WHEN MORE IS DEFINITELY MOR E ...

“I love to be surrounded by beautiful things,” says Daniella Norling of Auckland’s Trove Interior Design. She describes her personal style as chinoiserie meets Hollywood regency. “Within those design styles there’s an overwhelming amount of beautiful objects you can find.”

I LOVE LAYERING:

Metallics, velvet, silks. In this dining room I’ve mixed a Tibetan sheepskin and a beaded cushions. I like a feminine colour palette, with pink and green, smoky greys, purple and reflective surfaces – mirrors and silver to reflect light around. My dining room wallpaper is Emperor’s Garden by GP and J Baker.

MY DINNER SET:

Was purchased by a couple when they went to Japan on their honeymoon in 1947. It sat under their stairs and they’d never opened the boxes. I bought it two years ago for next to nothing. I like to use everything. I like people to feel special... worthy of my good china.

MY COLLECTIONS EVOLVE:

I catch and release. I have the philosophy that if my house burned down and I lost everything I wouldn’t be so connected to my treasures that it would be a tragedy. People are more important than things.

AT THE MOMENT I’M COLLECTING:

Pagodas – they’re very harmonious. I also collect mid-century cork carvings, which often include pagodas. They are works of art with incredibly fine detail presented in little glass cases.

I’D FIND A MINIMALIST INTERIOR:

Soulless... I’d feel cold and lonely, but that’s just for me. For other people it’s very zen. One of my friends has a saying: “More is more and less means you can’t afford it.” He’s an absolute maximalist. I can respect both sides of the coin.

I’M NOT ANTI-CONSUMERIST:

People have to have jobs. But I do buy a lot of vintage and antique things. At least half the stuff I buy is pre-loved. I love the old ways of manufacturing things. Factory-made, mass-produced stuff can seem dead.

I DON’T BELIEVE IN RULES:

I believe in using your eye to create something that’s harmonious to you. We’re all different.