Tag: elise heslop

How to buy furniture that lasts you through every life stage

Post author By Guest Poster
Post date January 12, 2015
No Comments on How to buy furniture that lasts you through every life stage

It’s only natural that your furniture needs will evolve over time. From furnishing a first home and starting a family to being an empty nester in down-sizing mode, our needs are constantly changing. So how do we make sure that the furniture we buy will last over time and all the life stages? Founder of furniture brand Plyroom, Elise Heslop, shares her tips.

VISUALLY LIGHT

Furniture that’s visually light in appearance makes a space look and feel more open than chunky, dark stained timber furniture.

A BLANK CANVAS

Selecting synergistic furniture pieces throughout a home that are made from a single material, promotes a sense of calm and an open, airy feel. You can introduce colours and texture through cushions, throws, art, plants and homewares to personalise a room.

A CONSISTENT NARRATIVE

Choosing furniture throughout a home or an apartment that tells the same story across design, finish, colour and detailing is another device for imparting a spacious feel. A consistent narrative paves the way for expression in other ways rather than all furniture needing to be an exact match.

DO MORE WITH LESS

Furniture that’s been cleverly designed to perform multiple functions ultimately means that less furniture is required. Investing in better quality, well-designed furniture that can last many years is a smart and cost-effective strategy for building a beautiful and timeless collection that you’ll love.

FURNITURE THAT’S NEITHER ROOM NOR FUNCTION SPECIFIC

Furniture that’s not tied to how or where you use it can evolve with your lifestyle and avoid becoming obsolete. Furniture that can be applied in new ways in different locations is a great way to freshen up a space.

CLUTTER-FREE SPACES

Smart storage solutions provide the key to a blissful existence. Choose from specifically designed storage receptacles and furniture that ingeniously incorporates storage space with other functions.

KEEPSAKE QUALITY

Plyroom supports the idea of investing in furniture that’s engineered to be used every day and to last a lifetime. Selecting quality, functional furniture encourages everyday usage rather than sitting idle and wasting space.

Find out more about Plyroom here.

Tags design, elise heslop, furniture, interiors, plyroom

Furniture Kids Rooms

The cot that turns into a toddler bed, and later, a desk!

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date May 15, 2014
2 Comments on The cot that turns into a toddler bed, and later, a desk!

The innovative, Italian designed and made AVA — a cot, junior bed and desk all in one — is one product that will defintiely evolve with your family.

While there are many cots on the market with converter kits that you can buy as your child grows, the Ava cot from Plyroom is the first product in Australia that converts from a beautifully designed cot into a bed without the need for additional components, as well as later converting into a desk!

With an intelligent design, and using the eponymous European birch plywood, Plyroom and Totem Italia have collaborated to create something special for parents wanting maximum practicality coupled with a stunning design. Totem Italia’s designs push the boundaries of what one product can do. “Working with Totem Italia has been an exciting journey. We worked closely with an independent testing agency here in Australia to ensure the product adheres to all mandatory cot safety requirements in Australia and New Zealand. Whilst safety was our first priority, we needed to ensure it also retained the design simplicity synonymous with Totem Italia products,” says Plyroom founder, Elise Heslop.

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Like all Plyroom products, the Ava cot is proudly designed and made in Italy and finished by hand. Using Totem Italia’s signature precision cut joinery with a unique interlocking system, means that all parts are held in place by solid wooden pegs and dowels. Ava requires no metal joins which ensures maximum product strength and integrity. The cot is flat-packed and the assembly process is surprisingly simple; no infamous allen keys or drills are necessary for assembly — the only tool needed to assemble this product is an old-fashioned hammer.

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Made of FSC certified European birch ply and non-toxic water based finishes, the Ava cot features an adjustable mattress height for newborns and older babies. The organically shaped peepholes in the sides of the cot reflect the natural curves of nature and balance baby being able to see out whilst feeling secure.

Always passionate about sustainable and smart design, Totem Italia has designed this product so that the cot turns into a toddler bed without the additional expense or pieces of a conversion kit. “The cot also fits a standard size found in Australia, so mums and dads won’t have to search for a special-sized mattress or sheets and can take advantage of all the beautiful children’s cot bedlinen now available in Australia,” Elise adds.

The Ava offers a comfortable height for parents putting little ones down whilst also being low to the ground. The height of the junior bed is perfect for children as they transition from cot to bed as being close to the floor helps them feel safe. “The junior bed with safe and easy access also doubles as a reading couch and a place for quiet play,” she adds.

Ava can be a cherished piece beyond toddler years with its ingenious conversion to a desk with a clean, elegant, modern design. “The mattress base has round holes for proper ventilation of the cot and bed mattress but what’s fabulous about this is that these openings double up as glass or cup holders and are a great way to thread laptop cords neatly when Ava converts into a desk.”

Can’t believe it? Watch the video!

Ava costs $1,750. Buy online.

Tags birch ply, childs bed, cot, cot conversion kit, cot safety requirements, desk, elise heslop, fsc certified, italian, plyroom, plywood, toddler bed, totem italia

Furniture Interviews

A year out in Italy and small space living inspire new plywood furniture business

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date March 3, 2014
3 Comments on A year out in Italy and small space living inspire new plywood furniture business

Launched a few months ago, Plyroom is a new online store featuring a collection of beautifully crafted ply furniture, designed and made in Italy. Melbourne woman Elise Heslop brought it here after a year out in Italy with her family taught her about small space living and multi-purpose pieces.

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Following a philosophy of affordable, beautifully designed furniture, Plyroom’s products represent an appreciation for honest materials and smart design, hallmarks of Italy’s reputation as a major player in the design world. The products are both flexible in their many uses and suitable for a diversity of environments, such as home spaces, office spaces and more.

Whilst living in Europe, Elise came to appreciate the way things in a typical Italian home were looked after with a generational permanence. “This eye on taking care of things for the sake of passing them down to children’s children was quite a difference to the fast-moving nature of interior design in Australia,” she says.

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Moving from a four-bed house in Australia to a two-bed apartment in Italy also taught her a thing or two: “As we got to know more people and spend time in their homes, I began to see how intelligently small spaces were being used throughout the entire home, from the bedroom to the living room – maximising functionality without compromising quality or adding clutter.”

She’s confident customers will love the versatility of the range, with drawers that can easily be shared between children’s and adult’s rooms (even offering the added flexibility of a change-table addition) side tables on hidden wheels, and beautiful curved ply seats with hidden storage.

Rotating drawers on hidden castors make for a flexible, space-saving storage solution

“As a furniture selection, Plyroom is really catering for customers who want flexible pieces that are easy to live with, designed with simplicity and optimism, and made with the highest quality materials. The Italian companies we represent are passionate about uniting traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. As such, their furniture embodies a more sustainable ideology built around made-to-last craftsmanship and combined with a design-rich aesthetic.”

Embracing an online retail model, Plyroom caters for both corporate and consumer customers, allowing visitors to browse online and select their pieces, which are then made to order in Italy and delivered Australia-wide.

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“Much of the furniture is made from sustainably forested European Birch and flat packaged to reduce transport emissions. One of our designers in particular, who is passionate about sustainable design, has spent years working to design products with a unique joinery system that avoids metal parts entirely and are intuitive and enjoyable to assemble.”

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Elise, who has a marketing background, founded the business nine months ago. Plyroom’s collaboration with prominent designers in Northern Italy brings a unique selection of furniture to Australia, inspired by flexibility and sustainability for every room in the home.

Shop online.

Tags apartment living, elise heslop, europe, flat pack, furniture, italian, italy, office furniture, plyroom, plywood, sustainability, timber