Breathing New Life into the Old
With her eye for the unusual and quirky, oodles of creative talent and an ace with needle and thread, Winston Park’s Denise Kiggan has taken her hobby and passion and turned it into a successful on-line business. Wanda Daly went along to find out more.
Denise describes herself as an ideas person. “Sometimes just having an idea is just as exciting for me as carrying it out,” she says, her wide smile lighting up her face as she leans back in the comfy cream settee, her eyes taking in the fruits of her creative talents that decorate the room.
From the old-fashioned wrought iron fireplace screen, to the artfully decorated origami boxes, the scatter cushions dressed in collared shirts or décor blooms folded creatively from vintage paper, Denise’s imagination knows no bounds.
“The vibrant tension between old and new items alongside each other and the surprise of traditional in a contemporary and unexpected way is a cherished love for me. I have always delighted in filling my home with the things that I make and objects I’ve found in obvious and sometimes obscure places.”
It is this creative ability that allows her to take an old favourite jersey, or garment and re-invent it into a stylishly unique scatter cushion. Vinyl LP records find new life as trendy décor vases, colourful saris find new purpose as trendy Furoshiki bags and old knitting needles become the stem for beautifully crafted flowers.
A vintage scrabble set sits innocently on a butler’s tray in the lounge, enticing visitors to pick up the letters and leave a message. Denise giggles and says this is fast becoming something of a tradition amongst friends and family who visit.
‘I love to express myself in my home and have to make the best of what I’ve got. I’m lucky, I have an eye for seeing the potential in things and the older I’ve got the quirkier I’ve become and, I’ve noticed, the better my products sell.”
Her husband, whom she describes as having come to terms with seeing their home décor change regularly as Denise refurbishes, re-invents and recycles, is her greatest supporter as are her three children, all of whom, she says proudly, have inherited their mother’s creative talents.
Denise scours venues like Highway Hospice’s second-hand store for potential treasures. Under her discerning eye, even the most mundane items have the potential to be transformed, refreshed and given a second lease of life.
“I’ve always made things, a lot of it is trial and error, but failure is just part of the process of progress,” she said.
She loves to crochet and has welcomed the revival in crocheting. “I started crocheting covers for glass jars and they have been a huge hit, both locally and overseas. With her enthusiasm in wanting to experiment with new ideas, Denise is now working on getting people to help make some of the more popular items.
Turning to her on-line business, Freshly Found – Vintage Refreshed, Denise explains that she used to spend Saturday afternoons surfing the net looking at design sites. She then ventured to blog sites and researched the subject extensively before taking the plunge and starting blogging herself. Her blogs were a hit and the response led her to investigate Itsy Shops. “It’s a bit like e-bay but just for handmade goods,” she said.
And so www.freshlyfound.com was born. “Freshly Found is an online furnishings and accessories boutique. The concept has evolved because of my love for found objects and the intrigue I have for people with creative talent,” she said
The site also features the creative talents of local artists and crafters and Denise is constantly looking for more unique items to add to what’s on offer on the site.
“At present the items are priced in US dollars, but that doesn’t mean locals can’t shop with us on-line. My contact details are there and people just need to contact me and I will give them the Rand values.”
That her items are a hit is clear to see by the feedback from many of her overseas clients.
Locally, Denise has a stall at the popular I heart Market which is held monthly at the DLI hall in Greyville.
Denise can be reached at
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2009
On the launch of the Freshly Found Online Boutique, I thought it would be good to look back at the journey that has led to this point.
I have always enjoyed being creative with my hands. I graduated as a Home Economist after I left school. I loved to crochet and to sew. As a young mom, I read a book by Edith Schaeffer called Hidden Art. It was a life changing book as I came to the realisation that we are made in the image of God the Creator and that when we are creative we display an aspect of his nature.
I studied Creativity and composed a course on the subject. I am so aware of the creative talent of each one of us, expressed differently by different personalities.
My home has been a canvas for my creative expression where I have painted, sewed, rearranged, re-invented and occasionally bought! It has been the base of many creative endeavours!
After a 2 year stint of starting and co-owning an eclectic coffee shop, I began to browse the internet on all things design related. This is where I became aquainted with the world of blogging. 2 years ago I started posting on the Freshly Found blog. I opened up an etsy shop soon after. I have now come to the place of opening up Freshly Found Online Boutique. I want to give a platform - not only to my own work, but to the work of others who do not have a significant web presence.
This is a small but personally significant start. I look forward to increasing the number of artists and crafters as we Freshly Find old and new talent!
Big Thank Yous go to:
Thank you to so many people who have been so supportive.
First of all the blogging community - your comments and encouragement are invaluable.
My family are my biggest fans and are behind me all the way. It means so much. My husband who believes in the concept almost more than I do!
My real life friends - I love you and appreciate your excitement and support too.
Justin of Fuel Design - you 'get' Freshly Found! Inspiration overload!!!
Chris and Wesley of Symbiotic! Thanks for technically putting it all together!
The artists and crafters of Freshly Found - for sharing your work with us and for being so patient as it took time to get things going!
