The stars align

M.M Linen, the boutique bed linen, textiles and homewares brand, has opened a retail store in Elmwood, Christchurch. abode takes a look inside.

M.M Linen’s second store follows the opening of its flagship store at Westfield Newmarket in Auckland two years ago. The brand remains first and foremost a wholesaler – supplying gorgeous collections to transform rooms into serene or striking sanctuaries, whatever the taste.

Being at the coalface with the customer is very important for any retailer. But for M.M Linen, it’s also a story of coming home and coming full circle. Founder, creative director and Cantabrian Kerry Jackson set up M.M Linen in 2012 after working as a homeware’s buyer for some 20 years. She quickly joined forces with an overseas industry contact, and M.M. Linen started serving global markets from day one.

For close to a decade, M.M Linen’s elegantly designed, and beautifully crafted products have been selling worldwide. From America to UAE and South Africa, the brand is loved by countless retailers. It features in over 250 Australasian stores, and the UK’s John Lewis boasts M.M Linen as one of their top-selling linen brands.

But being a passionate Christchurch resident, Kerry wanted to return to her roots. She set about finding premises for a retail store, showroom and head office close to home.

The iconic and renovated ‘Hands’ building at 5 Normans Road in Elmwood fits the bill perfectly.

“This location is fantastic for us, and the store has 12 car parks,” says Kerry. “I love this concept of local village shopping, where you can pull up outside the store and easily find a car park. It’s a low-stress form of shopping.”

Seen very much as a boutique destination store, the newly fitted premises has beautiful natural oak interiors with black elements as a contrast, making the products on display really pop.

“The highlight for me are the greens, as the botanical feel is significant to our brand,” says Kerry. “It’s also important for me to look at how the stock is displayed, and it’s a fantastic coming-together for our team, too.”

Every M.M Linen range is designed from scratch. “It’s a year’s process from me briefing the designers to the product landing on our shelves. Typically, botanical and floral prints are hand-painted by our artists and digitally printed onto our fabrics,” says Kerry. “And with our designers based all over the world (two in the UK, one in Israel, one in Australia and two in New Zealand), it’s a fantastic place for us to share ideas.”

This boutique store combines with the head office and showroom for wholesalers at the back of the building, as well as open planned creative spaces for developing future ranges. “There’s a fantastic feel to these Elmwood shops, and with so many cafés close by, I don’t have far to go for lunch!”

The store stocks the full range of M.M Linen products from linen to silk, bedding, cushions, gifts and kitchenware. The M.M Linen team is excited to be housed in this fabulous space, offering their full range of homewares to equally passionate homemakers.

This is one constellation well worth a visit.

03 355 0200 | mmlinen.com