Yvonne Starr is the founder and curator of Ukitu, a thoughtful curation of vintage furniture and wares. Born from a desire to share her pre-loved passion with other interior enthusiasts, it is now a thriving online store with a loyal following. We visited her cosy abode to chat about what inspired her to start her business, her go-to work-from-home outfit and her hopes for 2021.
I DESCRIBE MYSELF AS...
A business owner, wife and mum to my two babies.
I SPEND MY TIME...
Sourcing and restoring pre-loved furniture and wares from all over the world.
UKITU WAS BORN FROM A DESIRE TO...
Share my love and appreciation for vintage treasures with others. In 2018, I was a full-time mum spending much of my time scouring local second-hand stores for hidden gems. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a business as I discovered I couldn't keep everything I had sourced. I took a risk and began selling pieces on Instagram - the rest is history.
OUR NAME IS INSPIRED BY...
Ukitu means “touched” in Basque. As we mainly focus on pre-loved pieces, the title seemed more than fitting for us.
A PIECE I LOVE IN MY HOME IS...
Our hexagonal, travertine dining table originally from Italy, but we were lucky enough to source her locally. She needed a lot of TLC but we were able to bring her back to life!
THE MATERIALS, TEXTURES, AND COLOURS I'M DRAWN TO ARE...
Raw and organic textures like wood, natural stone, and everything in between. My heart always comes back to neutral tones, but I do love a pop of colour. Yellow, greens and pinks are my all time favourites.
MY APPROACH TO WORKING (AND DRESSING) AT HOME IS...
I believe if you feel good, you work better! My days consist of sourcing, cleaning and restoring pieces, carefully wrapping and packing orders to be sent to their new home and wrangling two mobile babies! I want to look good, but it needs to be practical.
I have been wearing Assembly Label for many years now, all the way back to my full-time florist days. I love the quality, silhouettes and practical essentials.
TO SUPPORT MY CREATIVE THINKING I...
As much as I love perusing online, nothing inspires me more than going through books and magazines of exterior and interior design. It fuels my passion for sourcing vintage pieces and (much to my husband's dislike) my love of re-styling our home every second day!
I'M CURRENTLY READING...
Anything full of delicious home inspirations, more so of the ’70s and ’80s.
WATCHING...
Any kind of crime documentary.
AND LISTENING TO...
The Frozen 2 soundtrack, back-to-back.
THE LAST YEAR HAS TAUGHT ME...
The current times, although have been tough, have taught me how to slow down and appreciate all the small things, wins and moments. So, in 2021 I look forward to this new mindset!