Designers Candy founder, Marcelle Candy, talks to us about their exclusive range and the launch of their new online boutique Home Candy
What is Designers Candy?
We are a one-stop-shop for design professionals who want unique, quality pieces for their clients. We specialise in sourcing handmade products from around the globe which show the personality of the artist – it’s the opposite of mass production.
How did you come to establish the business?
I founded Designers Candy in 2011 after moving from Australia to New Zealand, where my husband is from. I’m an interior designer and had been working in Melbourne for interior design industry supplier Boyd Blue. When I left, some of the brands asked if I would represent them in New Zealand.
Can the general public access your products?
Designers Candy is still exclusively a trade resource but I recently launched an online boutique called House Candy. I’ve decided to release some of the Designers Candy stock via House Candy because the general public have shown so much interest in these ranges, but to access the full Designers Candy collection you still need to go through a designer or architect.
Tell us about the Designer Boys art collection.
Gavin Atkins and Warren Sonin founded an interior design firm in Sydney after competing in the first series of The Block Australia in 2003. They were very successful but found it difficult to get good-quality artwork that was available exclusively to designers and architects, so they decided to produce their own.
Their initial range was an instant success and they closed their interior design business to concentrate on the Designer Boys art collection full time. They now have more than 2,500 pieces in the range, which is perfect for people who can’t afford high-end original art but don’t want mass-produced pieces.
Designers Candy is the partner distributor for Boyd Blue in New Zealand. What ranges does Boyd Blue represent?
Boyd Blue is Australia’s premier wholesale interior distributor and was created by Shelley Boyd, who is originally from Rotorua. Boyd Blue represents the collections of Hamilton Conte from Paris, Box Living from Indonesia, Arteriors Home from America, and Skyline Design outdoor furniture.
Shelley also has her own ranges, White Furniture Design and Boyd. White Furniture is her upholstered furniture company and specialises in traditional craftsmanship. The Boyd range includes furniture, accessories, rugs, grassweaves and artwork, which are all handmade by craftsmen using natural materials and traditional methods.
What is your tip for incorporating colour into a home?
Layering and texture – houses have become far too bland and monochromatic – and using a variety of scale is key.
designerscandy.co.nz,
200 Pakenham St West, Auckland
housecandy.co.nz
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