Have you always lived in Auckland? What do you love about living here?

I was born in Poland and have lived in Auckland since I was six years old. I love the fact that I can be having brunch in anyone of the great cafes that have opened up in the city and 20 minutes later (in either direction) I could be on a beautiful beach taking my dogs for a walk. We’re so lucky to have such amazing contrast.

Can you tell us about your background and how you ended up becoming a stylist?

I studied costume design but my first job was merchandising in a furniture store which I absolutely loved so have carried on down the interiors/lifestyle path ever since.

What has been your favourite styling project so far, and why?

That’s so hard to answer, I feel like I’m constantly working on fantastic styling projects. Having said that I really enjoy the fast paced nature of commercial work and pushing the boundaries in terms of what I’ve done before. And with weddings I love the fact that I get to work with brides to create something personal and intimate, and the locations can be pretty amazing too! Oh and I get to work with lots of pretty flowers!

You're passionate about flowers - tell us a bit more about that area of your work...

Working with flowers is amazing, I use them in a lot of my editorial shoots and also my event/wedding side of my company. I love the textural element that flowers can add to a shoot and in weddings I love how the scent of flowers adds a sensory element to the event. Nothings adds to the memory of an event like walking into a beautiful receptions that’s filled with flowers.

Your new furniture and homeware store, Indie Home Collective is due to open this week. What can we expect to see?

We’re creating a visually beautiful space that is filled with furniture (both new and vintage), homewares, jewellery, candles, lighting, fresh market flowers plus more.

It’s a place where you can come and set your whole living space, pop in to buy a gift or pick up your weekly bunch of flowers. Or just come in and enjoy looking at all the beautiful things. It will constantly evolve.

How would you describe your personal style and how is this reflected in your own home?

I would say my general style is eclectic with an organic twist. At home it’s clean, modern, industrial with an organic eclectic twist. I love to collect lots of interesting bits and style them against quite a clean palette. At the moment our house is very white. We love it, it’s amazing how bright it feels on a very dark winters day. I love how white can give such a feeling of space and light.

I work with a lot of colour which I love but it’s refreshing to come home to a clean white palette. I find it relaxing. I get the best of both worlds, I get to play with colour at work, and get to relax in my white sanctuary. I try and bring in as much nature into a space in a subtle way. I let it just melt into the interior so it looks like it’s just part of a setting.

What do like to do for fun, outside of work?

Gardening (I can spend hours at a garden centre, I love being around nature), hanging out at the beach - sometimes it’s for walks with our dogs other days it’s leaning how to surf (well more like knee surf at this stage). I meditate and do yoga every day which keeps me grounded, and I read most days. Even if it’s only a couple of pages, I like to learn new things.

I cook a lot. I’m always creating new recipes and we’re just about to set up our organic vegetable garden which I’m pretty excited about. I can’t wait to cook with my own veggies and herbs etc.

What inspires you... travel, other creatives, magazines, the web etc?

Yes definitely, travel is a big inspiration. Although sometimes I don’t think you have to go far at all. I think the biggest inspiration can be when you sit still and just take in what’s around you. There are so many amazing blogs I follow out there that I love (The Design Chaser being one of them). Also Pinterest. I avoided it for a long time and now I’m hooked. And of course interiors magazines.

What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a creative, freelance career?

Just do it! Follow your heart and believe you can do anything. I don’t believe in limits. I believe we are constantly evolving and that we create our own futures, so let yourself be a free spirit and try anything your heart desires. It’s really amazing how things will fall into place.

Sincere thanks to Claudia for participating in this interview, especially while juggling work and the mammoth task of setting up shop! If you're in Auckland, join me in visiting the store when it opens this weekend, at 51 Nuffield St, Newmarket, and make sure you 'like' the Indie Home Collective Facebook page. You can also follow Claudia at Style etc and on Pinterest.

Photo credit: Eva Kozub

Such Great Heights

I recently received an email from Ryan O’Connor and Jo Fahy, an Adelaide couple who have have drawn on their collective experiences in filmmaking, photography, woodwork, fashion design and paediatrics to launch Such Great Heights, a company that produces kids products. Quickly gaining worldwide attention with features in Inside Out, Fete and The Washington Post and online via The Design Files and Oh Joy! I'm really excited to be able to share their clever and innovative products with you today.

Such Great Heights was born out of frustration at the lack of quality toys and decor products on offer when the couple's daughters Grace and Daisy were born. Driven by the desire to create items that encourage imaginary play, are beautiful, functional and made to last, their goal was realised mid-last year when the debut range was launched.

Knowing first-hand how much little kids love tents, the Wonder Tent immediately won me over. Beautifully designed and crafted in Australia from sustainably sourced Australian hardwood and organic cotton, the tent comes in its own custom canvas bag and is flat packable for ease of moving and storage. The tent canopies are available in a gorgeous range of prints to suit every decor, boy scout, princess or mini stylista! Embellished with a copper stamped leather patch and fabric ownership label, I think the hard part is deciding which one to get.

How cool is the Animal Print Canopy? What makes the Wonder Tent really unique and innovative, is the little Conversion Kit - a product that turns your Tent Frame into a highly functional, versatile and gorgeous Clothes Rack. Genius!

Wishing that these beautiful clothes racks came in big sizes? Well, you're in luck because Such Great Heights have now adapted it for adults. Custom made and currently available on request, simply pop over here to get in touch.

Such Great Heights is also working with revered Swedish artist Camilla Engman to create a unique and ongoing series of beautiful artworks. The first piece is made with copper foil using an 1880's hot blocking press by 71 year old Maltese master bookbinder, Charles Zammit. Just stunning, I can't wait to see how this collection evolves.

Jo and Ryan are also currently working on a number of new products and textile designs which will be released in time for Christmas. To stay in the loop, pop over to Such Great Heights and sign up, like their Facebook page and follow their blog. To see the full range of products and shop online take a look here. They even ship internationally. Hooray!

Interview | Milly Nolan of Mildred&Co

When Mildred&Co burst on to the Auckland scene last year with a boutique online gift store and wedding registry, it soon became clear that this was something we'd all been waiting for. Born out of a desire to offer beautiful and unique gifts for weddings and other special occasions, Mildred&Co is lovingly curated by founder Milly Nolan, and sells everything you could ever want for your home and beyond – from leading brands to unique, designer pieces.

Since its launch, the company has provided gifts for a huge (and growing) number of happy couples, and has now opened the doors to an incredible new showroom, which I was lucky enough to attend the opening of recently. Architecturally designed, the stunning space offers a place for couples to choose gifts in person, over a glass of champagne.

Having known Milly for many years (her older sister and I are close friends from school) the idea of an interview came up when Mildred&Co first launched. Following a whirlwind wedding season and setting up the showroom, Milly has somehow managed to squeeze in time to answer my questions, and I'm thrilled to be able to share them with you today.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led to the launch of Mildred&Co?

I actually studied law but desperately wanted to work for a magazine 'when I grew up' so after uni I chased my dreams and after a lot of hard work - mainly interning for free (!!) - I landed my first job at Gourmet Traveller magazine in Sydney. I then worked at Wallpaper* in London before returning home where I became the beauty editor at MiNDFOOD magazine. After four years there and plenty of wedding-going in-between as all my friends starting tying the knot, I came up with a business idea that I just couldn’t shake off – to launch a one-stop-shop wedding gift registry that sold beautiful things for the home and beyond – and so, with that Mildred&Co was born in 2012 and here I am today....knee deep in running a business!

You've kicked off your first wedding season with great success. How many weddings have you done so far, and what have been some of the highlights to date?

Over eight months we have provided gifts for 67 weddings. This has meant a lot of gift-wrapping! I guess the highlight to date has been seeing how happy the couples are to receive and open their gifts! The letters and photos we get from them thanking us makes our hearts sing!

What's been the most popular wedding present so far?

As dull as it seems, wine glasses are probably our most popular gifts. I guess everyone loves a vino! Actually most of the usual household items like kitchenware, cookware, tableware etc are still very popular but we have also found that the more unique pieces such as art works and coffee table books are snapped up quickly. As are gardening tools!

In addition to providing a wedding gift registry service, Mildred&Co is an online everyday store, offering gorgeous homewares and furniture from around the world. What are your current favourites or standout pieces?

That's a tricky question as there are so many things I love, but at the moment some of my favourite pieces are; Le Creuset Cast Iron Casserole Dish in white, Seletti Burlesque Monkey Candelabra, Kartell Jelly Vases, Nathan Goldsworthy Kimono Stool.

You've recently opened the doors to the Mildred&Co Showroom. How will this space be used?

The showroom is a place couples can visit to see all the gifts Mildred&Co offers. They will be greeted by a style consultant and offered a glass of bubbles or coffee while they peruse the collection. It's basically so that they can get a better feel for the products and therefore choose what colours and sizes etc they want. The showroom is also available to hire for functions as it's too good a party space not to!

Once a mechanics workshop, the transformation is remarkable! Can you tell us a bit about the architecture, design, and interior fit out?

You honestly would not recognise it if you saw the 'before' pictures! Although in saying that, our clever architect Jose Gutierrez was very careful to maintain the 'industrial' bones of the building while also creating a sleek, modern and sophisticated space with its polished concrete floors, white walls and black lacquered fittings. I think one of the best features is the inner courtyard which is a bit like a mini oasis in the middle of the city.

You're due to host the highly anticipated Megan Morton workshops that are coming to NZ later this year. Tell us about this collaboration and how it came about.

Actually I can thank the lovely wedding stylist, Erin from Erin Lovich Events for that as she had been to a Megan Morton course in Sydney and on her return mentioned to me that Megan was looking for a space to hold her Auckland workshops so we made a connection and voila, The School is coming to New Zealand in November and will be held at the Mildred&Co showroom. I can't wait!

How would you describe your own personal style and how is this reflected in your own home, and the products you source for Mildred&Co?

Being a fussy Virgo my personal style is quite minimalist. I know what I do and don't like and there's no grey matter in between! But in saying that, I don't think that is translated very well into how I dress or how my house looks! Maybe this is only reflected in my dreams...or my Pinterest boards! As for sourcing for Mildred&Co, I think that my personal style definitely has a lot of influence, although I try and step outside the box as much as possible so that the products appeal to a wide audience and all styles. There's definitely an emphasis on clean, contemporary, no-fuss, high-quality, design-led pieces, although this doesn't necessarily mean high price tags - I'm very weary of making sure there are prices that suit all budgets.

What inpsires you right now - people, travel, the web etc?

Instagram is up there, as is Pinterest, style/fashion/nutrition/wellness blogs, travelling and also all my loved ones that keep me believing.

Huge thanks to Milly for sharing her inspiring story with us along with the lovely showroom and launch party photos - the cake made by Bluebells Cakery was divine! To set up a wedding registry or browse the everyday online store, take a look here. Bookings for The School's Auckland workshops can be made here.

Norwegian Blogs | Living Room Inspiration

I follow several beautiful Norwegian interior blogs, one of which is Norske Interior Blogger (NIB). During August, NIB ran a challenge calling on other Norwegian bloggers to show photos of their living rooms. The resulting 174 entries provided loads of drool-worthy Scandi-style inspiration. If you follow me on Pinterest and/or Facebook, you will recognise some of these, as I've been pinning and posting several of them over the last few weeks!

From the entries, guest judge Linda Elmin, a stylist and owner of the gorgeous lifestyle online store HVITT.NO selected ten finalists, and readers got to vote for their favourite. I'm sure you'll agree that the winning living room from the blog Penelope Home is a stunner.

The best part about these living rooms is that they are real! Rather than being over-styled, they are comfortable and lived-in. While you can spot plenty of covetable design pieces - this one has the Playtype 'Grey G' Poster, Hay Lup Candleholder and Tablo Table by Normann Copenhagen - they are mixed in with Ikea basics, vintage finds and personal treasures. See how the old sofa has been given new life with a simple throw cover and lots of graphic cushions, while a cluster of simple pendants provides a unique light feature. These really are rooms with sou!

Another favourite of mine, which was also a finalist, belongs to a blog that I've followed for quite some time, Trettien. I love the colour scheme and sense of balance in this room. The framed prints are a little bit edgy, providing a contrast to the soft greys and wood details. The Hay Tray Table, Lup Candleholder and Vedel Birds are all on my wishlist, and the tree stump side table and plant add natural elements and warmth.

Although this next one from Krossmyr wasn't a finalist, it must have been a close call! Monochrome dotted with turquoise, lots of framed pictures, textural elements and a bold pendant light make this a fun yet cosy living area.

More fun vibes with the next colourful living space from Fjeldborg. I've long been a fan of this blog so I was happy to see it as a finalist. The gorgeous colour of the table gets me every time.