leaf & co – The Interiors Addict

Our 10 favourite interviews of 2017

One of the best things about writing for Interiors Addict is being able to learn about amazingly creative people. From artists to designers and everything in between, these individuals have a lot of insights, ideas and inspiration to share. Below are some of our favourite interviews, so get ready to bookmark!

Therese Moussa, The Grounds’ head stylist: Immaculately detailed, the gorgeous Grounds eateries make you feel like you’ve entered an enchanting wonderland, far, far away from Sydney. We spoke to the head stylist, Therese Moussa, about just how much work goes into transforming these bespoke spaces.

Sarah Ellison, stylist and furniture designer: For eight years, Sarah Ellison was the design savvy-mind behind Real Living magazine, but now she has gone solo… creating her own interiors brand. With a style that is modern and relaxed, Sarah gave us the lowdown on her new furniture and homewares.

Lucky Price, The Block’s casting director: A self-confessed ‘old hag’ when it comes to The Block, Lucky Price has been working as a casting director on the hit reality show since 2010. So if you fancy being on our TV screens, it comes as no surprise that Lucky is the man with the tips!

Jemma Bell, Canvas+Sasson’s resident designer: Canvas+Sasson began as a lot of small businesses do, from home, with the juggle of kids, family and boxes and boxes of cushions. Ten years on, one of the designers behind Canvas+Sasson spilled the secrets, on how the label has flourished over time.

Tracie Ellis, AURA Home’s founder: We’ve long loved AURA Home so we thought it was about time we learnt about the woman behind the brand, Tracie Ellis. With a background in fashion and design, in 2000 she created her own line. And as they say, the rest is history!

Carla Coulson, photographer: While it was Carla Coulson’s stunning art prints which first caught our attention, it was her back story we knew we had to share. At 35, Carla took a plunge, moving to Italy to study photography. If you want to take a leap of faith – but need a little push – this is a must read!

Cleo Ganis, Leaf & Co’s co-founder: A family affair, Leaf & Co is run by a mother and her two daughters. Working primarily with ceramics, the pieces are handmade using Australian sourced clay, natural minerals and oxides. If you need to do some Christmas shopping, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Natalee Bowen, Indah Island’s founder: Jen’s been Hamptons obsessed since she visited earlier this year, but turns out, she may not have had to travel half way around the world… with interior designer Natalee Bowen beautifully portraying Hamptons decor right here in Australia. The photos are a must see!

Christopher Broome, artist: It’s always exciting to discover an artist at the beginning of their career, and Christopher Broome has a particularly interesting story; giving up his job as an electrician to follow his passion: art. This interview will give you all the good feels.

Catherine Heraghty, The Stables’ founder: No doubt many of you are familiar with the modern, coastal aesthetic of interior styling company The Stables… they’re well-loved on Instagram that’s for sure! We find out more about the lady behind the feed; plus her story provides plenty of inspiration for any budding designers.

We hope you liked this list.

Family affair: Discover Leaf & Co’s nature-inspired ceramics

With a 40-year career as an artist and art teacher, Queensland’s Venus Ganis always made sure to provide a creative environment for her six children when they were growing up – an upbringing that paved the way for the family’s latest venture. After tinkering with ceramics with her two daughters, Ria and Cleo, the design trio decided to make a legitimate business out of their gorgeous wares called Leaf & Co.

“We were initially making ceramic Christmas gifts to give to friends and family, and the feedback was overwhelming, everyone loved how unique our pieces were. We realised that our passion for ceramics could be transformed from a hobby to a business that we love,” says Cleo, who is a qualified interior designer. The third member of the team is Cleo’s sister Ria who initially worked in fashion but is now a photographer.

With a strong connection to nature, the family are based out of Mt Glorious, an hour outside of Brisbane. “Growing up at Mt Glorious we’ve always been inspired by nature at its best and I believe our core inspiration comes from the connection we have to our environment. All our ceramics are based on the natural environment, like the curves of a wave and the lines of a landscape. Nature is our main and only inspiration,” says Cleo.

The family work out of the brand’s Mt Glorious studio which looks onto a series of overlapping mountains. “Our working environment is important to us as it continually inspires and keeps us in touch with who we are. It’s such a lovely feeling being immersed in an environment that we can use as a reference for our creations,” says Cleo.

Working primarily with ceramics, the Leaf & Co pieces are handmade using Australian sourced clay, natural minerals and oxides. “Each piece is handmade through every step of the creation process. We roll the clay and imprint the pattern by hand which is then moulded and dried before the pieces are fired. Depending on the series, we would underglaze with colour and also add a final top glaze making the pieces food-safe and resistant to staining,” says Cleo.

The Pebble series is the latest addition to the range. “We experimented with mixing up black stained clay and pressing it with white clay. This series is quite a surprise as you don’t know what the pattern or mix of black and white will be until you press the merged clays. This has been a very exciting process because each piece is quite different in pattern, colouration and shape,” says Cleo of the pieces that are available in three different sizes and can be displayed stacked or separately.

The ceramics certainly have a modern Australian feel with their earthy textures and inspiration, “I believe Australians tend to approach design a little differently than the rest of the world, because of our geographical location, climate and our multicultural mix. I think our design style across many creative outlets, whether it be fashion, design or even architecture is quiet laid back and relaxed, as it encompasses the outdoors and surrounding landscapes.”

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