Lifestyle brands & creatives

My dad built houses and boats, pored over Abitare magazines (the Italian design bible for anyone who knew), and ran a thriving furniture business - winning New Zealand design awards for his craft. For the past 25 years, he's been a gifted potter. Our tree-surrounded bush wonderland was always humming with creation, and I learned early that making beautiful things wasn't a luxury - it was essential.

At around 12-13, a family friend taught me to make pottery mice. My dad encouraged me to package them in old Cadbury chocolate boxes and sell them at Auckland's Cook Street Market. I sold out a whole tray while he held back a few stalls away, letting me find my feet. That quiet confidence he had in me - that's what entrepreneurship looked like in our house.

When I returned from London in my early twenties, New Zealand was in a slump and jobs were scarce. I told my dad about these gorgeous mirror frames I'd seen in the UK and how I thought I could create my own version. As an interior designer at the time, I collaborated with a local design store, using their unique wallpapers. Dad had the timber milled, and we set up our own assembly line in part of his factory.

Humble beginnings. But because I've done these things myself - witnessed my dad and his friends embrace both art and business - I understand the time, heart, and grit it takes to create something inspired.

I started in interior design and transitioned to web design over 20 years ago, but for me, it's all about making the world more beautiful whether that's a physical space or a digital home. I find as much joy creating an online presence as I do designing a room.