Marking his first foray into soft furnishings, designer extraordinaire Greg Natale has partnered with One Duck Two to release a Spring/Summer 2016 Signature Collection; a release of 21 intricately detailed, wool, hand-embroidered and linen-print cushions.
Characteristic of Greg’s tailored, carefully layered approach when fusing decoration with design, the range has been grouped into four distinct suites. There are two classically inspired collections that revel in bright blues, vibrant greens and elegant monochromes, complemented by a contemporary collection that presents sophisticated geometric patterns in grey tones, as well as a graphic, black-and-white collection with striking, high-contrast motifs.
[contextly_sidebar id=”I8jkYAIvOIJy6jzTWVwH4bA0ZTTm3rOw”]“I have always found cushions to be an attractive and easy way to add colour, pattern and contrast to any room,” explains Greg. “I can’t imagine a sofa or bed without cushions, designing my first collection has been a very personal, gratifying experience. I can’t wait to see how people interpret my designs in their own environments.”
Available to purchase now through leading homewares and department stores (stockists include David Jones, Domayne, Domo and The Vignette Room), the range is a celebration of colour, pattern and luxurious textures. All cushions measure 50x50cm and are available with feather or poly inserts. Prices start from $79.99.
We are so excited to be offering the Interiors Addict + inSTUDIO Scholarship (you can read all about it here), where, in partnership with iscd’s brand new inSTUDIO campus, we are offering one lucky reader a full-time design course worth more than $18,000 as well mentoring and work experience with interior designer of the year 2014 Greg Natale and Block judge Darren Palmer! I’m tempted to enter myself, but having just graduated journalism, I think I need a break from studying for now!
With applications closing soon — 5 June — we thought now was the perfect time to have a chat with successful iscd graduate, Manel Daetz. So, if you’re still debating whether to apply, be inspired by Manel and just imagine… if you enter and win, in a few years’ time you could be just like her: living out your dream of being an interior designer. But enough from me, let’s hear from the woman herself.
Manel
What course did you take at iscd?
They had so much to offer I decided to do as many as I could. I did: Certificate VI /Associate Diploma of Colour and Design, Surface & Textile Design, Colour Consulting, Interior Styling and Interior Design.
What did you get out of the courses?
iscd’s continual encouragement to focus on my individual design styles and support me in persuing my creativity as a career was something that shaped my working life immeasurably. The constant opportunities to push our individual creative limits through every project shaped me into the designer that I am today. It was one of the best learning experiences I have had to date. Creatively, it also gave me the technical skills and the ability to experience different areas of design from textiles and surfaces to interiors and furniture.
Manel’s work
When did you graduate and what have you done since?
I graduated in 2001 and worked in the interior design industry in both residential and commercial design and also designed and hand-made furniture. The most recent design adventure that I have embarked on was to become creative director of Henry Corbett & Co. where we work with our clients to design and build their ideal spaces.
What do you think about the Interiors Addict + inSTUDIO Scholarship?
I think that it is a brilliant idea. It allows an up and coming designer to experience and learn from designers in the industry who love and adore the craft. The experience that is gained from that guidance at the start of a person’s career is so valuable and also helps to create great people to work with in the industry.
How vital were your iscd qualifications in getting you to where you are today?
I believe that having the opportunity to start the iscd course at a young age gave me the knowledge, insight and technical ability to launch the exciting career I have today. The encouragement and creative support given to us as students by the educators at iscd was amazing. It is truly a place where your design abilities and natural gifts are encouraged and nurtured.
Recently, we spoke to Briar Stanley, the blogger and interior decorator behind Sunday Collector. As a specialist in creating gorgeous rooms — especially for little people — we thought she would be the perfect person to share some tips on designing your nursery.
“Decide on the piece you want to splurge on (maybe the cot that converts into a toddler bed) and then don’t be afraid to mix vintage pieces with new. Have fun trawling op shops for a day or check out Gumtree for cute timber bookshelves or change tables. Update these pieces with a coat of paint and you will end up with an original nursery that has loads of character. Places like IKEA, Cotton On and Target are also your friend when it comes to nurseries — mix in a few pieces from affordable shops here and there for a truly unique space.”
Briar also puts a lot of emphasis on the colour palette, recommending colour over its monochrome counterpart. “I’ve seen lots of black and white rooms lately, but I am happy to see colour is making a big comeback. I like the idea of kids growing up around the innocence of ‘happy’ colours. Cool painted wall murals are proving pretty popular, as is cute wallpaper.”
Alongside a beautiful looking room, for Briar functionality is also of the utmost importance. “A change table with handy storage close by for nappies and wipes is a good idea. You want to be prepared in those early months with a newborn. Sleep deprivation can make the simplest task (like finding a nappy in the middle of the night) impossible! Also, a dimmer for the ceiling light is always handy. You need to be able to see your hands without bright overhead lighting that may stimulate your baby from slumber.”
Having designed an array of nurseries, Briar can’t help but admit her favourite was her daughter, Sunday’s. “It was a true labour of love and a slow process of pulling together a space I imagined my daughter would like while I was pregnant. As luck would have it, I pretty much imagined her toddler personality (cheeky, funny, bold, artistic) perfectly. As a nearly three-year old, it’s a space she loves to play in and she’s always telling our visitors to, ‘Come see my room, now!'”
With Sunday now a toddler, Briar recently transitioned the nursery into a kids room, a process that wasn’t time-consuming or expensive! “If you’re like me with my daughter, transforming your nursery into a kids room could be as easy as replacing the cot with an appropriate toddler bed and some fresh bed linen. I also added a second bookshelf to deal with a huge over-supply of books, and updated a few things on her walls. I’ll often find a client has applied a nursery-themed wall decal before I’ve come on on the scene, so removing that and replacing it with some great art is a really easy way to update a nursery.”
Modern art, heirloom furniture and imported lighting all hover in style and time inside this brand new home which wants to be old. This project, by Molecule, won the residential decoration category of the Melbourne Design Awards.
The ground floor is a tale of two worlds. Cross the threshold and be transported, Alice in Wonderland style, to a choice of the salon (glamour/public) or the living room (family/private). “Part palace, part bazaar and part Miss Havisham’s house, the salon is a grand, luxurious room that takes seriously its ‘private hotel’ aspirations,” says architect Jarrod Haberfield, of Molecule. “A fabulous bar sits alongside lushly upholstered custom furniture and major contemporary artworks. The salon is about glamour, excitement and aspiration; its look is fun, strong and idiosyncratic.”
