When One Door Closes, Another Opens

Last month, I made the heart-wrenching decision to close my shop, Ilka Boutique.

It was a difficult decision. I had poured so much love, time and energy into creating the little shop I had dreamed of. Saying goodbye to it was genuinely heartbreaking. But sometimes, the hardest decisions turn out to be the right ones — and with a little hindsight, I think closing the shop may be one of the best decisions I could have made.

Because, as they say, when one door closes, another opens. 

A Dream in Mapua

Before moving back to New Zealand in 2024, I knew I wanted to open a shop at Mapua Wharf.

The Wharf is such a wonderful, vibrant little community — a bustling hub of boutique shops, cafés, eateries and independent makers. It reminded me of my time in the UK, where I was part of an artist’s complex that we helped transform from a deserted farmyard into a thriving creative destination, complete with studios, a community gallery, regular art fairs, markets and exhibitions.

I wanted to be part of something with that same community spirit here in New Zealand.

So when I discovered the little blue cabin at Mapua Wharf, I was thrilled. It was the perfect size for my products, and the rent was reasonably affordable given the location. It felt like everything was falling into place.

But Mapua turned out to be a little different from what I had imagined.


The Reality of a Seasonal Business

The Tasman region is an incredibly beautiful place to live and visit. But it is also highly seasonal.

During summer, visitors arrive from all over New Zealand and overseas, drawn here by the beaches, national parks, beautiful scenery and relaxed summer atmosphere. But unfortunately, the summer just gone was a particularly difficult one, with the cost-of-living crisis and lower tourist numbers having a noticeable impact on local businesses. Everyone I spoke to was feeling the pinch, even the more established retail spaces.

Then, when the season winds down in April and many businesses close their doors, Mapua becomes a much quieter version of itself.

And honestly, I love the quieter months.

Winter gives me permission to slow down, take my foot off the accelerator and spend more time doing what I love most — creating.

For the first month of winter, I was in my studio almost every day, drawing and designing a whole new collection of illustrated products for summer 2026–27. There was something incredibly satisfying about having the time and space to really immerse myself in the creative process again.

It reminded me just how much I had missed my studio.

When the Numbers Don't Add Up

But while the quieter pace is wonderful personally, it is incredibly difficult to make a retail business work through the off-season — particularly after a financially disappointing summer.

As I watched other businesses around me permanently shut down and close their doors, and saw some of the dreams behind them disappear, I felt proud that I had managed to keep going through the winter.

I had a plan.

I would use the quieter months to create my best products yet, learn from everything I had discovered during my first year, revamp the shop and return in spring bigger, better and ready for the new summer season.

After all, my first year had been an invaluable period of market research. I had learned what visitors responded to, what they loved and what they were looking for. I genuinely believed I could use that knowledge to make the business stronger.

But ultimately, the numbers just didn't add up.

I was faced with a choice: soldier on through another summer and hope things improved, or make the difficult decision to step away, reduce my overheads, and find a different approach for growing my business.

After a lot of soul-searching, I chose the latter.


A New Chapter

And this is where the silver lining appears.

Rather than giving up on the business I love, I've decided to change the way I run it.

My new plan is to bring my retail space home, creating a beautiful little shop within my studio. I'll focus on selling online, welcoming locals by appointment, and offering my products to guests staying at our on-site accommodation.

Keeping my overheads low means I can spend more time doing the thing that started all of this in the first place: creating.

I'll also be opening a pop-up shop in Mapua one day a week during the summer. This gives me the opportunity to reconnect with the community I know and love, make the most of the summer trade, and still have a physical presence in Mapua — without the commitment and expense of a permanent retail space.

For me, this feels like the most exciting outcome I could have hoped for.

I'll have more time in my studio during the week to paint, draw and develop new products, while still getting to meet customers, share my work and be part of the Mapua community.

Welcome to My New Studio Shop

I've now moved out of the little blue cabin and into my new home studio space, and I have to say, I'm really excited about it.

It's a beautiful, creative space where you can browse my latest collection, see some of my artwork and get a little glimpse into where everything is made — all by appointment.

I'll also be opening the studio to visitors at various times throughout the year, giving you the chance to come and see what I've been working on and discover new products before they're released more widely.

So while saying goodbye to Ilka Boutique was bittersweet, I'm choosing to see it not as an ending, but as the beginning of something new.

Goodbye Ilka Boutique, hello Ilka Studio!

Sometimes a door closes because you're ready to walk through a different one.

And I'm really looking forward to seeing where this one leads.

To hear about upcoming open studio days and be among the first to see my new collections, sign up to my newsletter.

I'll also be sharing new products and studio news over on Instagram.

In the meantime, if you'd like to visit my new studio shop, appointments are now welcome. Just reach out.

I can't wait to show you what's coming next.

See you at Mapua Wharf on Friday 2 October for my first pop-up shop - more deets announced soon on Instagram!