Op shop chic
On the kitchen table in this seaside cottage, there is a small wicker tray holding a neatly placed row of sunglasses. Beachy, tidy and with a touch of style – it’s a sign of things to come in this Waikuku home.
Words: Pattie Pegler Photography: Dorothy McLennan
On the kitchen table in Jess Ormsby’s seaside cottage, there is a small wicker tray holding a neatly placed row of sunglasses. Beachy, tidy and with a touch of style – it’s a sign of things to come in this Waikuku home.
White walls and grey toned wooden floorboards add to the beachy feel and propping open the living room door is a large glass jar brimming with seashells of all shapes, sizes and patterns. In the living/dining area a couple of comfy chairs, a couch, and a cute wooden dining table with seating for four keep it cosy whilst windows and French doors let the light pour in. Muted tones dominate – browns and taupes with splashes of colour – 70s style orange light shades hang from the ceiling, a teal cushion pops. Tucked in the corner a Scandi style black upright chair is punctuated with a mustard cushion. On the sideboard smooth, round ceramics jostle together in greys and browns. There is plenty to draw the eye here but it’s subtle and simple. And that’s no accident.
School teacher Jess has lived in the cottage for nearly 4 years and during that time she has embraced the seaside location, truly putting her own style into it.
“I really like the mid-century modern look from the 50s and 60s. But I do love minimalism too, so I like things to be very simple,” says Jess. This combines with her love of earthy tones and natural fibres – woods, wickers, coppers, ceramics, plants and shells all bring touches of nature inside. The added benefit of natural materials, says Jess, is that they don’t date in the same way as manmade. She manages to combine all these in her home, with stylish touches like the yellow glass jug and bowls on the coffee table and the copper dish sitting behind the ceramic pots on the sideboard.
Jess’ passion for interior design and styling dates right back to her childhood when she used to spend hours moving her room around and creating little scenes and collections of trinkets and objects. But a certain flair for art and style runs in the family, her sister has a Master in Fine Arts and a ‘very stylish nana’ inspired her as did an auntie who ran her own second hand shop and would take Jess looking for treasures around the weekend flea markets of Auckland.
This family heritage has given her not only an intuitive eye for interior styling but also for op shop bargains. A dedicated second-hand shopper Jess gets a real thrill from finding treasures and knows how to pick well. A large copper bowl with a chunky wooden button in the middle is both unique and functional. “It looks great with something in it, fruit or something. And it looks great just as a piece on its own,” says Jess. An elegant looking mannequin head made of black plastic with flaking gold lips was picked up at the Salvation Army shop in Westport and is an all-time favourite. Whilst one of her most memorable finds is a ‘tooth stool’ from well-known designer Philippe Starck.
This is home styling done on a budget, Jess rarely spends more than a ‘couple of bucks’ at the op shops and the benefits are many. You can work on a small budget, you can find some amazing things for a great price and then when you want to refresh the look, or if you simply change your mind – you can take the pieces back and someone else will come along and love them. And she is firm about one piece of advice for others looking for second hand treasures. “Never, ever leave something behind. If you’re going to get something for a couple of dollars, then get it, trust your instinct. It’s such a little cost”. She still remembers her regret the time she passed on a trio of china flying fish. They were only 50 cents but one of them had a chip on a fin and she decided she didn’t really need them. She went back the next morning but they’d already been snapped up by someone else.
This approach to shopping sounds like a recipe for clutter but Jess is also a ‘ruthless’ declutterer. She regularly declutters and restyles her home, rearranging collections and changing things up. She draws inspiration from home and architecture magazines but also uses her own instinct. She advises setting up a room on a sunny day so you can see where the light falls, it makes a big difference. And she has a keen eye for creating little scenes, art on the wall picks up complimentary tones from nearby objects. A shelf of ornaments ‘doesn’t work’ because they are all too similar in height and size she says.
And this careful eye, the regular re-styling, the attention to detail and the carefully curated whole create a beautiful space but they also make a home. “It’s the best feeling,” says Jess, “a mixture of peace, calm, happiness. I don’t want to leave, I just want to be at home”.