Handmade furniture designer Jeremy Lee has built JDLee Furniture around the values of sustainable and high quality furniture. “Buying less is more when it comes to our impact on the environment,” he says. “Our focus has always been to produce beautiful furniture that is built to last.”
The brand’s new range, released this month, is an antidote to disposable mass market trends. “It feels really important to be giving life to any craft that is slowly becoming forgotten by way of larger automated workshops,” Jeremy adds.
Featuring intricate handwoven rattan and attractive joinery, each piece is designed with repairs in mind, so you won’t need to throw away your furniture if it ever becomes damaged.
JDLee Furniture are a small team of highly skilled craftspeople based in the Byron Bay Hinterland. Each piece they produce is designed and entirely handmade by the workshop. Their commitment to environmental sustainability extends from the sourcing of materials to the recycling of any wastage.
Offering style, variety, and flexibility, freestanding wardrobes are a great alternative to built-ins. They’re a perfect choice if you want to use a bedroom as a home office in the future (or vice versa!), or if you’re renting your home. Here are six options that promise to turn a simple storage solution into a bedroom centrepiece.
Kmart Scandi Wardrobe Rack: A minimalist and budget conscious choice, this Scandi inspired garment rack is easy to move around your room. Plus, it showcases all your favourite outfits, even when you’re not wearing them. $45.
Mustard Twinny locker: Available in nine stunning colours, (and with a 10th coming soon!) these lockers slot right in to any room, from a kid’s bedroom to an office. This new expanded version of Mustard’s original Skinny locker solves all your storage needs, with four adjustable shelves and two removable clothing rails. $699.
IKEA Nordkisa Open Wardrobe: An airy and affordable option, the Nordkisa offers clean Scandinavian design, while introducing a natural element with its bamboo construction. $349.
Fantastic Furniture 2 Door Mirror Wardrobe: For the style of a built-in without the commitment, this wardrobe is the ideal choice. Flexibility is increased with the option to customise your storage with additional inserts, and the two full length mirrors make sure you’re always looking your best. $649.
Stefan Double Wardrobe from The Design Edit: With Scandinavian design and retro inspired walnut veneer, this wardrobe is a luxurious addition to any bedroom. Between the double door hanging rail and roomy bottom drawer, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to space. $1,299.
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Love them or hate them, Kmart’s home collections always cause a lot of buzz. The spring collection, launching next week, contains several pieces fans will be desperate to get their hands on before they sell out.
The new $59 rattan sideboard is part of a larger rattan collection including a cabinet, bedside table, coffee table and room screen.
Our picks to fly off the shelves are the $59 rattan sideboard, the $59 timber bench and the customisable open wardrobe storage system.
The open wardrobe storage system is made up of different units to suit any room size or could even be used inside a walk-in.
Oak, hints of marble and soft accents of blush pink, warm clay, ochre and indigo blue feature heavily, as do natural materials such as glass, rattan and wood.
And for the neat freaks, their new ‘Click’ range will revolutionise the cleaning cupboard. Ditch your excess cleaning products, reduce your storage space and embrace the new one-handle, interchangeable head technology.
This matte kettle and toaster are new to appliances
Kmart are also launching their first ever virtual masterclasses with interior design tips and tricks while showcasing the latest ranges across living, dining, cooking and storage. They’ll be live next Wednesday and Thursday evenings (29 and 30 July 2020).
Callum Smith, Kmart’s general manager of general merchandise, says: “We want to make everyday living brighter for our customers. That means giving them the latest trends at everyday low prices everyone can enjoy. We’ve made a commitment to bring customers low prices for life, and this new Living range is an extension of this commitment.”
This timber bench seat is perfect for a hallway and just $59
He adds: “It’s a collection that really celebrates the Australian and New Zealand lifestyle and embraces multifunctional and versatile design. Our Kmart customers have a great sense of style and we want to create ranges that help them reflect this.”
The rattan cabinet is $85
The new Noir side and coffee tables
The new collection, which includes almost 250 new furniture, home décor, kitchen, dining and storage items through August, will be available nationwide in-store and online from 30 July 2020.
The rattan furniture trend is certainly one with legs. We first wrote about its mass resurgence back in 2017 and the look has remained a constant in our Pinterest and Instagram feeds since. And while the material has been used to create all sorts of different furniture pieces, our favourite iteration is the statement armchair. Here are our top eight picks, perfect for Hamptons, rustic and coastal homes.
Oz Design Furniture Bermuda designer chair: Made from fast growing, environmentally sustainable materials, this gorgeous chair is handmade from bamboo, rattan and bent cane bound together with reed. $699.
Home Bazar: With prices starting from $39, this new rattan range is notable for its ridiculously low price points and stylish designs. The range will hit WA and QLD Bunnings store this week, with VIC and NSW to follow next week. Expect a stampede!
Wild Fig Bodhi bamboo sofa: Perfect for the outdoors, this sleek handmade sofa comes with a cushion upholstered in a fabric that is water, mildew and fade resistant. $1252.
HK Living rattan egg chair (natural): Available locally at Norsu Interiors, this stylish chair combines a hand braided seat with legs made from black lacquered metal. $999.
Sitting Pretty Harper rattan armchair: This stylish, (and not your run of the mill) rattan number has a thick base cushion and comfy back support too. I love its curves and criss cross detailing. $519.
While rattan has long been a fallback for that earthy, world-traveller interior vibe, the latest take on the look combines custom paint with brass and copper and hails from Africa. From baskets to lamp shades, lounge chairs and more, Coastal Drift (now available direct to the public for the first time) is bringing that authentic African feel into Australian homes, but with a modern finish.
Traditional Malawi rattan chair in navy, $579
“Cane is often associated with white palettes and coastal styling, but our charcoal, black and navy colour treatments, paired with brass or copper feet, really add warmth and luxury. Cover with a faux fur throw or woolly blanket for the cooler months, and as spring arrives, simply remove and place beside a plant or a lighter throw and it’s versatile all year round,” says founder Monique Ryan-Musacchio who is originally from Malawi but now resides on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Malawi open weave rectangle bench in black, $799
Made in Zimbabwe and Malawi, Monique’s range of furniture and homewares is guaranteed authentic too. “We’re proudly 100 percent African and authentic. All the furniture we sell is made by villagers in rural Malawi. It is a traditional African art, where it takes 10 days to complete one traditional single chair. When it comes to adding some traditional design to your space, the Malawi Chair, for example, is as authentic as it gets. Each product is unique – completely made by hand from start to finish,” says Monique.
Malawi Chair in brown with brass feet, $679
And with the handmade trend still going strong, Coastal Drift’s artisanal wares are a perfect fit for modern interiors. “Customers want what is popular and what they’ve seen in the media, or at their friend’s house or trendy cafe. All our pieces can be customised, from the pattern to colour treatment, and we’re starting to see a drive for unique basket designs. We love collaborating on design and the whole creative process with our clients – be it designers, retailers, stylists or architects,” says Monique.
These limited edition sisal baskets look fabulous grouped together on the wall. From $170
Aside from furniture, the brand also sells a range of homewares (lamp shades, baskets, placemats, trays, mats and rugs) that are made in Zimbabwe from natural and plentiful materials such as ilala palm, Ibhuma reeds and sisal. “Our African homewares are easily adapted to many styles and they can work with other furniture pieces and theming. You can introduce textures and patterns to soften a room or add warmth and they’re perfect for the cooler months,” says Monique.
Malawi classic lounger in black, $1190
Coastal Drift has an ethical and environmental focus too. “All our partners are heavily involved in long-term nurturing and support of their craftspeople – such as through apprenticeships, training to expand their craft skills, equipment investment and support of whole communities with solar installations. Our products are made from natural materials that are endemic to the regions – even the sisal and jute dyes for the homewares features organic plant-based colour.”
Lily baskets with indigo trimmed fabric handles, from $99
When it comes to children’s interiors, it’s not often that we see something completely fresh. Home to a nature-obsessed nine-year-old, the space was originally supposed to have a tropical vibe but ended up becoming something far more inspiring. Aside from its lovely whimsical feel, I love how gender neutral the space is too.
“Originally, I had planned to do a tropical room with bright elements however I completely changed direction after coming across a gorgeous a book called Botanicum, curated by Katie Scott and Kathy Willis. Rhiana has always had a love for nature from a very young age, so I wanted to design a room with elements that reflected her personality and created a unique style that hasn’t been seen before,” says Petria Leggo-Field, Rhiana’s mother and the owner of Coco Rose Interiors, an online emporium that specialises in handmade bohemian style furniture and décor.
Rhiana enjoying her room
The hero of the space, the wallpaper (from Create a Wall) packs a strong visual punch and it formed the backdrop for the rest of the space. “I found a wallpaper with leaves, feathers and birdsnests that brought the book to life and set the scene perfectly for Rhiana’s room design. I love to style walls and was really happy to find a couple of doll house frames that I could wallpaper and carry the theme through the room.”
Rattan shelving from Coco Rose Interiors
Aesthetics aren’t the only driver behind the room – its botanical theme also has an ideological basis. “My husband and I really want to encourage nature-based play and education as our children grow. We love that we can bring the outdoors in and create a more natural and minimalistic way of living for our girls,” says Petria who confirms that all of the plants you see in the photographs live in the space permanently. “Part of Rhiana’s daily routine now is to water her plants. It gives her a further sense of responsibility and understanding that we need to look after the environment we all live in.”
The abundance of indoor plants keeps Rhiana busyAside from the abundance of green (both real and imagined), rattan is a key to this look and all the pieces are available from Petria’s online store. “We really love our rattan furniture range. All our furniture pieces feature the same teardrop diamond pattern, so that our customers can style our whole range as a complete set. This is just the very beginning and we are very excited for our next release, with designs the market hasn’t seen yet,” says Petria.
As for her favourite part of the room, Rhiana herself is very fond of the shell chandelier, which reminds her of collecting shells at the beach. “She really loves her room as she’s quite an active child and loves spending her days outdoors collecting treasures. It’s nice for her to come back to a space that she feels comfortable in but also has a calming feel for her to wind down from the day’s activities.”
I’m a big fan of trend data and especially when it comes to interior design. And with texture in vogue of late, I wasn’t surprised to hear that rattan is trending on Pinterest. In fact, we called it almost a year ago!
Made from the thin-jointed stems of a palm, and popular in both British and French colonial times and the 1970’s, rattan chairs, pendant lights and accessories complement a variety of interior schemes – most notably Hamptons, rustic and coastal homes. And when you consider that most of us live on the coast in Australia, rattan’s popularity down under makes plenty of sense.
With searches for ‘rattan furniture’ up 540 per cent in Australia, compared to last year, Aussies can’t seem to get enough of its relaxed, earthy vibes. In addition, the search term ‘rattan pendant lights’ experienced a 400 per cent increase in ideas saved since last year and ‘rattan chair’ has experienced a surge in pinning too. And whether you’ve a modern home, or something more traditional – we’ve rounded up our favourite Pinterest picks for your viewing and inspirational pleasure.
The occasional chair The rattan occasional chair is a time-honoured classic and the peacock inspired chair below has long been a favourite of mine. A guaranteed talking point, rattan chairs look fabulous both outside and indoors too.
Pendant lights The bigger the better in my view and this massive rattan pendant light is a beauty – it makes me think of a faraway island in the Caribbean. Such is the potential of a great interior to inspire wanderlust!
The bedhead
A rattan bedhead can make a relatively cheap statement piece for the bedroom and they look great in children’s rooms too. I love the bohemian spirit of the space below and the bedhead is key.
The dining chair The rattan dining chair was a feature of my childhood but I love the way the look has been reimagined below in what could have been a stark, white interior scheme. The rattan chairs really lift the space don’t you think?
Have you heard of online furniture store Brosa? Their model is based on doing everything in house, cutting price markups and making furniture available to you cheaper and quicker. What’s not to like?! Today, I’ve rounded up 10 of my favourites from their range. You may notice more than a few gold accents (I’m nothing if not predictable!).
There’s nothing more useful than an extendable dining table and I love the shape of the Romulus (available in black oak and natural oak). It starts as a neat 120cm diameter and extends to seat six comfortably. It’s made of engineered wood and is $1,499.
Extendable round dining tables are few and far between so this is standout for me and I love the leg shape.
We all know I’m in love with the gold accents and this McCoy chest of drawers is a winner. Relaxed luxury at its finest for $749. This would look great in my guest bedroom and is a real statement piece.
I love a sideboard; both practical storage and excellent styling opportunity! This fresh take on rattan (a trend that’s going nowhere soon) is made of solid mango wood. The Bruna sideboard is $1,199.
I love the elegant shape of the Dianna 3-seater lounge for $899, available in 16 colours. Speaking of colours, most of Brosa’s rage comes in more colours than you can shake a stick at. The hardest part is choosing which to go with!
The coffee table is one of the most important furniture choices in your home, if you ask me. The Baroque, in black marble and brass, would look great in a more formal, Hollywood Regency style interior. It looks much more expensive than its $599 price tag.
This large Artemis coffee table is so unique it warrants a mention too. It’s built using wood recycled from ancient Chinese doors and buildings. How cool is that?! This hexagonal find is sure to be a talking point and will set you back $599.
I have two of these Portobello stools/ottomans in grey at home and they are super useful extra seating when we have people over, plus they double as foot stools, and even side tables! They come in 19 colour options so there’s something to blend (or pop) in any room! $187. I love styling two ottomans opposite a lounge, on the other side of a coffee table.
This Gisele queen size gas lift bed has heaps of storage underneath the mattress and a modern, relaxed look. Well priced quality beds can be hard to come by and I think this is a snip at $1,148.
The sophisticated design of the Costa table and chairs looks more like it should be used indoors! Don’t be afraid of using some colour outdoors. In fact, I actively encourage it! This could work on a larger balcony, in a back yard or on a front verandah. $608.
If you’re short on space (but still need somewhere to rest your cuppa), the compact Clint side table makes the perfect bedside. I love the subtle gold accents on this clever and stylish design. It would also work just as well next to a sofa or armchair. $229.
What did you think of my picks? I’d love to know if you’ve bought anything from Brosa?
Not seen in such volume since the eighties (I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers the material from childhood!), rattan has had a resurgence of late but in sleeker, far more stylish forms. And while it’s a look that works fabulously with the tribal trend or beachy interiors, its current incarnation looks equally at home in more refined spaces too.
The Rattan Collective Yami bassinet: Destined for heirloom status, this handmade rattan bassinet not only looks adorable but it’s practical too – the wheels make it easy to move from room to room. $529.
It’s hard to believe these handmade, fair trade pieces from Nicoya Furniture start life as twigs, isn’t it?
That’s right, they’re made from rattan and palm tree twigs, hand inlaid into resin, for a very unique end result. These pieces are the latest additions to the range.
Rattan furniture is having a serious revival, don’t you think? Everywhere I look, I’m seeing peacock chairs and bedheads, brought bang up to date with the latest paint colours. I also love old school, untreated rattan paired with wonderful contrasting textiles on cushions and linen.
The patterns in pieces like this screen also work well with the trend for geometrics. If you have the patience and a creative streak, you can pick up some secondhand gems at op shops or on eBay and give them a new lease of life by painting them yourself.
If, like me, you’re a bit useless like that, you can buy it in just about every colour under the sun. All of the furniture pictured is by Lincoln Brooks, used by many of the country’s top interior designers but also available to retail customers through stores like EcoChic and Naturally Cane. It’s lightweight, affordable, eco-friendly, made from natural materials and can work both indoor and out. Plus, it’s easily given a new look with new upholstery should you move house or change your colour scheme, for example. So versatile!
