If you love modern, tribal-coastal decor, you will absolutely adore Little Additions! Little Additions is an online store based in Auckland, New Zealand founded and run by the lovely Stephanie. Little Additions specialises in ethically made homewares bringing Stephanie's creative ideas to life. Cooper Interiors favourite product right now is the Tribal Feather Necklace in Black (click the link to shop).
Can you tell us a little bit about 'Little Additions'?
Wouldn’t it be nice to own an exotic beach side villa with breath taking ocean views and luxurious indoor outdoor flow? The truth is not many of us have the means to own such a beautiful property. We are working hard, raising a family, crossing things off our to do list, trying to buy a home or pay off our mortgage, the list goes on. Life is busy and down time at home is precious and we want to enjoy it.
If we can’t own a coastal abode in an island paradise to give us that “down time”, then can we bring a bit of paradise to us in the everyday? Little Additions was born to create those little things for your home that make it feel like a place of relaxed coastal luxury. Bringing a little bit of “summer holiday” or “tropical retreat” to the everyday.
We believe peoples interiors have a huge impact on the way they feel. We want to help create environments where humans feel good and have a sense of belonging.
We draw our inspiration from a love of that feeling you get when you walk into an exotic beach side villa or island resort. Quite simply it evokes a feeling of calm and happiness. We wanted to try and feel some of that everyday at home, and it turns out so do many others.
When we started to design our products we knew we wanted small, handcrafted, unique collections. Not mass produced. We wanted to source sustainably, pay fairly and make sure our products were made by other families so we could see an immediate positive impact. As a result people all over New Zealand, Australia and the USA are raving about our coastal luxe decor and how much our products exceed their expectations, how beautifully crafted they are, and how good it feels to be giving back to another family both here and abroad.
Being that our products are unique, handcrafted and made in small batches our stocks are limited. Meaning you are always buying a unique piece, and there won’t be many of them.
If you had to describe your brand in three words what would they be?
Costal/Tribal Luxe Homeware. I know that’s 4, but it’s a tribal coastal mix.
What inspires you?
So many things inspire me. Social media, other brands, business people and products, places I’ve travelled, people, friends, family and my customers. I’m also inspired by my children, they are the main reason I started my own business. To have the flexibility to be there for them. When they are sick or it’s school holidays it’s great to be able to spend time with them and change work around to suit. The flexibility is amazing and that inspires me to keep at it, to live the life I want for me and my family.
What do customers love most about shopping your online store?
I think people really like that our products are unique and different from what they can buy elsewhere. I design a lot of our products and spend a lot of time making sure the quality is really high. We make sure we buy good materials, our workers are paid fairly and we often airfreight products in so customers can get their hands on them quicker. I also think customers love dealing with us as we go above and beyond to make sure they are happy and our reviews show it.
Why do you think it is so important for New Zealanders to ethically source products? This is so important as it come back to people. We need to source ethically so people can have a decent living. A decent living for those workers in developing countries but also a decent living for our kids and their children, because if we don’t behave responsibly now there will be a much less beautiful world for them to live in. All of our products are produced using ethical practices.
How would you describe New Zealand's Art and Design culture?
Well what I have noticed as that there are so many people inventing such great businesses right now. I’ve met a lot of very clever people carving their own path. My path seems to cross with lots of entrepreneurs that have said “no” to the difficulties of the corporate world and raising a family and decided there has to be a better way. Creating and designing your own products or business is a great way to give you flexibility. New Zealand in particular is a great marketplace to get started. We don’t have huge chain stores like ALDI, Costco, Amazon, IKEA for example. So there is a great opportunity out there for people to make their mark. Of course they are always a threat, but products or services that have some aspect of uniqueness to them are doing really well.
Who is your favourite New Zealand creative and why?
I don’t have one favourite NZ designer I get my inspiration from so many areas. I have a network of amazing entrepreneurs that constantly keep me inspired.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
That’s a hard question as there is so much good advice that goes into building a business. However the concept of Minimal Viable Product is a good one. The idea that you launch and learn. You can spend too much time and money researching and preparing when sometimes the best way is to get out there as soon as possible and learn what your customers want.
And finally, do you have any advice for aspiring New Zealand creatives?
Try and create something different. A product or an angle that is fresh and new.
Ask for help. We can’t be good at everything. When you see areas in your business that need some work and you feel stuck, get some help - but make sure it’s an expert in that area.
Don’t give up. Give the business time to get established and plan for that in cash flow.
Enjoy the little things and the big things will come!
Photography by Dan Trotter | To shop online, visit littleadditions.co.nz. You can also like them on Facebook here or follow them on Instagram here.