At this Bloc stalwart, it’s all about a curated, specialised experience, from the goods on the wall to the welcome you receive when you step into the store.

“We’re not so focused on selling products,” says store manager Hannah Mareroa. “We want people to have a nice experience. When a customer comes through the door, we like to target their individual needs.”

All floor staff have a background in design, whether that’s fashion- based or interiors, and are trained to confidently match colour combinations or work with different textiles to play around with a home space.

“All our stylists are happy to make suggestions,” says Hannah, “and our collections are sustainable beyond just the product. We want these items to be cohesive in your lifestyle.”

The result of this approach is a selection of items that fit seamlessly with each other; homewares, fashion, glassware and more work together to make your retail experience so much more enjoyable than a big box store. Items are carefully selected; the store stocks only around 30 brands and buyers source New Zealand products before looking overseas, with a focus on smaller businesses. It’s like a capsule collection for your entire home.

A&C Homeware was started by Alex and Corban Walls, the 2014 winners of reality TV renovation show The Block NZ. The married pair took out the year’s top prize with stylish interiors that featured eco-friendly materials, natural tones and warm, earthy minimalism.

Following that success, the pair saw a gap in the market for elevated (but never out of reach) homewares, and opened Uptown’s Bloc- based store in 2016. Now with three stores in Auckland and one in Christchurch, A&C is under the new ownership of Abbe, Damian and Kerry Vaughan, three siblings who worked closely with the eponymous A&C to ensure they were a match for the founding vision for the store.

A&C is particularly known for its soft furnishings: butter-soft linens updated in fresh and classic colourways each season, alongside thoughtful interiors pieces and furniture. In recent seasons, A&C has been developing its own clothing range, each piece designed to be timeless and at a reasonable price point. They carefully source sustainable fabrics, such as cashmere and merino, which are some- times blended with longer lasting fibres to give longevity. Each season, pieces are chosen and adapted in response to customer feedback.

“We fit our collection to the New Zealand consumer and what our customers are asking for,” says Hannah. “We might alter the length or cut or a colour season to season, but the tried and trues always stay the same.”

Take the Celeste jumper, an evergreen item for A&C that arrives each season in its classic natural colour range, plus a different pop of colour. This year, Celeste can be found in the oaty Frost, the warm neutral Toffee, and the boldly unmissable Tangerine (customers must be quick: the seasonal colours sell out quickly).

In homewares this year, the tone is moody. Hannah says earthy autumnal shades are coming in strong, with cheering pops of orange and electric blue for contrast. For a quick home refresh this season, she recommends beginning with your soft furnishings, picking one texture or colourway to work in and building from there. “Working with smaller items is an easier way to tackle a space. Think about the integration of these smaller things: one or two cushions, a throw, a change in linen for example. Subtle changes can lead to something big.”