Tag: klaylife

Ethical homewares brands: Amy’s top six!

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date April 3, 2019
1 Comment on Ethical homewares brands: Amy’s top six!

In the context of Marie Kondo, the unbridled purchasing of cheap, mass-produced homewares seems a little out of step at present and just as people started to think harder about ‘fast’ fashion, many people are turning to more ethical options for their homes. From woven baskets to rugs and cushions, here are our picks of the most stylish yet ethical homewares.

Oon: Working with a team of Nepalese artisans, Sydney based homewares label Oon is committed to fair working conditions for its makers while contributing to the social and economic wellbeing of their communities. From rugs to cushions, baskets and throws, the brand’s products are made from natural, eco-friendly, renewable materials.

TK Maxx: A new look for the brand, TK Maxx has just launched a new Uganda homewares collection comprised of colourful handmade baskets and bowls made by remote communities in Western Uganda. The exclusive range is part of TK Maxx’s initiative to help disadvantaged families increase their incomes.

Klaylife: We’ve sung the praises of Klaylife before and it’s definitely one of our favourite ethical homewares brands. Initially, the clay beaded chandeliers were crafted exclusively by a community of South African artisans whose lives had been impacted by HIV but over time, as the brand’s popularity has grown, more and more women with differing circumstances have joined the team.

Photography by Armelle Habib and styling by Jacqui Moore

Amigos de Hoy: Gorgeous designs aside, the Amigos de Hoy rug and cushion line-up is also accredited by Good Weave International which gives customers peace of mind that no child labour was used in the making of the range. And by purchasing the brand’s homewares you are supporting programs that educate children while ensuring decent work for adults too.

Image photographed by Armelle Habib and styled by Julia Green and Noel Couglan for Greenhouse Interiors — Photography by Armelle Habib and styling by Julia Green and Noel Couglan for Greenhouse Interiors

One Another: With backgrounds in graphic design, photography and fashion, Rick and Annette Carter combined their love of design with artisanal techniques to create their homewares label One Another three years ago. Since launching, the duo have expanded to working with collectives located in India, Nepal, South Africa, Uganda and Central America, helping provide safe, stable employment with fair pay to over 60 artisans.

Oh Happy Home! “Ethical trading has always been at the forefront of my mind. I’m conscious of fast fashion and fast homewares and I always want to do whatever I can to support the maker and the weaver,” says Amy Eaton of the decision to launch her ethical rug label Oh Happy Home in 2017. On-trend designs aside, we love Amy’s commitment to fair trade – something that sets it apart from many of its competitors. The company is partnered with Good Weave International too.

How to buy contemporary Aboriginal art in an ethical way

Tags Amigos de Hoy, ethical homewares, good weave international, homewares, klaylife, one another, oon, tk maxx

Design Interviews Shopping

Latest klaylife chandeliers combine beads with macramé

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date February 20, 2019
No Comments on Latest klaylife chandeliers combine beads with macramé

Teeming with deep, dark inky tones, the latest klaylife chandelier collection represents a moodier turn for the brand – just in time for winter. “We have introduced an ink tone that can be applied as a monotone colourway. It’s perfect for moody, deep toned spaces but it also anchors our spectacular ink, indigo and white ombré chandelier that can be styled to suit everything from beachy interiors to more sophisticated room scapes,” says klaylife’s Kerri Wallace.

The gorgeous ombre beading technique has become something of a klaylife signature and it features heavily in the new range. “My personal favourite would have to be the new ombre dome. The ombre beading technique has become synonymous with klaylife and we couldn’t wait to apply it to our best-selling style. Thousands of small beads make up each individual piece and it is a true work of art,” says Kerri.

And while on the topic of art, the range also features a collaboration with Melbourne artist Elena Martorella of Three Queens Interiors that fuses beads with macramé to fabulous effect. “Elena’s signature macramé work has been interwoven with soft grey-toned clay beads and the result is a chandelier that’s romantic and delicate. It’s ideal for bedrooms or lofty spaces where you want a softer look,” says Kerri.

“I fell in love with Elena’s artistry and unique style of wall hangings and I thought they would look cool with our clay beads. I approached her and she jumped at the chance of weaving our hand rolled beads in her macramé. Every few months we release a collection of Elena’s one-off wall hangings and they sell out in half an hour so when she asked if she could ‘have a play’ with lighting, we couldn’t wait to see what she would conjure up.”

And in great news for klaylife, demand for the brand’s wares shows no sign of abating with pieces often selling out before they leave Africa and arrive in Australia. “There is a definite demand for klaylife amongst the discerning, who appreciate the handmade nature and beauty of our pieces. Unlike the cheap wooden copies, no two klaylife pieces are identical. Sometimes, if you look closely, you might spot the finger print of the person who rolled the beads, making each one as unique as it is beautiful,” says Kerri.

“We have a small warehouse in Australia where we keep some stock, but we are also shipping all over the globe. Global expansion is a focus for us this year and we are in talks now about how we can take klaylife to the world stage,” says Kerri who could perhaps use the services of Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy from Grey’s Anatomy) who is a devotee of the brand and owns three klaylife chandeliers.

“He posted a pic of one of the chandeliers to his Instagram account that has 3.7 million followers. He told them about the story of klaylife so he’s been a wonderful non-paid brand ambassador! Next stop, Oprah!

Kerri adds: “Our focus will always be our lighting and how we can develop new pieces which are more impressive than the last, but we are also exploring new categories. We are about to release a range of hand felted cushions, also handmade in Africa. Whatever we do and whatever we become, Africa and its amazing people will always be at the core of our business.”

Photography: Armelle Habib | Art direction & styling: Jacqui Moore

Shop online | Lighting tips from IKEA Australia’s head of interior design

Tags chandeliers, design, klaylife, lighting, pendant lights

Design Interviews Shopping

Mud bead chandeliers as you’ve never seen them before!

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date April 23, 2018
No Comments on Mud bead chandeliers as you’ve never seen them before!

klaylife denim blue dome — klaylife dome

Collaborating again with Melbourne interior stylist Jacqui Moore, klaylife’s latest collection features five gorgeous new designs and a vivid new colour – a denim-inspired blue. “We discovered the most amazing denim blue dye that looks heavenly when applied to our hand rolled clay beads. Because the beads are porous, each one picks up a different shade creating a textured look we adore. We played with an ombré effect as well which is perfection,” says klaylife’s Kerri Wallace.

Handcrafted by a small South African community of artisans, the process is labour intensive and no two chandeliers are the same. Firstly, each bead is made using raw local South African clay which is hand rolled into beads before being sun dried, kiln fired and dip dyed. Next up, the beads are strung onto an iron frame with each finished product requiring thousands of beads. “It very much depends on the size and style of the piece but some of the larger designs can incorporate thousands of small hand-rolled beads. Each bead is hand rolled by a beautiful community of women in Africa and are unique in size, shape and colour. It’s lovely to think of the laughter, secrets and stories that each bead holds,” says Kerri.

klaylife bauble and sconce — The Wall Sconce and The Bauble (medium) in white

Jacqui came on board to design the The Lace, a finer, more delicate design and The Kite, which has a more geometric feel. “For The Lace, we wanted a design that had a lacier, finer feeling to it. Going from concept phase to creating it was a fun challenge. It required a whole new way of beading to create the triangle effect. It took a few goes but we got there and we love it!” says Kerri.

The Lace in black — The Lace (large) in black

Romantic Swag is another new design that was created for clients that don’t have the ceiling height to accommodate a pendant light fitting. “The initial plan was to create a chandelier that could sit flush against the ceiling. Many people don’t have the height for lighting suspended with chain and the last thing we want is people bumping their heads! The draping strands of beads set off against the belt of smaller beads create a romantic, dreamy effect,” says Kerri.

klaylife Romantic Swag — Romantic Swag (large) in white

As for her favourite new design, Kerri is in love with the large dome in denim blue. “So much work goes into them all but I couldn’t go past the large denim blue dome. Once it’s in front of you, the sheer number of beads and the fact that each one is a different shade of blue, takes your breath away every time.”

klaylife The Kite — The Dome (medium) in white and The Kite (medium) in denim ombre

Photography: Armelle Habib | Styling: Bree Leech

Shop online | Pendant light hanging tips

Tags chandelier, jacqui moore, klaylife, lighting

Designers Interviews Styling

Stylist Jacqui Moore designs new range of Klaylife chandeliers

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date August 3, 2016
No Comments on Stylist Jacqui Moore designs new range of Klaylife chandeliers

We’ve covered the heart-warming story of Klaylife before but, for those not familiar with the brand, the company’s gorgeous clay bead chandeliers are made by a group of talented South African artisans affected by HIV. With no two pieces the same, due to the handmade nature of the beads, the range is truly special and it’s now looking even more amazing given the brand’s latest collaboration with stylist Jacqui Moore.

“I’ve been working with Klaylife since their launch in February 2015 and was thrilled when they asked me to design part of their next range – as a stylist it is quite rare to get that level of creative freedom,” says Jacqui of the new range that features floor and tables lamps, smaller pendants and new colours too.

“I adore the Klaylife chandeliers but not everyone lives in a home that can take something of that scale and effect. So I wanted to design something that was accessible to everyone, not just in price point, but also in size. That’s where the idea for the spheres and barrel shaped pendants came from,” says Jacqui of the new smaller pendant lights that can be hung solo or in clusters.

“Klaylife’s stunning colour palette runs through a tonal spectrum from black and charcoal to pale grey, stone and soft white and there’s a beautiful bluey-grey colour called Seaspray. It was important that any new colours worked back with that palette,” says Jacqui who has added blush and a statement teal shade into the mix.

“I think what is really magical about these lights and the women who create them, is that there is a personal and lasting connection between them. Since each bead is hand-rolled from locally sourced clay, not only is it unique, but you can see the evidence of the human interaction it took to create it. It’s like leaving a fingerprint and I think that is beautiful,” says Jacqui.

Check out this video to see how the artisans at work.

Photography: Armelle Habib | Art Direction & Styling: Jacqui Moore

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Tags chandeliers, colour, design, jacqui moore, klaylife, lighting, lighting design, styling, stylist

Homewares Interviews

The beautiful story of handmade chandaliers helping HIV affected women in South Africa

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date February 18, 2015
2 Comments on The beautiful story of handmade chandaliers helping HIV affected women in South Africa

12 years ago, South African artist Merewyn De Heer and her righthand lady Nozi, started making clay beaded chandeliers in a small rural community in South Africa. The chandeliers were beautiful and soon began increasing in popularity, so Merewyn approached her community centre and started training local women, turning her team of two into 65!

Hearing about Merewyn’s story, Melbourne-based South African father and daughter, Phillip Jones and Kerri Wallace immediately took an interest. A huge change of pace for Kerri, who worked as a radio producer for Hamish and Andy and Fifi and Jules, and Phillip, who ran an international food importing business, the three of them decided to form klaylife, an avenue for introducing the chandeliers to the Australian and New Zealand market.

Made entirely by hand, the chandeliers are quite obviously extraordinary, but more than that, they’re helping a whole community, with many of the local women being affected by HIV. “The majority of the women who create the chandeliers are HIV impacted,” explains Kerri. “They either have it themselves or care for family that do. But it doesn’t define them. Many of the team isn’t able to read or write but have now gained an income and have the means to help provide their children with an education.”

Not only are the effects of the business on the local community magnificent, the whole chandelier creation process is pretty special. From the initial hand drawn design by Merewyn, to the local ironmonger creating the frame (often with his bare hands!) and finally to the woman making the beads. “Merewyn works with her team (she has taught herself Zulu, the local language) to hand-roll each bead from raw clay,” says Kerri. “Instead of sitting in a cold, lifeless factory, everyone sits outside in the sun talking and singing. Once the beads are rolled and sun-dried, they go into a kiln to fire. They are then dip-dyed by hand. The final step, which is the most intricate, is each bead being masterfully hand strung onto its wire frame.”

Having successfully mastered lighting design, the team now have their eye on some new projects for 2015. “A jewellery and furniture range are currently in the works. It is also our intention to put a program in place to help this beautiful community even more. Right now, the bulk of the team’s earnings go into the schooling, clothing and feeding their children, so if we can help with these costs, 2015 will be a good year!”

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Tags chandeliers, clay bead chandaliers, design, furniture, hiv, homewares, interiors, Kerri Wallace, klaylife, Merewyn De Heer, Phillip Jones, south africa