Originally opened as a pop-up store, Merivale boutique Copper + Pink moved into a larger, more permanent space in mid-2016. Owner Paula Grant, a photographer and former photography teacher, grew up in and around shops owned by her parents, so running a boutique was a natural progression.

Paula has recently added a home staging service to the Copper + Pink brand. She is also about to launch a furniture line with a friend, with products to be made in Indonesia. The globetrotting creative says she has always scouted for unique homewares while travelling.

The shop counter was crafted by a local carpenter using post-earthquake demolition materials. Paula’s photographs are for sale in the store alongside iconic prints by Slim Aarons and designs by Brent Rosenberg.

Plants and an array of graphic pots and plant holders lend a lived-in feel to the large space. “I get my energy from being outside among trees and in the water, so it is important for me to bring the outside in,” says Paula. “Plants evoke a sense of life in any space.”