Westfield's Home Economics: A Bargain Hunter's Delight

Nancy Zoraian regards opening her Westfield-based consignment boutique as "one of the best accidents that ever happened" to her.

The Mountainside resident, an interior designer, unintentionally opened Rahway Avenue's Home Economics three years ago. Zoraian explained that she and her husband, Jeff, who own Westfield Auto Wash and the adjacent buildings, had been interested in renting out the 700-square-foot space when she received a call from one of her design clients who was moving across the country.

"She was calling me saying 'I have all these things' and she lived in Far Hills; she didn't really want to have an estate sale," Zoraian said. "I knew the quality of her things because I had designed her house."

Zoraian offered to host an estate sale in the vacant building. Lines formed around the block and the unlikely business owner said before she knew it people were coming in and saying, "I want to consign this lamp."

"It just sort of evolved," she said. "It's been a lot of fun."

Open Thursday Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the thrift shop features an ever-changing collection of home furnishings, apparel, jewelry, accessories, children's clothing, toys and decor.

"What I find really interesting about the store is people really like to freshen up and freshening up doesn't always mean redesigning the entire room," Zoraian explained. "Sometimes they'll come in with the fabric or their paint swatches and they're looking for an interesting piece or two to accent or make the look fresh again. We'll put together a little vignette. We get a lot of people with second homes, a lake house or a beach house."

Zoraian said she is fortunate to have the help of good friends who not only provide in-store assistance but also bring in high-quality items to consign. When customers ask how she can vouch for the authenticity of a Chanel bag, Zoraian said she can tell them, "I was with her at Chanel when she bought it." 

Most of the home furnishings come from Zoraian's clients, who are either moving or redecorating. The designer-turned-business-owner said she tries to price items so that there is something for everyone.

"We run the gamut. We might have an $1,800 Chanel bag beside a $5 black bag," she said. "We try to keep everything well-priced so it's fair to everyone. We want to keep the consignor happy but we like the clients to be happy, too. We try to be fair with everything."

Zoraian also noted that her consignors "are tremendously generous," with many donating their share of their 50-50 split with Zoraian to charities. Some donate their proceeds to the Newark Battered Women's Shelter, the American Cancer Society or to Westfield's Holy Trinity School. After 90 days, many consignors choose to donate goods to the Women's Shelter if they haven't sold. 

"Giving back and putting it back into circulation," are two of the most rewarding parts of the business, Zoraian said. One of the most challenging for the Fashion Institute of Technology graduate is arranging it all. In this area, the merchandising part of her education has served her well. 

"I never thought I would use it as much as I have in the past three years," Zoraian said. "You really have to think outside the box, whether you're using that box for belts or remote controls. We reinvent a lot of things." 

Consignors do not need a membership and Zoraian does not charge an annual fee to consign. She is also available by appointment to meet with consignors while focusing on new and existing design clients on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Home Economics is open Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. For more information, call 908-451-6551. To view daily updates of the store's offerings, visit Home Economics' Facebook page.

Special thanks to interior designer and style maven Ellie Mroz for facilitating this interview.