Gina Riley has opened a new flagship store for her homeware studio Ornament and is excited about an expansion into fashion.
When we want to make space feel like it’s really ours, what do we look for?
Gina Riley, owner-operator of homeware store and studio Ornament, knows that
“Putting trends aside – as these come and go in waves of interest for particular fabrications, colours and shapes – there is a huge appreciation for finding items that are unique,” she says.
“We have always worked closely with artisans near and far, from ceramicists to glass blowers, designers, sewers and artists and pride ourselves on our offer of character and statement pieces to add personality and raw beauty to a space.”
Now, Gina is set to capture more eyes for her collection with a freshly opened second location in Birkenhead Point on the corner of Hinemoa St and Rugby Rd, a location Gina is already familiar with. Her first store opened in Point Chevalier in 2019, later relocating to a corner site on Sandringham Rd.
“I have had my eye on this particular space for many years. We live locally and know the local demographic well. Birkenhead has become quite a hotspot of eateries in the past couple of years and our new store is on the same strip.”
Gina, with help from her family, has painted the shop’s panelled walls and high ceilings a bright white. She hopes the design and architecture of the space will work to highlight the thoughtful selection of homeware and lighting (pendant lampshades hang dramatically within the main room). On one wall, Gina has retained the original brickwork behind a custom-made shelving unit, which holds everything from linens to salt and pepper shakers and large-format artworks. There’s another custom-made unit in the store – the sky-blue, marble-topped counter was constructed by her dad.
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Advertise with NZME.Preparing the space for opening has involved plenty of cleaning, painting and polishing and Gina is happy with the result.
“We have opened a special lounge behind the shop to feature more furniture pieces. This room required a lot of attention but homes a stunning villa fireplace and herringbone flooring, making it a lovely extension of the store.”
Within Ornament’s collection, there are plenty of pieces made by local makers.
Matthew Hall provides handmade glassware in exclusive colourways. Matt Watkins of Special Studio has created custom plinths by 3D printing of recycled plastic. Gina has even played a hand in crafting some of these one-of-a-kind pieces herself – for a collection of dishes and vases, she designed pieces that ceramicist Staci Coble then crafted.
The location will provide new opportunities for gathering too, with the larger space doubling as a spot for events.
“In our lounge area, we hope to host some fashion and beauty evenings as well as host some of our makers and artists to exhibit their work in more of a gallery setting rather than a store. We look forward to hosting launches and drinks here now that we have a larger space to do so.”
The addition of changing rooms planned for August will also mark a pivot for the offerings at Ornament, as Gina expands her range to include clothing and apparel. She’s excited to welcome Camilla & Marc, Assembly Label, Marle and Moscot’s sunglasses in store later this year.
In a career that has included dance, fashion, graphic design, flower arrangement and home renovation, Gina feels deeply familiar with the rewards of aestheticism and good design. Personally, she has found the experimentation of developing and changing a space absorbing.
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Advertise with NZME.“Along the way, you naturally learn a lot and build an appreciation of materials, colours and textures.”
When it comes to designing for her own spaces, Gina’s taste spans marble, stone, woody textures, stainless steel, earthy and neon colourways.
She has been working on a more personal piece to insert her style into Ornament’s new home.
“I have more recently been painting myself, tonal abstract pieces combined with a textural base. One of my newer pieces hangs above the counter in the Birkenhead store.”
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