WALKING THROUGH THE NEWLY OPENED DOORS
of GioVintage would be a dream come true for anyone searching for a shop with a difference.
Rows of vintage clothes, both old and new, float on either side of the entrance, enticing entry into the cosy store.
Jewellery boxes overflow with antique pieces begging to be worn, while old dressingtable drawers are left purposely open, displaying delicate nightwear. Treasured collectables gleam from their perches above, below and next to the one-off finds.
Hidden past the vintage goods is a coffee lounge area with red and lemon-yellow walls.
A 1960s black lounge sits unassumingly beneath paintings from a local artist who is using the space to exhibit their work. Floor lamps light up the nook in warm tones, giving it a comforting ‘home away from home’ vibe.
Piles of books and select board games rest on side tables aching to be read and played over a tasty coffee.
Creator and owner of the store Giovanna Oleni opened the boutique at the start of May.
After leaving behind the corporate world because she felt like her “soul was dying”, Giovanna decided to turn her 35-year hobby of collecting and her ability to effortlessly interact with anyone into a career.
“I have been wanting to do it for many years,” she says as Pink Floyd’s soothing tunes sail through the speakers.
With her passions in mind, the goal was to create a coffee lounge around unique finds.
Giovanna says the beauty of a coffee shop with a vintage tweak is that it crosses generational boundaries.
“I don’t like the idea of a place being just for young people or just for old people.
“I find here there’s not that separation. You’ll find an older bloke telling a story to a younger one,” she says.
As deceptive as it may be, the lounge area isn’t the only place to chat over fresh coffee and biscotti.
Shelves bursting with knick-knacks hide a wall that leads out to a modest courtyard.
Sun lounges, low coffee tables, stools and ottomans fill the shaded “coffee garden”.
Each Saturday from 2.30pm to 4pm, the relaxed sanctuary transforms into an outdoor platform
for local musicians.
It buzzes with locals, tourists and day-trip visitors all searching for something distinct and low-key.
“People crave something different,” says Giovanna.
GioVintage may just be that “something” people have been pining for.
Where: 136 Bulcock Street, Caloundra
Contact: (07) 5491 7711
words and photos claire plush