Sarah Power gives literal meaning to the term “personal touch”, with all pillowcases, cushions and throws in her brand Oh Mabel’s limited edition collection handmade by her! Very few Australian linen brands can say as much these days!
“I create Oh Mabel products to be used as a backdrop to the moments and memories that make up family life. All too often products are bought and discarded without a thought to how they were created for the time, effort and sacrifices that went into making them. I believe people are seeking a connection with items in their homes, and I hope to create that for families with my stories and my products,” says Sarah.
All designs are created from Sarah’s heritage-listed homestead in the bush heartland of Canberra. The Cowper Street quilted doona cover is named after the street her Nan lives on and is inspired by a cushion that has been in the living room since her earliest childhood memories.
The Oh Mabel range is all 100% organic cotton, made by certified organic producers using sustainable practices and employing workers under fair trade agreements, and includes sheets, pillowcases, and quilted doona covers, as well as the handmade linen range.
Aha! I do believe when it comes to blankets, I have found something which fits (perhaps loosely) into the category of homewares, therefore I can blog about baby stuff sans guilt. Am I right?!
This baby of mine has more blankets than you can shake a stick at but they’re actually all getting used in rotation because let’s face it, in this weather, you can never be warm enough. It’s actually pretty hard keeping a baby warm in this weather. Our power bill is going to give me a heart attack this quarter, I just know it! So here are 10 of my favourite baby blankets; many of them Australian, half of which we already own and the other half Seb wouldn’t mind adding to his rather impressive collection.
This is our latest acquisition and current fave in the blanket department. Made of baby alpaca and pima cotton, this is double-sided and oversized so super warm. I may or may not have stolen it a few times for my lap on the couch. And we love everything foxy and/or navy in this house so this was always going to be a winner. You really have to see and feel this blanket — which comes in its own cloth bag — to appreciate its quality, which is extremely high. Rightly described as heirloom quality in my opinion, it would make a gorgeous gift for a new mum. They have other designs too.
I’m a fan of a neutral when it comes to most linen, even baby linen, but this one hits a very happy medium with its touches of pale blue and bright yellow. This one always gets comments. Its 100% Egyptian cotton makes it a nice light option which we often fold double in Sebastian’s bassinet or pram. The cotton holds the Okeo-tex® Standard 100, which guarantees the highest sustainable and ecological practices in textiles. I also love that this one’s made in Melbourne.
I’ve long been a fan of Kate & Kate’s grown up blankets, so no surprises I love the mini versions too! This is a simple design but it’s the details that count, like the lovely blanket stitching around the edges and the cloth bag it comes in. Another 100% cotton option, this one also gets used in Seb’s bassinet. It also happens to match his blue and grey pram (the Bugaboo Bee3 with bassinet) perfectly!
If you love an old fashioned crochet blanket, a la Princess Charlotte, you need this GatherKids option. We have the bassinet size in grey and love it. Because it’s smaller we often taken it out with his capsule or in his pram. I just love how this looks like it could have been passed down generations but is in fact brand new! It’s a beauty! These are made in New Zealand and individually knitted, pre-shrunk and tumble dried.
This is a great size for bassinet or pram and you can’t go wrong with grey and white, especially if you’re buying for a baby whose sex is as yet unknown. I love the navy version too and at $49 it’s great value. Cotton/acrylic blend.
How cool is this?! No wonder it’s currently sold out. In true Kip & Co style it’s totally out there but who said all baby blankets had to be pastel and pared back? I love the pom poms! In peach and red 100% merino wool, I’d say this is a unisex option. (We love the nap wraps they recently gifted us too).
Atelier/Child is the new luxury children’s knitwear label founded this year by ex Vogue Australia deputy editor and founder of The Grace Tales Georgie Abay and communications consultant Jessica Baird Walsh. This on trend blanket is made of a cashmere/wool blend.
There’s something wonderfully old school about this rocking horse design and I do love a neutral option. This Australian-designed, reversible cotton knit blanket is the perfect size for a pram or bassinet or perhaps just snuggling on the lounge! Little Bonbon also sell some lovely baby shawls, including this one which is rather reminiscent of Princess Charlotte’s!
Everyone RAVES about their oversized muslin wraps for swaddling, so it goes without saying aden + anais’ organic muslin blankets would be something pretty special. They promise to get softer with every wash. This 100% organic cotton four-layer blanket is the ultimate in breathability; warm in winter and cool in summer.
This on trend geometric is just one of the fun designs by Weegoamigo, available from The Little Linen Company (who also sell the Airwrap, the safer cot bumper alternative). A premium double-layered knit blend of 30% bamboo rayon and 70% cotton, this one’s nice and warm and comes gift boxed.
Disclosure: Blankets marked with an asterisk were kindly gifted to Sebastian with no promise of coverage.
It was only a matter of time before I started posting more about nursery decor since being pregnant. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Today, I’m kicking off a new weekly feature on nursery ideas and products from all-Aussie brands. There are so many out there, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve also come to realise that a nursery is one of the most fun rooms you’ll ever decorate. Not to mention how exciting it is, coupled with the anticipation of the arrival of your baby, especially if it’s your first. So, introducing startup Bramwell Designs, who are making a name for themselves with their organic and stylish baby and kid’s room linen.
[contextly_sidebar id=”7MCPl0IZrebdcsb0nnJxN3MbPmbYf1wC”]”Everything is created in our studio by the sea on the Sunshine Coast,” says founder Emma Bramwell, who was inspired to start the business after becoming a mum to two little boys. “My designs are inspired by my childhood and the children in my life; how their little faces brighten up to the most simple things and their appreciation for their natural surroundings. We all need to remind ourselves to simplify our lives, appreciate the little things and take time to play and have some fun.”
Bramwell Designs use soft, luxurious organic cotton for the bedding and organic canvas for the accessories. Many items are one-offs, however if clients love something they have seen, they’re happy to work on custom design bedding for them.
She adds: “We are a young company growing steadily, but enjoying the ride and not taking anything too seriously. The journey is better than the destination, that’s for sure.”
As a mum, designer and business owner, Emma is super busy. “I try my best to be super organised and allocate time for my designs and custom bedding orders, and when I’m with my boys, I’m 100% devoted to them. My bedding collection is an extension of them, being free spirits, having fun on the journey and taking some risks. My passion for business and design drives me to continue and always will.”
Trademark touches of fun fluro feature throughout the range and probably always will, according to Emma! Bassinet sheets cost from $40, pillowcases from $45 and cot doona covers from $130.
Emma’s latest product is a fun kindy sheet set, with the option of hand printed name badges. But there are plenty of new and exciting things planned for this year so watch this space! If you’re a grown up who loves these designs, don’t worry, they go up to king size in some cases! And they cater for kids of all ages too, not just babies.
With the rise of the more conscious, sustainable consumer — think fair trade, organic and environmentally friendly — some talented interior designers have been busy turning their creative minds to designing products with this ethos in mind. There are some truly beautiful homeware products available today, created by designers who place sustainability and fabulous design on equal footing.
We decided to go shopping, and style an eco-friendly kids bedroom. By sourcing sustainable products, not only are you purchasing a beautiful and often unique piece, but you’re purchasing their story, and we love our products having good ones. So happy shopping, conscious shopper. Your kids’ bedroom will look amazing!
For the floor
Armadillo & Co are an Australian rug company who create wonderful floor coverings. Their artisan weavers are seen as integral part of their design process, using generations old, hand weaving techniques. As well as providing fair trade working conditions for their weavers, they also support education programs for the children in the villages. The Armadillo & Co Junior Collection comes in a range of bright, wonderful colours.
Junior Collection Carnival Stripe in Orange and Junior Collection Braid Weave in Pink
Given that we spend a third of our lives in bed, sleeping in a non-toxic environment can have wonderful health benefits. But let’s face it, eco, sustainable, fair trade and organic aren’t always synonymous with stylish.
Here are some tips to get a unique, stylish and affordable eco luxury look for your bedroom:
1. Invest wisely Start off with a budget. This will help in the decision-making process! Invest in a primary piece that will last you for years and then update the room over time using accessories, smaller furniture items and fabric. During our renovation, I invested most of our budget into an amazing eco-bed and re-covering an old occasional chair with eco-velvet fabric. Many of the smaller accessories and mother of pearl inlay chest of drawers were bought over the years.
2. Non-toxic bedding Given the rise of allergies over the last few decades, it’s really important to look at the toxicity in everyday items in our home. Conventional foam in mattresses, pillows and furniture, contains a plethora of chemicals which emit VOC gases for the life of the product. Many of these are known carcinogens and combined with conventional cotton bedding (cotton being the most heavily pesticide-sprayed crop in the world), can create a hazardous sleeping environment.
Last month, the other half and I enjoyed a packed weekend in cold but beautiful Daylesford. In fact, we took in Daylesford, Kyneton and Trentham and the stunning countryside on the drives in between. If you love homewares and antiques shops, great local food and wine and friendly hospitality, I thoroughly recommend a trip!
Frangos & Frangos, Daylesford
We arrived in Daylesford (just over an hour’s drive from Melbourne Tullamarine airport) late on Friday night and had more than one scarily close encounter with a mob (that’s the actual term!) of wallabies. It really is out in the country so do be careful if you’re tired and driving after dark. We spent our first night at Hotel Frangos, which can only be described as pleasantly eccentric, in the Alpha Suite. It had the honour of being both the largest headboard and the largest hotel bathroom I have ever experienced. Frangos is definitely unique. It’s part Alice in Wonderland, part Addam’s Family, with a lot of black and red. It’s very dark, and it’s clearly geared towards couples (apparently some of the rooms have mirrors on the ceiling, go figure) and trying hard to be arty and romantic.
The service from general manager Bernard was faultless, the bed and goose down pillows, exceptionally comfortable.
