About Us

Emporiabella was born out of the combination of a semi-midlife crisis (what happens when you're going to be forty soon, your kids are nearly off and gone and you look around and wonder what the heck you are going to do with the next bit of your life 'cos that last bit went quite quick really).... and the frustration at not being able to find some really cool cushions to brighten up our living room.

Well I did eventually find the cushions, but it was a bit of a mission, and even after they were on our sofas I couldn't get over how happy I was about them. I had to keep going into the lounge to look at them because I thought they were so pretty and they just transformed the whole room. It's funny how sometimes something quite insignificant can give you so much pleasure (some people might call it tragic). But I guess I have always been that way about beautiful, brightly coloured stuff. It probably has something to do with growing up in an 'arty' family.

And then one day, quite soon after, my husband Dean asked that fateful question:
"You've been living my dream for the last 9 years and you seem to be completely over it, so if you could do anything you wanted, any job or any business, what would it be?"
To which I replied " Well I guess I'd want my own business still, and I would make it online and mail-order because mail-order is what we're good at and being online just makes sense."

"And then I would find beautiful cushion covers and throw rugs and gorgeous accessories and they'd be in amazing Indian colours with a look of Eastern Europe and that whole Romanian gypsy look too. Yeah and everything would have to be patterned and brightly coloured. It would be so cool!" He said "Well that sounds like a good idea ... and you're always moaning how you can't find what you like in the shops, why don't you go for it then."
And so I did!
And we hope you like it.

WEBSITES WE LIKE... On our travels through cyberspace we have come across some very cool websites we thought we'd share with you:

www.fabrication.co.nz - For all sorts of gorgeous designer fabrics for you crafty types out there. And don't forget to check out Annie's blog which has some great fabric craft ideas.

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