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| Out of the Attic |
| Tara visits a homewares store that specialises in selling preloved and refinished furniture. |
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Gizel Reeder's passion for pre-loved furniture has transformed from a hobby into a successful business. Her Balgowlah store, Out of the Attic, is packed with treasures for the home that Gizel has restored herself. The enthusiastic DIYer adds a chic finish to shabby furniture. And the success of her store leaves no doubt that the "shabby chic" look is still very much in fashion.
Gizel was born in Canada and moved to Australia nearly 20 years ago. She spent the next 10 years managing a restaurant, before deciding to change her profession. Her career in furniture restoration had small beginnings. Gizel would buy a second-hand piece she loved and restore it for her home. Soon, friends and family were asking her to create pieces for their homes.
Seeing a market for her "shabby chic" furniture, Gizel started selling pieces at Sydney's weekend markets. Two years later she found a vacant store not far from her home and decided to open a shop of her own.
The furniture has a vintage look, many pieces feature decorative paint effects or distressed finishes. Gizel repairs, paints and if required upholsters all her pieces at the back of the shop.
If the piece you want isn't on the floor, Gizel will do her best to find it for you. Alternatively, customers can bring their own finds into the shop and commission Gizel to restore them. If antiques or auction houses are out of your range but you want something old, it is also possible to give a new, cheaper piece of furniture an aged look.
Working with second hand furniture means no two pieces are ever the same. Every dent, scratch and crack differentiates one piece from another, and Gizel likes to make these a feature, rather than to hide them.
When sourcing a piece for the store, Gizel looks past the dents and scratches and just makes sure the furniture is solid and sturdy. From experience, she's learned that stripping paint is a messy business, so she tries to avoid this process. A piece with flaky paint can be transformed with a quick sand and a new coat.
Gizel's new hobby is reviving old lampshades. She uses vintage fabrics and soft colours to create pretty, unique lamps. Custom orders can also be taken so fabrics can be matched to the customer's existing soft furnishings. A quick glance around the shop also reveals ornate chandeliers, cushions and small knick knacks for the home. |
More Info
Out of the Attic
70 Wanganella Street
Balgowlah NSW 2093
Ph: 9949 1333
www.attic.com.au
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