7 minute read
KEEPING IT IN
STYLE: A PLUS ELECTRICAL
Keeping it in the family
WORDS James Worthington PHOTOS Wayne Pearson
When you find a good electrician, you’ll never call anyone else because you trust them with your life.
Most of us discover tradies through recommendations from family or friends. Word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of marketing and when someone you trust recommends someone they trust, it’s a no-brainer. Lauren introduced us to Alex. She trusted him to do our electrical work because he was taught by the best electrician she’d ever known — her dad, Dino, who holds over 50 years’ experience in the industry. Alex is Lauren’s brother and the owner of A Plus Electrical.
Our first job for A Plus Electrical was a big one — rewiring and installing lighting throughout our home, plus installing a switchboard full of the latest safety switches for a reno we were doing at the time. We had a young family and needed to know our home and everyone inside it would be safe. Alex recommended LED lighting to cut down our power bills; cool lighting for visibility at the barbecue and ambient lighting for outdoor entertaining areas; then warm sensor lighting to make our home the prettiest one in the street as dinner guests arrived.
Keeping your family safe is paramount. From there, Alex will recommend the best ways to bring your home to life through energy-efficient lighting, airflow, entertainment and security. If you want to get your power bills down, call Alex. If you want ambient lighting for your garden paths, pool or entertaining areas, call Alex. And if you need a back-lit shoe closet like Carrie Bradshaw, call Alex.
Qualified electricians, like Alex, will only recommend trusted products that are tested to Australian Electrical Standards and designed to keep your loved ones safe. With over 10 years’ industry experience, a growing team and two fur babies, Eddie and Dexter, often on site with him, no domestic or commercial job is too big for A Plus Electrical. A Plus Electrical services include: • Home office and home entertainment (power, lighting and surround sound installation,
TV and data points). • Residential and commercial electrical design. • Energy-efficient feature lighting and garden lighting. • Airflow (kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, laundries). • Home security and video monitoring. • Residential, commercial and investment property electrical fit-outs, installation and servicing. • Specialists in large LED screen installations for commercial use, installed in conjunction with local business, Big
Screen Video. • Safety switches, safety inspections and complete switchboard compliance upgrades. • Smoke alarm installation, replacements and maintenance. • After hours emergencies.
Photo: Supplied.
@_apluselectrical
STYLE: A PLUS ELECTRICAL
STYLE: ETIENNE
Style the Etienne way
WORDS Millie Looker
Sitting pretty on Unley Road, we walk past Etienne at least twice a day, and we’re obsessed with owner Juliet Berry’s style!
Over the past 12 years, the constantly changing front windows have enticed people to walk through Etienne’s dreamy French doors to browse the unique range of homewares, furniture, accessories and clothing, all sourced locally and across the globe.
Juliet and her team love to chat with their customers about what sparks inspiration and assist them in finding eclectic pieces to create atmosphere and layers for their home.
Because we all want a little bit of the Etienne style, we asked Juliet to share some of her ideas so we can boldly copy them in our own homes… WE ALL WANT A LITTLE BIT OF THE ETIENNE STYLE.
Dining The special rituals of breaking bread, sharing wine and cutting cake are social interactions that make the world go around. I always dress the table with unique pieces that have an unconventional look but also a timeless purpose, such as a Dinosaur Designs vase filled with flowers.
The layers start with a tablecloth from Australian label Bonnie and Neil, then the vase of flowers, with candles scattered amongst the blooms. Plates are usually a neutral colour created by a local ceramicist and complemented with our colourful Maison Balzac glassware. Living Modern spaces are minimalistic with clean cut lines, so I like to introduce a standalone piece to add vibrancy, comfort and culture. Plus, it creates a focal point to chat about! Artisanal rugs and cushions also offer the room colour, texture and warmth.
Photo: Wayne Pearson.
Bathroom Made in Australia and packaged in its timeless mahogany coloured bottle, Aesop is always my go-to for hand and body care. The richly aromatic cleansers and balms hydrate, nourish and soften your skin.
Bedroom I love to curate a bedroom space that is nurturing to live, love and ultimately, slumber. At Etienne, we house a gorgeous palette of French linen that can be mixed and layered to create a sleeping arrangement that’s completely exclusive to you. Self style Layering is my preferred way of dressing, and our offering of The Assembly Label collection does just that. Linen is the textile of choice for this incredible Australian brand, with warm woollen knits designed for the cooler months.
Juliet and the girls are waiting to welcome you into their world of beautiful objects.
@etienne_store etienne.com.au
STYLE: SUNSHINE BAROSSA AUSTRALIA
WORDS Em Worthington PHOTOS Little Gems Barossa
When it comes to leather, luxurious quality is the name of the game — and Sunshine Barossa Australia has it in spades.
The home of handcrafted bespoke leather handbags and jaw-dropping accessories, Sunshine Barossa is your stop when you want to say farewell to fast fashion and invest in something to treasure for years to come.
MEANT TO BE Establishing Sunshine Barossa was written in the stars for owner Carol Dadds, who grew up surrounded by creative people — her grandma was a tailor, her mum sewed, and both of her parents did their own leatherwork. “People say they feel a lifetime of love in my pieces — and there absolutely is! The perfection is in the uniqueness of each hide and I handpick every single one, then design and produce something special with my talented team,” she says. OUT OF THE BOX Not a handbag kinda guy or gal? No worries! Carol also creates purses, clutches, belts, duffle bags, wine bottle carriers, journal covers, keyrings, and even does industry branding by burning logos into the leather. “I get a lot of requests to do aprons, menu covers and wine bags, and can even imprint branding on wood.”
Carol has also dipped her toe into creating stunning pieces of clothing with 100 percent linen and 100 percent cotton after struggling to find styles she liked in fabric that would last. “I’m a very tactile person, so it’s all about the texture and quality of what I touch.”
Being in the Barossa has meant a huge amount of community support for Carol, and she loves nothing more than pop-ins from locals and visitors to her private studio where you can see her masterpieces. “It’s a real experience visiting the display room — it’s a little, rustic, straw-rendered building stocked full of leathers, and my workshop is right there, too.” It’s open at various times so always check the website for info. And to get a little sunshine into your life, have a squiz at her stockists across SA.
COOL TO BE KIND If you’ve got a little bugbear with buying leather, Carol wants you to know that she gets it. “A lot of people don’t understand that the leather I buy was destined for landfill, so it’s a nice way of keeping the beauty of that animal going. It’s better for the earth, as vinyl (known as vegan leather or PU leather) is plastic so it never breaks down. But I do also have a vegan range, which uses high end cork from Portugal.”
Carol Dadds .
@sunshinebarossa sunshinebarossa.com.au
