Interior design and styling, homewares, furniture, home appliances and the personalities behind them
Hunting for George is an online boutique by Melbourne sisters Lucy Glade-Wright and Jo Harris. They just released their own range of black and white prints and you know how I like typography and affordable art!
Judging by the number of weddings I’ve been to where an excerpt from Dr Zeuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go is chosen as a reading, I’m guessing the above will be a big seller!
Sisters Lucy and Jo
So, for several months now I’ve been banging on about the Williams-Sonoma Inc big four coming to Sydney. For the uninitiated, I’m talking about Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma. I’ll be straight with you, as a non-mummy blogger, I have little interest in Pottery Barn Kids and as a less than enthusiastic cook (I’m going to make a rubbish wife!) I had minimal interest in Williams-Sonoma. Pottery Barn and West Elm however, bring that on! I know you’re fans too because posts about these stores have been consistently in my most popular for months! And at yesterday’s much anticipated preview, I was definitely not disappointed.
West Elm is SO COOL. I have to admit it’s my favourite. Who better than creative director Vanessa Holden, a Sydney girl who made the move to NYC (who I interviewed recently) to show us round? She talked about West Elm’s trademark eclectic, global mix of pieces which you’re encouraged to mix up as you wish with your existing pieces or family heirlooms to create your own, confident style at home, with the help of their friendly and knowledgable staff.
West Elm is young and cool but not too hipster. It’s mix and match, laidback but not too casual. I just love it. Its pieces are more apartment-appropriate than Pottery Barn’s larger furniture and well, they just look look like they belong in a warm and comfortable, trendy, young space. You do feel like your parents could equally walk in and find something which worked perfectly with their much loved pieces. It’s just that kind of range, and the range will change frequently. [Read more...]
When a brand employs great stylists and photographers to work on its catalogues, magical things happen. Domayne chose well with stylist Glen Proebstel and photographer John Bamford.
It was only a matter of time if you ask me! It’s such an obvious fit, from gorgeous stationery, to home organisation and photo frames, through to homewares, and here we have it: kikki.K homewares!
Let’s face it, kikki.K products have been making our homes, especially our home offices, look good for years already. Now we can add a little Swedish design to our kitchens and dining rooms too! [Read more...]
The last 46 years have seen Barbara Hermon become a household name synonymous with style, quality and the best of interior design.
Husband and wife John and Barbara Hermon, of Hermon&Hermon
This year, Melbourne institution Hermon&Hermon celebrates 23 years on top, but inside the fickle and often foreboding world of retail, perhaps Barbara’s most impressive accomplishment is the mere fact that she is still an ever-present force among her fellow design enthusiasts, pushing the boundaries to create trends whilst simultaneously avoiding them.
Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting with Barbara to discuss the logistics behind her longevity. “Passion, resilience and determination are the most important things,” she told me.
After moving to Melbourne, she began working for Trade Action and, in 1972, became the homewares and jewellery buyer for Handicrafts of Asia. “I travelled to developing countries; Pakistan, Ethiopia and India, and discovered many incredible handmade, one-off pieces. My experience being a buyer was invaluable and gave birth to my passion for quality handmade products and natural fibres.’’ [Read more...]
Is it that time of year again already?! Registrations are now open for Life Instyle at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building, with a new slogan ‘defy ordinary’. I like it.
The trade event, from 1 to 4 August, welcomes a line-up of close to 300 carefully selected exhibitors representing premium, bespoke and design led products across homewares, giftware, lifestyle and children’s products within a beautiful, intimate shopping environment.
“Following the success of Life Instyle Sydney, we continue to push the envelope, raise the bench and add colour and excitement to our program. The exhibition has received overwhelming support from trade and looks forward to welcoming a high calibre of exhibitors this year,” says Amelia Coote-Harris, exhibition manager. Visitors can expect to source from industry heavyweights such as Telegram Paper Goods and Seedling as well as new faces such as Armadillo&Co and Samantha Wills Stationery. [Read more...]
Theory of Willow are a husband and wife team making stylish and colourful homewares from recycled timber.
They started with 2nd Chance Tables, a custom-made recycled timber table business started by Chris Booth. Building on the concept of using recycled timber, he and wife Hien developed Theory Of Willow’s homewares range. “We incorporate colours, shapes and patterns into our homewares, which we feel compliment and accentuate the beautiful characteristics of recycled timbers,” says Chris. “Blending these elements results in striking, eye-catching products that otherwise might have been quite ordinary.”
A carpenter by trade, his love affair with carpentry started from an early age. Through the influence and guidance of his father and grandparents, he developed a fondness for building things from scratch. In 2012, Chris first tried his hand at making and selling tables using recycled and reclaimed timbers. [Read more...]
Williams-Sonoma, Inc today officially announced that its iconic brands Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and West Elm will open to the public on Thursday 2 May 2013 at the newly constructed Exchange Building in Bondi Junction. I may have mentioned the news of these stores coming to Australia a ‘few’ times already…
An artist’s impression of how the stores will look when they open in just 17 days’ time
“We are excited to announce we will open our first Australian retail stores on May 2nd,” said Laura Alber, president and chief executive officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “The location at Bondi Junction gives us the opportunity to showcase all four brands together in a truly unique way. We look forward to sharing our exceptional home furnishings along with unique in-store experiences and outstanding customer service with Australian customers who want to decorate, entertain and live well.”
This weekend, for two days only, Opus Design Co is having 10% off across its entire Jonathan Adler range, much of which is exclusive to the store. Here are some of my JA favourites at Opus.
