Thrift club: I buy only secondhand furnishings

Christine Nam of Wellington is furnishing her first home with secondhand items bought at op shops and online. She is particularly thrilled with her Noguchi coffee table, which she scored for £211.

Monique Ford/Stuff Christine Nam of Wellington is furnishing her first home with secondhand items bought at op shops and online.

She is particularly thrilled with her Noguchi coffee table, which she scored for £211.

With food prices climbing and a recession looming, New Zealanders are looking for ways to stretch their budget further. Welcome to Thrift Club – where each week we highlight the frugal behaviour of one Kiwi, and provide tips to incorporate those habits yourself.

Name: Christine Nam

Location: Lyall Bay, Wellington

Thrifty habit: Nothing new for her first home

First-home buyer Christine Nam has made a commitment – everything she needs to buy for her home has to be secondhand. So she’s sourcing items from Trade Me, op shops and Facebook buy-and-sell groups for her cute two-bedroom cottage at Lyall Bay on Wellington’s south coast.

Christine Nam has set herself a challenge and is not finding it difficult - paying a lot less for secondhand items is also helping her bank balance.

Monique Ford/Stuff

Christine Nam has set herself a challenge and is not finding it difficult – paying a lot less for secondhand items is also helping her bank balance.

Nam, who is an accountant working at Trade Me, says while she knows a lot about buying and selling, she didn’t really know anything about buying a house, and found it quite a confusing process. “But I found people and colleagues were all interested, with a lot of collected knowledge I was able to tap into.

“I wasn’t looking in Lyall Bay, but saw the listing, had a look through, and could envision myself living here. And once I was here I needed to set it up. I get a lot of stability and sense of self from my surroundings, so it was important how it looked.

Even dishes and ornaments have been sourced from secondhand shops.

MONIQUE FORD/Stuff

Even dishes and ornaments have been sourced from secondhand shops.

“But it wasn’t just about that. Over the last couple of years I have been a little more mindful of consumption, and I like to support local businesses, business run by women and smaller shops. It’s about acknowledging I have privileges that other people don’t have.

I couldn’t bear the thought of buying new things.

“The idea of buying everything secondhand started as a bit of a joke at work really. I thought maybe I should do this, so I would be living our company values. My joke turned into reality.

And now that I’ve told people, I have to do it, and I am strict about it, which makes it more interesting.”

Discovered items have a story to tell

Nam says she is pleasantly surprised when she looks online or in op shops that there is nearly always something that will work, although she is still keeping her eye out for a dining table and chairs. She was delighted to score a Noguchi designer coffee table for a mere £211.

Because she is close to the sea, she is channelling a “bit of a beach vibe, but not in a cliched way”.

“I look for things that are fun and colourful, with a bit of personality. One of my favourite finds is a small, decorative goose figurine (£7.50).

I love the fact that you could tell from the way the seller wrote about it, that it’s had a life and meaning. Sometimes things have a story, and that’s really beautiful.”

Other favourite finds include a ’70s sofa in solid wood (£100), a red vintage doll’s chair (£27) that is now a shelving unit for her houseplants, and a fun “puzzle shelf” (£45) that she intends to repaint.

“I found a vintage woollen blanket that will become floor cushions – sewing is a hobby. And I love looking for fabric, like vintage sheets with cool patterns, and giving them a new life.”

Nam also found a set of small shell-shaped plates that she uses often.

And her most recent purchase is a set of chrome and glass shelving from Gubbs Shoes, a store that has been an institution in Wellington. “I was passing and saw they were closing down, so asked if I could buy the fittings, and they have now arrived.”

The steel and glass shelving unit from Gubbs Shoes was spotted by Nam when she saw the store was closing.

MONIQUE FORD/Stuff The steel and glass shelving unit from Gubbs Shoes was spotted by Nam when she saw the store was closing.

What are the savings?

Nam estimates she has spent just under £500 on all the furnishings so far, which is “about the same cost as one new occasional chair”.

And it appears Nam is not alone with her treasure hunting. Trade Me’s latest Circular Economy Report notes 86% of New Zealanders have bought something secondhand in the past six months.

And 57% agree the rising cost of living has made them consider selling or buying secondhand more often.

The tips:

Visit op shops and websites with your eyes open – think about how you could repurpose an item with a coat of paint, or give it a new use. Christine Nam has a red doll’s chair as a plant stand, and it’s perfect.
Don’t be afraid to recover old furniture. You can take lessons if you fancy a bit of DIY, and it’s easy enough to sew your own cushions.

Nam is making floor cushions from a vintage woollen blanket. And patterned vintage sheets are going to be turned into cushion covers.
Treasure items that come with a story – they are infinitely more interesting.
Don’t forget to look at recycled glassware. Colourful mismatched Mid-century pieces can be fun.
Shop local.

You’ll be saving carbon miles and doing a local business a big favour.