Author: Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

Categories
Styling

Learn how to make vignettes with Kara Rosenlund

For anyone who’s missed out on taking a vignette class with interior stylist and one time 7 Vignettes judge, Kara Rosenlund, this could be your golden opportunity.

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Held at Megan Morton’s The School in Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney across May and June, the class will give you all the confidence you need to identify the best conditions to shoot in, construct your vignette arrangements and generally make beautiful images.

The class is a mix of practical and theory and promises to tackle your ‘inner Instagram demons,’ so when it comes to 7 Vignettes time, you’ll have no reason to be afraid!

Classes run for 2.5 hours and cost $120. For more information. 

Categories
Homewares

Bowen & Kenneth: mason jar lights and DIY terrariums

I’m a sucker for anything quirky or vintage inspired, so I am very much in love with new online homewares boutique Bowen & Kenneth.

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Featuring lights, birdcages and terrariums, partners Sam Pridmore and John McMahon were inspired to start the business after Sam underwent brain surgery late last year. “We both had an epiphany after getting such a shocking reality check,” he explains. “We realised that life is far too short to be doing something you don’t love and I was most definitely sick of being just another number in a huge retail store. So we started creating.”

The collection began with a single birdcage with an LED tree inside it, an idea Sam had while in hospital. After getting great compliments on their one at home, they started creating them for everyone and the range has naturally sprung from there.

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A favourite of mine and a best seller of theirs, are the terrariums. A fun and unique take on the resurging terrarium, they come in DIY packs, but when finished look as professional as anything store bought. While the DIY edge wasn’t the initial idea, Sam and John both agree it turned out better than expected.

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“A friend wanted me to send her one (terrarium), so I went off to the local post office eager and excited,” says Sam. “When I arrived and explained to the man that I wanted to send the fragile vase but it could not be tipped upside down or on its side, he just laughed at me! He said I was crazy.

“I was devastated. My amazing terrariums were wonderful, but if I couldn’t send them in the post I couldn’t sell them on our website! So after brainstorming ideas including fake plants, glue and resin, we finally came to the conclusion that we should make the terrariums into DIY packs and send everything in its own little package. We figured if we enjoyed making the terrariums ourselves, our customers would too!”

With simple how-to-guides on their website, even those without the DIY gene (myself included) can manage.

Shop online.

Categories
Homewares

Shakira Lima on giving her Indian heritage a modern edge

Celebrating her Indian heritage but contemporising it with colours and materials that are on trend, Shakira Lima of Shakiraaz has taken a new approach to her latest homewares range.

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Shifting from an online store that stocks other designers to just selling her own, Shakira has designed and worked on all the products herself, including screenprinting and block printing in her Melbourne studio. “What I love about designing my products is the creative process behind it,” explains Shakira. “I love the part where I visualise something and then need to figure out how I can get it to work practically, like selecting the right materials to print on, the colour mixing and adding the right trims.”

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For Shakira, her ethos is simple: to have everything handmade and handcrafted. All her pieces are one-offs or limited editions, made using solvent-free, water-based dyes that have a low environmental impact. Supporting artisans is also of great importance, with Shakira having an agreement with herself to never bargain down the price of any item sourced or created in India: “I understand the process and craftsmanship behind the pieces created there.” Medallion Pink Linen Cushion

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My favourite in her latest range is the Medallion Series Block Print (above), which comes on both cushions and tea towels. Inspired by the ancient carvings of a temple she visited in Chennai, Shakira designed a block, which was then hand carved by an artisan in India. Block printing in her Melbourne studio, Shakira juxtaposed fluro with a rustic linen background, achieving that modern but historical blend.

Shop online.

Categories
Interiors Addict

It may look and feel like timber floor, but it’s tiles!

They may have the look and feel of timber but Amber’s newest range of timber-looking tiles and pavers have the durability to last for years indoors and out.

Amareno Timber
Amareno Tile

With its intricate natural wood design, the new Amareno Tile Range has the resilience of glazed porcelain and is available in White, Birch, Grey, Walnut and Blackbutt. The range is the newest addition to Amber’s existing collection of popular timber-look products including the Italian Atelier tile, Doga Sandal tile and the Timberstone paver.

Affordable and suitable for all areas of the family home, the richness of details, knots and shades is evident within each tile. Easy to maintain and with a high slip resistance, they are the perfect solution to avoid aging wood surfaces and potential fire hazards in bushfire prone areas.

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Timberstone Paver

The collection also translates to the outdoor area with the Timberstone paver proving a popular option in Australian homes. Perfectly recreating the intricate details of aged timber it can also withstand the harsh Australian weather.

Amber’s new timber-inspired products are available on special now in stores across Australia. For more information. 

Categories
Appliances

Smeg: Bridging the gap between high performance and domestic ovens

Breaching the divide between high performance professional kitchen appliances and the domestic alternatives, Smeg has released its flagship 90cm pyrolytic (self-cleaning) built-in oven – the SAP3900X.

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As the final element in Smeg’s collection of new generation, high performance ovens, the Classic design SAP3900X includes stand out innovations such as: the Thin Film Transistor display with ultra clear graphics, the S-Logic interface that provides intuitive, simple control of multiple functions and Smart Sense self-guiding cooking programs.

Special functions within the cooking programs include proving mode (for baking breads etc), slow cooking, eco-energy-saving fan-forced mode, plus nine other baking functions such as fan assisted, supercook, fan grill and baker’s function.

With the SAP3900X, labour-intensive cleaning is also a thing of the past, with the generous 90 litre capacity pyrolytic oven having a three-hour cycle for heavily soiled oven interiors and an eco-energy-saving 90 minute option that is tailored to lightly soiled ovens.

The Smeg SAP3900X retails at $4990, for a list of stockists and more information visit the Smeg website here.

Categories
Appliances

Adhesive that sticks in just 3 seconds, for those small jobs around the house

Ultra quick and ultra strong, Sika MaxTack is a water-based adhesive that forms a strong bond after just three seconds of applied pressure.

Stylish bookshelf

Strong initial grab means you can say goodbye to nails, vices or weights to hold the bond in place, with MaxTack’s ability to be used indoor and out seeing it be ideal for woodwork, skirting boards, shelving and craft projects.

MaxTack’s user-friendly, water-based formula offers a high-strength bond without the chemical odours and once dry, can easily be covered with water-based paints.

MAXTACK

The Maxtack 300ml retails for $9.98, with the Handy 100ml option retailing for $6.97.

For more information.

Categories
Homewares Interviews

Archer & Archer: an online homewares store with a difference

I first stumbled upon online homewares store Archer & Archer on Facebook two years ago. Their stunning product photos accompanied by humourous descriptions immediately got my attention and I’ve been hooked ever since.

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Known for their one-off vintage and antique pieces, Archer & Archer is run by husband and wife team Troy and Sarah Archer. Queensland based, though they do ship most items nationally, they release a new collection twice a week that sells out almost immediately. Up and running since 2011, they still sell solely through Facebook, though in the next few months this will change, with the launch of their website.

With the new website will also come a new aesthetic, as they begin stocking new homewares as well as vintage. “We’ve been known for one-offs but we’ve always been very passionate about new products,” explains Troy. “Stuff that is on trend and beautifully made by clever people. The website will be a curated mix of timeless vintage and new home and life wares. Cleanly presented, simple to use, updated countless times per week and housing one very fun little area called The Locked Room. Basically, that area of the site will be for members only, with all the things members would expect: exclusive, limited, members-first kind of stuff.”

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While the homewares world is relatively new to them, both Troy and Sarah have a strong creative background: Sarah as a garment designer for Billabong and an EMI signed singer/songwriter and Troy as the marketing director of Elements (Billabong Group). Troy has just taken on a 12-month styling and creative contract with Billabong.

It’s these professions that have always seen them enjoy the hunt for beautiful things and it’s exactly why they’re so excited to start combining timeless pieces from decades past with the new and handmade. “We’re inspired by creating spaces that have a balanced mix,” says Troy. “In terms of the brands we’ll be offering, this should ebb and flow constantly as wonderful new products emerge, but there are certainly some staples that we have been in love with for a long time.”

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But one cannot forget the one-offs, the true staple of the Archer & Archer aesthetic and what made them a recognisable name. It’s the unknown and the experience of discovering new things that really gets them going and sees them go on diligent hunts to find these unique pieces. “There is no magical way to get the things we offer, it’s a tireless search that involves spiders and dust and dirt and lots of cobwebs and early starts. Garage sales, deceased estates, markets, car boots, swap meets and a whole lot of relationship building with lots of people that have things they might one day need to sell!”

While the date for the Archer & Archer website launch is yet to be decided, I’ve been told within the month is the aim. In the meantime, you can get your Archer & Archer fix on their Facebook page here.

Categories
Appliances

Electric blankets are so last year: introducing heated throws and cushions!

When I was younger the hotel we frequented use to have an electric blanket. To me, having never used one before, it was ridiculous fun (I was a child don’t judge me)! To this day, I have a bit of a soft spot for them.

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So the latest offering from Sunbeam has taken my awe to a whole new level. Introducing the heated throws and cushion! While they may not be to everyone’s taste (having a hot cushion will take some getting use to and that faux fur look isn’t everyone’s idea of stylish) with winter well and truly on its way, I’m ready to embrace them!

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The heated throw (from $79.95) comes in both faux fur and plush fleece, with Sleep Perfect® technology seeing its temperature adjust accordingly to your body temperature. They also heat up in a quick 10 minutes, with six heat control options.

The cushion ($69.95) comes in faux fur and in contrast, has three heat settings, with 90 minute auto-off. Both the throws and cushion come with a three-year replacement guarantee.

For more information.

Categories
Interviews

Vintage signage inspires custom made artworks

Vanessa Hile has been making custom-made artworks for the last two years and it’s the challenge of turning her clients’ ideas into reality, that keeps her coming back for more: “It’s like someone telling you they’d like the chorus line of Yellow Submarine by the Beatles in a picture but also a cane toad. It might not mean anything to anyone but the client but that’s what makes this so unique.”

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It’s too Early

The idea to start creating custom artworks, came after Vanessa created a piece for her husband, entitled It’s too Early. Inspired by their backpacking trip to Colorado, it not only acted as a reminder of the good times but was also the catalyst for friends asking for their own unique artistic mementos. Now, the rest is history.

Vanessa has a very strong aesthetic with a prominent emphasis on typography, as she says: “New fonts are like fashion to me.” Vintage advertising and signage are synonymous with her look, mimicking the old advertising style where images were hand drawn rather than using photographs.

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It was the trip to Colorado and the surrounding states of the US and Mexico that saw her art shift from realism painting (she has been painting for 20 years!) to her current style of signage art. “My travels through the US and Mexico left me with photo albums of painted signs, paint peeled walls and old relics of neon signage. Mexicans all tend to be experienced signwriters and will paint their restaurant menus on the side of their shop fronts with great flair. The mad colour combinations and gimmicky icons in composition with the type styles used, can spur on great ideas.”

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Too Easy

But her trip wasn’t the first time Vanessa was inspired by typography, having worked as a graphic designer for 17 years and studying signwriting in Newcastle. She was also part of the founding Real Living magazine team, where she was art director and a finalist in the 2006 MPA awards for Designer of the Year.

Her graphic design skills remain hugely relevant, with Vanessa sketching her artwork ideas on the computer after her initial consultation with clients. “I use my computer to work up type relationships and try different colour combinations just as I would with my graphic design work. But once I know where I’m going with it, I work up the lettering with chalk and get into it.”

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The Royal Hawaiian

While Vanessa has now created many artworks in her signage art style, her favourite is The Royal Hawaiian (above), a piece she made for a close girlfriend to remember their trip to Hawaii back in 2003. “We stayed at this hotel for just the one night and went down to the hotel bar after nightfall. We drank Mai Tais talking to some US Marines. It was an unplanned, amazing night. We talk about how we wish we could do that again. It just has that feel good effect on me.”

It really sums up all of Vanessa’s pieces. While they look good, it is their ability to evoke emotion, to create a feeling of nostalgia and sentiment, that truly make them one of a kind.

 For more information.

Categories
Homewares

Online shopping fix: Ma and Grandy (plus 10% off everything for readers)

Harking back to the 1930s, Brisbane based paper goods and homewares brand Ma and Grandy, is all about encompassing the pre-war era.

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A range including limited edition cushions, A4 art prints, wood brooches, single greeting cards and card sets, it’s the old-fashioned notion of sending a note in the mail ‘just because’ that really gets founder Natala Stuetz’s heart singing.

“I’ve always loved greeting cards and am a big hoarder of things like that,” says Natala. “There’s nothing better than sending and receiving a handwritten note – they’re so much more personal. I’d love for our modern society to put down their smartphones, step away from the email and remember a time when the handwritten note ruled!”

With their wonderful typography and vibrant colour palette of mustard yellows, electric blue and gelato pinks, the Ma and Grandy range is one of delightful simplicity, made even more enchanting by the story behind the name.

Ma and Grandy were Natala’s actual Ma and Grandy (grandmother and grandfather) whose real and wholesome love saw Natala’s whole family be in awe of them. So for Natala, the name choice came easy: “It seemed so natural to represent these two amazing people through my work and continue their legacy.”

Ma and Grandy is offering Interiors Addicts 10% off everything for a week from today using the promo code Interior10.

Shop online.

Categories
Appliances

Electrolux takes home four Red Dot Awards, including the Best of the Best

Electrolux has been awarded not one, but four Red Dot product design awards, including the highly coveted Best of the Best, which went to the new Electrolux Ergorapido. If you’re looking for a new vacuum, this is pretty high praise indeed!

Ergo 3Running since 1955, the Red Dot Award is established internationally as one of the most sought-after quality marks for good design. With a jury consisting of 40 design professionals from 25 countries, designs are awarded for excellence in areas such as innovation, functionality, quality and sustainability.

This year, only 1.5% of all submissions to the Red Dot Award (there were 4,815 entries) were honored with the Red Dot: Best of the Best award for groundbreaking design and one of the few was the Ergorapido.

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First landing on the market ten years ago, the Ergorapido remains one of Electrolux’s most celebrated designs, selling nine million units around the world. Its self standing design provides greater flexibility, while its accessible two-in-one functionality of a cordless stick making cleaning different surfaces easy.

The three other Red Dot awards presented to Electrolux were for their UltraCaptic, UltraOne and Rapido vacuums.

For a list of stockists.

Categories
Homewares

Online art gallery featuring over 1,000 artists

Buying art is hard. Believe me, I know. For my 21st present, my Mum and I went on the hunt for an original artwork. I’m now 22 and still have no art, so let’s just say it wasn’t too successful. I was therefore very happy to stumble upon the Bluethumb Online Art Gallery.

FIRE AND ICE by Lynne Godina-Orme
Fire and Ice by Lynne Godina-Orme

A self-funded Adelaide start-up, Bluethumb makes buying and selling art easy, hosting and promoting an online community where artists can directly display and sell their works. Customers can now buy straight from the artist and no longer need to trawl traditional bricks-and-mortar stores and galleries.

Even more importantly, the public can now support emerging artists, who through this online avenue are more likely to build a career selling their art. “I sell online because it reaches a wider audience, both in Australia and overseas,” says acrylics and mixed media artist Wendy Eriksson. “Different people get to see my work and it’s a non-threatening environment. Selling online also makes my art more affordable. I do not frame so freighting artworks is easy and inexpensive. Selling online definitely boosts my income.”

Seaside Holiday by Wendy Eriksson
Seaside Holiday by Wendy Eriksson

Gaining momentum exponentially, a week ago Bluethumb listed its 1,000th Australian artist and the gallery is currently on track to sell $200,000 worth of art for the second year in a row.

For more information. 

Categories
Appliances

The latest coffee machine from Electrolux combines Italian espresso expertise with thoughtful design proficiency

Combining the Italian espresso expertise of Lavazza and the thoughtful design proficiency of Electrolux, the Lavazza A Modo Mio Éspria coffee machine by Electrolux (what a mouthful!) is a sleek and compact new design.

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Ideal for urban dwelling coffee lovers, Lavazza has created a range of eight blends (in capsule size) that have been carefully selected to satisfy every individual’s taste. The semi-transparent capsule system also makes preparation and dosage easy to control with every cup.

With an adjustable stainless steel drip tray, cup size can easily be adjusted to three heights – small, medium and large, so that all coffee needs can be met from the quick fix to the more indulgent large cup.

Recently awarded a number of international design accolades, including the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD and Plus X Award for high quality design and ease of use, the Lavazza A Modo Mio Éspria comes in ebony black and love red and retails for $149.

For more information and stockists.

Categories
Homewares

Concrete clocks, concrete lights, concrete purses. Oh my!

So, while I was well aware that concrete was having a bit of a moment, what I was completely unaware of was that concrete could be so versatile that products such as concrete clocks and concrete purses could actually exist!

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But for Sean Young and Andrew Biffin of the ‘Everything Cool in Concrete’ online store, S L A B homewares, producing and selling such products is all in a day’s work.

“To take a raw material like concrete, that is integral to our day to day lives and to see it transformed into high fashion or sculptural art and homewares is a true passion of ours,” says Sean. “Most would think that concrete is cold and void of any warmth, but our collection presents concrete in a brand new light. Warm, organic designs injecting individuality into homes, offices and wardrobes.”

Starting the label in 2011 due to their love of industrial chic and urban design, the store sells furniture, lighting, homewares and fashion. Designed by talented artists from around the globe, all are original designs made from concrete, aiming to not just be beautiful but useful too.

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One such range that stands out for this reason is the Concrete Clutch range (photo bottom right), which while more fashion that interiors, is worth a mention for both its originality and beauty. “Our Concrete Clutch range is definitely the most unique in both design and innovation,” explains Sean. “The fusion of elegant Italian leather with raw formed concrete has created a style that is both refined and edgy.”

But if Sean had to name his favourite piece in the interiors line, it’s the Concrete Clocks that he has a soft spot for. “It is difficult to select one individual piece, but I simply cannot get past the SLAB#3 Grandfather Clock (photo bottom left). Standing tall like a dominant figure in a room, it is like a sculptural masterpiece, adding a new twist to a historical classic.”

Shop online.

Categories
Appliances

Editorial assistant Olivia cooks pizza with Pete Evans and Breville

It’s in my DNA to be a pizza fanatic (yes I’m quarter Italian can’t you tell from my ghostly white olive skin?!) so when Breville asked me if I’d like to get ‘hot & crispy with Pete Evans’ (their words not mine), I wasn’t going to say no.

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What ‘hot and crispy’ turned out to mean was cooking pizza with Breville’s Crispy Crust stone baked pizza oven. First, My Kitchen Rules judge Pete demonstrated, then we attempted to copy. All up we made two pizzas: a chilli prawn, then the more indulgent pear and frangipane.

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Using the Crispy Crust we were able to cook our pizza at a whopping 350 degrees, meaning you could get the crispy crusts that are impossible to achieve in a regular household oven where the maximum temperature is in the 200s.

Olivia getting her cook on

The Crispy Crust also features a viewing window, which allows you to monitor the pizza without opening the lid and losing heat. It also automatically adjusts the temperature of the oven, depending on your pizza base’s thickness.

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The Crispy Crust is a 12-inch ceramic pizza stone that has dual heating elements, top and bottom.

For more information.

If you love the latest kitchen gadgets too, don’t forget our appliances section.

Categories
Furniture Homewares

The app that’s changing the way you shop for bespoke and vintage pieces

Sisi, Will and Fei

A Mad Men obsession combined with a need to furnish his new apartment saw Will Fan go on a mad hunt in search of an industrial 60s lamp and a Don Draper-esque office drinking cart. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t easy; eBay and Gumtree meant sifting through used mattresses and cheap imports and weekends became drives around Sydney checking out questionable leads.

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What became abundantly clear to Will, was Sydney had a very scattered group of boutique bricks-and-mortar sellers, collectors listing on eBay and standalone online craftsmen. These were people selling vibrant bespoke designs and revived vintage pieces who didn’t really have an online presence. Not only was there no go-to place for everyone to connect, there was also no easy way for buyers or enthusiasts to find them.

So, Couchelo was born. The recently launched app is a simple to use, curated online marketplace, where only the best items from the most interesting sellers are available in one place. “It is about using updated technology to help a niche market become more accessible to appreciation,” explains Will.

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Enlisting the help of friends Fei Yao and Si-Si Dai, Will and the team are self-claimed “design industry outsiders” but that’s the exact reason they wanted to create Couchelo, to help make it easy for people like them to find amazing décor.

Still in its early days, the Couchelo app is in its beta phase, but as its popularity grows, so will the complexity of the app. “What we love about it now is the simplicity of scrolling through photos of the beautiful pieces in your nearby location,” says Will. “Yet as the number of items for sale on Couchelo grows, you will start to see updates for new features including search, décor categories and even exciting recommendations.”

Sisi, Will and Fei
Si-Si, Will and Fei

While it is currently Sydney-based, Couchelo’s sights are set much higher. “We want to showcase our favourite home-grown boutiques and designers to the world. To do this, we need to start bringing all these independent creatives in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other design cities on board. We also want to work collaboratively with the 160,000 design professionals in Australia to create a curated marketplace with a collection of unique furniture and homewares.”

For more information.

Categories
Homewares

Removable blackboard wallpaper: oh, the possibilities!

It’s no secret that here at Interiors Addict we are big fans of removable wallpaper, so Zakkia’s latest offering has got us a little excited! Introducing removable chalkboard wallpaper…

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Easy to apply and easy to remove, you can use it as traditional wallpaper or cut your own shapes and use them as wall decals, labels or blackboards. They’re also perfect for kids’ rooms, because what child doesn’t dream of being allowed to scribble on their walls!?

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Zakkia also sell liquid chalk markers, which wipe off easily with a damp cloth.

Shop online.

Categories
Homewares

Steph & Gaia on why ‘Kindness is the new BLACK’

“I follow heart not trends,” explains Steph Margaritidis, owner of homewares brand Steph & Gaia. “Being fashionable or on trend is not what I think of when designing, rather my designs are built around narratives, drawn from formative memories, music, art, words, places and times.”

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This belief is further summed up in her latest range — Kindness is the new BLACK — a commentary on the fickle nature of following trends. Writing the quote some time ago, Steph’s original idea to create a fabric expanded into a collection of hand-screened cushions, silk-screened apothecary bottles and paper prints.

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The bottles, which are an immediate standout, were something Steph was keen to make from the get go: “I knew that I wanted to silk-screen on something other than fabric and as far as I can remember I have coveted apothecary bottles. I found the idea of sourcing local amber bottles that could be silk-screened very appealing and inverting the use of them to that of a functional household vessel or as a sculptural element to adorn.”

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The interweaving of art and design is also a common thread in her work, believing that the two disciplines are intrinsically linked. With a visual arts background, Steph’s artistic flair sees her not only design fabrics but also create unique soft sculptures like the one above. For these, she likes to use recycled and upcycled materials and voraciously looks for vintage lace and doilies to create skulls, horse heads and the like.

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An advocate for locally made goods, everything is designed by Steph and handmade in Sydney. With a strong emphasis on using natural materials, she has a sensitive approach to manufacturing, producing in the slow tradition. “Steph & Gaia emphasises the bespoke with limited runs in our production,” she says. “I put relationships before profit.”

With her online store set to launch in June, Steph & Gaia can in the meantime be purchased by contacting Steph through her website, or through the online boutiques Hard To Find and In A Designer Home.