LAKE MACQUARIE Lake Mac’s best shopping CREATIVES ON THE COAST

LAKE MAC’S Best Shopping

WORDS AND PHOTOS JENNIFER ENNION

IT MAY BE POPULAR FOR WATER SPORTS, BICYCLE PATHS, BEACHES AND BUSHWALKING, BUT, IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO, THERE ARE SOME SERIOUSLY STYLISH BOUTIQUES TO DISCOVER IN LAKE MACQUARIE TOO. WE HEAD NORTH TO MEET THE NEW FACES RAISING THE BAR FOR THE REGION’S SHOPPING SCENE.

LUNA LAGUNA

A smiling Kelly McGilvray welcomes you through the doors of her new Warners Bay lifestyle emporium. The light-filled store is so fabulously styled with unique, artistic pieces you won’t know where to begin. To my left, beautiful linen gauze dresses hang as if they’re backstage at a runway show; directly in front is a timber Christmas tree adorned with silver baubles and painted seed pods from Africa. In the far corner of the store is delicate jewellery, along with sustainably sourced soy wax candles hand-poured into shells. Kelly’s collection is divine and 40 minutes easily passes perusing, chatting and buying.

The interior designer opened Luna Laguna two years ago and her merchandising catches your eye as you pass the lakefront Warners Bay shops. Along with the aforementioned products, you’ll also find bedding and cushions in neutral coastal tones, timber furniture and a smattering of skincare products. There is a plethora of seaside treasures, some of which are for sale, such as the huge bowl of spotted cowrie shells, and some of which are for admiring, including the clam-full of sea sponges she’s been collecting with her son for years.

Luna Laguna is an inviting place, where items have been thoughtfully selected and curated. You may desire new tableware for summer entertaining but it’s the genuine banter with Kelly about her love of shells and her sustainably sourced coral from a manmade coral farm in the Solomon Islands that will have you lingering, and ultimately planning your next visit.

4/12 King St, Warners Bay @lunalagunalife / lunalaguna.com.au

KWAS STUDIO

‘We wanted to create a safe space where people don’t feel intimidated,’ Caroli de Villiers tells me as we admire the airy artists’ workshop at Kwas Studio.

Caroli and her mum, Ulanda de Villiers, opened Kwas Studio in October 2021 hoping to encourage people to embrace their creativity. A couple of doors down from Luna Laguna, Kwas is part art shop, part studio where anyone aged 10 can join threehour acrylic painting workshops. It’s like a sip and paint set-up but with a much stronger focus on art and encouraging participants to stray from outdated cookie cutter expectations to find their own styles.

‘The most important thing is you’re the artist,’ says Caroli, who reiterates there’s no right or wrong way to create.

It’s an encouraging, welcoming philosophy, and so too is the store. You won’t feel overwhelmed by wallets of paintbrushes or trays of pigment. Instead, you’ll be drawn to fossick at every shelf, to thumb the pages of how-to art books and feel the texture of drawing and painting pads. Affordable blank canvases sit alongside trays of fabric paint, face-paint crayons and watercolour and graphite pencils. Then there is a small selection of lovely infant toys and baby clothing, baskets of cool brooches, stands of pretty cards and South African- and Mexican-inspired homewares. It’s the perfect place to grab a few presents for family and friends, and yourself too.

3/482 The Esplanade, Warners Bay @kwas.studio / kwas.com.au

DAISY GRACE LIFESTYLE

A little gem in Swansea’s strip of unassuming shops, Daisy Grace Lifestyle is worth pulling over for. Chelsea Harmey took over the reins of this homewares and clothing boutique a year and a half ago and although she’s kept the store’s name she’s putting her own contemporary touches on the shelves. Standout pieces include feminine earrings for any occasion, summery slides for weekends away and linen dresses in pretty pastels that are perfect for warm evenings. But you will also be tempted to pick up a few new cushions for your couch (they come in soft, tropical hues and designs); seaside prints for your walls; palm tree- and pineapplethemed tableware; candles; and citrus garnishes for cocktails and cakes. While browsing, be sure to pet Chelsea’s friendly cocker spaniel, Indi – she’s a delight.

Shop 2/158 Pacific Highway, Swansea @daisygracelifestyle / daisygracelifestyle.com »

HOME & HEART

If you’re taking the kids to Caves Beach for a swim and lunch, be sure to pop into the new Home & Heart. Opening in winter, this giftware store is a welcome addition to the Lake Macquarie shopping scene. The space is only small but there is a lovely range of products for you to pick up a stylish souvenir for yourself or a present for a friend. Freshen up your living room with Palm Beach room mist in coconut and lime, and grab a bar of sea salt soap or a shell candle. You will score brownie points, too, if you get the kids (or your spouse) a pack of giant chocolate freckles. Who can resist?

Caves Beach shops, off Caves Beach Road, Caves Beach COMMON CIRCUS

Some of the best boutiques are those that sell coffee, and that’s a large part of why we love Common Circus so much. Brunch will entice you inside and the homewares will keep you there long past your plates have been cleared. The store has a great range of high-end products for the whole family. There’s a cool kids’ corner with adorable Olli Ella dolls, wooden trucks, silicon sippy cups and the popular plush OB Designs animals. In the opposite corner, there is a fabulous selection of Seed & Sprout eco goodies, such as bamboo dish brushes, knitted dishcloths and dry shampoo. There are also ‘70s-inspired mugs, delicate cocktail glasses and bowls of teaspoons with tropical motifs – perfect for summer sundaes. And if you’re keen to spend plenty of time lunching outdoors this summer, check out the insulated picnic bags, re-useable water bottles and recycled nylon beach bags. Up front, there are chunky lifestyle books to weigh down your coffee table, plus We Are Feel Good Inc sunscreen. Before skipping out with your goods, grab the kids a bag of frosted gingerbread cookies for later.

36 Brooks Pde, Belmont @commoncircus / @commoncircuscafe / shop.commoncircus.com.au