Winkelen homewares magazine issue 2 Winkelen October 2014 | Page 15

RESIDENT GP With their new home and lifestyle store Resident GP, Gabi Sidhu and Pawel Gaca have curated exclusive brands from untapped talent P H O T O G R A P H Y: B R O O K E H O L M S T Y L I S T: M A R S H A G O L E M A C Tell us a bit about your business and how it was formed? Resident GP is an online homewares and accessories store. We offer a carefully curated selection of unique finds from across the globe. We prescribe a ‘buy better, not more’ philosophy and encourage customers to discover their own sense of style through a considered approach to home decorating. Resident GP opened its virtual doors in March 2014 after owners Gabi and Pawel spent the previous year planning and sourcing independently made, small-run productions items as well as limited edition and Australian exclusive product. How did your career begin? What sparked you to create your business? Partners in business and life, Gabi and Pawel have a varied career background that has ultimately led to the opening of Resident GP. Pawel, being the engineer, covers all practical and technical aspects of the business, while Gabi, with a background in architecture and design, sources the products, talks with customers and handles the creative side of the business. Our personality traits work perfectly together and starting our own business just seemed like the next natural step! We were constantly on the lookout for new and unique items for our own home and kept coming up short looking on Australian websites…a light bulb moment occurred and Resident GP was born! Can you tell us where you source your gorgeous homewares from and how do you select the right item for your store? We source our products from all over the globe. We are constantly scouring through international magazines, websites, blogs, Pinterest, our own travel experiences etc. We spend the majority of our time looking for the next undiscovered gem! You name it, we’ve researched it! The most difficult part of the business is definitely selecting the items for the store. Either you love too many products (and it’s hard not to keep them all for yourself), or you are not sure if your taste will match that of your customers. It is definitely an art that involves constant practice and feedback. continued on next page >