If you love a good op-shop treasure hunt, you're going to be obsessed with what’s just landed at the Vinnies Finds warehouse in Stanmore. Right as you walk through the doors, you’ll be met with a colourful new mural that feels like stepping into a dream thrift haul — courtesy of Sydney artist Sam McAleer, aka Smackas.

Sam’s path to being a full-time artist wasn’t exactly a straight line. “I was a chef first — that was my creative outlet,” he says. After burning out young, he switched to making coffee, but eventually found his way back to creativity through painting. “Slowly but surely got better and better... and now it’s been three years full-time.”

For this project, Sam went full ‘kid in a candy store’ mode at the Newtown Vinnies, picking out real-life pieces to bring into his art. The mural is packed with little Easter eggs for keen-eyed thrifters: a navy polkadot scarf, vintage glass bottles, and a pink handbag — all real items from the store that were arranged into a colourful still life.

The flowers woven throughout — including proteas and paper daisies from a florist on nearby King Street — bring even more life to the piece. Including native Australian flowers was actually part of the original creative brief, which Sam was more than happy to roll with. “They basically let me do what I want within the structure of having Australian natives in it,” he says.

The vibe? Total organised chaos — in the best way. “I really wanted it to feel like a Vinnies store,” Sam says. “A little more clean cut, but you still get that feeling... like, you’re probably not gonna find what you need, but you’ll find something.”

The mural also features pops of the new Vinnies Finds brand colours — think soft pinks, deep navies and fresh greens — woven through the whole piece. It’s basically a love letter to op-shop culture and secondhand magic.

Sam’s painting style is a mash-up of spray paint and brushwork, which brings all the vintage textures to life. “Spray paint’s great for smoothness, but brushwork lets you really lean into all the details — like the threading on a bag, or the shimmer on a bottle,” he says. You’ll spot the difference when you look up close: glass that glows, fabrics that practically pop off the wall.

One of the coolest parts about this mural? It's made from stuff that might’ve otherwise sat forgotten on a shelf. “There’s that organic feeling to it," Sam says. "Giving things another life by turning them into art.”

The mural took three days to finish and will now be a permanent fixture in the customer service entrance of the Stanmore warehouse. So next time you drop by to shop some epic pre-loved finds, you’ll get to soak up some serious inspo too.

For Sam, who’s still early in his career, opportunities like this feel pretty special. “We're always growing,” he says. “If I can paint every day, I’m happy — that's the dream.”

Wanna see more of Sam’s work (and trust us, you do)? Follow him on Instagram  @smackas or check out his site at smackascreative.com.au.