For the Love of Vintage: How Jenn Bliss Came to Find Her Passion in Restoration
Interior designer and stylist Jenn Bliss’ passion for all things vintage means restoring and reimagining old buildings comes naturally, but it was true love that changed the trajectory of her life.
With numerous projects under her belt, it would be easy to assume that Jenn Bliss has devoted her life to her clients’ homes. In fact, she has lived all over the globe, has a husband and three children, and a career that started very differently to how it has ended up.
Starting Over
Jenn Bliss didn’t expect to become an interior designer. In fact, she studied marketing and advertising in South Africa, where she is originally from, and it was only when she moved to Australia in 2014 to be with her now husband, Ryley, that she adopted an interest in the subject. She undertook an interior design course in Sydney, and in 2016 the couple tackled their first project together, in the coastal escape that is New South Wales’ Port Stephens.
A New Chapter
Jenn and Ryley went on to build Talm Beach House in nearby Anna Bay, which they lived in themselves before renting it out. But then they needed to source a place of their own. “Caught between builds and exciting new projects, finding our dream property and having another baby, we found ourselves needing somewhere to stay for the interim,” recalls Bliss. The solution came in a shed-cum-office building that was owned by her newfound family’s plumbing business. The Shed was born. “Using the existing shed and office on my husband’s family property built 30 years ago by his father, we decided to convert it into a humble space to house our little family of five.”
Getting to Work
When they started The Shed, Bliss knew she wanted it to feel more like a restoration than a renovation. “It was full of character, with imperfections and history,” she remembers. “We decided to embrace this style throughout the entire space.” She set her sights on the treasure-trove-seeking life of a vintage buyer. “For The Shed, our main inspiration and focus was to source as many recycled and pre-loved items as possible,” she reveals. “All of our windows and doors were found at recycling centres or online. I love that they all have a story to tell, and are full of beautiful imperfections.”
This is part of Bliss’ approach to design in general: honouring the old rather than chasing the new. “I think that in this day and age people are quick to replace what’s old with something new and forget the history that piece holds,” she details, noting the happiness the world of vintage has brought her as a human being as well as a designer. It’s sustainable, gratifying and genuinely exciting to find one-of-a-kind pieces, and rewarding to bring new life to things almost forgotten. “Sourcing, restoring and respecting vintage pieces has brought me so much joy,” she says.
And she doesn’t stop at Port Stephens; Bliss seeks inspiration internationally. “I follow many European social pages, where restoring homes and sourcing preloved pieces is a way of life; a way to preserve history,” she says. “I find this so beautiful and inspiring, and have applied it to how I choose to build and style the homes I build and renovate.”
Bungalow Door Knob - Long Backplate
Traditional Australian bungalow style door knob made from sheet brass.
See productHow Hardware Became the Key
Part of the concept of The Shed was to keep the canvas simple in order to let the pieces within it shine. “We kept the space beautifully neutral, with warm white painted walls, a painted concrete floor and warm beige pavers throughout the home,” explains Bliss. “We chose TradCo’s Antique Brass hardware to bring more warmth to the home and complement the lived-in feel of the space.” Her selections included traditional cabinet hardware and heritage light switches, an antique brass door lever, pull handles and antique brass door knobs, all conceived by TradCo.
The fact that every example of TradCo hardware gives the impression of being an original fitting (the period brass light switches and front door lever Bliss selected are cases in point) worked perfectly with the atmosphere she was trying to create. “Modern switches would have felt out of place in this space,” she notes. “We went with TradCo’s traditional light switches and the classic wooden blocks to bring our ‘restored’ vision to life. It is nearly impossible to source vintage light switches like these, so to have TradCo supply traditional light switches was amazing.”
Having used the brand at The Shed, Bliss plans to not let the collaboration end there. And with a life as busy as hers, she’s glad of the options. “TradCo have a beautiful range of heritage and classic profiles,” she says. “They will always be a favourite of mine as an interior designer and stylist.”
Traditional Light Switches
Traditional light switches with brass covers and toggless. Matching dimmers, fan controllers and sockets also available.
See productTraditional Dimmer
Traditional dimmers and fan controllers with brass covers and knobs. Look for LED dimmers with the /250 code suffix. Matching switches and sockets also available.
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Standard Pull Handle - L100xP26mm
Standard pull handle. Available in solid brass in 3 sizes.
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Classic Cupboard Knob - D25xP28mm
Sheet brass cupboard knob with backplate. Available in 4 sizes. knob supplied with face fix wood screw and rear fix bolt.
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