Issue #09
ONLINE HOMEWARES MAGAZINE
The art of handcrafted plaster inspired from everything botantical
Discover the magic of the PieBox and CakeBox
CONTENTS
Photography: Steven Karl Metzer
FEATURES 6 KUBERSTORE Emily Engel brings you the art of handcrafted plaster inspired by everything botantical, from gumnuts to seed pods her work is undeniably beautiful
14 BOXD Ellen-Marie Lloyd discovered the magic of PieBox and CakeBox created by Adrienne Blumthal and Steven Metzer and with a mutual love of baking Boxd was formed
18 STYLE CRUSH
OUR COVER THE BEACH PEOPLE www.thebeachpeople.com.au
Haymes paints showcase three very different approaches to design with the talented Fiona Richardson, Simone Haag and Madeleine Stamer
24 LUSH BY KATE MAREE Kate Maree displays her world through a
collection of handmade pieces of work along with a selection of blossoming up and coming Australian designers
27 SUMMER ENJOYMENT Make a splash this summer with some fun and creative designs - from throw rugs to stylish umbrellas - we have found a piece to suit you.
30 THE BEACH PEOPLE Emma and Victoria, two sisters with a love for the sea have created a stunning range of handdrawn and designed round towels - affectionately called roundies
36 SUMMER LOVIN’ What better to relax in summer than to put your feet up and chill out in your favourite rattan hanging chair from Byron Bay Hanging Chairs
CONTACT US: hello@wiinkelenmagazine.com or advertising@winkelenmagazine.com. Website: www.winkelenmagazine.com
REGULARS 44 STEEL WORKS
72 COUNTRY CULTURE
Turning a love of art into decorative steel artworks, Lisa Turley has forged herself a thriving new career
Angela Lavender created a marketplace where artisans from every corner of the country could sell their unique products with the endorsement of Country Culture
56 COME INTO THE GARDEN Anna Johnson’s exclusive new collection for Urban Road is a homage to the flower in all her permutations
62 REDUXR Roberto and Meaghan Rodriguez capture an elegance of time gone by with their stunning works
66 RAW SUNSHINE COAST Chris Rawlins and Katie Bishop from RAW specialise in handcrafted custom made reclaimed unique timber furniture
78 VANILLA SLATE DESIGNS Best friends, Lyndie and Eriana have combined their talents to create Vanilla Slate Designs, an interior design business and homewares brand
82 OUTDOOR FURNITURE Tina Chrissanthi Souvlis from Outdoor Furniture Corporation tells us how she went from the laboratory to running her own business
4 Moodboard 5 We love 12 Must Have 65 Etsy finds 82 Business directory
PLUS
A selection product pages featuring cushions, lighting, art prints and more
MOOD BOARD MILLIE FAIRHALL SMALL CHEESEBOARD - LARA This beautiful serving board is lovingly handcrafted by Millie Fairhall from reclaimed Spalted Camphor timber.It is handpainted and sealed to protect the painted surface. Whether you use it to serve cheese,dips,antipastos, fruit,breakfast or even dinner, this beautiful Spalted Camphor timber board will present your favorite foods with a unique style and organic simplicity. Price $80. Stockist: www.thelovelybird.bigcartel.com
COLUMN VASES, 2014 Constructed by joining coloured porcelain with a stoneware clay base these vases seek to contrast the sleek polish of porcelain with the rustic nature of the stoneware, aiming for refinement while still allowing the unique quirks and characteristics of clay in each piece. Stockists: sophiemoran
MINI WATERMELON AND PINEAPPLE BANNERS BY WILD HEARTS ONLINE It is made from a natural coloured linen weave material and various felt colours. They are approximately 10x15cm (4x6in) in size. The fruit is hand cut from felt and the sides are machine stitched. The banner hangs from a wooden dowel rod and is strung up with natural coloured twine. Price $25. Stockist: www.wildheartsonline.com.au
Win a $250 voucher from
PICK YOUR PRIZE - HEAD OVER TO LIFELIVEITUP.COM.AU
To enter all you need to do is: 1. Subscribe to Winkelen magazine; 2. Like Winkelen magazine and Life - Live it Up on facebook or Instagram; 3. Tell us in 25 words or less (on Facebook) what item/s you would choose and why #Only one prize winner drawn. *All current subscribers are automatically entered into the draw. Winner is announced on our Facebook site on the 28 January, 2015.
Grass Stools. The grass stool is a unique design that incorporates a small garden bed topped with grass as the seating surface. With galvanised tube powdercoated clear, recycled hardwood timber and drainage, the grass stools have been designed as outdoor seating in cafes, homes and apartment living. Price $189. Stockist: www.huddleandco.com
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1] Fenton and Fenton Large Copper Pot - White Zigzag. Price $250. Stockist: www.fentonandfenton.com.au 2] Ivy Muse Hourglass Pot Stand-Burnt Copper. Beautiful, functional plant stands that allow you to get creative with your greenery. Price $150. Stockist: www.fentonandfenton.com.au 3] Terrance Bar Cart - Natural. welcome guests with a refreshing drink, but his usefulness does not end at displaying barware & beverages. Price $455. Stockist: www.bowerhouse.com.au
kuberstore
Emily Engel brings you the art of handcrafted plaster inspired by everything botantical, from gumnuts to seed pods her work is undeniably beautiful Tell us a bit about your business? My name is Emily, and my handmade business is called Kuberstore. I make cast plaster homewares and jewellery, selling through my online store and at local craft markets. Most of my pieces are botanical in theme, and include items such as seedpod wall hangings, Christmas and Easter decorations, sculptural eggs and nests, and brooches and necklaces.
Tell us about yourself and your background? I live with my husband Carl, our cat Oliver, and a small flock of bantam chickens in Brisbane. I have degrees in fine art and design, and I have worked as a bookseller, visual merchandiser and graphic designer. Now, Kuberstore is my job, although I also like to swim, hike, bake, sew, garden and dream about finding lost treasure.
< continued from previous page What sparked you to create your business? I opened my Etsy shop in 2007, making animal-shaped ‘Beastie’ decorations from old corrugated iron, and typographic wall art hand-carved from plasterboard. I was working as a graphic designer at the time, and needed an outlet for an excess of creativity that wasn’t being used up at work. Sometimes I would have so many orders for my hand-carved plaster pieces that I didn’t know how I would fill them all in a timely manner. That lead me to investigate ways to make multiples of an original, and thus into making moulds and casting in plaster. What processes are involved in creating your pieces? These days most of my work is in cast plaster, although I also love working with sticks and timber. I make silicone moulds from botanical items such as eggs, gumnuts, pine cones and other seedpods, and then use them to create plaster casts. The plaster I use has a high content of silica, so the cast result is quite dense – about as strong as fired porcelain. I love that plaster undergoes a chemical reaction that makes it go warm as it’s curing – for me it’s as though it’s somehow coming to life. Once dry, it can be carved and sanded – it’s a lovely material. Some of my plaster pieces are painted with watercolours, which is another exciting process. Because of the varying densities of the cast plaster (for example, smaller particles naturally accumulate in the bottom of a mould, making the plaster in that part a little denser than the plaster at the top, which can contain tiny bubbles), the surface absorbs watercolour pigment in differing strengths, so I am always getting new and unpredictable results.
What inspires you in your designs? I am a homebody, so I create items that firstly, I want to have in my own home, and then that I hope others will want in theirs. Being out in nature is very sustaining for me, and I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to making collections of natural things. Leaves, rocks, shells, weathered wood, feathers… when I find an old bird’s nest that has fallen from a tree I am a very happy collector indeed. What do you love the most about having your own label? It’s like a projection of my own identity, so when people respond positively to it, it makes me feel really good. Who are some of your favourite designers? I really admire the work of online sellers who, when they announce that they are going to have a shop update, their pieces sell out within minutes. Brooklyn timber-worker Ariele Alasko and English fabric sculptor Mr Finch are two who spring to mind. I also love the work of Peter Bellerby, whose London-based traditional globe-making business Bellerby & Co. is just so intriguing to me. I became interested in his work because he was using plaster as a material, and so was I. I actually have one of his globes and it is a truly beautiful thing – every piece of it has been hand made. Quality, originality and obvious care are apparent in the work of these three makers, and these are the things I try to emulate in my own work.
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< continued from previous page What is your favourite item in your store right now and why? I have a wall hanging made out of tiny white cast plaster gumnuts that is taking pride of place on my living room wall at the moment – I will be a little bit sorry when it goes to a new home, as I love having it in mine. The gumnuts that I used to make the mould were from our garden – I was watching some galahs feeding in the gum trees above, and these gumnuts were raining down around me – the galahs were noisy and hanging upside down from the branches (as galahs do) and it made me smile. What has been your biggest highlight? It took me a few years to become brave enough to get Kuberstore ‘out in public’ at my first craft market. That first one was truly terrifying to me. Overcoming that shyness and becoming progressively more comfortable with the market scene has been a great experience, and I’ve met so many lovely hand-makers and customers as a result. Eventually I applied for Finders Keepers, one of the premier design markets held only twice yearly here in Brisbane, and was humbled and delighted to be accepted. What are your plans for the future? In the coming year I would like to focus on doing ‘fewer but bigger’ markets, and I am also considering getting a proper wholesaling structure in place. I’ve filled some casual wholesale orders in the past, and I see it as being the logical next step for me.
CONTACT: www.kuberstore.com
Readers are welcome to 10% off the purchase price of any item/s in my Etsy shop by using the coupon code ‘WINKELEN’. Shipping cost cannot be discounted.
MUST HAVE Unique wares for your home - will me make focus points
Decor Bud Flask. We love vintage bottles and this happy little flask is created from one of our favourite bottles from our collection they look great on their own or as part of a set, beautiful with or without flowers. Price $40. Stockist: Pebuku Pottery
Lollipop Table. Fun, vibrant and playful. Perfect in your kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; room or for those who like a bit of colour in their lives. Made from 35mm mixed Australian hardwoods and featuring a colourful cylindrical base. Colours used are standard or we can customise to your specification. Price $1,250. Stockist: rustfurniture.com.au
Donguri. Hand thrown ceramic Donguri with hand turned white oak lids from reclaimed timber. Also available in Shiro, Kami, Ishi, Koburi, Matsu and Goma. Stockist: wingnutand.co
The Groper. This recycled timber deck is laser engraved to expose the grain of the timber, providing a textured surface, eliminating the need for grip tape. The deck is small, portable and stylish, ready to be assembled with your choice of trucks, wheels and bearings. Price $99. Stockist: www.huddleandco.com
Photography: Steven Karl Metzer
boxd
Ellen-Marie Lloyd discovered the magic of PieBox and CakeBox created by Adrienne Blumthal and Steven Metzer and with a mutual love of baking Boxd was formed Introducing Boxd: Ellen-Marie Lloyd of Boxd, based in Sydney, NSW, introduces Adrienne Blumthal, one of the creators of PieBox™ & CakeBox™, based in Chicago, IL. BOXD is the Australian distributer of the PieBox™ & CakeBox™. Tell us a bit about your business and how it was formed? The idea came about while I was finishing my last quarter of pastry school. (Note: pervious to that, I had worked in marketing at an agency for 8 years. I always had a dream to go to pastry school, so it was a total career change for me!) I was constantly baking beautiful pastries as either schoolwork or to share with friends and family, but was having a hard
time getting them to where they needed to be. My only options for transporting seemed to be cardboard, which is very flimsy or plastic containers, which are not visually appealing. Struggling to find a better solution, I took matters into my own hands. With the assistance of my husband Steve and my sister Carol, the first PieBox was born. The CakeBox came shortly after. We are a small family business (myself, my husband Steve and my sister Carol). Soon after our US launch, we received a lot of interest in the Australian marketplace. Shipping from the US to Australia was very expensive given the size of our products. So expensive it was nearly impossible to ship them to customers. We knew we needed a better solution, and we were looking for one.
Then, Ellen Marie Lloyd reached out last January after seeing our products in the December issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. As a baking enthusiast herself, she loved the products and wanted to work with us to figure out a way tor bring them Australia. After several months of hard work and many, many late night/early morning conversations via Skype, Ellen Marie created the company BOXD, just to import and distribute our products and share them within the Australian marketplace. The products launched officially in Australia at the Cake, Bake & Sweets Show in Melbourne last October. BOXD is operated out of Sydney, NSW, and ships Australian-wide. continued on next page >
< continued from previous page What sparked you to create your business? We started to produce PieBox and CakeBox because there was a need for a better pastry carrier. Bakers spend so much time making beautiful desserts, we all need something beautiful to put them in and easier ways share them. Can you tell us about your gorgeous pie and cake boxes? All of our products are handcrafted in the USA. Our boxes are made from North American pine and our straps are made from vegetable tanned leather. • CakeBox™, wooden cake and cupcake carrier. CakeBox can accommodate round layer cakes or 18 cupcakes. Sold with and optional leather handle. • PieBox™, wooden pie carrier. PieBox accommodates most standard-sized 9-inch pie plates. Sold with an optional leather-carrying strap.
What do you love the most about running your own business? There are many things I love about running my own business, but the positive response from our customers is one of the most rewarding. So many of our customers share personal stories and photos of special moments in their lives that our products were part of. A birthday or an anniversary or even just a picnic with an old friend. It very rewarding to know that our products play such a positive roll in peoples lives. Your love of baking inspired your business. Can you tell us your favourite cake or pie to bake? Such a hard question! I am a sucker for a great chocolate cake. It’s simple, but sometimes the best things in life are. My favorite pie to make (and eat) is sour cherry. Sour cherries grow in the nearby state of Michigan and have a very short four week season in July. When they are in season they make an amazing pie - the
perfect amount of tart and sweet. What has been your biggest highlight? We’ve hit many milestones in our two and half years of business and bringing our products to Australia is at the top of the list. We started the company working out of our garage and warehousing in our living room. The demand for our products grew and so did we. With the help of Ellen Marie and Boxd, we’ve been able to share our products with the Australian marketplace. We look forward to many more years of growing together. Do you have any advice for our readers who love all things for the kitchen? Have fun in the kitchen! Try new things, techniques and tools. Use the recipes that your mothers and grandmothers used and teach your children or nieces and nephews how to cook and bake. CONTACT: Boxd the official distributor for Australia. www.boxd.net.au
Photography: Steven Karl Metzer
style crush At Haymes, they applaud originality and encourage people to pour personality into their homes. It’s really rewarding to look around and see that the things you’ve collected over the years – family treasures, kids’ art, designer pieces, vintage finds, your own creations and even the big-store furniture – come together in a look that could only be yours. Here we showcase three very different approaches to design with the talented Fiona Richardson, Simone Haag and Madeleine Stamer who take us into their own homes and share their thoughts behind what makes a space truly sing. You never know what you might be inspired to start.
simone haag Simone Haag’s Scandinavian tree-house aesthetic is truly unique. An obsessive ‘hunter gatherer’, Simone’s collection of ceramics, art and furniture layer her modernist home with character – helped along by her cheeky baby Goldie and rescue hound Tank. Simone’s colours of choice: Haymes Organic 1 and Haymes Peach Blossom.
Photography: Eve Wilson
madeleine stamer Madeleine Stamer’s love of colour abounds in a joyful collection of art and objects that cover almost every inch of her home. Her own watercolours sit alongside beloved folk art pieces and ‘originals’ from her two girls. The result is a space as individual as her limited edition prints. Madeleine’s colours of choice: Haymes Cherish and Haymes Chalkboard Paint
fiona richardson Fiona Richardson’s classic-meets-eclectic style is achieved through a skillful curation of treasured family heirlooms, vintage finds and bold textiles and colour choices. Her home is a haven to her boisterous family of three young boys – proving style and chaos can comfortably co-exist! Fiona’s colours of choice: Haymes Memory and Haymes Soft Ash
WIN A PERSONALISED ROOM MAKEOVER Haymes Paints are offering you the chance to win a one-on-one styling session with your favourite ‘style crush’* (Fiona Richardson, Madeleine Stamer or Simone Haag), $1000 Haymes paint and a $1000 Fenton and Fenton gift voucher. For details on how to enter go to www.haymespaint.com.au/style-crush
Photography: Jesse Luke Photography
lush by kate maree Kate Maree displays her world through a collection of handmade pieces of work along with a selection of blossoming up and coming Australian designers Tell us a bit about your business and how it was formed? Lush by Kate Maree came about by following a dream. It completely captures everything I live and breathe. We are a modern homewares lifestyle brand, originating in Sydney. It is our pride and joy to hand craft timber goodies in all shapes and forms, from cheese boards to counters and everything in between. We also love to work with soy wax, and are in love with our newest edition to the familyâ&#x20AC;Ś the I AM candle range with a gorgeous arrangement of scents.
How did your career begin? From early schooling days, art and design were a huge part of my life. I quickly learnt that a small hobby of creating could be my future employer. I was thrilled to find my first wholesale opportunity where I experienced the love of the retail world in an eclectic homewares shop, and shortly after found myself opening my own retail store. What sparked you to create your business? The overwhelming support of family, friends and customers allowed me to take the first
step into my homewares dream. The love of being my own boss, and being in charge of my own creations was also a bright spark which directed me to open my shop, and push my label. Finally though, my desire to show the world the amazing abilities of so many talented artisans, was the final insentive to the creation of my business. Can you tell us where you source your gorgeous homewares from and how do you select the right item for your store? I choose my products based on my
visualisation of my own home and aim to draw those aspects that I love together to create a unique feel and style for my store. I admire handmade products as I feel more love and passion is put into every piece, and of course reflects the image of my own label. For this reason I only source handmade products, created in our beautiful country, Australia. What do you love the most about having your own store? I love that I am able to show my creative side in the store. I am in the position to style and bring no limitations to my world. I aim to bring the best possible products from a wide range of fabulous designers to meet my customers’ needs. I also love being my own boss and being in control of my dreams and desires. The possibilities are endless!
Who are some of your favourite designers? Some of my most loved items come from an eclectic range from Byron Bay designers “Hope and May”. Their stunning range has always been inspiration to me as it reflects simple and raw homewares and clothing with an ethereal feel. There are countless fantastic designers that I follow closely as we are blessed with such fresh new talent!
What has been your biggest highlight? My biggest highlight would most definitely be the creation of my online store (www. lushbykatemaree.com). This has allowed me to continue to grow my customer base further than my boutique in Kenthurst, Sydney. It has allowed me to reach greater feats than I could have imagined and allows customers further insight into the world of Lush.
What do you consider to be a must have item in your home? Candles! It’s a must. The gentle aromas can personalise your home and transform any space. Our new I AM range connects emotions and one’s self to an array of sweet scents. There isn’t a candle which couldn’t suit a home as they light up any space with a personal, positive and gentle vibe.
Do you have any advice for our readers who love all things for the home? The greatest advice I can share to any homewares lover is simply follow your dream. My latest I AM candle range displays this love for personal individuality. There are no limitations, especially when decorating or designing your own space. continued on next page >
< continued from previous page Creating a space for your home should come straight from the heart and reflect everything youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re passionate about. As a lover of homey things, I like to keep it simple, raw, with a natural and earthy touch. There can be no greater product than one especially made to suit you. What do you foresee as the next big trend? I believe handmade products are quickly catching the attention of the modern
homeowner. It is much more rewarding to create your own unique piece that suits you and reflects your space, rather than moulding a mass produced item to a preexisting room. The vast array of incredible Australian designers and creators is never ending and I believe their products cannot be matched. There is nothing more special than a handcrafted piece made with love and uniquely designed for you. CONTACT: www.lushbykatemaree.com
The Beach People collection see their feature article on page 30. Stockist: www.thebeachpeople.com.au
SUMMER SPECIAL
Make a splash this summer with some fun and creative designs from throw rugs to stylish umbrellas - we have found a piece to suit you.
SUMMER SPECIAL
Sea shade from Sea & Me. Price $160. Stockist: shop. seaandme.com.au
Have some fun with your beach accessories - here are a few things we have found Beach bag from Sea & Me. Price $160. Stockist: shop.seaandme.com.au
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1] Offset mid velour towel. Price $39.99. Stockist: www.ripcurl.com.au 2] Wallpaper Stripe Beach Chair. Sit back and relax this summer with our crashmat beach chair. Price $69.95. Stockist: www.crashmatstore.com 3] Beach throw between the lines. Ideal for lazy days lounging on the sand. Price $99.95. Stockist: shop.seaandme.com.au 4] Havaianas fresh lilo - fresh fuschia. Havaianas thong has well and truly become the essential style accessory for summer. Price $49.95. Stockist: www.surfstitch.com 5] Basil Bangs Jungle Fever Beach Umbrella. This lush tropical print features lobsters, watermelon, passionfruit and plenty of foliage to keep you cool this summer. Price $249. Stockist: www.thedesignhunter.com.au 6] Chevron Bag-Blue. These tote bags are the perfect shoppers. Great for everyday wear or for the beach. Price $29.95. Stockist: www.bluebungalow.com.au 7] Paradise Found Velour Towel. Made from plush cotton velour, the Rip Curl Paradise Found Velour Towel has a vibrant print, and is finished with tassel trims. Price $59.99. Stockist: www.theiconic.com.au 8] Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wood Frame Polarised Retro Style Sunglasses - Rosewood. Price $80. Stockist: www.rockribbonsecogifts.com
SUMMER SPECIAL
Emma and Victoria, two sisters with a love for the sea have created a stunning range of handdrawn and designed round towels - affectionately called roundies
Tell us a bit about your business? The Beach People was founded by two sea loving sisters Emma (that’s me) and Victoria. We simply designed a collection of sea essentials that we felt where missing from our lives. Things to bring bliss to our days at the beach. Tell us about yourself and your background? Both Victoria and I have a history in retail. We had always dreamt of owning our own business. We kicked our day jobs to the kerb two years ago and haven’t looked back. What sparked you to create your business? To live a lifestyle we created and enjoy with our families. That and our love for all things sea… What processes are involved in creating your pieces? Many processes, we love our round towels all hand drawn and designed in house by us, made with love for you. We sample a LOT making sure we got the perfect product which is everything… I would always recommend taking your time to perfect your product. continued on next page >
< continued from previous page What inspires you in your designs? Nature, the sea…Our Majorelle round towel way inspired by the Moroccan gardens owned my Yves Saint Laurent. Inspiration is all around.
What is your favourite item in your store right now and why? The roundie (our round towels) perfect for everything really. Beach, Picnic, poolside! I have mine in the car at all times ready to go!
What do you love the most about having your own label? We love being our own bosses, where you can work hard and reap the benefits of all your hard work. I loving being able to create unique designs and products.
What has been your biggest highlight? We get a real kick from seeing our customers enjoying our collection, it’s the best! It reminds me why we do what we do. We love our roundies and we’re just stoked you all do too.
Who are some of your favourite designers? We love to support Australian designers Sybella Court, Mark Tuckey ect When it comes to fashion we are kinda tshirt and rip jeans girls… Isabele Marant, Spell & the gypsy kid, One teaspoon, Bassike and the local vintage stores.
What are your plans for the future? More TBP products. We are working on our next collection at the moment. Some beautiful collaborations and a short film or two just for fun. CONTACT: www.thebeachpeople.com.au
Cotton On - The Hall collection. The ultimate summer set! Stockist: Cotton On
Bringing a touch of class to your outdoor entertaining area is so easy with a huge range of styles available
Granada Furniture Range available through www.globewest.com.au
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1] Luxembourg Low Armchair - Verbena. extremely eye catching range which is very user friendly and functional. Price $895. Stockist: www.classicwithatwist.com.au 2] Tait - Volley Dining Chair. Say hello to Volley. Volley is equally happy sitting courtside, next to all the action, as relaxing on a terrace, soaking up the summer sun. Price $640. Stockist: www.fentonandfenton.com.au 3] BN Bermuda Chair with Cushion. Galvanised steel base, powder coated with collected French driftwood back and polyurethane drainage cushions. Outdoor fabric. Stockist: www.cocorepublic.com.au 4] On The Move Table - Mint. Made from aluminium, it is the ideal accompaniment for outdoor and indoor use. Price $550. Stockist: www.fentonandfenton.com.au 5] Ibiza Outdoor Sofa. Lacquered stainless steel, debarked woods and reclaimed timber planks. Stockist: www.cocorepublic.com.au 6] Coast White Cross Leg Dining Table with Wooden and Timber Teak Slats from Harbour Outdoor. Price $2195. Stockist: www.urbancouture.com.au 7] Pylon Bar Stool. Designed by Australian Designer Rory Unite. owered-coated Galvanized Steel / Rope or Steel Footrest / French Oak Legs Price: $660. Stockist: www.satara.com.au 8] Textiline Folding Chair. Burmese teak with stainless steel hardware. Price $290. Stockist: www.satara.com.au
SUMMER SPECIAL
What better to relax in summer than to put your feet up and chill out in your favourite rattan hanging chair from Byron Bay Hanging Chairs
Chatting with Leanne Dunnings from Byron Bay Hanging Chairs Tell us a bit about your business? Byron Bay Hanging Chairs was created out of the pure ‘love and obsession’ with the iconic hanging chair from the 60’s and 70’s. The classic shape, the raw natural material and the charm it can bring to your home. Tell us about yourself and your background? I’ve always worked within the fashion industry and my last position was National Wholesale Manager for a large women’s fashion label in Sydney. We left the big smoke nearly two years ago with two very small children and moved to the Byron Bay area. I don’t know what it is about the area but it has an amazing creative energy about it. So after 18 months of being at home I yearned to do something else with me time. This was when Byron Bay Hanging Chairs was born. I also run a small fashion agency, selling a label into the Queensland market. What sparked you to create your business? In all honestly, it was because I really wanted one myself. The synthetic ones on those stands just aren’t the same. I really wanted a classic natural rattan one hung with rope from the ceiling. I kind of got obsessed. My husband was scared. I searched high and low on ebay, auction centres and stores. I decided to source them myself. It was then I started my instagram account to see if there was anyone else out there who liked them. Turns out yes. I sold my first shipment within weeks! What processes are involved in creating your pieces? My inspiration does come from vintage pieces. After the first sample arrives I generally tweak a few details and then I work on stains and colour options. They are all hand made from sustainable rattan. Did you know rattan is a fast growing and renewable resource that requires no pesticides or fertilisers? Rattan is also much easier to
harvest and transport, requires simpler tools and grows much faster than most tropical wood. What is your favourite summer moment? Feet up, swinging in my chair with a G&T in the hand and the sunshine on my face. Sitting with my husband and watching our children run around laughing and playing (ok sometimes yelling and fighting...but you did as my favourite summer moment!) Sometimes it’s the little things. we should cherish the most. Give us an insight into how we could laze away the day in one of your chairs on a beautiful summer’s day? There is something about sitting in a hanging chair that makes you feel light and almost like a kid again. Its a beautiful feeling. I love the idea of taking your hanging chair from the deck or inside, bringing it out to hang under a tree on a beautiful day. Laying lots of rugs and cushions on the ground. The morning could be filled with coffees and newspapers and the afternoon with friends sitting around a picnic, sharing stories and laughter. Which chair is your favourite to relax in? Thats a hard one. I like them all for different reasons. Maybe The Coco, for its simplicity and classic vintage shape. What has been your biggest highlight? I was pretty excited when Fenton & Fenton wanted to stock my chairs! What are your plans for the future? Im hopeless at planning and just like to see what unfolds.
CONTACT: Leanne Dunnings byron-bay-hanging-chairs.myshopify.com
Indigo BeachTipi. Original tipi style beach tent designed in Byron Bay Australia.ndigo dyed and made individually by hand in Bali. Breathable rayon provide sun protection that stays cool on the beach. Price $285. Stockist: www. gingerandgilligan.com
MOODBOARD WITH SACHA ALAGICH
Gold Palm wall art from Urban Road Katar Collection Bamboo Bowls from Adairs
Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let anyone dull your sparkle Poster from Typo
SACHA ALAGICH ESCAPE TO PARADISE www.escapetoparadise.com.au Escape to Paradise is a place where dreams can come true, where you can live the tropical lifestyle every day. Escape to Paradise is now an international brand and I am so lucky to be working with a truly wonderful team who has helped this dream to come true. Our range includes gorgeous homewares and accessories inspired by exotic tropical locations around the world and are designed in Australia. My life long dream is creating a brand that brings a smile to customers faces and to help them feel like they are on a holiday every day.
Hello Flower Candle from Coco Daydream
Stonewash White quilt cover from Adairs
Flamingo Island cushion from Freedom
1950s Zig Zag Outdoor Chair from The Family Love Tree
Bells Beach Blue Bag from Sunny Jim
Sailor Stripe Clock Mint from Cabin Co
Spinout Notebook from Typo
Dip turquoise pot from Pop and Scott
Portsea Sun Lounger in Natural. Price $299. Stockist: www.freedom.com.au
What better way to enjoy the Aussie summer than with these great ideas!
Blue Bamboo Bowls - Set of 7. Price $149.95. Stockist: www. sampan.com.au
Ahoy Trader â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Large Porthole Pine Diamond. Price $175. Stockist: cocoandviolet.com.au
Rattan Glass Top Table Jade. Price $295. Stockist: The Family Love Tree
Striped Beach Mat in Red. Price $34.95. Stockist: www.lifeliveitup.com.au
Classic Candle gelato. Price $39.95. Stockist: www.mozi. com.au
Handcrafted Coconut Splash Soul Deck. Price $150. Stockist: www.amescollective.com
Chair/hammock Orange With Pillows. Luxury Handmade hammock chair holds up to 150kg. Price $119. Stockist: www.thetoucanshop.com
Sunny Spot Beach towel. Price $59. Stockist: www. castleandthings. com.au
Pineapple Candle Large - Turquoise. Price $39.95. Stockist: www. sunnylife.com.au
Tribal Jacquard towel. Price $89. Stockist: www.bellamee.com
Cooler Bag - Bronte. Price $39.95. Stockist: www.sunny life.com.au
Awareness Love Rug. Price $149. Stockist: www. basilbangs.com
Ahoy Trader Large Tile Fruit. Price $120. Stockist: www. cocoandviolet.com.au Tropical fabric wall hanging. Price $49.95. Stockist: www.cottonon.com
Tropical Tales 2. Never is the rainforest more alive than in summer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the tropical wet season. Price $120. Stockist: www.urbanroad.com.au
Port Hole hand painted individual artwork set of 4. Price $349.95. Stockist: www.libbywatkins.com
Anniversary Beach Towel A summer essential, our special edition birthday beach towel features an iconic printed logo and monochrome twisted cord trim. Price $59.95 Stockist: www.countryroad.com.au Melamine side plate - swimmers. Price $11.95. Stockist: www.mozi.com.au
To Go - Soy Travel Candle - Passionfruit, Orange & Citronella. Price $19.95. Stockist: www. atise.com.au
Indoor / Outdoor Ottoman : Una. Price $149. Stockist: www.i-spy-homewares. myshopify.com
Anemone Sketchbook Ceramic. Price $22. Stockist: www.illumecandles.com
Bamboo Small Bowl - Azure Stripe. Price $29.95. Stockist: Escape to Paradise
White Pod Chair. Price $735. Stockist: I Spy Homewares
Into the Woods candles. Price $49.95. Stockist: www.emmelle.com.au
Pineapple & Coconut hand poured soy wax candle. 80hrs burntime, 550grams. Price $44.95. Stockist: Anvil Creek Co
Amalfi Havana Chair. Price $179.95. Stockist: www. amalfihomewares.com.au
Tea Light Tube - Artwork By Annie Davidson. Price $24.95. Stockist: www. graceandjames.com.au Have You Met Miss Jones Aztec Footed Bowl Peach. Price $22. Stockist: www. thefamilylovetree.com.au
Escape to Paradise Coral Pineapple Front. Price $79.95. Stockist: www.escapetoparadise.com.au
SUMMER SPECIAL
Turning a love of art into decorative steel artworks, Lisa Turley has forged herself a thriving new career Tell us a bit about your business? â&#x20AC;&#x153;LisaSarahâ&#x20AC;? creates premium quality eco-friendly steel artworks for your home, garden or business. Launched in 2007, with a handful of high grade stainless steel works, my slightly obsessive passion for steel has grown into what it is today incorporating both stainless and recycled steel in a wholesale range (releasing 2 main new collections per year) through stockists in NZ and Australia, a gallery range (sold through exhibitions) and I also offer a commission service to work with a client to create that extra special something. All of my art is made in New Zealand and each piece is finished by hand. continued on next page >
< continued from previous page Tell us about yourself and your background? I’m a mum of two phenomenally awesome boys, Corban, 10, and Denham, 8, and married to Baden. From an early age I’ve had a passion for colour, design and art. As a child I used to make cards incessantly and practice lettering and colouring techniques. Randomly, I have a Science degree and worked in software development, web design and retail strategy before becoming a mum - which gave me the opportunity to follow my passion. I always used to read articles about Mums who started businesses and was very envious yet totally in awe of them. They
seemed to have it all – a mix of family life and something they were passionate about... I didn’t ever think it would one day be me. What sparked you to create your business? In 2006, we bought our home. It has a big unattractive “feature” wall in the garden - essentially just blocks the neighbour. I looked everywhere for some outdoor wall art and apart from hideous imported tacky stuff, I couldn’t find anything. So, I researched the best materials and came up with some of my own. At the time I was on maternity leave, had recently completed an interior design course and was about to have our second child. I started making smaller pieces and selling via TradeMe, plus to and through friends before being approached by a couple of
galleries to show some work with them. New Zealanders and Australians spend a lot of time entertaining outdoors, and I thought there was a real need for affordable, yet stylish art that was suitable for outdoors In 2010, I showed at the NZ Spring Gift Fair and picked up nearly 100 stockists overnight and life started from then. What processes are involved in creating your pieces? Ideas swirl around in my brain for days/ weeks/months before they eventuate. I jot things down all the time and play around with designs. They are stuck around my walls so I can continue tweaking until they are perfect. Once I’m happy then I design them on the computer and cut some samples.
Depending on the design and what my vision is for it, I’ll either make it in stainless steel or recycled steel and then spray in a colour. At the moment I’m loving metallic – copper and gold. If it’s for a commissioned piece, I’ll usually jot a few ideas down and work closely with my client on what they do or don’t’ like then produce some mocked up designs for their feedback. It’s important to me to product a collaborative piece that they will love for years to come. What inspires you in your designs? Absolutely everything. Nature, colour, the beach, travel, my kids – my youngest has an obsession with unicorns so he inspired the unicorn piece from 2013 - and I have a completely unhealthy passion for fonts. I really love quirky sayings too. What do you love the most about having your own label? The flexibility it gives me to work around my boys and also the variety – I get to combine being a mum with a life of design and décor and couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do. Every day brings something new. I really enjoy having the freedom to create but also love liaising with stockists and clients and the Gift Fairs where I can meet new people, chat to existing stockists and just get to take the “mum” hat off just for a wee while. I also get an awesome sense of achievement when I design and make a piece that I just know will be a winner. continued on next page >
< continued from previous page Who are some of your favourite designers? Frank Lloyd Wright, David Trubridge, Marimekko, Missoni…. Ah, so many more too. What is your favourite item in your store right now and why? “Live in the Sunshine” from my most recent collection. I love the recycled steel, the circle, my handwritten font, the pop of yellow, summer, the beach and the sun and it makes me smile each time I see it. What has been your biggest highlight? I have more than one. It was an honour being invited to show some work at the entrance to Toast, the biggest antipodean festival in the northern hemisphere in 2009. Then I was completely blown away and humbled at my first Gift Fair in 2010 with sales, stockists and the interest in my work being quite overwhelming.
Finally, the first time I was asked for some photos of my work by media and then saw them in print – I was all a flutter inside. What are your plans for the future? I’m currently working on my next range – super secret and exciting. I’d love to continue to grow in Australia. Aside from one or two areas, I have a great stockist base in NZ, with strong relationships with my retailers. I enjoy collaborating with them as to what is going to work for them in their stores (and have designed specific pieces for some retailers) and would love to have more of an opportunity to do this in Australia too. It’s important to me that my work isn’t found everywhere though. I want it to be exclusive and “special” and continue to produce using recyclable steel and finish by hand. Maybe collaboration with another designer too – watch this space. CONTACT: www.lisasarah.com
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1] Shrubbery 2m Large Umbrella. Basil Bangs’ bigger outdoor umbrellas have designed for outdoor use. Price $790. Stockist: www.basilbangs.com 2] Suck UK colour changing umbrella by Shop Until. This colour changing umbrella is printed with special ink, white when dry, that comes to life when in contact with water. Price $69.95 Stockist: www.hardtofind.com.au 3] Acapulco Beach Umbrella. With a complementary carry bag, the polyester canopy sports a UPF 30 protective coating, so you can stay safe all day long. Price $89.95. Stockist: www.sunnylife.com.au 4] The Hideaway Beach Umbrella. Features the We Are Handsome signature SS14 print ‘The Hideaway’. And indeed we think this umbrella is the perfect little hideaway during summer Price $249. Stockist: www.basilbangs.com 5] Pom-Pom Beach Umbrella. Create a glamorous vacation look on the beach this summer with this super chic cotton canvas beach umbrella with chi chi pom-pom detailing. Price $159. Stockist: www.bellamee.com 6] Cockatoo Beach Umbrella. Both fashionable and sun smart, provides protection from the elements. Price $119. Stockist: www.sunnylife.com.au 7] CLe Pixel 2.8m Large Umbrella. Ideal for residential and commercial settings. Price $999. Stockist: www.basilbangs.com 8] Missoni Beach Umbrella. Stay on trend with the Missoni beach umbrella, exclusive to Missoni for Target. Stockist: www.lifeliveitup.com.au
Have some fun and relax in style with these gorgeous wares sure to give you some summer pleasure
SUMMER SPECIAL
Cotton On - The Hall collection. The ultimate summer umbrella! Perfect for your outdoor table or take it with you to all your favourite sunny spots and just chill the day away. Price $69.95. Stockist: Cotton On
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1] Beach towel - Six Degrees Pixagon. Double-sided, 100% cotton towel in a 1.5 metre round designed by Mr Fenton exclusively for Fenton & Fenton. Price $130. Stockist: www.fentonandfenton.com.au 2] Inflatable Beach Ball. Play with the ball in the backyard & keep everyone entertained for hours. Price $45. Stockist: www.allthatineed.com.au 3] Mighty Mug Ice Blue. Mighty Mug just got cooler with itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stay-cool double wall construction and patented Smartgrip technology. Price $29.95. Stockist: www.beyondcool.com.au 4] Pineapple Ice Cube Tray - Orange & Purple. Add a tropical feel to your drinks with these pineapple ice cube trays. Price $25. Stockist: www.fentonandfenton.com.au 5] Basil Bangs Jungle Fever Outdoor Cushion. ideal for summers spent in swimsuits and in all weather. Price $85. Stockist: www.thedesignhunter.com.au 6] Giant Inflatable Swan. This fun pool toy is perfect for Spring and Summer! Price $89.95. Stockist: www.downthatlittlelane.com.au 7] Pineapple pitcher in mint. Quench your thrist in style this summer. Price $49.95. Stockist: www.cottonon.com 8] Miro Outdoor Teak Adirondack. It is a symbol of a simpler times harking back to the chairs rustic American roots. Price $749. Stockist: www.outdoorfurniturecorporation.com.au
for the green thumb Make your gardening experience more pleasurable with these delightful additions
Vincentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Garden - Lucy Lounge Chair. Price $995. Stockist: www.classicwithatwist.com.au
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1] Garden Tote Turnabouts Orange by Florence Broadhurstâ&#x201E;˘. Price $49.95. Stockist: www.beezer.com.au 2] OGardeners Giftset - Kneeling Pad & Gloves in Coral Pop. Price $74.99. Stockist: Homegrown and Handmade 3] Burgon & Ball Seeds & Stuff Tin. Keep your seeds, twine, labels, snips and other garden paraphernalia, tidy and to hand in this useful, flip top, compact storage tin. Price $29.95. Stockist: www.beezer.com.au 4] Florence Broadhurst Gardening Fork and Pot by Florence Broadhurst. Stockist: www.urbancave.com.au 5] A Edible Garden Design: Delicious Designs From the Ground Up by Jamie Durie. Price $49.99. Stockist: www.penguin.com.au 6] Seed Savers Set of 3 by Florence Broadhurstâ&#x201E;˘. Neat seed saver set hold green mint, sweet basil and italian parsley seeds for you to grow in your garden or herb pots. Price $29.95. Stockist: www.beezer.com.au 7] Thoughtful Gardener watering can in blue. made from galvanised steel with removable rose. Price $79.95. Stockist: Shop Until
“Flowers trigger memory. Flowers brim with beauty. Flowers flirt and, in terms of colour, these blossoms explode, changing the way we see colour... making us dream in neon.”
come into the garden Anna Johnson’s exclusive new collection for Urban Road is a homage to the flower in all her permutations Tell us a bit about your illustrations? I never really know where a drawing will end up. I start with one species of flower and end up with another or an invented hybrid. Compositionally it’s the same, something sparse might end up busy, something figurative might end up totally abstract. The only planning for an image are the pencil lines and after that...it’s a wild scene. Tell us about yourself and your background? I grew up in New York City. My Dad is a painter and my Mum ran a second hand store for vintage clothes. My brother and I amused ourselves by drawing. I was happy to literally draw all day. Despite this passion I chose to distinguish myself from a long line of painters by becoming a writer. I spent most of my adult life in New York where I was lucky enough to become a successful author of non fiction books. When I had published a few books I started illustrating them and then I fell back into drawing. My ideal work combines
words and images (hence my dreams of making a children’s book) but I have to admit that my writing is far more grave and serious and grown up than my drawing will ever be. Art is where I get to play and dream and be as close to my childhood as is possible. What sparked you to begin your own business? The first business I was part of was my partnership with Maree Oaten starting Little Branch. Now I am sort of in the “solo album” phase but I still collaborate closely with Maree. When we started both of us worked for other people and wanted to be free. We started in a small office next to a garage. it was fun and educational. That’s an understatement. I am probably not a very good business partner, am absolutely a terrible boss but a worse employee so running my own very small art practise makes life simpler. I am currently completing a website (www.
annajohnson.com.au) and then slowly growing my business. But I don’t see the work as a brand in any sense. Instead its like a little shop or a corner of my sitting room. Often I am astonished by how lovely a drawing can look when transposed into another medium or up on someone’s wall but you never think of that when you are drawing. It’s not an object. It’s a moment. What techniques do you use in creating your pieces? I work on thick creamy arche paper from France. I use a size 4 sable (or whatever really) brush and watercolour paint as well as Senellier ink. I am self taught so technique is not something I really consider. Often I will work a wet surface with oil crayons after I have laid down the water colour. I love raw colour on muted palettes and the immediacy of crayon. It’s a material that is a bit underestimated in mwy view. continued on next page >
BABYLON BOUQUET To recall a summer dress with a print that popped. Or wallpaper that went quietly out of style. The days when women wore corsages and strange blooming miniature hats with veils. That is the romance of a mad, mad floral.
SO SEVILLE Red roses in a broken vase. She left the dressing room door open and never came back. All she left behind was a black eyeliner pencil, a blue Flamenco dress and the last bouquet... Blazing like a flame.
< continued from previous page What inspires you in your designs? Textiles. Film. The mutability of colour. Storms (I am big sky watcher). Faded dresses, broken china. Bonnard. Tracey Emin. Cat Power. Chopin. Tea. And actually just this general perpetual need to generate certain colours at certain times. Like a designer I find my relationship to colour and pattern is very seasonal. I get cravings for certain combinations then I satisfy the urge by trying them out. If it was 1967 I would be listening to Hendrix and painting for BIBA. I love BIBA and Barbara Hulaniki...she is one my absolute idols. I really ought to give her a call! Who are some of your favourite artists and why? I love the French painters of the Nabi movement such as Vuillard and Bonnard. Their use of colour was intense, subtle and sometimes a bit psychologically disturbed. Under the floral surfaces of the late 19th century was a great deal of change and erotic energy. Henri Matisse came from one century into another then ended in almost total abstract liberation. He was another artist who paid attention to the wallpaper and integrated decorative elements such as fashion, dress fabric and textiles into his work. That meeting point between the domestic, the fashionable and the experimental is of great interest to me. Because even though everyone knows minimal modernism is chic...decoration and flowers in particular are more fun! My grandmother is also one of my heroes.
EXPLODING WATTLE You can be allergic to wattle and still adore it. When it comes into full throttle bloom the experience of simultaneous colour makes vegetation look like fast, crazy brush strokes.
Beatrice is an example of a great unknown painter. She admired Van Gogh and painted a little bit like him. Her gift for texture was astonishing. I only own about 5 of her works (including a very large self portrait) but her dedication to painting in the face of obscurity really touches me. Many other artists whom I love have no obvious relationship to my work. For example the photography of William Klein and Robert Frank or Australian mavericks like Ian Fairweather and Tony Tuckson. The artists I will never replicate are the artists I like to write about in great detail. When I was pregnant with my daughter Violet I wrote a monograph on the Australian abstract painter Ann Thomson. It was incredibly intense and involved great concentration. Working on this book taught me the difference between vocation and pleasure. I love to draw but am a polymath...writing, designing. I will never be that singular genius smoking a cigarette in a big studio at 2am. But I love those sort of people, grew up with them and will always be involved with them. The obsession of artists is probably more important in my view than any art movement or singular moment. I love Titian as much as I love Yves Klein or Joseph Beuys. Artists burn. They are not necessarily happy. They are processing the ideas of the collective into the gesture of the individual. I paint flowers...so I know the difference and I am comfortable with the distinction of being a bit less hard core. What is your most favourite illustration that you have completed? I like a drawing I did called “Rain Rain (Go
SAINT GERMAIN French vintage silk scarves. The velvet curtains that are perpetually drawn in the window of a beautiful restaurant. Reproductions of Momento Mori. And simply the moody elegance of deep olive green.
Self portrait
Away). Often at the end of the night I draw and paint very roughly and that was a prime example of a messy and raw work created in complete abandon. What has been your biggest highlight? Seeing anything printed...always makes me happy. Paper stock quality and composition changes an artwork, it’s all about changing the context. Working with Maree Oaten (on our company Little Branch) taught me a great deal. Artists always feel that the next thing they do will be their best. I am venturing into portraits now so maybe that is the highlight to come. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your art? The art I make is far less sophisticated than the art I admire. As a child I got lost in the vintage dress fabrics in my mother’s shop and I still believe that some of the nameless textile designers of the 30s, 40s and early 50s were in fact great painters. So, in some regards although I am passionate about contemporary art and abstract painting in particular my own work is like a folk off shoot of textile design. In a perfect world my drawings would be applied as wallpaper, fabric and occasionally”art art”...that is my long term plan, to apply my drawing to different materials and be able to create a world out of them. Like Schiaparelli or BIBA. I rarely think in terms of branding and instead I think of generating a mood or a total environment. I can’t live without colour and spontaneous gestures and I hope that both those qualities are embodied in my work. CONTACT: www.urbanroad.com.au
TOP PICK
under 25 $
Bargain buys for your home
Tropicana Clutch. Price $24.95. Stockist: www. escapetoparadise.com.au
Clay Bowls - Yellow. Prices start at $11.95. Stockist: www.cocoandbliss.com.au Clover Notebooks. Stockist: www. paperelephant. com.au
Art Sticker - #1, Nynne Rosenvinge. Price $12. Stockist: www.backstreetshopper.com.au
Superhero quote decal. Price $19.95. Stockist: www.downthatlittlelane.com.au
Fox Mug Aqua. Price $24.95. Stockist: www. zingness.com.au Frieze Tea Towel Green. Price $19.50. Stockist: www. blinkdesigns.com.au
Rose Thermos Jug. Price $17.50. Stockist: Savvy Shop Homewares Solid timber 9cm picture blocks in vintage pastel colours with inspirational and catchy wording. Price: $24.95 each. Stockist: www.vanillaslatedesigns.com.au
GET THE LOOK Simple and stylish choices for your home with this amazing selection
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1] Indigo Throw - Safi from The Dharma Door. Made by artisans in Burkina Faso, Africa. Price $185. Stockist: www.wallabuy.com.au 2] The Blossom, 3 Vintage glass measuring cylinder vase. Created as a piece to sit on your table or mantle. Price $50. Stockist: Borr Store 3] I was made for lovin’ you wall pennant. This wooden wall pennant is engraved with the classic Kiss song title. Price $52. Stockist: Manual Arts Dept 4] Drum Side Table. Price $650. Stockist: www.thedesignhuntershop.com 5] The ‘Shorty’ Reclaimed Hardwood Stool. Handcrafted from reclaimed hardwood this charming low stool is loaded with history and character. Price $199. Stockist: www.rawsunshinecoast.com.au 6] Thomson Clock - Birch. You’ll savour time’s swift passage with the Thomson Clock, by designer Yuichi Nara. Price $120. Stockist: www.tenthings.com.au
reduxr
Located in the coastal town of Barwon Heads, Roberto and Meaghan Rodriguez capture an elegance of time gone by with their stunning works Tell us a bit about your business? REDUXR is a small creative studio run by partners Roberto and Meaghan Rodriguez. We create products, images and spaces that capture the moods and stories that inspire us. Tell us about yourself and your background? We have backgrounds in photography and writing and both worked in film and television. We collected mid-century lighting, which we also liked to photograph. The process of collecting involves extensive research, which eventually led us to restoring. Restoring led to making and hand finishing. These three things; a fascination with light as a property, the hands on restoration of some extraordinary lights, and the desire to capture the essence of an object in a photograph, set something in motion and here we are. What sparked you to create your business? We were doing our thing and people asked if we would do it for them.
What processes are involved in creating your pieces? Play. Listening to Music. Taking photographs. Inspiration. Discovery. Research. Making. More play. Refining. Rethinking. Reworking. All the while getting our hands very dirty. Depending on the product or project we’re working on the processes can be as varied as metal shaping and egg cutting to styling and shooting. What inspires you in your designs? Beauty, first and foremost. Timelessness. Quality. The natural world. The built world. Music. Photography. What do you love the most about having your own label? Having one word for our creative output. Who are some of your favourite designers? Simon Henningsen, George Nakashima, Jo Hammerborg, Michael Anastassiades, Megan Puls (ceramic artist) Louise Hearman (painter)
What is your favourite item in your store right now and why? The O lamp. Elegant and functional, it offers direct or ambient light solutions. What has been your biggest highlight? Every unsolicited favourable response is a buzz. When someone across the globe sees your work and contacts you to say it’s beautiful – that’s deeply satisfying. What are your plans for the future? Open a combined studio/showroom. Work on more interior spaces. Inspire more people to preserve the old and augment with the new. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your business? We design and manufacture everything in our studio/workshop in Barwon Heads. CONTACT: www.reduxr.com.au
GET THE LOOK Here are few cool summer ideas for your living space
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1] Harlequin Light Cushion. Custom designed DAN300 fabric. Price $89.95. Stockist: www.dan300.com.au 2] Life’s better at the beach cushion cover. Price $45. Stockist: www.sixthings.com.au 3] ‘Palm Tree Escape’ Cushion Cover by Billy Allen. Individually Handmade and screen printed in Bali Indonesia. Price $69.95. Stockist: www.charlottedawsonhome.com 4] TAloha – Hand painted hand dyed linen cushion. Hand painted on hand dyed 100% linen cushion – designed painted and dyed by Maker & Merchant in their Brisbane studio. Price $165. Stockist: www.makerandmerchant.com.au 5] Breeze Cushion. 100% Cotton linen blend double sided digital print cushion. Price $69. Stockist: www.urbanroad.com.au 6] Jungle floor cushion. These oversized cushions are a must have addition to this summer’s picnic or poolside gathering. Price $99. Stockist: www.bellamee.com 7] The Sunset Beach cushion by Charlie and Blaze is a gorgeous graphic design inspired by the coastal beaches of Noosa. Price $30. Stockist: www.charlieandblaze.com 8] Umbrella Fern Black. 100% linen cushion hand screen printed with umbrella fern design in black finished with black and grey tassle trim.Price: $145. Stockist: www.thedesignhunter.com.au 9] Lorne surfing spot designer cushion. Lorne, located along the Australian heritage listed Great Ocean Road, has been a destination for surfers from all over the Australia and the world. The original design is created by maryla. Price $118. Stockist: www.shop.maryla.com.au
ETSY FINDS
Modular table top for hairpin leg plant stand. This modular table top is designed to accompany the Wirely mid-century inspired plant stand. The plant stands are sold separately. Price $55. Stockist: Wirely
This planter/pot has been hand thrown by Susan Simonini from earthy terracotta clay on the wheel. It has been decorated with a floral pattern and finished with a beautiful glossy glaze. Price $28. Stockist: Susan Simonini
Windcatcher - Clock. Handmade in Melbourne. Batteries not provided. Price $75. Stockist: The Make Lab
Wooden coaster set perfect for anyone who loves a little whimsy and quirkiness in their home. Coated with a kitchen safe wood oil that is able to be wiped down when spills occur. Price $15. Stockist: One Pine Day
The Bunsen by BORR. The Bunsenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Designer Oil Burner is a sharp looking, edgy and versatile home-ware piece that would be a great addition to any home or office. Price $65. Stockist: Borr Store
Curvy Miss Frozen. This curvy lady vase is hand made, hand painted and glazed in stoneware. Her face has matt unglazed raw stoneware finish and her dress is an ombre of icy blue and ocean. Price $170. Stockist: Vanessa Bean Shop
Gold stripey wood hanging chain lantern. The hanging lantern can be hung anywhere in or outside the house to give a nice in-direct lighting experience. Price $35. Stockist: Timber Arcadia
Rainbow Felt Ball Coasters Set of 4. Each coaster measures approximately 10cm in diameter, made up of cute little 1cm felt balls sewn together. Colours may vary between coasters. Coasters are reversible. Price $30. Stockist: Nomi Makes
Mini Vessel. Cute way to display and collect your favourite plant & flower cuttings. Vessels come individually or can be sold in a set of three. Price $15. Set of three vessels $35. Stockist: Anita Alcorn
raw sunshine coast
Chris Rawlins and Katie Bishop from RAW specialise in handcrafted custom made reclaimed unique timber furniture plus a range of vintage treasures and homewares Tell us a bit about your business? Chris and I established RAW Sunshine Coast at the beginning of 2014 on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Our business specialises in handcrafted custom made reclaimed timber furniture. Caring for our environment, we utilise locally sourced recycled materials to construct each unique piece of furniture. Our creations predominantly feature materials from 100 year old Queenslander homes which are rich in history and character. In addition our showroom encompasses an excellent range of vintage treasures and stunning homes wares, old and new to compliment your home. Tell us about yourself and your background? Between us we have four children and happily call the Sunshine Coast, Queensland home. Chris has a history in renovations and has always had an interest in building furniture. I come from a health promotion/education background and have always dreamed of owning my own business that allowed me to embrace my creative streak. Growing up as
a child I remember spending many hours in my dad’s back shed. It was filled with wood working equipment and I would assist him as he created things from fence post capitals to garden benches for my mum. What sparked you to create your business? It’s kind of a love story that began when we first moved in together. We wanted to turn a house into a home for our combined family of six, filled with things that represented us. So Chris handcrafted a timber bench seat for me, complete with a love note forever etched beneath. I remember being so proud of Chris’s handiwork that I posted a picture of it on facebook and then BAM we were suddenly making them for everyone! What processes are involved in creating your pieces? It all begins with a length of old timber. Sometimes our furniture is made around a specific piece of timber. It may be the history behind it or its individual characteristics. Other times timber is sourced that will meet a particular purpose such as a design brief that
we’re working on for a client. Chris takes the lead is sourcing reclaimed timber. He works with a small number of local builders and recycled timber yards that specialise in salvaging timber from old Queensland dwellings and historic landmarks and structures. The design of pieces is mostly undertaken by myself. This process usually begins with an ideas board which include sketches with variations in timber, finish, dimensions and style. These ideas are then either turned into detailed plans or a prototype is created. We have a workshop which adjoins our showroom and this is where our team including a cabinet maker and a carpenter/ joiner turn the designs into reality. We are very fortunate to have a team of passionate furniture makers that work alongside us and take care in every step. As a result of the nature of the materials used and the handcrafted process the outcome is a unique piece of furniture made with the highest level of craftsmanship. continued on the next page >
< continued from previous page What inspires you in your designs? We’re inspired by everything that surrounds us including old structures, vintage finds, travel, magazines and our friends and family. Mostly we design pieces that we would want in our own home (but they never seem to actually make it home!). What do you love the most about having your own label? It’s a wonderful creative outlet for us and there’s a great sense of pride in taking something old and turning into something new. Also we have a young family so the flexibility of having our own business is a big bonus. Who are some of your favourite designers? At present Scandinavian design is having a huge influence on one of our collections. Our Scandinavian Collection featuring sideboards,
wall sconces and bedside tables was born through a combination of consumer demand and my time spent living in Malmö, Sweden. The Scandinavian style is beautiful, simple, with clean lines and is inspired by nature. What is your favourite item in your store right now and why? We have a beautiful reclaimed hardwood dining table taking centre stage in our showroom at the moment. It is constructed from stunning timber sourced from old Sunshine Coast Queenslanders. The mortise and tennon joins in the frame are something you have to see in person to understand their beauty and the table top is framed in Blackbutt and inlaid with a range of character filled reclaimed timbers. What has been your biggest highlight? Expanding to a larger showroom and workshop and taking on a full-time employee
due to demand just six months after first opening was a big highlight for us. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that a single bench seat would lead to all of this. What are your plans for the future? To continue to steadily grow, adapting to consumer demand whilst still retaining our core values - family, creative freedom, reduce, reuse, recycle and ensuring that each piece of furniture is unique and constructed to the highest standards is important to us. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your business? We have recently added an online store to our website www.rawsunshinecoast.com.au and are excited to be able to freight our creations Australia-wide. CONTACT: www.rawsunshinecoast.com.au
TOP PICK
under $100 Bargain buys for your home
Danish tall candlestick holder. Price $60. Stockist: Country House Manuka
Heart Island reversible cushion. Price $79. Stockist: Pacific Pillow co
Hello pineapple! vintage wallpaper wall plaque in multi. Price $60. Stockist: Delilah Devine
Limited edition fine art print of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Haecceityâ&#x20AC;? A4 size. $80 free Australian postage. Stockist: www.joanouk.etsy.com General electric trinity candelabras. Price $90. Stockist: Grand Living Homewares
Meow Face Cat cushion. Price $45. Stockist: Beneath The Sun
Escape to Paradise Oasis Cushion Blue Orchid Stripe. Price $39.95. Stockist: www.escapetoparadise.com.au Lysestage No.1 Brass Candle Holder 1 Nicholas Oldroyd Design. Price $30. Stockist: www.backstreetshopper.com.au
Geranium round tray. Price $95. Stockist: www.hardtofind.com.au
Mega Moroccan Pouffe This mega morocccan pouffe is illustrated and hand screen printed in Australia. This pouffe measures 65cm in diameter and 30cm high. All fabric paint is non-toxic water-based and eco friendly. All pouffes can be hand washed in a cold wash. Price $160. Stockist: www.sketchjones.bigcartel.com
country culture
Angela Lavender created a marketplace where artisans from every corner of the country could sell their unique products with the endorsement of Country Culture
Tell us a bit about Country Culture and how it was formed? I grew up in regional NSWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wagga Wagga and had retail in my blood from a very young age. My mother owned the local fashion boutique and home wares store for thirty years. I attended boarding in Sydney and went on to study teaching there as well. I continued to work in retail on the side while studying.
After a stint working as a teacher, I met my husband, farmer Charles Lavender. I ended up moving to his family property with him near Spring Ridge, 75km from the nearest town of Quirindi, in North Western NSW (population 150. Our family farms wheat, sorghum, sunflowers, mung beans, chickpeas, corn, cotton and cattle). I soon missed the city shops and galleries and began thinking of building my own online
shopping store. In 2009, I launched a small online store (which I have since sold), where I sourced great products from Australia and overseas to sell online. In 2011, I won Best New Business Award at the Quirindi Chamber of Commerce Awards. Running this store was a great learning curve for me. As my little online business began to grow, I found the logistics of posting stock from such
a remote destination difficult and started thinking about other business models, which would work better for my situation. Around the same time, while attending a trade fair in Sydney, I had a light bulb moment and realised I should be supporting designers and makers from all regions of Australia (esp regional areas) and bringing their unique products to the market. I decided a better model for me would be to launch a marketplace where artisans sent the products from their own studios. These artisans would be endorsed by Country Culture and all products would be wrapped with Country Culture branding to keep the proposition cohesive. I launched Country Culture on December 14th 2012 and started with about twenty traders. Now we have around 100. I am extremely proud. Can you tell us where you source your gorgeous homewares from and how do you select the right item for your store? I look for quality Australian-made and designed products. We support traders from all over Australia from all regions. However, when I come across someone who is working from a truly remote location, I can totally relate to them as I live on an isolated property near Spring Ridge. I get such a kick out of helping new businesses get started and help them launch their own online store with Country Culture. Word-of-mouth (or better known out here as “the bush telegraph”) is normally the best recommendation for me to find our traders. Many customers and other traders are so generous with their suggestions. I also regularly visit markets, trawl the internet and travel to different regions to check out local talent. We have a wonderful growing community who are just the most delightful people you could ever deal with. They are totally on my wave- length and believe in the collective we are building together. Who are some of your favourite designers? For home wares, I can’t go past local
designers such as Jardan furniture (sofas and side tables), Cloth Fabrics (stunning neutral pallets and Australian patterns) Harriet Goodall and Antonia Throsby ( handwoven and ceramic lights), Bonnie and Neil (soft furnishings) and 1803 Artisan Deer Design ( leather and hide cushions, rugs and heavenly deer antler knives). Some other favourite haunts in Sydney are Tigger Hall Design, Spence and Lyda, Planet furniture and Anibou. For fashion, I love local Australian brands such as Scanlon and Theodore, Bassike Lee Matthews and Zimmerman. What do you consider to be a must have item in your home? A must have item in your home is a beautiful handmade rug. Rugs add warmth, texture, colour and set the tone for each room. I adore Loom rugs and love Robyn Cosgrove’s range in Woollahra, Sydney. What has been your biggest highlight? One of my biggest highlights was being interviewed by Anne Fulwood for her weekend ‘Enterprising Women’ AFR column in the Weekend Fin Review. Anne also asked to speak on a panel at one of her regular events through Fulworks. Through these events showcases a variety of community business people ( mostly women) who share their stories, knowledge and tips with an audience. It was such an honour to speak with a group of such wonderful panelists, meet other entrepreneurs and gain some new insights myself! Do you have any advice for our readers who love all things for the home? Here are a few tips for home lovers. • When you see a piece you love or find a hidden gem, trust your gut reaction and buy it. You will always find a place for it in your home and it will give a harmonious feel to a space. Be brave! If you buy what you love, you can’t go wrong. • Make sure there is balance in your home. Sometimes, being sleek and modern can end up looking sterile. Balance the clean
lines of modern furniture and architecture with unique and quirky one-off pieces. For example, the juxtaposition of smooth marble with a handmade lamp merges the new with the rustic. Every room needs a few handmade items – I always add hand woven baskets, handmade ceramics or knitted throws to give a room a more relaxed edge. The result will look amazing – authentic and real. • When choosing products, think about their texture. Layering textures brings depth to a room. Think about the honesty of timber, wool and clay. Often, Australian makers and designers create products which have earthy tones, drawn from nature’s colour palette. If you love neutrals, stick with those tones and use texture to create differences and interest • Embrace Australia’s informal take on the world. The great Aussie tradition of embracing the casual outdoors is now sneaking indoors. Furniture made using natural timbers and weather beaten metals will give your home depth and character. A home should be an expression of the owners’ personalities and their way of life. Plus, you will be supporting a talented pool of craftspeople. What do you foresee as the next big trend? The next big trend is the appreciation of handcrafted and artisan products. People are tired of mass produced goods and are increasingly looking for something more unique and unusual for their home. Handcrafted artisan design is trending as no two pieces are ever the same. I love nothing more than discovering homegrown designer goods in the most unexpected and hidden places. All over the country, artisans are making things by hand, finding inspiration in the beauty that surrounds them in regional Australia. It is my passion to bring those artisans to the marketplace and share their talent with the world via www. countryculture.com.au CONTACT: www.countryculture.com.au
For designers from Country Culture turn the page >
the spotted quoll www.countryculture.com.au/the-spotted-quoll-studio The Spotted Quoll Studio was born out of the love of design and the environment; it is about creating ethical wares for home, body and soul! Our wares are for the free spirit, tree hugger and the bespoke hunter in us all. Tamika creates environmentally inspired designs for her range of cushions, wall dots, jewellery and womens clothing based on the natural, native flora and fauna surrounding her life in Launceston, Tasmania. Visit Country Cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blog for full interview with Tamika from The Spotted Quoll - click here
harriet goodall www.countryculture.com.au/harriet-goodall Harriet Goodallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredible hand-woven baskets and pendant lights are as organic as they come. Harriet collects materials from the environment around her and hand weaves them into bespoke products, using no electricity, no glue and no chemicals. Harriet studied weaving whilst pregnant with her first child. She was passionate about her craft from the get-go, especially since she had had years of indoor jobs and longed to be back outside, collecting and foraging. Harrietâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appreciation for nature stems from a childhood growing up on a sheep and wheat property outside Young. She now lives in Robertson, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, with her husband, an organic garlic farmer, and their two young children. She divides her time between making pendant light commissions, teaching basketry and making woven sculpture.
For designers from Country Culture turn the page >
twig home www.countryculture.com.au/twig-home-en Twig Home is a quality range of hand made Australian products including soy wax glass candles, bath salts, reed diffusers, hand and body creams and lovely soaps. All of the products are made from a blend of Australian inspired essential and fragrance oils. The brand was started by Angela Lavender who had a passion for designing a beautiful bath and beauty range which is proudly made in rural NSW. Take your pick from five gorgeous fragrances: White Gardenia; Wild Pear; Sweet Grapefruit & Fig; Aromatic Sandalwood & Citrus and Lemon Myrtle & Eucalyptus. Each product is packaged with care in a handstamped cotton calico bag and looks divine!
mad about art www.countryculture.com.au/mad-about-art-en Deborah H. Cassimatis creates collages, monoprints and mixed-media canvases, from her studio in Exeter in the Southern Highlands of NSW. It’s assemblage work that excites her most, because of its three-dimensionality: the sides and back of the box are part of the artwork, too. Each assemblage is a sculpture and a visual poem; a small museum; an architecture of attachment and letting go. Working in three-dimensions adds texture, depth and intensity to an artwork; along with the viewer’s gaze, it invites into its spaces the changing light of day. “My assemblages diarise my life experiences, using objects that speak to me. Being stirred by a moment in my life, or a thought, usually inspires a work. I like the fact that only I know a work’s story.”
vanilla slate designs Best friends, Lyndie and Eriana have combined their talents to create Vanilla Slate Designs, an interior design business and homewares brand Tell us a bit about Vanialla Slate Designs? We started our own interior design business two years ago. We solve any décor dilemmas, from soft furnishings to drawing up plans for Council. We are based in Sydney. Recently we also tried our hand in creating our own cushion range. We also have an online shop and a blog page. Our Blog is providing free décor inspiration, but with a humorous approach. Life should not be too serious. We love the fact that we have a wide variety of projects ongoing at the same time. It keeps every day interesting, and it is possible to juggle because we are two people sharing the load. Tell us about yourself and your background? We are best friends, and were always spending hours drinking coffee and talking about our passion for all things involving décor and design. After Eriana completed her diploma in Interior Design at the Sydney Design School and Lyndie studied at the ISCD (International school of Colour and Design), we decided the time is right to take the leap of faith and throw our experience, passion and flair into our own
new Interior Design company, Vanilla Slate Designs. Eriana has an accounting and design background, and Lyndie has a retail background. What sparked you to create Vanilla Slate Designs? We believe that everyone should and can be in love with their own home. Real homes are not as picture perfect like we see in magazines. We help our clients to use beautiful magazines and Pinterest as inspiration, and then create their own home that reflects their individual style and budget. Our clients are real people, with real budgets. We love creating affordable and unique spaces around our clients’ needs and budget. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the whole process, we will guide you. We both approach projects with an open mind and know we can overcome all the obstacles every project brings, because a few days later we will laugh about it over a glass of wine. What processes are involved in creating and designing your cushions? We love vintage inspired cushions, but not the type made out of real old vintage
fabric. It became a bit of an obsession to make our own cushions that is modern and fresh, but still has a vintage twist. Once we started putting our ideas together, we couldn’t stop and had to take it all the way. We approached our friend, a Sydney artist from TanithsWorld. She did a fabulous job by transforming our ideas into digital format, and adding her arty twist to them. It was a great teamwork effort. The cushion covers were printed in Melbourne. We wanted to keep it “Australian made,” even if it means spending a little more. All our cushions are printed on 100% linen and designed and made in Australia. Only water based, environmentally friendly non-toxic and solvent free pigment inks are used during the printing process. What inspires you in your designs? Our story of the Sisterhood range originated because we were inspired by the way communities, families and friendships have changed around the world in the last few decades. We are now all part of a global community and our families are spread all over the world. continued on next page >
< continued from previous page As women, we usually need to be close to our families and for that reason, friendship among girls become even more important when your family lives far or abroad. Our close friends become our family and we become a sisterhood. Our cushion range is our tribute to our friends that now have become like our family. Some of the cushions have vintage images of our mothers. It will go well in any home that is edgy, colourful and people that like conversation pieces. We feel unique cushions like these are a bit like having a piece of art on your couch, and not only on your wall. What do you love the most about having your own label? We love to be able to choose our own hues. It is very satisfying to see a range where it is not just another beautiful cushion, but where we experienced the whole process from design to print. To feel you were part of creating something from scratch is very fulfilling. We also make a few home ware products ourselves, which we sell at market stalls and in our online and Etsy shop. It is great that the one day we can create and design a beautiful interior for a client’s home, but the next day we can be back in the studio painting products while we listen to music and chatting along. What a privilege to work side by side with your best friend every day. Who are some of your favourite designers? We love a rustic and quirky style with clean lines and fresh colours. We both love to work with natural elements. Most of our designs have timber elements, even though every project is different. That is why we admire the photography and vintage design elements of Sibella Court and and also Ingrid Weir, who herself has a very unique style and has a brilliant talent for costume design, photography and decor styling. What is your favourite item in your store right now and why? Of course the Sisterhood Cushion Collection, but we also have a very soft spot for the
distressed vintage inspired mason jars and colourful “quote inspired” timber blocks we recently made for our market stall. We both love doing DIY projects, so we always have so much fun making products for our online shop and market stalls. What has been your biggest highlight? Well, it was not a highlight the one day when we crashed the car and forgot that we parked it so far away from the supplier’s shop that we had to carry a heavy 2.4m sisal rug on our heads for a almost 2 km searching for our lost car in 30 degrees. Everything you do for the first time is a highlight, but the day our first business cards arrived, was very special. What are your plans for the future? We have recently started a blog, and we want to focus now on increasing our Blogging audience. (www.vanillaslate.com) We enjoy blogging, because we can chat directly to our readers in an informal way and share free décor advice, but with a humorous approach. Our blogs are personal, honest and realistic. We really aim to cover a wide range of décor dilemmas, DIY’s and home visits to ordinary character filled homes of real people. We love that we can blog and run an Interior Design Business. It makes every day different and interesting. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your business? We have created a new concept called “Facelift”. We would love to bring the message to retail clients that a facelift to your shop can be affordable. We keep the bones; just adjust the top layer a bit. Having run our own retail stores in the past, we know that every space in your shop costs money. We help clients to give their business a facelift, without overspending. Sometimes it is just our keen eye for design, a few licks of paint and some new fixtures that can change a space totally. It focuses on clients that don’t want to go through council approvals or major renovations. We bring a fresh pair of eyes and you bring the amount of your budget. CONTACT: www.vanillaslatedesigns.com.au
the perfect outdoor solution Tina Chrissanthi Souvlis from Outdoor Furniture Corporation tells us how she went from the laboratory to running her own business Tell us a bit about your business and how it was formed? Outdoor Furniture Corporation grew out of a retail store that I run in beautiful Hervey Bay Queensland on the beachfront. In 2000, I went and worked in Europe for three years, where I learnt two languages and fell in love with the amazing stores in both Eastern and Western Europe. I was inspired to come home and start my own business. As time passed, I wanted to deal more with high end furniture and for that a large audience is required. From there Outdoor Furniture Corporation was born, allowing me to indulge in designs that I love. How did your career begin? Armed with a Masters in Scientific Studies (Biotechnology) I started work as a Medical Researcher in Pathology at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. I worked there for nearly ten years before studying part-time to achieve my Graduate Diploma in Landscape Architecture. I then made the transition from medical laboratory science to landscape architecture, driven by my love of garden design, ecology and the environment. This gave me many years of satisfaction working on a variety of projects throughout Queensland.
What sparked you to create your business? I have run my own ‘bricks and mortar’ retail store selling beautiful outdoor furniture for over ten years. I learnt so much during that time about furniture design, manufacturing techniques and qualities, and about providing clients with the outdoor furniture that they desire. I also made invaluable contacts within the industry. It created a confidence in me that I could provide outdoor furniture online that offered quality and beauty that was also what people wanted for their outdoor space. Moving online I had to be certain that the furniture would last, and that it reflects new trends. All of this bolstered by my experience and by a passion for outdoor environments. I wanted to share this enthusiasm and passion beyond the city where my store is. Can you tell us where you source your gorgeous homewares from and how do you select the right item for your store? I look at the suppliers all around Australia. There are a lot of people supplying beautiful furniture made for independent retailers. I use a strict set of criteria in evaluating each piece of furniture - its aesthetic value, its quality of manufacturing and the materials used. The materials and ‘style’ of the
furniture must represent longevity. When you spend a significant amount of money on outdoor furniture you must be confident that its looks and quality will be as relevant in ten or twenty years as it is today. What do you love the most about having your own store? I get to shop all the time. I also get to be the main decision maker. Any mistakes are mine to bare, but when you succeed, it feels wonderful. It is more satisfying to feel in control of your own destiny, and more thrilling when you are on the cliffs edge. Life is never boring with your own business. Who are some of your favourite designers? I have a lot of designers that I admire, but I will mention a few that I am enamoured with at the moment. A favourite designer, whose lamps are found throughout my home, is Poul Henningsen the designer of the PH Lamp (PH3, PH4 and PH5). He designed the smooth curvature of the shades in his lamps to light not only your work or dining table but the whole room. I also admire Grete Jalk a Danish designer who worked with laminated plywood and tubular steel furniture in the 60’s. Presently I can’t get enough of a Swedish all female design group called
Front. It all started when I saw there “Design by Animals” project where they allowed animals such as rats and snakes to create patterns on carpets and furniture. What do you consider to be a must have item in your home? That’s simple - a beautiful and tenacious Dachshund is essential to a home. Nothing is more satisfying and incredible than having a loyal, clever and brave Dachshund to provide you with joy for the soul. My Dachshund is the amazing Pearl (#PearlSuperGirl) who comes to work every day and makes a huge impression on staff and clients alike. What has been your biggest highlight? I think that having your own business consists of a series of small highlights (rather
than one big highlight). But the biggest highlight for me has been the love from my family, their excitement and enthusiasm and most important of all their unending support. It is unbelievably important to me and I consider myself very lucky. Do you have any advice for our readers who love all things for the home? Your home is your refuge from the world at large and we all want to fill it with beautiful items. My advice with outdoor furniture is to spend the most you are able to, in order to obtain quality pieces, even if this means it takes a few years to fill your outdoor space. I cannot stress enough the reality that quality is extremely important in the harsh Australian outdoors. When you make such an investment in your outdoor furniture, also feel certain that the design will span the test
of time. I always think of modernist design of the early 20 century that is still relevant nearly 100 years later. What do you foresee as the next big trend? I am delighted to say that for outdoor furniture it will be the juxtaposition of shiny, enticing, human made elements, with raw natural materials. Think of the allure of stainless steel that is bright and reflective with a raw untreated wood such as the fabulous light honey colour of teak. Mixing materials is exciting and allows for a softer, warmer feel, rather than the recent emphasis on the cold ‘hotel’ experience. CONTACT: p 1300 731 737 tina@outdoorfurniturecorporation.com www.outdoorfurniturecorporation.com.au
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