Kim Paddon is one of a new breed of business owners. With her signature glasses and passion for pink, this fashionista operates Whink with sense and style.
Kim has always been creative and studied to be a graphic designer at Holland College. After graduation, Kim returned home to St. John’s, NL to be closer to her family and began working in retail and graphic design. Kim was helping her Dad find the perfect Christmas present for her Mom, when she stumbled upon her dream business in the form of a gift shop. Over the next few months, Whink was created. The shop has been featuring Paddons’ trendy and classic style since May 2010, in the form of locally-made and international jewellery and other beautiful things. Whink has recently expanded into a larger storefront in Churchill Square and online shop. Kim loves her horse Kitty, bright lipstick, glitter, and meeting new customers. She lives in St. John’s with her husband Rob Paddon, their little baby girl Mabel and Bentley the beagle!
An East Coast girl living on the edge of Canada, Kim has always been an artist at heart. Kim’s passion for buying jewelry inspired her to design and create the stunning Dory Blue Labradorite Jewelry Collection. Dory Blue Jewelry features raw, high-quality Labradorite, named for the place it was discovered, Labrador. The great success of this line of semi-precious stones led to the creation of Sparkes Design which includes other exotic gemstones from around the world. With the success of Whink and Sparkes Design under her belt, Kim purchased an iconic downtown business Newfoundland Weavery. Gail Griffiths began looking for someone to take over Newfoundland Weavery in 2012 and she approached Kim. It was a great fit, but, for Kim it just wasn’t the right time.Flash forward six years later, Kim had a meeting with Gail about selling her new jewelry line at Newfoundland Weavery. When Griffiths mentioned that 2018 would likely be the store’s last Christmas season, Kim decided she wanted in. Paddon officially purchased Newfoundland Weavery in 2019 to maintain the store’s legacy.
