Canada introduced Matthew Touma to the magic of concrete INTELLIGENT THRIFTING Interiors expert Deborah Bibby styles

SECONDS LIFE When interiors writer and stylist Deborah went to live in her dream boathouse north of Sydney, it came furnished with the basics so she only brought a few things with her and added key vintage or recycled pieces. (Right) Her moodboard and amber Maison Balzac carafe catching the early-morning light.

intelligent thrifting

This new approach to blending old and new is all about decorating stylishly and sustainably. Interiors expert Deborah Bibby opens the door to this smart way of thinking

There’s a return right now – and about time, too – to authenticity, honesty, comfort, good design and things you can trust, such as handcrafted designs using natural materials. People are more conscious. The COVID-19 pandemic has opened our eyes to the need for more sustainable shopping, and a life more in harmony and rhythm with nature. To that end...

Last year, I decided to rent out my Sydney house (with everything left in it) and take up the offer to live in a boathouse on Sydney’s Pittwater, right at the water’s edge – a little dream I’ve had all my life. The boathouse was already furnished with the basics. I took my laptop, one treasured painting by New York artist Jessica Falstein, a few photographic prints, some of my favourite linens and a suitcase of clothes for the year-long adventure (maybe two years now – I’m loving it so much).

With all of us being homebodies for most of 2020, it was the perfect work-from-home base. Of course, I wanted to add my own interior touch to the place, but I also wanted to be resourceful and smart and not buy a whole pile of new furniture. What I did invest in were two beautiful Eames chairs I bought at a friend’s sale for a few hundred dollars (bargain!) and a number of key pieces from Avalon’s best-kept secret, Composition By Office Elias. The rest I either foraged at my local Salvos store, was gifted to me by the neighbours, was washed up outside my boathouse or recycled in some way.

Beauty is more than skin deep when it comes to interiors. Combining stylish sustainability, whether that’s with thrift-store finds or reusing what you have, and adding a key ‘designer’ piece of provenance or a contemporary modern piece gives a space confidence, depth and balance. That mix of eras and styles

equals magic. Adding a hero design item is like adding a $2000, except for a beautiful, original 1960s designer sofa, gorgeous designer shoe to an affordable outfit. If the shoe is coffee table, armchair and headboard. I sourced large, original, beautiful you can get away with murder. era-appropriate timber frames (over a few weeks) and framed

I’ve always had a magpie instinct. It’s so rewarding, and the fashion tear sheets from magazines to give the place a current thrift pieces are often one-off finds as opposed to mass-produced vibe while adding an element of fun. The vases, lamps and other ‘stuff’. Having said that, I have found the odd mass-produced homewares I placed there were all sourced from the Salvos. item in Salvos, and if it saves another 2 Relationships are key, so you receive piece going to landfill, the joy of giving “Thrift shopping saves a heads-up when good pieces hit the something ‘crappy’ another life feels like beating the system – ha! Most of all, I’m drawn to soulful, timeless pieces (things another piece from going to landfill, and the joy of floor. Get to know the shopkeepers and owners and they might clue you in ahead of the others. with a history and a narrative) or pieces giving something ‘crappy’ 3 Look at the material of the piece. Is it that transcend trends. But if something is another life feels like solid timber, brass, leather, pottery? Turn a little wacky, unique or out there and you fall for it, grab it. Sometimes it is that beating the system” it upside down and inside out. The most important tip I can give is to always look item that can make a space sing. for good quality, and items that have a story to tell.

Having an ‘eye’ is everything in the interiors world, even 4 Look for simple lines and curves in pieces. Imagine you are when foraging. It helps you pick the gems, but I do have a few shopping for sculpture. tips and design secrets to help you hunt out that bargain or 5 In regards to the more expensive items, never splurge on swoon-worthy piece. Here goes: anything that doesn’t make you swoon – or at least increases 1 It takes time, so make sure you are looking in all of the (right) your heartbeat. places, all of the time. Be passionate in the hunt. I run into my 6 I own pieces I’ve had for 25 years, which have stood the test local Salvos every time I pass by in case I find a gem for an of time. Some are meaningful; others practical. Lighting is one interior project. One 1960s-style four-bedroom house I styled of those, and it’s a great practical investment because lights can for an Airbnb was close to entirely sourced from the Salvos for go with you anywhere, especially accent lights (see my little

PRICELESS STYLE Deborah mixed her own fabrics and sheepskins with existing pieces and foraged greenery and dried palms, using logs for side tables and a washed-up plank for dining-table displays. Her 1960s armchairs (around fire pit) are by Rohe Noordwolde and the Wegner print (right) is from Composition By Office Elias. Office table and tiled table, Salvos. Vases, Sarah Ellison and Dinosaur Designs.

designer kitchen lamp against the pink-tiled wall). This could be the piece that changes a room instantly with its gentle glow. 7 Take the road less travelled and look into the following: Salvos Stores, Vinnies, Gumtree, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, weekend markets, antique stores, vintage stores and makers direct. You’ll find treasures at all those places. 8 When looking for vintage furniture on eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace, don’t be specific with your searches. Use unique word combinations related to what you’re after, for example, ‘handmade’ or ‘handcrafted’ and pop in two material combinations, such as timber and leather, and you’ll get more choice. Shopping on Instagram, you need to be very specific and follow particular designers or hashtags. Make sure you have notifications switched on so you can act quickly. 9 Choose your pieces well. That means items that resonate with you, that are personal and that you will love forever. Be brave!

Going forward, sustainable living and shopping – whether that means recycling, upcycling or supporting brands that care about making products that will last a lifetime – should become a way of life for all of us. If you haven’t started to already, make the most of sources that are local to you and remember, almost every suburb across Australia has a Salvos or Vinnies store. The journey of improving your home is one of the best things you can undertake. Have confidence in your style, forget the trends, trust your heart and create an interior designed to last and feel like home.