The Shopkeepers | Sunday Homestore

While we’ve had to put the brakes on our "in store" shopping habits these past couple of months, it has got me thinking about stores that have captured my heart over the years.

Stores that do things a little differently, with the owners all working behind the counter, which I love.

Actually, if I were to pivot in my career, I’d join the world of shopkeepers in a second. 

But I know it wouldn’t be an easy feat, these stores offer a very individual shopping experience and bring enormous creativity to the table.

We’re starting this series with Sunday Homestore

1. When did the doors swing open at Sunday and what led you to opening a homeware + design store?

We’re from The Mount, but had always loved the atmosphere of Waihi Beach. Toward the end of 2017, during one of our becoming-more-regular weekends away, we saw a space for lease here in the village. At the time, I was feeling decidedly unfulfilled with my corporate ‘real job’, and my husband was unhappy and undervalued in his work. I’d garnered a following for my curation and sharing of beautifully-designed products over the years on my blog, The New, and I also had designed a few products of my own that had been well-received, but they were just side projects. When we saw the For Lease sign, we asked ourselves the question: “what if?” and then allowed ourselves to dream…

Specifically, to dream of building a home and a life here at the beach. We want to live a high-grade, slow life, in this small beach town, but have a thriving, world-class brand that reaches all over New Zealand, and further.

Don’t get me wrong, my husband and I work really hard and we have very little time off. But we’re building our dream, and we’re happy to pour all our time and passion into it. Like the lovely old gents from the Mainland ads say - Good Things Take Time. Like Cheese.

2. Sunday is such a happy word. Evoking our favourite day of the week when rest is encouraged and we’re enjoying our homes. Where did the inspiration come from for this name?

You’re so right! We like to say: Sunday, Everyday. It’s about designing a home - and a lifestyle - that brings the pace, vibe and beauty of a Sunday into your everyday.

Sundays also have a simplicity about them. They’re the days we tend to do less, but live more.

3. Your book Our Spaces is beautifully pieced together and your blogs are a delight to read. What did you do before Sunday, we sense writing comes into play?

I’m a copywriter by trade, with my career mainly spent inside marketing and advertising agencies. But that environment was often a sausage factory, and I fell out of love with writing for a long time. Funnily enough, I actually started my blog (Fancy – re-branded in more recent years as The New) as an escape from corporate work. It was a place for me to expose myself to a new calibre of creative and aesthetic work I respected, and to share and say whatever I wanted, in my own voice.

The book I did with Penguin last year, Our Spaces, is intentionally just a light read – the idea was more about creating an inspiring Pinterest board-meets-sourcebook, in coffee table book form. But as I wrote the text for Our Spaces, the seed of another book took root, and I think I may have started dating writing again. We’re taking it slow, getting to know each other again. I’m into it though.

4. Instagram shares an insight into what is important for Sunday. What stood out to me is; “making everyday rituals more beautiful, finding joy in the little things. Sunday is for designing a home that inspires you and living a life you love.” I’m fuelled by that sentiment. My work starts with understanding how people move through their homes, sensing all of the little routines and rituals that add up to an overall lifestyle and responding with great design. Based on this, what do you look for when choosing products for Sunday? The store is located in a chilled-out seaside community, does that influence your buying decisions?

I’ve come to believe wholeheartedly in the phrase Design is the Art of Living Well. That what we choose to surround ourselves with (and importantly what we choose to not surround ourselves with, too) can make all the difference to how we live, and how we feel.

I believe in designing your home quite consciously for the life you want to unfold within it. Which includes products that elevate the ordinary routines and rituals that are the fabric of our daily lives.

When I’m choosing products and brands for Sunday, I’m looking for Good Design. I defer to a master of design, Dieter Rams, when it comes to the definition of Good Design, but it comes down to three main things – style, substance, and sustainability.

First and foremost is, style – aesthetic beauty. Aesthetics are important, we all deserve to have more beauty in our lives. Beauty elevates our lives.

But products are bought to be used, so function is as important as form. When something is well-designed, every little detail has been considered; it’s a joy to use.

And by sustainability, I mean both long-lasting and consciously made. Truly good design has longevity; I want you to find something at Sunday that you will use and love for decades. Good design has the quality of feeling both timeless and ‘right on time’. Good design also supports people and the planet. We love handmade items, and products made or designed by New Zealanders, because they tend to be more consciously produced and use less resources, as well as supporting fellow creatives in our own country. And when we bring products in from other countries, our priority is small independent makers and designers.

How lucky are we that we get to choose the types of businesses and brands we want to support, and at the same time bring both quality and beauty into our homes and lives?

Style, substance, sustainability – one perfect example of these qualities is a New Zealand brand we love having at Sunday – Sans skincare. Sans products are aesthetically beautiful, they’re beautifully made (designed to be multi-functional, with potent levels of active natural ingredients, nothing unnecessary or harmful added), and they’re produced with a beautiful consideration for the health of people and planet. Win, win, win.

5. Speaking of Waihi Beach, that’s a pretty special place to live, work and play. What do you love about the area and what motivated you to open Sunday there?

The beach is stunning - whether you’re having a pre-brekkie swim on a January morning, or walking from headland to headland on a wild winter afternoon. There’s also plenty of spots to get a decent espresso (key!) and good eats. Waihi Beach is growing (more and more people are moving here from the cities, especially as remote work becomes more accepted), but it still has a lovely slow pace. We can walk to work (via the beach)… walk to the weekend markets… rush hour is non-existent.

I sometimes say that we ‘live here, but work in the world’. We love that we get to enjoy the slower pace of this seaside village, but have an online store and other projects (like my book, Our Spaces) that can reach people everywhere.

6. How would you best describe your aesthetic at home?

Soft/Warm Minimalism.

7. I can imagine the store being filled with all kinds of personalities. From the lucky folk who live at Waihi Beach, to the bach owners, holiday makers and tourists. Does that make it hard to define who your customers are? Tell us about your customers and how you’ve created a loyal following.

If I think about defining who our customers are, it’s this – our customers are people who appreciate Good Design and contemporary interiors. They’re also less consumers of fashion than they are curators of their own identity, if that makes sense.

So there are those people you’ve listed who visit our store here at the beach, but then there are others who have never been to our space, who follow us on Instagram and shop our online store. And we’re grateful for all of it.

8. Final word…

* I’m best at… Losing track of time looking at inspiring design and interiors.

* I’d love to… Build a beachfront home. One day, we will.

* I can’t stop laughing at… Episodes of The Office, and everything our fur-son Buddy does. 

Sunday also have a very cool playlist on Spotify called A Sunday in Autumn. We highly recommend you take a listen.