With her fresh, modern aesthetic and Instagram following of almost 400,000, TV personality and fashion and lifestyle blogger Rebecca Judd was a natural fit for collaboration with Australian manchester and homewares giant, Adairs.
“I wanted to create something that my own followers would love. Being an Adairs customer, I knew what they were about and I think with my own personality and style, it was a perfect marriage,” says Rebecca.
The limited edition Rebecca Judd Loves Home Republic range, with its on-trend colours, prints and textures, brings a seasonal update to Australian homes. Mint and blush pink are accented with pops of navy and yellow in stylish prints and textures.
“Style to me is really important, especially in the interiors space – it’s a really good opportunity to reflect your own personality,” says Rebecca.
The range includes four fully reversible bed linen designs, complementary wall art and soft furnishings – all in versatile mix and match designs.
The range encompasses childrens’ bedrooms too with Judd’s children Billie and Oscar providing inspiration for the Rebecca Judd Loves Adairs Kids range.
We’re often sent information about great homewares products in the hope that we’ll feature them on the blog and sometimes, sadly, we have to say no, because the poorly lit, amateur photos don’t do them justice or, frankly, just wouldn’t look good on the site. I try to take the time to advise people how they could improve their product images and sometimes, to my delight, people invest in a stylist and photographer and come back to me with something amazing. I love it when this happens!
Styled and shot by Hayley and Josette
But not everyone’s in a position to be able to make this investment. Which is why I’m delighted to be running this fantastic competition with stylist Hayley Jenkin from Wholehearted Studio and photographer Josette Van Zutphen who are giving away a styled product/brand shoot to one lucky Interiors Addict reader. This is your chance to show your products in their best light. Whether you want the pix for your website, online store, to send out to media or all of the above, this is your chance, wherever you’re based in Australia. The winner will simply mail their product (which doesn’t have to be homewares) to Hayley and Josette and they’ll take care of the rest.
Stylist Hayley JenkinPhotographer Josette Van Zutphen
The winner receives the following, worth $2,300:
Skype or phone brainstorm with Hayley, your very own shoot stylist, to find out what you’re looking for
Hayley will then come up with an inspiration board of ideas based on your brief
Hayley will source additional props and location and as required to complete the look for your shoot
Whole day shoot with Josette and Hayley
20 web size images, shot at one location local to them.
Styled and shot by Hayley and Josette
How to enter
Instagram a picture of your brand/product, tag and follow @josettephotographer and @wholeheartedstudio and hashtag #interiorsaddictproductshoot by 5pm Sydney time on Friday 28 August 2015. These must be new photos, not tagging existing ones. The winner will be chosen by Hayley and Josette and announced on Interiors Addict’s Instagram within 7 days of the competition closing.
Some of Hayley and Josette’s branding work
Term & Conditions
Winner will be responsible for the cost of transportation of the product to and from Hayley and Josette in QLD. Prize includes services and photos only. Maximum hours for services including conceptualising, shooting and editing is 20 hours. Maximum amount of product to be photographed is 10 items. Prize is not redeemable for cash. Photos to be credited with @josettephotographer and @wholeheartedstudio on all social media posts. Photos are copyright to Josette Photographer and are not to be sold or copied. Winner takes responsibility for any damages to product in transit. The utmost care will be taken with your product, but in the case of an accident, the winner takes responsibility for any damages during the shoot. Shoot date to be scheduled subject to Hayley and Josette’s availability and must be before November 2015. Prize winner gives permission to Josette Photographer and Wholehearted Studio to use any images in their portfolios and on their social media accounts.
We all know Jen has a few followers on Instagram (more than 58,000 to be precise!) and spends a little time on there so she was delighted to be interviewed by the Daily Telegraph recently about using social media in the design world.
You can read the full article here and all our other press coverage here.
We hope you’re all rested and raring to go after last month’s little holiday from 7 Vignettes (its first in more than two years!). Please take a read of our new guidelines. While we haven’t made any major changes to the monthly challenge we hope we have spelled out how to take part, what’s allowed and what’s not a little clearer. If you have feedback, you can always contact us.
Next month, Officeworks are our guest judge and sponsor, providing a generous $500 voucher for the overall winner and daily theme prizes of a set of three Moleskine Cahier Large Plain Notebooks. Hoorah! “Officeworks is all about supporting big ideas, so we love following #7vignettes on Instagram with Interiors Addict,” a spokesman said. “We can’t wait to be inspired by your creativity with this month’s challenge!”
Here are some Officeworks products you might like to spend your voucher on if you win…
So next month, please tag @interiorsaddict and @officeworks. Happy prepping and I look forward to seeing you all on Instagram again next Saturday 1 August!
Olivia’s Fab Four is a weekly post that features my favourite finds on Instagram for the past week. To be in the running, all you have to do is hashtag your product photos #oliviasfabfour and tag them with my handle: @oliviashead.
Here are this week’s beautiful products (clockwise from top left)
Starting your own business is hard, especially when it’s in a completely different field to your expertise. However, Mardi Mason did just that. Leaving the corporate world of marketing, sponsorship and events for a more creative way of life.
Mardi and her husband Brett and son Max. Photo credit: Willow and Tilly Photography
“For a long time interiors was just a passion,” explains Mardi. “Yet whilst I was on maternity leave my interest in styling grew stronger and I had a real desire to work in the creative world. A visit to Life InStyle cemented in my mind that this was the industry for me, so I took the plunge and started my own business.”
Master bedroom. Photo credit: Jack Murphy
[contextly_sidebar id=”ghnj6pLFgaQbufuWBO7qm6Vmks4RsZrl”]Already being the go-to person when friends needed interiors advice or help planning an event, it was somewhat of a natural progression and one that felt 100% right. Quickly landing her first job – to design a nursery for a friend of a friend – it was actually her Instagram handle that got her over the line. “I was once told to treat my Instagram page like a portfolio as it’s an opportunity to share your images and connect with a wonderfully supportive community. I love getting involved with 7 Vignettes for that very reason! So when my friend recommended me to her colleague and referred her to my Instagram page, she was able to get an idea of my style and chose to contact me as a result.”
Inner city townhouse staged for sale. Photo credit: Urban Angles
Having worked across styling, events and interiors for the last two years, Mardi does everything, from designing homes and styling weddings to staging properties for sale and commercial photo shoots. Going from strength to strength it’s tips like using your Instagram as your portfolio and networking in your local community that have led to Mardi’s success. “Networking with the appropriate people in my community like owners of interiors shops who may get asked if they know a stylist, real estate agents, local artists and so on has proved pivotal. Word of mouth is such a powerful tool, so making my business known in my local area seemed crucial to me.”
The Colour English. Photo credit: Lisa Atkinson
It was this tenacity that actually saw Mardi achieve her biggest styling milestone; landing her first commercial photo shoot for boutique art company, The Colour English. Imagining it would be hard to get a commercial gig, what with having none in her portfolio, it was after seeing their gorgeous wool art in a local shop that she decided to take matters into her own hands. “After seeing some of The Colour English’s art in the flesh I looked them up on Instagram and noticed they didn’t have any styled images. I decided to approach them directly and suggested I could style a shoot for them. The timing was perfect as they were actually in the process of sourcing a stylist. We met and I pitched my ideas, they loved what I suggested and I was hired. To plan a shoot from conception, execute it on the day and see it come to life in images that the client loved, felt like a huge achievement.”
The Colour English. Photo credit: Lisa Atkinson
Loving bringing other peoples’ homes, products and events to life, next on Mardi’s agenda is a personal project, having recently moved into a cute 1930s cottage that has loads of character and even more potential. “I can’t wait to start our build in the next couple of years, as the more I learn as a stylist the more those house plans evolve and the more refined my style becomes. I also have a little girl on the way who’s due early January and I’m excited to get going on her nursery.”
Coffee table detail shot. Photo credit: Jack Murphy
Megan Morton’sThe School has long-held some of the most exciting, creative and just plain kooky workshops around. From knitting and styling to cooking and clay-making, there’s something for everyone, problem is it’s Sydney based. Well, it was…
Now, Megan’s taken The School on the road, with her masterclasses popping up in Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and even, New York!
This October, the best of the Southern Hemisphere will come to NYC in one jam-packed weekend. So if you’re one of our American readers, or you just happen to be that side of the world come 10 and 11 October, here’s what you can expect.
Beginners calligraphy with Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls; Paper cut garlands with Miso; Instagram debunked with Stephanie Somebody; Science of styling with Megan Morton; Clay collisions with Shino Takeda; Extreme knitting with Jacqui Fink; and Florography with Ashley Woodson Bailey.
Prices start from $160, with the workshops taking place in some absolutely dazzling and incredible spaces. See the full schedule here.
The last few weeks, in my haze of new mum-ness, I became aware of a lot of discussion and debate happening on Instagram about what constitutes a vignette, whether standards had slipped in 7 Vignettes entries and whether every previous winner had stuck to the “rules”. I must admit I found it all a bit negative and took it personally (this Instagram challenge is another of my babies after all). Sleep deprivation will do that to you too. But do you know what? I’m kind of happy people care enough to have that debate!
Winning vignettes by Angela Steyn
Next week, when 7 Vignettes should start on 1 July, it’s my birthday, my bestie is here visiting from the UK and, after 2.5 years, I want a breather. I’m using this time out to invite you all to send in your suggestions for creating a set of guidelines for the competition going forward. And to tell me what you do/don’t like directly.
Winning vignettes by Mel Salaris
You can’t please all of the people all of the time. Not everyone will always agree with who is picked as the winner. And the judge’s choice will always be subjective. But if a set of guidelines makes people happy then let’s do this! And who better to contribute than the people who take part? So if you’re one of those who have voiced your opinion on Instagram, please voice it directly to me here or by email and let’s have some constructive feedback.
Above all though, let’s not lose sight of this being something fun, a place to ‘meet’ like-minded people and build each other up with encouragement, support and praise of each others efforts. The ‘real life’ events and meet-ups will also continue when baby Sebastian is a bit older.
7 Vignettes will be back on 1 August with the themes announced towards the end of July. I hope we can all come back refreshed, enthused and positive!
Well, thank goodness for guest judges is all I can say! Keeping up with the sheer volume of 7 Vignettes images when you have a newborn is tough! A big thank you to this month’s sponsors, Retrojan, who came up with the popular themes and have picked the daily and overall winners, which we’re sharing today.
The overall winner, @mesalaris gets a $500 Retrojan voucher. Congratulations Melanie! What a pretty, colourful collection! Annaliese Loriot, social media manager for Retrojan, said: “Melanie has produced seven days of fun, beautiful and consistent vignettes. Each image has had a lot of thought put into the theme behind it and always made us excited to see her next vignette! Congratulations on a week of stunning images!”
The daily theme winners, who get $75 vouchers, are as follows:
All our winners should email [email protected] to claim their vouchers.
READER OFFER
Retrojan are offering our readers 20% off everything until the end of the week. Simply enter the promo code INTERIORSADDICT20 at checkout or mention it while shopping at their Melbourne showroom and store. Valid 09/06/15 to 15/06/15 on full priced items only and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
The countdown is on to June 2015’s 7 Vignettes, starting a week today on 1 June and sponsored by Retrojan. They’re generously putting up a $500 voucher for the overall winner with $75 voucher daily theme prizes also up for grabs. So start preparing now to be in with a chance!
Retrojan furniture. Image courtesy of Real Living
Retrojan’s social media manager, Annaliese Loriot, says: “Retrojan proudly supports Interiors Addict’s 7 Vignettes as it’s a platform where design lovers can come together, share their own style and be creative, all within a fun and friendly community.
“Like Retrojan furniture, 7 Vignettes allows design lovers to put their own interpretation to a certain style or look which is what really inspires us!”
Here are next month’s themes, as chosen by Retrojan:
Feel free to share with your networks!
Retrojan is an Australian owned furniture brand, taking inspiration from legendary styles of the past, and producing their own modern take on them. Their no middlemen, direct from the manufacturer model promises you great value with a 14-day no-questions-asked money back guarantee and 12-month manufacturer’s warranty on everything and over 4000 happy customers. You may have seen their products on The Block, Renovation Rumble and House Rules.
Image courtesy of Real Living. Camille console, $469
This month, make sure you tag @retrojan and @interiorsaddict and use the hashtag #7vignettes. This challenge starts next Monday 1 June 2015. All the details of how to play are available here.
The winner of this month’s 7 Vignettes is Angela Steyn for this beautiful collection of images. She wins a selection of goodies from Interiors Addict Shop.
Guest judge Naomi Findlay, who runs Silk Home and the International Institute of Home Staging and is my partner in the online store, loved Angela’s images and how they included the gorgeous little hands of her sons! They also worked so well together as a seven.
Angela previously won 7 Vignettes in July last year and is one of four people who have won twice over the 29 challenges so far.
Angela, please contact us with your address so we can send you your prizes!
If you’re new to 7 Vignettes, find out how to take part next month here. If you have any questions, please write them in the comments below and we’ll get back to you.
Naomi’s International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS) and the American Home Staging and Redesign Association (HSRA) are teaming up to host a home staging summit in Sydney in July. If this is a career which interests you, find out more and book your ticket here.
Olivia’s Fab Four is a weekly post that features my favourite finds on Instagram for the past week. To be in the running, all you have to do is hashtag your product photos #oliviasfabfour and tag them with my handle: @oliviashead.
Here are this week’s beautiful products (clockwise from top left)
A styled image from The Wedding Nest's Instagram feed
In this open letter to aspiring creatives, Jacqui Scruby, founder of Australia’s most stylish bridal registry, The Wedding Nest, tells wannabe stylists why they should submit their Insta handle over their CV.
A styled image from The Wedding Nest’s Instagram feed
Dear newbie creative/up-and-coming stylist who wants to get their foot in the industry,
Instagram is more than an addictive little inspo habit, it’s a massive opportunity for you, made even bigger by the fact that very few candidates are using it.
As an employer (and I realise this is just particular to me and not all employers), I’ve realised that when recruiting, I don’t really care where you studied, or whether you’ve worked in the industry before, or even what’s in the pretty pages of your interior design portfolio. What I’m looking for is someone who has an aesthetic that complements mine and my business branding, as well as a passion for styling and all things beautiful, that’s full of initiative, creativity and strategy. And I can work this out in a 10-second scroll of your Instagram account. No need to read a four-page-long CV.
So, here are some tips to help you make the most of this opportunity:
1. Have a stylist’s Instagram account
Most of my applicants don’t. Just by setting up an account, you have given yourself an edge against all other applicants and have launched yourself into prime position for the role. Why? Because if you truly love design, styling and being creative then it’s only natural that you should be indulging in Instagram daily. How better to demonstrate your passion to a potential employer than by living and breathing it every day? They can instantly see you love all things beautiful and creative – far more impactful than the person that writes in a cover letter that they are obsessed with design but has not demonstrated it.
2. Be who you want to be
Instagram gives everyone an amazing opportunity — you can be and create the person you want to be and the career you want to have. It is the ultimate expression of your style and a complete opportunity for you to fake it until you make it. So what that you’ve only just finished school and have only ever styled your bedroom? Nothing is stopping you from having your Instagram handle as @[insertyournamehere]thestylist
3. Have a strategy
Take time to create a strategy around your Instagram account so it’s not just individual photos that are impactful but also your overall account. Some things to consider are:
Focused or general?: Some of the best accounts are those that focus on a single love or passion; palms, water, a colour, neutrals, a particular interior design style or that use a consistent filter. It’s a great way for your account to stand out. Check out @boholuxeinteriors and @brightbazaar as examples
@brightbazzar’s colourful feed
Formula: Sure it takes the spontaneity out of it, but some of the most visually impactful accounts stick to a strategy. One of the best examples of this is @basebodybabes who rotate between pictures of themselves, product flatlay and nutrition together with colour blocking for a week or so.
4. This is your ultimate portfolio
Are you showcasing your talents and the story you want to tell the market or potential employer? If you want to be a stylist, include styled flatlays or vignettes to show off your ability to curate and compose. Keep it true to you and your style. Like everything, do what you love.
5. Hold off on the personal photos
This doesn’t mean no personal photos, but keep them limited and in keeping with the rest of your account (unless they’re part of some amazing overall visual strategy such as @captainandthegypsykid or @childrenofthetribe). Have a separate account for your family and everyday pics and keep your stylist account focused on styling. By all means integrate them but don’t inundate your account with them. A great example of integrating family pics can be found on @rhiannonswan‘s feed.
@childrenofthetribe’s feed
6. Enter 7 Vignettes
Want to blow your competition out of the azure blue Italian grotto and instantly build a profile? There is an easy way to do this: enter Interiors Addict’s monthly 7 Vignettes contest regularly. Why? As as an employer, straight away I know you’ve got a load of initiative, that you’re willing to push yourself to compete with some amazing stylists (I love a bit of a competitive edge) and assuming your entries are great, I can see you can nail a brief. By entering, you’re also launching yourself into a supportive community of stylists and industry gurus and if they like your posts, you’ll not only gain a whole lot of followers but begin to build a profile and be recognised.
Until only just recently I hung on to the romance and belief that the true purpose of Instagram was to capture and rejoice in everyday moments as they happened without over-engineering them, which is still true and respectable! But I also felt the romance of a cork instead of a screw top for my wine bottles. Sometimes you just need to accept and move on. If you want to create instant cut-through and become a source of #inspo, get strategic about Instagram.
—The Wedding Nest are a boutique gift registry who believe a couple’s registry should style their home. They are currently looking for a photography intern and emerging stylists. They also run a regular intern program. Check out their website for more details and to submit your Instagram handle.
Olivia’s Fab Four is a weekly post that features my favourite finds on Instagram for the past week. To be in the running, all you have to do is hashtag your product photos #oliviasfabfour and tag them with my handle: @oliviashead.
Here are this week’s beautiful products (clockwise from top left)
Olivia’s Fab Four is a weekly post that features my favourite finds on Instagram for the past week. To be in the running, all you have to do is hashtag your product photos #oliviasfabfour and tag them with my handle: @oliviashead.
Here are this week’s beautiful products (clockwise from top left)
I’m so excited to announce the winner of this month’s 7 Vignettes, not just because it’s our biggest prize ever (a $1,000 voucher for Life Interiors) but because it was such a gorgeous seven days of creativity, stretching over the long Easter weekend. Sigh…
But there can only be one winner and the guest judges from our sponsors Life Interiors have had the tough job of choosing @design_social, aka Flyn Roberts. Congratulations! And if you had your eye on some goodies from Life Interiors, read on for your special reader discount.
Flyn’s winning series of vignettes
“We loved the way her vignettes came together,” said Nicole Arvela from Life Interiors. “We loved the simplicity, colours and composition of the seven as a whole.”
Flyn’s blush vignette which was one of my favourites tooFlyn’s light vignette
A huge thank you to Life Interiors, not just for the generous prizes but for getting so involved in the contest and Nicole even styling beautiful images for each daily theme.
READER DISCOUNT
Life Interiors are offering all our readers 10% off everything until next Friday 17 April using the promo code INTERIORSADDICT10OFF Shop online.
Flyn, please contact us with your telephone number and address to claim your prize.
Olivia’s Fab Four is a weekly post that features my favourite finds on Instagram for the past week. To be in the running, all you have to do is hashtag your product photos #oliviasfabfour and tag them with my handle: @oliviashead.
Here are this week’s beautiful products (clockwise from top left)
Olivia’s Fab Four is a weekly post that features my favourite finds on Instagram for the past week. To be in the running, all you have to do is hashtag your product photos #oliviasfabfour and tag them with my handle: @oliviashead.
Here are this week’s beautiful products (clockwise from top left)
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