Our Story

“Our hope is that people feel warmth, and a sense of wonder, when they step inside our store or browse our collections online,” begins Nicola Cranfield, who proudly owns and operates Cranfields.

Nicola has a true passion for the provenance of each and every piece she stocks, and it’s this careful curation of her ranges that journeys, through Nicola, into the Cranfields environment. “I’m a very tactile person and love the joy of discovering new collections. My wish is that our customers experience that same delight and excitement when they come to us, and that we are able to help them select that perfect something for themselves, or someone they love.”

The business was founded in 1991 by Valerie Cranfield, and mother and daughter worked together refining the Cranfields retail experience until Valerie retired in 2015. Now, Nicola personally handpicks each item for her iconic Wellington store, travelling several times a year to source beautiful and intelligent pieces that tell a story. Those trips – taking her everywhere from Raglan to Morocco to Milan – mean that she can buy direct from the makers and offer a number of New Zealand exclusive ranges across homewares, leather goods, gifts, accessories and furniture.

“I’m on the lookout for items with soul, which usually means that they’ve been made by someone who has taken pride in the process. I love seeing a craftsperson’s eyes light up when they are explaining their work.”

“Our clients appreciate quality, timelessness and enduring style,” Nicola concludes. “They also love to hear the back story and often ask questions about provenance. It wouldn’t be possible to provide that sort of detail if we just bought from wholesalers.”