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Expert Tips Furniture Styling

Stylist tips: injecting city slicker style into coastal homes

Jason Granziera, in-house stylist at Lounge Lovers, shares his tips to inject some city clicker style into a relaxed, coastal home.

Sofia boucle 3 seat sofa

Chic, coastal and classic

A timeless and classic look can be attained with a pale and creamy colour palette. This palette has been centre stage for years, combining texture and occasionally the element of colour. Like the white sands and blue waves of Australia’s coast, subtle pops of colour and textural statement pieces can work beautifully together to create an inviting interior. For a neutral, think a boucle lounge which offers shape, style and a quality finish to seamlessly intertwine city and coast. 

Erikson coffee table (centre) & Draper velvet sofa

Ground, then amplify

Draw inspiration from our country’s mountainous terrain, pairing polished design with natural materials serves as the perfect base to stylistically balance your place. An oak coffee table will bring in some earthy energy while adding a deep green will make your environment appear sleek and bright. 

Cafe dining chairs

Lean into differences

Much like the coast’s relaxed and beachy vibe with its bustling after dark scene, one of the best ways to combine styles is through contrast. Be even more bold by creating a clear distinction between aesthetics with one item. Dining chairs mixing rattan with various shades of oak represent a hybrid of coastal and Scandi style, playing off texture, and light and dark shades to blend these two styles together. 

Kojo shelf

Contemporary by the sea

An old favourite for a reason, rattan is synonymous with coastal feels. Pairing it with contemporary pieces make for an interesting and stylish addition to any home. Start minimal with a bamboo style shelf as a base, then integrate the city with accessories like modern vases, coffee table books, greenery and candles to create the perfect blend.

For more on Lounge Lovers, who just opened a new showroom on the Gold Coast.

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Furniture Shopping

Sustainable, handmade furniture designed to last a lifetime

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.

For more information and to buy online

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Furniture Homewares

Kmart’s new $59 rattan sideboard launching next week

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.

Register for the free masterclasses.

Categories
Furniture Homewares

Hot trend: Amy’s top 10 rattan homewares & furniture picks

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 Family Love Tree Sunrise bedhead (queen) in black: Anything but beachy, this black lacquer bedhead almost has an oriental vibe. $459.

Vavoom Emporium flower rattan mirror: The sixties flower flowerchild vibe of this piece makes it ideal for a child’s room. $149.

Globewest Anja woven open buffet: Made from teak and rattan, this sturdy credenza has gorgeous mid-century lines. $3,599.

Image courtesy of GlobeWest

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.

IKEA JASSA collection: 100 per cent handmade, from pendant lamp shades to chairs and baskets, the limited edition JASSA range covers all rattan bases. From $19.99.

Milly & Eugene lace rattan light in white wash: I love the lace-inspired detailing on this bell-shaped pendant light. $179.

West Elm graphic printed hamper medium: Made in Senegal, the modern pattern and colours make this a lovely storage option. $99.95.

OZ Design Furniture Korona chair natural: Inspired by the Arne Jacobsen egg chair, this is an earthy statement piece. $899.

Byron Bay Hanging Chair bar cart in white rattan: This bar cart screams St Barts to me. Swoon! $575.

The Family Love Tree Tahitian rattan stool: Rattan but in totally modern sorbet tones. Fun! $129.

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Furniture

What’s not to love about rattan furniture?

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.

Chippendale 3 fold screen

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.

deco armchair LB site

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!