Favourite things: Claudia Kozub and Neel Giri of Indie Home Collective

Claudia Kozub and Neel Giri from Indie Home Collective. Picture / Eva Kozub.

A couple’s passion for travel is reflected in their collection of beautiful finds sourced from as far afield as Ethiopia and India.

The treasured objects of someone who curates beautiful interiors for a living are always going to be interesting. Claudia Kozub, a Polish-born, Auckland-based lifestyle and interior stylist, is the owner of Newmarket's whitewashed retail store Indie Home Collective, a shrine to all that is eclectic, modern and organic.

Claudia and her partner, Neel Giri, took to their home environment with the same industrious, hands-on approach as they do with their business ventures. After cutting off the back of their 1940s inner-city house, they added a kitchen, dining and living area, the new surrounds boasting white-washed walls, a 4m stud, plenty of natural light and exposed steel beams, all of which are grounded by a mix of wooden and concrete floors. Filling the space was the easy part.

Both love a mix of modern design and older pieces with history, and when you have a permanent wanderlust as Claudia does, frequent buying trips overseas are a great opportunity to refresh both home and store with new and interesting finds.

MY FAVOURITE THINGS

Photo from a friend. Photo / Eva Kozub.

1. Photo from a friend
Claudia: This photo was given to me by a very good friend. It's a photo she took years ago that I had always admired. She made a copy of it and gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago. She's a very creative soul with a free spirit, so that's what the photo represents to me. It sits on our book case in the lounge so I get to admire it everyday. It reminds me to live in the now.

2. Shan light pendant
Neel: The Shan Pendant from Ay Illuminate, was a perfect choice for our home office. The range of lighting comes from the Netherlands, and is made from recycled jersey fabric stretched over a hand-bent bamboo frame. We love the philosophy of Ay Illuminate; their organic designs are inspiring, with their designers outsourcing manufacturing to countries that use traditional tribal techniques.

Shan light pendant. Photo / Eva Kozub.

Ethiopian crucifix. Photo / Eva Kozub.

3. Ethiopian crucifix

Claudia: Neel bought this crucifix for me while we were on holiday in Byron Bay a couple of years ago. I'd always talked about purchasing one but wanted to get it from a special place. Byron is a place we travel to at least once or twice every year to just hang out at the beach, do yoga, be inspired and enjoy the sun. So it really was the perfect place to get the cross from.

Oslo sofa. Photo / Eva Kozub.

4. Oslo sofa

Claudia: This is the newest addition to our living space at home. We had been looking for a sofa for a while but couldn't quite find the right one and as we already stock two styles of slip-cover sofas in the store, we decided to design one ourselves, which was a little more modern and on legs.

Rajasthani Teak column base. Photo / Eva Kozub.

5. Rajasthani Teak column base

Neel: Having sourced collectables from India since the mid-90s, we routinely come across items that are timeless and just have the perfect patina. There are so many beautiful things that catch your eye in the country, such as this Rajasthani teak column base, but unfortunately all can't be kept for ourselves.

- VIVA