Style Hound

Amelia Lingonis loves stylish, unique homeware almost as much as she loves dogs. Her Wellington shop is a haven for pugs and rugs, kitties, kitchenware and more

- Sharon Stephenson

Home is where the dog is’ in huge gold letters adorns the wall behind the counter at Smack Bang, Amelia Lingonis’ shop on Wellington’s Tory Street. The new store, a pink and gold haven for people and their four-legged friends, sees dog and cat collars from New York and pet tepees from South Korea sharing space with skeleton candles and luxurious hand-knitted throws.

When the opportunity arose to combine her two loves – home ware and pets – the 29-year old jumped at the chance. Smack Bang opened in October last year and is already carving out a unique place in the market.

Have you always loved home ware?

As a child in Hamilton, while others my age were playing with dolls, I’d be cutting out pictures of furniture I liked and sticking them in scrapbooks! I’ve always had a good eye and moved to Wellington in 2007 to do a Bachelor of Design majoring in photography.

How did Smack Bang come about?