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Expert Tips Homewares Interviews

Bali shopping & buying trip for stylists & designers

Whether you’re a stylist, designer or property stager, stylist and property expert Naomi Findlay’s brand new Bali buying trip promises to deliver access to fabulous artisanal homewares, furniture and accessories coupled with rest and relaxation too.

“I’ve been going to Bali to run retreats for stylists and designers for five years now. Slowly I’ve been researching and working on great suppliers of amazing homewares. These are an alternative, cheaper option and can be customised for your individual style. Plus, the trip itself is relaxing, rejuvenating and Bali is a place I go to align my body and mind to accelerate my business,” says Naomi.

Naomi Findlay
Naomi Findlay

With the interiors market full of lots of the same items, it can be hard to distinguish your offering from the next stylist or designer which is where the trip comes in. “I want to help other home stagers offer their clients bespoke and unique options. This means more success for them, as they are able to cut costs and experience great networking and business building too,” says Naomi who has built up a treasure trove of connections over the many years she has spent travelling to the island.

Artisanal wares found on Naomi's last trip
Artisanal wares found on Naomi’s last Bali trip
Chairs
Interesting chairs make up just some of the Bali furniture mix

From cushions to lighting, chairs and ceramics there’s plenty to be found throughout the trip’s five days of product sourcing. Attendees can expect planned tours to Naomi’s favourite design haunts and she’s even organised secure and easy shipping to get your items home courtesy of a local coordinator who will facilitate and manage deliveries, storage and shipping via a local freight forwarder.

Bali
More Bali finds

More Bali finds

The trip’s other inclusions include daily breakfast, dinner, yoga and massages and all while staying at the lovely Hotel Komune. “It’s an amazing organic resort on the volcanic surf coast,” says Naomi.

Not a bad view after a day's work!
Not a bad view after a day’s work!

Naomi Findlay’s Bali buying trip
$3,500 per person (+GST), or five instalments of $700 (+GST), not including flights.

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Art Designers Furniture Homewares Interviews Styling The Block

Our 10 best interviews from the heartfelt to the hilarious

After two years and over 1,000 articles(!), my time at Interiors Addict has come to end. It truly is bittersweet. To think I started as the editorial assistant, still at uni, working one day a week and feeling very out of my comfort zone… and now I’m here, the outgoing features editor, off to tackle the big bad world as a news producer at Sky News. Goodbye cushions, hello current affairs, business and politics (wish me luck!). 

So to mark my departure, I thought I’d do one more list post. Below, I’ve put together my favourite interviews, from the motivational and heartfelt to the hilarious and oh so juicy.

Maisie Callcott is one inspiring teenager. Starting her business at the mere age of 12, the now 16-year-old runs Maypole Design, an online business selling wall hangings, rope-based jewellery and accessories and clay bowls. They’re beautiful and crazy affordable.

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Now this was one interview I was quite nervous about. I made Jen read it and then re-read it again. After all, you can’t have any grammatical errors in an article about the editor-in-chief of Vogue Living, Neale Whitaker! He talked all things The Block, life in magazine-world and his many varied inspirations.

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I had the fortune of interviewing Shaynna Blaze on more than one occasion, but this interview was certainly my favourite. As a Block judge, resident designer on Selling Houses Australia, author and so much more, Shaynna got very honest as she opened up about her favourite contestants, copping flak and how she juggles it all.

Shaynna Blaze Blank Canvas

What a life Jeff Leatham has led! As the go-to florist to the stars, he’s designed floral arrangements for some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities and his stories, unsurprisingly, are juicy!

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There’s nothing quite like a story where someone loses it all but bounces back stronger and better than ever. It makes for some good motivational reading and the story of Claire Falkiner, founder of Merci Perci, is just that. Losing her job just days before Christmas and two weeks before her husband lost his, she decided to change paths and is now a successful artist doing what she loves.

Claire Falkiner

With so many homewares businesses out there it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But one small business which has been able to do so is Hunting For George, who recently celebrated their fifth birthday. So it seemed only natural we ask: how do sisters Jo Harris and Lucy Glade-Wright do it?!

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While I’ve interviewed many interior designers it’s hard to compete with the impressiveness of Jeff Copolov, interior design director at Bates Smart. With the firm having a 162-year-old history (now 163!) the projects Jeff has been involved in are absolutely jaw-dropping.

Jeff Copolov

Demian Carey Gibbins has a story many will envy. Feeling like his corporate career was ruling his life, he decided to hand in his resignation and return to his childhood love of painting. Having been a finalist in a range of renowned awards, his most interesting venture has been coordinating a successful exhibition of Bali 9 ringleader Myuran Sukumaran’s paintings.

Demian Carey Gibbins

The making of Incy Interiors is quite the fairytale. Starting with humble ambitions, founder Kristy Withers began the business when after a fruitless search for a bed for her son she decided to design one herself. Now, she’s runs a business of 13 people, has a new flagship store in Sydney’s Chatswood Chase and sells both kids and adult furniture.

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No one likes to talk cleaning, but for Murchison-Hume we will make an exception! What started as a local Sydney business has now well and truly gone international, but founder Max Kater’s mission has remained the same: for her products to be the trifecta of safe and green, looking and smelling great and performing well.

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We hope you liked this list. 

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Homewares Styling

Video: Behind the scenes of the Real Living for Freedom launch

Olivia and I are lucky enough to get invited to some beautiful events and the recent Real Living for Freedom homewares launch was no exception! We thought we’d take the chance to show you behind the scenes in this fab video.

We enjoyed a beautiful lunch surrounded by the vintage style homewares and stunning blooms by Holly Hipwell of The Flower Drum at the Palm House in Sydney’s Botanic Gardens. So much thought had gone into the little touches, like our names embroidered onto napkins, and it was great to catch up with some of our favourite bloggers and stylists.

Spot my baby bump! Always looking for the perfect Instagram shot, of course!
Spot my baby bump! Always looking for the perfect Instagram shot, of course!

If only every day at Interiors Addict was this glam! We do work really hard most of the time, honestly…

Staff writer Olivia Shead gets some tips from interior stylist Imogen Roache
Staff writer Olivia Shead (left) gets some tips from interior stylist Imogen Roache

The Real Living for Freedom collection is available online and in store now.

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Competitions Styling

Win a framed Hermès scarf in March 7 Vignettes

This month we have a very unique and lovely prize for the winner: a framed Hermès scarf from Provincial Styles worth $560. Our guest judge, stylist Jacinta Preston, is back for a second turn as she can’t get enough of 7 Vignettes! And who can blame her?

This month's guest judge Jacinta Preston is back for more
This month’s guest judge Jacinta Preston is back for more

Fiona Longmire, from Provincial Styles, loves all things French, and started making beautiful homewares from vintage and new Hermès scarves as part of her French-inspired online homewares business. Her framed scarves are divine. This hot pink one up for grabs is called Printemps Ete 69, and was first issued in 2010 . It represents women’s fashion over the past few decades.

hermes framed scarf

One of the unique features of these scarves are the hand rolled edges. The framer hand stitches the scarf onto a board and then puts a second matt around the scarf, still leaving the edges of the scarf visible.

Here are the themes…

This month, I decided to crowdsource them and more than half of these are from you, the readers and participants. The most interesting is probably haft-seen, which is a traditional table setting of the Iranian spring celebration where seven items beginning with S are displayed. For our purposes, you can use ANY seven items beginning with S. Mixing it up a little and learning a little about other cultures in the meantime! Women is for International Womens Day in March and fashion is for the Hermès scarf prize. And Italian because Tuscany is the first stop on my big European adventure, starting this month.

Good luck to everyone taking part. 7 Vignettes starts on Saturday 1 March. Excuse me if I’m quiet but I’ll be in New Zealand being MC at my friend Amanda’s wedding!

Next month, I’ll be in Milan for the furniture fair halfway through 7 Vignettes. Eek. That’s going to be one exciting week!

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Interiors Addict

Cool Edie’s wallpaper with customisable coordinating decal spots

Confetti is the new wallpaper range from Sydney stylists Jane Frosh and Lucy Tweed of Cool Edie’s with Moore&Moore wallpaper.

Stylists Lucy Tweed and Jane Frosh
Stylist Lucy Tweed and Jane Frosh

As well as being bang on trend with giant polkadots (let’s face it, spots have never really been out of fashion), they give you the option of buying removable matching wall decal spots to create a look that’s uniquely yours.

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Interiors Addict

How to get your interior project featured in magazines like Belle and Real Living

It’s every designer and stylist’s dream: seeing one of your jobs showcased on the pages of a glossy magazine. But trying to achieve it can often feel like hitting your head against a brick wall. I asked the editors of Real Living and Belle – two magazines with very different aesthetics – for their top tips on how to give yourself the best chance of being featured.

Real Living's Deb Bibby
Real Living’s Deb Bibby

Funnily enough, their advice wasn’t that different. Deb Bibby, editor in chief of Real Living, said: “It’s not hard at all if you pitch the right story for the right demographic. Sometimes, for example, the style of photography isn’t suitable for Real Living but sadly the home is perfect. Or it might not be styled the way we like to reflect a home. So your team is crucial and each magazine is different.”

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Interiors Addict

An Aladdin’s cave of vintage props and furniture for stylists and brides at Vintage Patina

As I may have mentioned a few times, I’m currently planning my wedding (less than 3 months — eek!) and you may not be surprised to hear that I’m all about the decor and the styling of the reception.

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I’ll be honest with you: I’ve put a lot more thought into what the tables will wear than what I’ll wear! Much as I love my reception venue and its location, when I saw its outdoor furniture, I knew it just HAD TO GO (or at least be removed for my big day!). In my online search for replacement furniture I stumbled across Vintage Patina, who are new to Sydney but by no means new to props, collecting and weddings! Their website is great and actually lists almost everything they have for hire with prices (why can’t more people do this?!) but you can’t beat seeing things in the flesh so off I went to their Gladesville space with my friend Emma, who is helping me with the styling.

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Interiors Addict

Which stylists are about to release their own wallpaper range?

So, a little bird told me some Australian stylists are collaborating with an Australian wallpaper brand on a pretty fabulous collection. Who do you reckon it is? Announcement coming next week apparently. So the little bird told me anyway 😉

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Interiors Addict

Top interiors predictions for 2013

I asked some of Australia’s best interior designers and stylists for their opinion of what 2013 will bring in terms of interiors trends. Here’s what they had to say.

Steve Cordony, interior design editor, Belle magazine, and stylist: “This coming year I think we will see lots of natural materials such as marble, timber, brass, copper and cut glass which evoke a sense of calm and grounding. Using different shades and tones of trending colours such as blue, green and orange will inject warmth into our spaces. Quirky pieces (think spiky sculptures and animal shaped ceramics) and one-off finds will add a sense of interest and adventure into our interiors.”

Stylist and author Megan Morton: “People are now understanding the value and inherent beauty of interiors that are created with hand and heart. This explains the rise and rise of the craft and handmade movement. I predict we will see an even richer combination of made and bought, providing even more delicious spaces.”

Interior designer Greg Natale: “I see Memphis Milano becoming an influence on design again. Memphis was a design movement and furniture company started by Ettore Sottsass in the 80s. It was a reaction against Modernism and I think personally, they were trying to create warm interiors again by injecting humour and colour. What I like about Memphis is the asymmetrical shapes, black and white stripes, strong colour and wit.”

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Interiors Addict

Cool Edie’s team up with Murobond on glam and fun paint range

The ladies at Cool Edie’s are the latest stylists to team up with Murobond on their own paint range, and very cool it is too.

Jane Frosh and Lucy Weight have come up with four colours: a matt black (of course), a gold, an almost-emerald green (how on-trend) and a peach.

“We wanted a set of colours that really represented the Australian interiors industry as it stands and our Cool Edie’s approach to styling. A matt black (Cool Edie’s Religion), because it directly reflects on Cool Edie’s, our religion if you will. Who doesn’t love a matt black? It neutralises all other colours and adds a tough, chic element to any interior.

“The gold, well, does that need explaining?! Gold is a sense of humour, a touch of glam, a pop of insanity, hence the name Confetti Bomb. Boom! It just reeks of fun and parties and frocks and laughter.

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Interiors Addict

Life Instyle teams up with Jane Frosh & Lucy Weight of Cool Edie’s to launch Style Lab

I’m beyond excited about the latest initiative from Life Instyle. Style Lab is a new interactive concept, in collaboration with Jane Frosh and Lucy Weight of styling house, Cool Edie’s. I love those two and their work!

The concept will be unveiled during the trade fair’s first event of 2013, held at Sydney’s Royal Hall of Industries & Hordern Pavilion from 21-to-24 February.

Style Lab will explore the elements of style and creativity through a series of changing scenes, designed and created live each morning by Jane and Lucy. “The importance of creativity and style has always been at the heart of our events,” says exhibition manager, Amelia Coote-Harris. “We’re excited to introduce an interactive element this year and to be teaming up with the Cool Edie’s team, who share our passion and vision.”