As a self-confessed “do it kind of girl,” Carolyn Mee has been the mastermind behind many ventures. From being a chef and opening a cafe to studying design and creating beautiful interiors, her latest dream gig is owning homewares store, The Nomad Society.
“Having a homewares store where I’m surrounded by things I absolutely love rocks my world,” says Carolyn. “We stock handmade pieces with stories, well-known Australian companies and other goodies I just couldn’t not have!”
Situated on Greville Street in Prahran, Melbourne, The Nomad Society combines new and modern homewares created by Australian designers, with carefully curated pieces from overseas. “We’ve got some awesome Australian suppliers like Kip & Co and Kate & Kate, small designers like Phendei from Melbourne/Cambodia and Sateen from Sydney/Portugal and then I have my Turkish rugs…bought over multiple mint teas, super strong Turkish coffee and a yarn… just out of Istanbul.”
Sourcing from all over the world, Carolyn uses everything from social media to local contacts. “When it comes to sourcing, it’s all about research, research, research! Going to every possible design market, meeting people over the years, looking at my own purchases and making contact with local small business. And time spent on Instagram in Byron and the Greek Islands helped!”
With a style that is “airy, modern and ethnic,” The Nomad Society has now gone online, with many more plans for the future. “What’s next? I see styling, I see pop-ups, manufacturing something small myself, travel and just finding new creatives to showcase.”
Photography and styling by Marnie Hawson