Reluctant salesman finds it hard to take people's money

Stu Barr has an unwavering enthusiasm for his stock. Picture / Babiche Martens

Stu Barr finds it hard to take people's money. "It's just not my thing," says the proud proprietor of a new store called Butterfly Net just off Ponsonby Rd.

"And I keep trying to give stuff away to people but they tell me I'm not allowed. But I'm sure I'll learn, especially once the first month's finances get sorted out."

There are a couple of reasons for Barr's imprudent generosity. First, he has never worked in retail before opening this small-but-perfectly-formed bolt-hole of a boutique, behind one of the best cafes in Auckland, Agnes Curran.

Barr was looking for a studio or office space, anyway. Besides stocking the shop and chatting to customers, the Wellington-trained industrial designer, who's worked on everything from taps and showers to penguin-tracking devices for DoC, will also be busy on his own commissions and projects while his customers shop.

Secondly, Barr has an unwavering enthusiasm for his stock.

"There's really amazing stuff made and designed here [in New Zealand] that's not glorified enough."

Sure, some of the things he stocks are available elsewhere. "But often it's a little hard to find. For instance, I like Nice + Clean clothing but there's really only one place that stocks it."

Having co-designed a seat, the Tio chair, with upholstery covers by some of the country's top fashion designers, then trying to place it in retail stores, he has learned that, if you're making furniture for a big store, you have to prove that you can produce at least 50 of each item.

This, Barr believes, could prevent some nice bits of design from graduating from the page. "However at Butterfly Net, if anyone wants to make a one-off beautiful object, I can put it in the store and sell it."

Barr will be doing that with his work, too - he's completing the prototype of a kind of indoor dog kennel.

"A response to Ponsonby and all the people that come to the cafe next door with their dogs."

Once made, the kennel will sit instore ready to be reproduced for any animal lovers wanting one.

Happily, after only a fortnight open, Barr is already running short of stock - but that's the way he likes it.

"The plan is to keep changing everything over - even the furniture. I would like to think I can constantly surprise the people who come here and I hope it will also generate more work for the people I put in the store."

At the moment he's displaying artworks on the walls alongside some interesting pieces of furniture from the likes of David Trubridge and Fletcher Vaughan; on the shelves sit soaps by Lavage, some D - luxe jewellery and Svord cooks' knives. On the racks are clothes by Nice + Clean alongside more girlie garments from new label, Chloe Julian.

Barr hopes his space eventually will become something like a modest cross between two other bigger Auckland establishments - Eon Design Centre, where the commercial work of New Zealand designers is for sale, and Objectspace, another space dedicated to design but with more of a one-off, art gallery feel to it. However, for now, Barr laughs as he settles back into the corner of the store where his computer and desk reside, he just has to learn how to sell things rather than making friends with the customers and giving stuff away.

* Butterfly Net, shop 3, 179 Ponsonby Rd, entrance off Franklin Rd, behind Agnes Curran Cafe. Phone: (09) 361 3910.