inChristchurch).Wesaidwe’d stay for five years, and
thatwasnineyearsago!Christchurch is a small-town
communitythesizeofa city.What’syourabsolutefavourite Ico Traders
productandwhy?It hasto be the Hokianga
hangingchair– it’sa whimsical piece of furniture
thatimmediatelyrelaxesyou when you sit in it. I have
lovedhangingchairssince I was a young child and
theHokiangais onlyoneof a collection of hanging
chairsthatI own.If I needed to name a runner-up, it
wouldbetheAllDaytray– I love the curved sides;
it’ssucha handyitemand has 100 uses.Whydoyouloveworking with wood and coated
metal?There’snowhereto hide; my designs are
sosimpleandeverythingis open and out there.
I lovethatallmyproducts are handcrafted and,
whileI designthem,themakers create every
pieceindividually.Ouroak range is handmade in
Christchurch,usingsustainably grown white oak, and
I lovethatI canworksoclosely with my makers here.What’scomingupforyour business? What are you
excitedabout?Wehavefive new designs for spring
(that’sa lotforme).I design with the intention that
myproductsdonotfollow fashion, that they will last
throughthetrendsandwill continue to be sold over
theyears.Wehavea newtable, a new bar stool and
a coupleofothersurprises to launch in August.What’syouradviceforanyone thinking of starting
a homewarebusiness?Travel your own road,
butmakeuseoftheamazing community of small
businessesoutthere;thesupport is incredible.
Choosesmallitemsthatare easy to store, easy to
liftandcheaptofreight!Whatareyourtoptipsfor styling your home for
autumnandwinter?Layer it up! In summer I want
no-fuss,easy-to-cleansurfaces and floors. In winter
I addmorecushions,sheepskins and shaggy rugs
andjusta bitmoreofeverything to ‘bring in’ a room
andmakeit moreinviting. I’m a huge floor-sitter, so
theshaggybeanbags,lounge rugs and sheepskin
stonesarea mustinfrontof the fire, and the
Willowbycubesmakegreat little tables. •icotraders.co.nz
@icotradersHOT WIRE Many of
Miranda’s designs are
constructed out of
wire and metal, and
powdercoated in a
range of fun colours.34 | yhg