Story
Provider Store Surry Hills | The Journey
25 September, 2024
Many of you might not know this but back in 2012, I lived on Riley Street, about 5 doors down from the current Provider Store location. It was a four story, rundown terrace that housed myself and three of my best friends. From all my share housing days this was by far my favourite one.
01
Manifesting the store space.I lived in the attic with my sewing machine and paint brushes. On the ground-level floor was a shopfront that you had to enter through. We decided to turn this space into a vintage shop. We had lots of household 'arguments' about who the “provider” of the household was; when it came time to name the vintage store, we decided to call it Provider. Long story short, the shop didn’t last long, so after it closed, I carried on the name and turned it into Provider Store in 2014.
02
External studio.Fast forward to 2017. I had already moved out of my first studio space in Camperdown, where I rented a tiny, windowless room in a warehouse. I then rented a 100 m2 office space, which I sublet to a bunch of other creatives. Just over a year into the lease, we were told that the building was being renovated and we were being evicted with very short notice.
03
Manifesting the shop.'I would stop and press my nose against the window, dreaming about what I could do with the space. But alas, it was out of my price range.'
I remember walking through Surry Hills, feeling stressed about the unknown future, when I spotted this little shop that had a “For Lease” sign in the window. I stared through the front window for what felt like ages, inspecting the space that lay beyond. In the days that followed, I started making it my new route to walk past the space. I would stop and press my nose against the window, dreaming about what I could do with the space. But alas, it was out of my price range.
04
Set up begins.05
Troy & Tara outside the shop.Time was ticking; we needed to be out of the current space. I had my mind set on the little shop up the road; the agent knew how much I wanted it, so he told me to apply and throw my hat in the ring. He called me and said that, being a commercial lease, I needed far more money in my account to be eligible. He advised me that if it was possible, I should 'move things around’ and re-share the statement.
I called my older sister, Tash, and being my biggest cheerleader, she transferred me everything she had in her account. I showed the agent, signed the lease, and convinced my buddy Troy O'Shea, a hat maker from the current studio, to come with me, and next minute we were dragging our stuff up the road.
06
Setting up.07
Opening party.With no clue on running a proper shop, I jumped on Gumtree and found some antique shelves, a Japanese sideboard for our counter, and then booked a trip to Japan. I filled bags and suitcases with bits I found at markets and from makers I met on my trip.
Upon arrival home, Troy and I set things up and planned a party to celebrate the opening of the store and our new workshop. Unaware of how many people would show up, we somehow managed to have 100 people in the 30 m2 space; we had people spilling out on the street. I was so preoccupied with getting everyone drunk that I forgot to sell anything, but it was a great night nonetheless.
08
Early days out front of the shop.09
Tara & baby Pocari setting up.A year went by, and a community was built. I made so many great friends and met many of our amazing locals working in the shop. Troy moved out, and my friend, Syb, an underwear designer, moved in. We’d sew and yarn all day.
After a while, I knew I could run the shop on my own, so I decided to take over the whole space. I started teaching candle-making workshops at the back every week, and it felt like I lived in that little space. It was truly my second home.
10
Tara & Gee.11
Workshop space out back.'One day while I was swearing at my broken overlocker on the sewing machine, along came the wonderful Georgina (Gee)'
I hired my first casuals, Amy and Chris, who helped me out on the weekends. One day while I was swearing at my broken overlocker on the sewing machine, along came the wonderful Georgina (Gee). She happened to stumble across the store and offered to help fix it; she then began to help sew all our cushions. What felt like a fate meeting turned into her becoming our store manager.
2020 rolled around, and the world went into lockdown. The store sat closed for months on end while our online store became inundated with orders. Poor Gee was packing a hundred orders a day on her own while I was stuck in Brisbane.
12
Painting out back.13
Feature in broadsheet.'Seeing the little store turn into what I always envisioned was a dream come true.'
We started outgrowing our little back room candle-making setup, so we found an external makerspace in St. Peters to grow our production.
Then it came time to finally renovate the store properly, so we asked Steve and Dane from Porter & Maple and Home of Us to help create the space we always wanted. Keeping our Japanese antique counter, they built around it, using cambia ash to create custom shelving. Anyone who used to pop by the shop in the early days will remember my little brush/broom wall... Dane and Steve made me a special wall as a fancy version to hang them. Seeing the little store turn into what I always envisioned was a dream come true.
14
Store renovations.15
Renovated counted space.Gee had to spread her creative wings. On the day Gee let me know she was leaving in walked Anno. Anno was a long-time customer at the store, always popping in to check out the latest antiques and pieces. He would bring me matcha lamingtons and was always up for a chat (nothing has changed!). I was chatting to him about how I needed a new store manager, and he asked for the job right then and there, and I hired him. Since then Anno has worked tirelessly telling the stories of our products and building our community even more, with many locals dropping in just to see him and have a chat.
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Store manager Anno.17
Broom wall shot by Nic Gossage.'Sourcing beautiful pieces and knowing they will find a special place in your homes is what inspires and motivates me'
I am so proud of our little space and the community hub that has been cultivated around it over the years. Sourcing beautiful pieces and knowing they will find a special place in your homes is what inspires and motivates me.