Helen Riley-Duddin talks magnetic ideas, Inc Design and life in Oamaru (Mid & South Canterbury 2023)

An Oamaru designer is supporting a network of local creatives and artists through her store with a difference.

It’s hard to put your finger on what exactly Inc Design store is, but one thing is certain, it fits right into Oamaru. With its annual steampunk festival, chatty colony of kororā little blue penguins, and equally characterful locally made blue cheese, Oamaru is known for attracting things that are different and memorable.

Helen Riley-Duddin

Helen Riley-Duddin supports a number of artists in her store, Inc Design, including glassware and lighting artist Matthew Hall.

And on historic Itchen Street, set like a colourful jewel in the 1876 whitestone building of the Colonial Bank of New Zealand, Inc Design is certainly different. The inc in the store’s moniker doesn’t stand for incorporated, instead it’s a nod to other words starting with ‘inc’: inclusivity, increasing awareness of the artistic community and the income streams the store provides for local creatives. Within the walls you’ll find everything from lighting to glassware, magnetic art to clothing, made by many different creatives and handpicked for the store by Helen Riley-Duddin.

Inc Design Oamaru

Inc Design store in Oamaru’s Victorian precinct.

“Inc Design is a concept store and by that I mean I aspire for all our visitors to step inside and feel that it’s unlike anywhere else they’ve experienced,” says Helen. Helen founded Inc Design four years ago, but it wasn’t her first artistic foray. A former design lecturer at Otago Polytechnic, she previously ran a non-profit artist collective in Dunedin. Helen founded her own design brand, Tinch, 13 years ago where she makes re-stickable and magnetic wall decals. She continues to sell her Tinch designs through Inc Design.

“I discovered Resene had a magnetic paint product called Resene FX Magnetic Magic at around the same time we bought our first home. Since I was also a new mother, I was looking for ways to experiment with wall applications and personalise our own space,” says Helen, who is now a mother of five.

Tinch Studio

Helen creating her Tinch Studio magnetic wall applications.

“My background was in communication design, and I had this idea to create interactive wall art, part storytelling, part home decor, for children’s spaces, but also for grownups. I designed what I called ‘wallscapes’, which were halfway between art and play.” Helen loves meeting new customers who come into Inc Design but for those who step into her store looking for pieces for their new homes, she advises steering away from trends. Instead, she says, think about how colour and design make you feel.

Inc Design

Glass native birds by Lukeke and plant stands by Made of Tomorrow.

“Colour and art affect all of us in different ways. Although I personally love bold, bright colours, I also love neutral tones with texture, light and shadow play. In my own home, we have these elements balanced in different rooms because although I love a bold palette, I don’t necessarily want it in every room. I believe that every person has the ability to curate spaces that are incredible for them; it’s about trialling colours, changing elements around, introducing and removing pieces until you find a palette or balance that just makes your heart sing.”

In her 1907 villa, previous owners had modernised the home in a way that was respectful to the history and bones of the house. For her own renovation, she says it was lighting that made her feel truly at home.

Inc Design art for sale

Glassware by Grinter Glass (as seen on table).

“When we bought our home it needed to be entirely rewired – a huge expense, so we took the opportunity to change all the lighting as well. This transformed the house into our home and is something we are very proud of. At Inc Design store I’m working with several New Zealand designers to offer a range of lighting, which to me is a form of art and sculpture, as well as the more obvious practical function.”

www.incdesignstore.co.nz

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