Categories
Furniture Interviews Shopping

Small space solution: New luxe Aussie ottoman brand

From large coffee table sized ottomans, to smaller footstools, fringed, custom and even outdoor iterations, the just-launched Meet The Ottomans is your one-stop ottoman shop. The luxe yet affordable brand was conceived by Aussie interior designer Abbey Hall, in response to the increasing incidence of small-space living.

“A consistent theme is the growth in the apartment market and limited space, so having a piece of furniture that doubles in functionality and style is paramount. The ottoman is a relatively inexpensive piece of furniture but has a plenitude of uses and really is a glam addition to any space,” says Abbey who spent more than 20 years working in the luxury hotel scene before establishing her own interior design business.

The Otto design in a range of colours
The Otto design in a range of fabrics

From a petit stool at a study desk or vanity, a coffee table equivalent with a gorgeous tray, or additional seating for extra guests, the humble ottoman certainly does have myriad uses. And priced from $300, the Meet The Ottomans range is relatively affordable too.

The Grand Diva is a large, coffee-table sized ottoman
The Grand Diva is a large, coffee-table sized ottoman

Custom made, both locally and overseas, the ottomans are made from a variety of fabrics including Chinese silk brocades, European style passementerie and imported and local velvets.

The Grand Cleopatra sits alongside The Otto. Artwork by Sally Smart
The Grand Cleopatra sits alongside The Otto. Artwork by Sally Smart

The core range consists of luxe basic ‘The Otto’ which is made from velvet, extra padding and brass, as well as ‘The Otto Outdoors’ which features water resistant fabric and lining making it suitable for all seasons, indoors and out.

The Otto Outdoors
The Otto Outdoors

There’s also tongue-in-cheek designs such as ‘The Donald’ which is described as ‘flamboyant, not for the faint-hearted and finished with a crowning touch of brass!’ The Cleopatra’ is a fringed option and ‘The Grand Diva’ is extra-large making it ideal for coffee table use.

The Donald
The Donald

Custom designs are available on request.

Shop Meet The Ottomans online | Sydney’s Tiny House

Categories
Homewares

Jen’s lust list 21.02.17

Although Seb will be in a big boy bed before we know it, and the days of feeding him milk are long gone, I absolutely LOVE the new Incy x Hobbe Rocking Chair. And frankly, why should parents be the only ones who get to have this gorgeous chair?! It would look equally at home in a living room as a nursery! And it comes in indigo or blush velvet with a rose gold finish. It couldn’t be more me! $1,299.

While we’re talking gold and blush, how gorgeous is this new Palm Springs Ottoman from Freedom?! I bought the navy version at the weekend ($299) and it also comes in grey.

Long time readers will know we’re big fans of Urban Road for affordable, on trend artwork. The latest collection, out next week, has some great pieces. This (Sea Stack) is one of my favourites. Find the new stuff at Urban Road from 28 February! We’ll share an exclusive first look at more of the new range on Monday.

This week I’m also loving everything from Tara Dennis’ latest Aquitaine Collection. Living in Wahroonga, I’m lucky to have the Tara Dennis Store on my doorstep and it is far too tempting, let me tell you! If you haven’t been yet, you need to pay a visit!

Available at the Tara Dennis Store, David Jones and leading independent retailers from later this month.

I’ll be back with more discoveries next Tuesday!

Categories
Designers Homewares Styling

Our top picks from the new Mark Tuckey + Cotton On Home range

This month sees the second collaboration for Mark Tuckey and Cotton On Home and the collection (like the last one) has the sort of easy, breezy vibe the designer is renowned for and all at great, affordable prices.

Avalon Milk

Avalon beach throw in salmon $59.95

“The summer/autumn range continues to support both Mark Tuckey and Cotton On’s commitment to quality and affordable homewares and we’re delighted to be able to share the new range of Cotton On Home products with our community,” says Mark Tuckey creative director, Louella Tuckey.

3 Mark Tuckey + Cotton On Squashy Storage Medium Salmon $24.95

Medium ‘Squashy Storage’ in salmon, $24.95

“The palette is soft and versatile with more neutrals, charcoals and whites as a foundation for our signature pops of colour. This ensures the pieces remain remain fresh and on-trend,” says Louella.

Pony Ottoman Grey

Pony ottoman in charcoal, $59.95

5 Mark Tuckey + Cotton On Zig Zag Cushion Caton $49.95

Caron zig zag cushion, $49.95

4 Mark Tuckey + Cotton On Stripe Slub Throw Charcoal Milk $69.95

Stripe slub throw in charcoal milk, $69.95

Shop here.

Categories
Covet my coffee table Designers Styling

Covet my coffee table: with interior designer Ioanna Lennox

Interior designer Ioanna Lennox knows how tricky styling coffee tables can be and she’s a professional! So today, we’re sharing what’s on hers as well as her tips on making yours beautiful.

ioanna lennox coffee table 1

“Coffee tables are one of those things that people struggle with. They need to be functional and practical and look good at the same time. Function over form or form over function? How do we combine both? Personally, I’m a big fan of ottomans as coffee tables. Large ottomans that can have one or two trays on them, piles of favourite books and personal artefacts that mean to something to us. Or even small ottomans that are striking and make a huge impact but prevent things from getting too messy or cluttered because of their compact size.

ioanna lennox coffee table 2

“In our home, I’ve opted for the latter. My husband hates coffee tables in formal living areas and believes less is more. So rather than going for a more traditional coffee table, we’ve compromised on having a small French-inspired ottoman serve as a coffee table. I had it upholstered in one of my favourite fabrics, Kelly Wearstler’s Flair Noir, and had its frame finished in an antique silver bronze that matches the Louis armchair sitting behind it. I decided to have the chair upholstered in a rich deep blue velvet so that the wild black and white chevron-inspired print of the ottoman stands out even more.”

Being a fairly small ottoman, Ioanna doesn’t have the luxury of having all her go-to interior design books on hand so she tends to rotate them. “For instance, I recently attended Greg Natale’s book launch and of course, had to get the book! So being the newest addition to my design books collection, it’s on the table right now. There’s also an Audrey Hepburn book that both my daughter and I love to look at which tends to reside there all the time.”

ioanna lennox coffee table 3

Flowers are another must-have staple. “The more I decorate with flowers, the more I appreciate the way they define spaces by adding layers of colours, texture and shape –you can really turn up the volume of how loud or soft you want a room to be simply through the flower selection or arrangement you choose. I tend to gravitate towards soft pastel shades of pink or white for the living room and display them in a matt ceramic sculptural vase from BoConcept. The vase goes beautifully with the Jonathan Adler Dora Muse candle, which is a great example of form and function blended into something beautiful and unique. Oh, and its scent is to die for!”

Ioanna loves to arrange everything on a black and gold tray and layer the vase and candle on top: the candle, the vase, some coasters to have on hand and a bronze whale tail that her son likes to wave around pretending it’s an aeroplane! “Good interior design is made up of layers – overt, subtle, visible and invisible. Layers tell stories about the people who live there are and build rooms.”

Display boxes are another favourite. She was recently given the black and white bone zig zag box as a present. “We also use it to dump keys and sunglasses when we come into the house then pop the lid on and it’s all tidy and out of sight! The only problem is when we forget the keys are there and go searching for them for 10 minutes!

“My absolute indulgence in the room is to come downstairs once the kids are finally in bed, glass of wine in hand, soft jazz music humming in the background, light the candles and curl up in the armchair surrounded by my favourite design books or collection of Belle magazines. I flick, I sip, I ponder. It’s in that space that I get inspired, dream and creations come alive. For me, that’s home.”

Photography by Susan Papazian

See all our other featured coffee tables. Whose would you love to see next? Please comment below.

Categories
Art Covet my coffee table Kitchens

Covet my Coffee Table: Nathan and Jaynie Johnson of Blacklist

Photos by Jacqui Turk

Welcome to the home of the talented, lovely and photogenic Nathan and Jaynie Johnson who own Blacklist, one of our favourite places to buy affordable Aussie art. 2014 was a great and busy year for them, including renovations and the birth of their gorgeous son Dare (pictured), their second child.

blacklist_jacquiturk-11

“We have lots of books on our ottoman that we like to use as inspiration and to relax. We have Lero Grannis, an encyclopaedia on palms and lots of books on fashion around,” Jaynie says. “We get most of our books online from The Book Depository. We also have a Mad Et Len candle which we bought from Island Luxe in Bangalow (one of my all time favourite stores).”

blacklist_jacquiturk-6

blacklist_jacquiturk-5

The pair bought their child-friendly ottoman from Charbella in Cronulla. “It’s handmade in Africa and we love it as it’s the perfect height and is easy for the kids. We didn’t want anything that they could knock as coffee tables always seem to be the perfect height for kids to hit their heads on. We also love that we can move it out of the way super easy and it doubles as a seat and foot rest when we need it to,” Jaynie adds.

The couple don’t always have a coffee table/ottoman so they needed a flexible and easily moved piece of furniture. “Sometimes we love to have it out with some of our treasures on display, and other times we just like to have the space in front of the lounge to play. It’s definitely part practical/part décor.

Nathan, Jaynie and baby Dare, at home in Cronulla
Jaynie, Nathan and baby Dare, at home in Cronulla

“We tend to not put glass on it, but we do like to leave items on it as we encourage our kids to not touch things that they shouldn’t. Dare is too young at the moment to try to grab things but Willow has always been brought up with the encouragement to not touch certain things and she has been very self controlled with it. We obviously ensure anything potentially dangerous is out of reach, such as antlers!”

Nathan and Jaynie have just finished renovating their kitchen and loved hosting family in it for Christmas. “We haven’t had an oven for four years,” Jaynie reveals. “We took ages to decide on what we wanted to do with the space but finally enlisted the help of our architect friend and the amazing ITF cabinetmakers and we have come up with a more than we could have hoped or dreamed for kitchen. We are about to start designing our bathrooms and then we will be almost finished with the house which is very exciting for us. It’s been a sloooooow process.”

blacklist_jacquiturk-1

The Johnsons’ home has a colour palette of black, white and timber and they love bringing in different textures. “Essentially, our interior style at home now is sophisticated seaside grunge!”

Jaynie’s favourite places to buy homewares include eBay, Les Interieurs, Water Tiger, Major Minor for linen and Retro Wombat in Thirroul.

blacklist_jacquiturk-2

Excitingly, Blacklist are about to launch The Black Factory. “We are currently turning an industrial warehouse into a hub for creatives with a photographic area, meeting rooms, desk spaces in an awesome mezzanine and warehousing, so we will be taking applications for tenants from early-to-mid January,” Jaynie says.

They’re also launching their first greetings card collection and journals in February at Life InStyle Sydney. Not to mention a new art print collection, Not All Who Wander are Lost. “We are eagerly awaiting the new year as it brings with it so many new opportunities and we can’t wait!”

See all our featured coffee tables.

Categories
Bedrooms Competitions Furniture Homewares

Win a French inspired bed ottoman from Lavender Hill Interiors

If you favour a more classic, neutral look to your interiors, you’re going to love these French inspired bed ottomans from Lavender Hill Interiors. Good news is, we have one to give away to a lucky reader!

Bed Ottoman www.lavenderhilinteriors.com

While it’s perfect for the end of your bed, you could use it anywhere really, as extra seating by a window or perhaps in a hallway for putting your shoes on. This neutral piece, worth $520, is super versatile and would blend in with most decor schemes.

It features a distressed white painted solid oak frame and is upholstered in natural linen (48cm high x 130cm long x 38cm wide).

Bed Ottoman

For your chance of winning, complete the form below by midnight on Friday 15 August 2014. Open to Australian residents only and prize includes delivery.

If you like this, check out the other goodies Lavender Hill Interiors have in their online store or visit their Sydney showroom (by appointment only). They specialise in French country style and sell a wide range of furniture, linen and homewares. Even better, their winter sale is on until 11 August 2014.

[gravityform id=”14″ name=”Ottoman” title=”false” description=”false”]

Categories
Interiors Addict

Milan Direct moves into French Provincial

It’s not my style but there’s no denying the timeless popularity of French Provincial furniture and it’s certainly a new look for online retailer Milan Direct.

table

The prices, as you’d expect, are very reasonable. This substantial dining table (above), in real oak veneer, is $699 and sits 6 comfortably. You might even be able to get it in time for Christmas Day entertaining, with the first shipment arriving mid next month.

Categories
Interiors Addict

Not for the neutral palette lover, the Freckle felt range from Down to the Woods (who describe thems

Not for the neutral palette lover, the Freckle felt range from Down to the Woods (who describe thems