Today is the last of our weekly posts with Chatswood Chase Sydney to celebrate their July Homewares Month. This week, you can see a dining room setting come to life in the video.
You can’t go past the super chic gold statement dining chairs from Kartell. I love this brand’s quirky and cool furniture and homewares and think it’s great they have a store on the north side of the bridge now in Sydney. It’s a great space to visit for ideas and much of what they sell is great for apartment living (and that’s so many of us these days!). I love how these chairs tie in with the gold wall planters from good old Kmart.
It’s really fun to properly lay a table for a dinner party or even just to enjoy a long lunch with family. All too often these days we eat on the couch so I’m all for bringing a bit more formality and sense of occasion to meal times.
Shop the look
Arm chair, occasional table & chairs by KARTELL
Throw & candle holder accessories by BED BATH N’ TABLE
Cushions by ADAIRS
Triangle wall unit & small plants by KMART
Rug, wall planters, wall geo hang & chair cushions by KMART
Floral centrepiece by PEARSONS FLORIST
Table decor by WHEEL & BARROW
Salt & pepper mills, oils, sangria mix & oven pot holders by WILLIAMS-SONOMA
Clock by KMART
Make sure you visit Chatswood Chase Sydney before the month is out to take advantage of special in-store offers and events. You can see the above room setting for yourself at the Style Hub on level 2.
While monochrome may be your first thought when you think bathroom design, embracing colour with bright centrepieces, elegant accents and subtle tones is a great way to get the designer look and stand out from the crowd. And Reece’s latest products are just the place to start!
Retro cool: Kado Retro Vanity
This ’60s inspired Retro Vanity from Kado brings fresh, funky style to the modern-day bathroom. Available in a choice of colours, Kado Retro injects instant personality.
Magic metallic: Milli Glance
Add a little – or a lot – with Milli Glance’s range of tapware and accessories. Select from five stunning tapware colour options and bold matte black accessories. Milli Glance brings automatic style and sophistication and we absolutely adore the rose gold option!
Lure with stunning red: Kado Lure Petite
Conjure hotel inspired living with a splash of stunning red. The petite length and soft curves of the Kado Lure make it a perfect centrepiece for the smaller bathroom.
Impress with elegant black: Mizu tapwareMizu taps into the matte black trend with four major mixer ranges: Mizu Bloc, Mizu Soothe, Mizu Drift and Mizu Bliss, sophisticated and swish.
Pantone paradise: Aio Aurajet
Partnering up with global colour experts Pantone, global tapware and shower designer, Methven, launches its Aio Aurajet range in tones of Marsala, Midnight and Classic Blue, as well as chrome and white. Methven’s minimalist look is offset by a luxuriously wide, fan-like spray produced using exclusive Aurajet technology. A shower experience that is sure to cause a sensation.
Layers of delicious colour: Kartell by Laufen
Bringing together iconic Italian furniture maker Kartell, with Swiss bathroom aficionados Laufen, the Kartell by Laufen collection moves away from primary colours. Playing with tangerine orange, fume (smoke) and transparent crystal, the glassy transparency of the latest-generation polycarbonate allows you to layer form with colour in a visionary new approach to bathroom style.
If you’re one of those people who has already started their Christmas shopping, well done to you! If you’re one of those people who finished it last month, I hate you! You make me feel bad! Seriously, every year I am so disorganised and I think it’s a reflection of our busy lives that everything becomes last minute and stressful. Remember when Christmas shopping was a fun, festive activity you looked forward to? It was an event! Although I’m the first person to praise the convenience of ecommerce, it’s time to bring back some of that enjoyable gift-buying experience. And Sydney’s Chatswood Chase Sydney is a great place to be inspired!
Sebastian and I ready to hit the shops!
Having always lived on the north side of the bridge, I’ve been shopping at the Chase for years. But in the last 12 months, as an interiors addict, it’s become even more inviting, with the addition of furniture and homewares brands like Kartell and Incy Interiors (as a mum, they and Pottery Barn Kids are my go-tos for Sebastian’s nursery) and Wheel and Barrow, not to mention the American mega brands west elm, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma (enough to get even me baking!). So level 2 has become a favourite place to spend time. What I love about Chatswood Chase is they have many stores which are unique to Sydney’s north side, making it a real destination for something a little different. Also worth mentioning, the homewares section in Country Road is huge!
Let’s face it though, these days we want more than just a great range of stores from our shopping centre experience. We want a nice lunch, easy parking, great baby change facilities and even somewhere to stop for a glass of wine, rest our weary feet and compare purchases with our girlfriends at the end.
Looking festive in store at west elm
On the subject of wine, I was delighted to find that Mosman favourite Burnt Orange has opened a second cafe restaurant on level 1 which is a really special place to eat or have a coffee. Away from the main food court and surrounded by fashion stores, it’s a peaceful spot and the cakes are amazing (we tested them for you). Did I mention they’re licensed and serve afternoon tea? All under a glass ceiling so it’s nice and sunny and brings the outside in (or you can choose a shaded area if you prefer).
Husbands can be bribed to come shopping with coffee and cake (at Burnt Orange)
If you’re after something more substantial, we have to recommend you head to Mrs Mi, the first one in Australia, from Taste of Shanghai Group. This is relaxed eating, in a restaurant off the lower ground food court, but the food is of a very high standard. Let’s face it, if you’re going to offer dumplings and noodles somewhere like Chatswood, you need to know what you’re doing as competition is stiff!
There’s a reason people were queuing out of the door when Damian and I arrived with Sebastian (prams can be left outside), and not just the fun robotic chef assisting with making the fresh noodles (they were so good!) in the window! Our lunch was delicious! I’m not one for fried chicken but theirs is something else, and my favourite had to be the pork wontons in red chilli oil. This is not your typical food court experience. Top tip: order the cherry tomatoes in plum juice (sounds wrong but it’s so right!) and have one in between each course to cleanse your palette!
Damian, Sebastian and I enjoyed lunch at Mrs Mi
During the Christmas period, there’s plenty happening at the shopping centre to enhance your experience and make it more leisurely and less stressful. Why not consider using the $12 valet parking, taking advantage of free gift wrapping or treating yourself to a well deserved facial or blow dry (for the office Christmas party) once you’ve ticked everyone off your gift list? There are plenty of options including Biiu Day Spa, and Luc Espace.
Now, we all know shopping with kids (and husbands sometimes…) in tow can be, well, challenging. Chatswood Chase can help in this respect. Not only did we discover a fantastic play area near Pottery Barn Kids where you can even draw on a giant interactive screen, there’s currently Stay Play Shop until Christmas Eve on level 2 where you can leave your little ones for up to two hours ($5 per half-hour, per child) to enjoy crafty activities with fully trained staff. The baby change facilities (on all 4 levels) are some of the best we’ve seen (and this has become very important to us recently!) with great changing and feeding areas. You can even watch your child in the play area within baby change on a TV screen while you’re in the parents’ toilet! These little things make a big difference!
Sebastian enjoys the play area with Daddy
There’s plenty more to get you in the festive spirit. Get your kids’ Santa photos on the lower ground floor, pick up your All I Want For Christmas Guide for gift-buying inspiration, get your gifts wrapped for you up until Christmas Eve, or buy a special edition gift card for the person who has everything, illustrated by Sally Spratt of The Lust List with a donation going to Make-A-Wish Australia for every one sold.
And before I sign off, my top four shops to buy tree decorations at the Chase, clockwise from top left are: Pottery Barn, west elm, Bed Bath N Table and Country Road.
Replicas are absolutely everywhere, and when you’re under the impression that the real thing costs an arm and a leg… well I don’t exactly blame some of you for going with the cheap option. However, sometimes the real deal isn’t actually that exy and when they last a lifetime (versus a year or two) and support the actual mastermind who created the design, it may just be worth investing. Below we fill you in on how much seven commonly copied pieces of furniture actually cost. And some are less than you’d think!
At $220, the familiar Componibili 3 Round (front left in the image below) available through Space Furniture, is surprisingly affordable. Coming in many colours and configurations, the 30-year-old design from Kartell is flexible, functional and practical. Slotting into any home setting, be it the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen or living room, it is also displayed at The Museum of Modern Art in New York and at the George Pompidou Centre in Paris.
Originally designed for Carl Hansen & Son in 1949, the CH24 Wishbone Chair (Jen’s favourite) is a light, sculptural dining chair that is also suitable for relaxed sitting away from the table. The seat is hand-woven in paper cord (unbleached/natural or black) and the frame is available in a variety of hardwoods and coloured finishes. Prices start at $1,100 per chair, and can be purchased through Cult Design.
Not convinced it’s worth it? See how much work goes into one chair in this video and you may change your mind!
The Adnet Mirror by Gubi is the epitome of luxury. Designed in the ’50s, the distinctive, round leather mirror with equestrian-inspired detailing comes in three sizes and three strap colours (black, olive or brown). Available from Cult Design, prices start at $1,020.
Originally designed for exterior use in French bistros, the Tolix Stool 65cm is perfect for breakfast bars (though we’re a little sick of seeing replicas everywhere on account of how mass produced and cheap they’ve become). With a rigid stackable design, lending itself to a variety of applications, it comes in a large range of finishes and colours. Available through Thonet, prices start at $390. And the real deal is so much nicer and less disposable!
A classic piece of mid-century furniture, the Eames Moulded Plastic Side Chair with Eiffel Base DSR ($615) from Living Edge is as stylish and useful today as when it was designed in 1950. The organic shape and sophisticated lines of the chair, with the streamlined Eiffel Tower wire base, work anywhere in the home. The shell seat has a high, flexible back, a deep seat pocket and a waterfall front edge, so you can sit comfortably even for extended periods. A multitude of colour choices can be paired with a chrome, black or white base. Beware the cheap replicas whose screws fall out. Many are actually quite dangerous!
Widely considered one of the most significant designs of the 20th century, the Eames Classic Lounge & Ottoman also comes with a significant price tag, $7,990 to be exact! That said, this is a substantial piece of furniture. In continuous production since its introduction in 1956, this timeless design is constructed to last lifetimes. Entirely hand-assembled, the seat is balanced on a five-star, die-cast aluminum base with adjustable stainless steel glides for uneven floors. It is available in a range of finishes from Living Edge.
Noguchi himself described his Coffee Table as his best furniture design, no doubt because it is extremely reminiscent of his bronze and marble sculptures of the time. Designed for Vitra, it has a glass tabletop that rests on two identical wooden elements placed at right angles. Available in three finishes from Space Furniture, prices start at $3,470.
We hope you liked this list. Let us know what you’d add!
From retro and industrial to quirky and pretty, we have a bedside table for every style and every budget!
This Mid-Century Bedside Table ($399) from West Elm borrows its slim legs, angled face and understated retro details from iconic ’50s and ’60s furniture silhouettes. With antique bronze finish knobs for an unexpectedly luxe twist, it is made from FSC-certified wood and is available in three colourways.
I love, love, love the Componibili 3 Round bedside (front left in the image below) and you’ve probably seen it everywhere, with many stores having replicas! However, the original is still surprisingly affordable at $220. Coming in many colours and configurations, the 30-year-old design from Kartell is flexible, functional and practical.
Designed by two of our favourite Blockheads, twins Alisa and Lysandra, the Asta Bedside Table for Forty Winks is Australian made but Scandinavian inspired. Part of a four-piece bedroom suite, but available individually for $749, it combines the rawness of timber with eye-catching rose gold detailing.
Magazine rack-slash-bedside table, the unique Three Legged Magazine Stand features carefully shaped steel plates to create an angle to place magazines, while leaving a flat top surface with enough space for a drink. Available from Urban Couture and coming in both black and white, it retails for $349.
I’m not normally one for bedside tables that don’t have any drawers (I can’t be the only one who accumulates mess that needs to be hidden?!), but if space is at a premium, these Kerr Stools ($289) in rose pink and black are a gorgeous option. Available from Barnaby Lane, they are made from iron and timber.
The MUSKEN Bedside Table from IKEA is a total bargain, costing just $59. Sturdy, practical and working with most interiors, you can also purchase the matching wardrobe and drawers for the full look.
The Swing Table ($279.95) by 6ixty is one-of-a-kind cool, with both colour accents (ash with grey, white, red or yellow) and natural wood tones. Practical too, it features an angled handle for easy moving and two storage drawers. It is available from Zanui.
Made in Melbourne from Tasmanian Oak veneer and a powdercoated tube steel frame (in cloudy blue or soft white), the Oliver Side Table ($499) is minimal and versatile. Available from Hunting for George, there’s also a corresponding bed and bench if you want the whole set.
This shimmery number is sure to make a statement, in either a gorgeous coppery bronze or luxe clear and smoke colour tints. Fitted with three drawers and featuring a classic square front, the Optical Bedside Table from Domayne is a real show stopper. Price available in store or upon request.
Small spaces need great storage and the Rigby Sidetable ($400) from Milkcart delivers in spades. With a narrow footprint, but deep storage, it fits your iPad, magazines and remote with room to spare. Available in matte or gloss white laminate and sustainable timber with a Tassie Oak trim, you can also choose from a silver button, black knob, handmade leather pull or timber handle.
We hope you liked this list. Let us know what you’d add!
Following Kartell’s success at Bondi Junction and their shop-in-shop at Space Furniture in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, their new flagship showroom will place Kartell at the forefront of the growing Chatswood Chase design precinct.
The 100 square metre space will aim to deliver a new and exciting Kartell product experience, destined to become one of Australia’s key retail design destinations.
With the showroom design personally overseen by Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell’s art director and an internationally recognised designer in his own right, the space will perfectly position the innovative Italian range to the Australian market.
The Kartell Sydney flagship showroom will open late April in the newly create homewares precinct at Chatswood Chase.
Collaborating with renowned chefs and designers, iconic design company Kartell have added a brand new collection to their Kartell in Tavola range.
Jellies Family designed by Patricia Urquiola
Known for their colourful and imaginative designs and their experimental and innovative approach to materials and technologies, the latest range is an array of sophisticated yet practical pieces for the table.
Namaste designed by Jean-Marie Massaud
Collaborators include chefs Davide Oldani (of Milan’s famed Cornaredo restaurant), Andrea Berton and Carlo Cracco and designers Jean-Marie Massaud, Philippe Starck and Patricia Urquiola.
The first collections to arrive in Australia later this month will be I.D.Ish by D’O Davide Oldani, Jellies Family by Patricia Urquiola and Namaste by Jean-Marie Massaud.
I.D.Ish by D’O designed by Davide Oldani
The I.D.Ish by D’O Davide Oldani range is a line of dishes made in bone white and bronze-coloured melamine. It includes classic dinner plates along with the ‘Oldani’ soup plate with a slightly asymmetrical slant, water and wine glasses, a carafe and a set of cutlery.
Jellies Family designed by Patricia Urquiola
Patricia Urquiola’s Jellies Family is a line of plates, trays, glasses, bowls and carafes made from vibrantly coloured and transparent injection-moulded polycarbonate. Each piece features a different pattern, which reference memories of Patricia’s youth.
Namaste designed by Jean-Marie Massaud
Jean-Marie Massaud’s Namaste set of melamine dishes features a soft, asymmetrical design suggestive of flat stones. With a natural palette of black, grey, beige and orange, the plates can be matched or contrasted.
Kartell in Tavola represents another opportunity for designers – and this time chefs – to express their creative imaginations. The range will be exclusively available at Space Furniture’s Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane showrooms and through the online store this month.
Two things I remember being the most excited about upon hearing the news I was expecting: the first (obviously) the baby, and the second, the new design world opening up for me when decorating said new arrival’s room.
As keen lovers of design, particularly vintage and modern retro pieces, my husband and I couldn’t believe the number of cool pieces (furniture, lighting, artwork, you name it) that could meet our brief and that we also liked!
We steered away from the typically childlike options out there and set out to find a number of key pieces that would sit comfortably in a kid’s space, but reflected our own taste and eye for design. What’s more, we wanted to be able to reuse these pieces in other parts of our house when junior grew out of his younger space and progressed to the next stage.
The trick is to select a number of statement pieces that work well with children’s items such as objects, toys, bright patterned bedding and cushions, but keep the right balance of their personality and yours.
Here are a few ideas…
1. Vintage storage
The classic lines of this minimalist yet modern Henrik sideboard by Matt Blatt would be at home in any boy’s or girl’s room storing toys, books, even clothing, but could also feature in a dining space, hallway or study. Its clean lines, vintage shape and neutral colours make this piece a winner. A vintage sideboard or tallboy from your local antique shop would work equally well.
Since its launch ten years ago, the Louis Ghost chair by Philippe Starck has become a true icon of contemporary design. Today, it is the most widely sold design chair in the world, with sales in excess of 1.5 million pieces worldwide and more than 15,000 in Australia alone (that’s the real deal, not replica).
To celebrate its first decade, Kartell has produced a limited edition version. It will no doubt delight Starck fans and collectors alike with the addition of his signature and a mark of authenticity of the special edition at the bottom.
Your luck is in! Mr Jason Grant happens to be one of our favourite stylists and Kartell one of our fave furniture and homewares stores. And of course we LOVE a discount! On Wednesday night (6-10pm, 23 November 2011) you can meet MJG at Kartell’s flagship Westfield Bondi Junction store, enjoy 20% off everything and even ask him for his top tips. What’s not to like, I ask you?! More details here.
