Lovers of quality furnishings and homewares can rejoice, Cocohills, purveyor of elegant interiors, has come of age. Verve visits.
Since its inception four years ago Cocohills has been a precious gem for those in the know. A valued treasure trove of home styling essentials tastefully wrapped up in an ever-so-charming olde worlde store on Remuera Road.
The Go To Girl
Heather Walker is the entrepreneurial force behind the brand, and it’s her enduring love of good design and discerning eye that gives it its je ne sais quois. Heather started out selling top of the line pieces on behalf of customers, which led to a demand for her engaging personality, inherent good taste and eye for detail that hasn’t stopped since.
Bricks & Mortar
Heather set up Cocohills and filled it with exceptional pieces including everything from the latest well-stuffed linen couches and jewel-toned velvet armchairs through to finer detail pieces such as cushions, rugs and artworks. She likens the world of interiors to fashion, “As so often happens with designer fashion many high end designs are now available to everyone at affordable prices and the quality gets better year after year,” she says.
The Online Store
Complementing what’s on display at 488 Remuera Road, the online store is Heather’s newest project and showcases a diverse range of items. “People anywhere in the country are able to buy from me,” she says. “They can browse at their leisure from the comfort of their own home, choose what they like and I’ll ship it to their door.”
Win-Win
Surprisingly, most of the Cocohills price tags aren’t too far out of reach — a nod to Heather’s strong alliances with some of the country’s leading suppliers. “I care a lot about my customers and my business partnerships so as well as being a stockist some of these companies have invited me to sell their end of lines, seconds and samples,” she says. “It’s a win-win for us all as the suppliers have containers coming in regularly so they need to make room for their next shipment and it means I can offer my customers great discounts.”
Design Advice
While Cocohills is Heather’s flagship display area, she’s all about making it easy for her customers. She’ll arrange to meet people at her suppliers’ showrooms to show them everything that’s available and help them find what they’re looking for. “Anything that anyone wants I can source it, all they have to do is ask,” she says. And she understands that fitting out a home can be daunting for many, and for those for whom the very idea of doing so is overwhelming Heather makes home visits and offers design advice free of charge. “It’s all part of the service. I want to make things easy for my customers, if they’re happy then I’m happy.”
