Inc. Design

Not just a shop, gallery or studio but some combination of all three, Ōamaru’s Inc. Design is an experience in and of itself. 

Inc. embodies the term ‘concept store’ in the sense that it serves as a showcase for unique, clever and beautiful objects which are all made in and around our place, Aotearoa. The products are special on their own, and here they’re presented in a special way, too. 

Helen is a creative through and through, and this is reflected in the store. She started her own brand, Tinch Design Studio in 2009, and lots of her work can be seen throughout the shop - she’s got a knack for jazzing up even the plainest walls with unique wall clings (you actually might’ve seen one at Tees Street already!). As you make your way through the shop, you’ll find a spread of New Zealand-made products unlike any other - many of these lines are sold exclusively at Inc.

Amongst some of Helen’s favourites is Tatyanna Meharry’s collection of plates, bowls and cups, which use local Waitaki sands and clays to create organic textures, shapes and hues. These are local wares in the truest sense of the phrase.

Under Helen's creative direction, many of the artworks on display are inspired by other makers represented at Inc. The selected creatives often respond to one another’s work in a unique kind of artistic symbiosis; Tatyanna's ceramics and Inge Flinte's paintings are one example of this.

All of the items found at Inc. have a story to tell. Helen is happy to share these stories with you. Her passion for design and supporting her creative colleagues is contagious. A visit to Inc. is a personal, tactile experience, a celebration of independent creatives and just a genuinely good time.