Something old, something new works a treat in home decorating

Erin O'Malley loves splashes of colour. Pictures / Babiche Martens

Erin O'Malley's Auckland home reflects her love of layering the old and the new. "I believe interiors should contain some quirky elements and a sense of fun," says O'Malley, who shares the Ponsonby villa with her husband, Darran Mangelsdorf, and their children, Tobias, 5, and Sophia, 14 months.

The couple own Newmarket store Madder & Rouge, where they design and manufacture soft furnishings using French fabric. They also import contemporary French homeware and hand-picked French vintage finds from their trips to France, including collectable ticking, old French teatowels and antique linen.

"Our French striped fabric is milled in the southwest of France," O'Malley says.

"It is still made with the same attention to detail and in some cases the same machinery as 100 years ago.

"Many of the designs are based on old French striped cloth - others are more fashion-focused and seasonal. But they are all beautiful."

Erin O'Malley's 10 favourite things

1. Tolix chairs

We have been bringing in Tolix steel chairs and stools from France for almost a year. They were designed by a Frenchman, Xavier Paulchard, in 1934. They are truly beautiful and have the semi-industrial thing going on. We have their steel raw-polished chairs with our old pine table. It's a great combination.

2. Cushions

I am the self-appointed cushion queen. A girl can't have too many cushions - guys just don't get them. They are gorgeous little affordable bursts of colour and texture. If I had to choose my favourites they would be a couple on my sofa made from an antique French linen teatowel and another made from an old tapestry cushion in pinks and greens.

3. Feathers

Don't ask me where this passion came from, but I love them - especially giant seagull feathers with clear black and white patterns. They are beautiful, they fascinate me. Slightly ethereal, ready for flight.

4. Books

Books are one of my favourite purchases. I savour buying a book. I have to admit I am attracted to their covers first, but I still follow my favourite writers and I love piles of them around the house. At the moment I'm reading Zadie Smith's On Beauty. It's much better than her first novel - and the bonus is that it has a great cover.

5. Letters

Letters are timeless. We import these gorgeous zinc metal letters that I like to mix with large wooden letters that we have made for Madder & Rouge. I've written the names of Tobias and Sophia in their bedrooms, using both the metal and wooden letters. I always keep an eye out for old letters at junk shops.

6. Beads

I go crazy for beads. I am a total hippy at heart. Turquoise, amber, silver, beautiful strands of colour. I love them hanging off corners of furniture, I love them in bowls. I should own a bead shop.

7. Fresh Flowers

I love fresh flowers. My favourites are peonies and tulips. They add life and colour to a room in an instant and it is a pleasure to purchase them. I walk up to Bhana Bros on Ponsonby Rd on my day off and buy three bunches of something I love. Their flowers are always affordable and the Bhana boys are charming.

8. Paintings

I have to have blocks of colour on my wall. I'm not into art as an investment, I just buy what I love. My favourite painter at the moment is Lex Benson-Cooper from Napier. My other favourite painter is my son Tobias. I love his work (top left). We put it everywhere.

9. Stripes

I have always loved stripes - they are timeless. Little touches of stripes in an interior are a must. We have a gorgeous old chair which we recovered in one of our French stripes and it looks amazing. It makes an old and fusty chair look unusual and fun.

10. Texture

This is what makes my heart sing. Old Turkish kilims, quilts, wool paisley throws, old French linen cushions, cowhide, tapestry. This is my winter thing. The cold starts to creep in and I start layering. In spring I go the other way. I store my quilts and throws, lift rugs off the wood floor and simplify things.