Tag: the print emporium

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Art Interviews

Amalfi coast immortalised in new Print Emporium range

If you’re lucky enough to have been to Italy’s Amalfi Coast you’ll know it has no shortage of photogenic vistas which is no doubt why The Print Emporium’s founder and creative director Zoe Bristow chose to capture it for her latest collection. Photographed on the Amalfi and the nearby island of Capri, Zoe had quite the adventure shooting the location’s iconic blue and white umbrellas, rocky outcrops and classic coastal Italian scenes for the print series that is priced from a very affordable $29.

Amalfi Summer print
Amalfi Summer print

“I had to bluff my way in as I didn’t realise we were supposed to have booked a month prior!” says Zoe of the process by which she captured La Fontelina Beach Club series – her favourite images from the new range. “The staff were amazing and let us spend the day there snapping photos, swimming and hiking up and down the hundreds of cliff steps,” says Zoe who also perched precariously over the cliff to capture the scene from an aerial perspective.

One of La Fontelina series
A print from La Fontelina Beach Club series, captured from on high

Another highlight of the range is the One Fire Club series – notable for the mass of orange umbrellas that characterise the photographs. “I hired a private boat and driver for half a day to take me along the Amalfi coastline and I jumped off bare-foot with my camera and took in the scene from all angles possible as it was so striking!” says Zoe.

One Fire Club
One Fire Club print

The Sorrento Bathers series was captured in another private hotel after some further smooth talking by Zoe while her partner waited in a car in the no-standing zone outside. “Let’s just say I went to great lengths to get many of the shots in the Amalfi series this season!” says Zoe.

Sorrento Bathers print
Sorrento Bathers print
Monterosso print
Monterosso print

Another part of the collection was photographed in the adjacent island of Capri, the Capri Boat image a particularly beautiful one. “I spotted this old vessel tied up and floating on the most beautiful blue green water I had ever seen, looking almost as if it was flying,” says Zoe of the alluring scene. If the image doesn’t make you want to book an Italy trip pronto I don’t know what would!

Capri Boat print
Capri Boat print

Italy wanderings aside, it’s been a very busy time for Zoe of late given she had a stand at the recent Décor + Design show and the Reed Gift Fair in Melbourne. “It was a little crazier than normal in terms of the prep time as I had literally just hopped back off the plane from Italy two weeks before, so I was busy prepping my images for production, painting walls until the wee hours, and then we were away with the shows,” says Zoe who showed the Amalfi photographs alongside the rest of her new range that features diverse imagery including washed out Australian coastal prints, dried palms and pampas grass, a Moroccan desert scene, Greek coastal theme, painted abstracts and a Parisian theme too.

Pink Umbrella print
Pink Umbrella print

And with no plans to slow down anytime soon Zoe will be running a pop-up shop in Melbourne from October until the end of December. “It will be in buzzing Lygon Street in Carlton so for any readers that are in Melbourne, I’d love you to pop in and see some pieces from the range!”

Capri Rocks
Capri Rocks print

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Our readers can get 10% off their order for the month of September using the code INTERIORSADDICT10 at checkout.

Shop online | Artist Adele Naidoo’s unique digital & acrylic works

Categories
Art Interviews

New The Print Emporium range features iconic Australia

You know how excited we get about affordable art here so when we heard The Print Emporium was back with a new collection we couldn’t wait to check it out. Full of soft, muted tones for spring and plenty more of the florals that put the company on the map, we caught up with the brand’s founder and creative director Zoe Bristow for a step through the new range. Plus, you can get 15% off until Thursday!

Print Emporium print
‘Vintage Peonies’ print

“For this collection, I was inspired by a range of things that capture both spring and summer themes. For the spring theme, I focused on creating a new range of beautiful realistic looking florals. I am a little obsessed with flowers as I think anyone who has seen my collection can quickly tell!” says Zoe.

'Beach Bathers' art print
‘Beach Bathers’ print

The summer theme draws on iconic Australian places such as Bondi Beach and the Great Ocean Road for inspiration. “I was inspired by decor you would find in vintage beach shacks, Australia’s coastline including the Great Ocean Road, Bondi Beach where I used to live, my previous summer holidays in Europe and also a trip to LA last year,” says Zoe.

Print Emporium print
‘Sleeping Koala’ print

Each design is hand-painted on canvas with oil or acrylic paint, before being photographed and printed on giclée paper as an art print or canvas that is then stretched on a timber frame. “I work with a bunch of painters whom I privately commission to bring my designs to life, many painted from photos I personally take. We proudly continue to make each artwork locally and use gorgeous timber frames too,” says Zoe.

Given that most of the works start out as photographs, it’s not surprising that many people mistake the works for photography. “I recently exhibited this new collection at two big design and retail trade shows in Melbourne and what was interesting was that many buyers thought my range were photos. When I pointed out that my premium core collection is initially hand-painted they were pretty amazed as some of the designs have such fine details,” says Zoe.

The Print Emporium
‘Spring Bouquet’ print

As for her top picks, Zoe is particularly enamoured with the ‘Bondi Icebergs Pool’ print. “I photographed the ocean pool when I was living up there on a day when the sea water was being emptied and the pool was being cleaned. The final artwork is a painting of my original photo. The interior of my home in Melbourne is all-white, so this one fits right in and takes me back to my Bondi days!” says Zoe.

Bondi Icebergs print
‘Bondi Icebergs Swell’ print

“Another favourite would probably be ‘Dark Blooms I’ which is a moody floral and then there is ‘Beach Bathers’ which is a pastel aerial beach scene, and also ‘Great Ocean Road I’ which is a serene coastal scene of the Apostles. I love escaping Melbourne on weekends and taking coastal drives down there along the rugged coastline as it is truly spectacular. I even have a print called ‘Sleeping Koala’ which was inspired by the road near Cape Otway where you can spot koalas sleeping in the trees along the road to the coast. So I guess this collection includes a lot of personal memories of mine.”

Print Emporium
‘Great Ocean Road I’ canvas

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Interiors Addict

Charity house furnished by Interiors Addict could be yours!

Nursery furnished by Incy Interiors, GlobeWest, Willow & Wood and The Print Emporium.

Sponsored by Henley

At the weekend, Henley and Villawood Properties officially opened to the public to inspect the Good Friday Appeal charity auction home. It followed five months and 320,000 collective labour hours from over 400 tradies and suppliers.

 

It was a huge team effort by Henley, Villawood Properties and the generous trades and suppliers who volunteered their time and services. Year after year, they give it their all to create a stunning family home for one successful bidder to call home. This is all in aid of the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, with the Henley double-storey Emperor 41, situated in Villawood’s boutique Waratah community, selling at a no-reserve auction on Good Friday 30 March – with 100% of the proceeds donated to the appeal.

Living room furnished by Early Settler with sofas, artwork, side tables, coffee table, accessories and more.
Dining area furnished by Early Settler and kitchen stocked by IKEA.

“It’s our 25th year building and donating houses to the Good Friday Appeal, and the whole team at Henley is enormously proud in being associated with such an iconic event, where the community really comes together for a feel-good cause,” said Henley’s managing director John Harvey.

Nursery furnished by Incy Interiors, GlobeWest, Willow & Wood and The Print Emporium.

To make Henley’s silver anniversary even more special, Interiors Addict was delighted to be asked to be involved. We called on our network of furniture and homewares brands to donate everything from art to sofas and a dining a table! Early Settler, IKEA, GlobeWest, Incy Interiors, Willow & Wood and The Print Emporium didn’t hesitate to give generously, allowing me to choose from their gorgeous stock for the house. And the lucky bidder will get to keep it all. That will make moving day easier!

The home has a spacious open plan kitchen/living/dining room furnished almost entirely by Early Settler. Kitchen cupboards are full of essentials from IKEA, who also furnished the guest suite and theatre, as well providing outdoor dining furniture. In the super sweet nursery, Incy Interiors donated a cot and change table while the rug and chair came from GlobeWest, the bookcase from Willow & Wood, artwork from The Print Emporium and cot mattress from Clarke Rubber.

“This year, we once again have a group of passionate and dedicated trades and suppliers who donate their time and resources in making this extraordinary build happen, some who have contributed to the cause since its inception in 1993 and others who have joined us along the way. Each contribution means so much to us, and adds immeasurable value to the worth of the home,” John added.

Guest suite furnished by IKEA
Dining furniture donated by IKEA

Beyond the gorgeous home, the lucky buyer will be moving to a peaceful oasis, surrounded by historic woodlands and conveniently located in close proximity to the Mickleham Town Centre and future primary school, while also in walking distance of the state-of-the art Childcare Centre within the Waratah community, due to open in early 2019.

Theatre furnished by IKEA

“We believe the sense of ‘home’ is so much more than what’s contained within a property’s boundary and we design our all our projects to instill a true sense of community, where people know their neighbours and greet them in the street. The Village Green, a large neighbourhood park with playground, will be integral to this and we’ll have an exciting 12-month calendar of events kicking off just after the auction,” said Rory Costelloe, executive director of Villawood Properties.

“A special thanks this year to Early Settler, IKEA, GlobeWest, Incy Interiors, Willow & Wood and The Print Emporium, who have come on board through Interiors Addict publisher, Jen Bishop, to style the house with all of the donated furniture and accessories included in the auction price.

“This house is packed to the roof with quality inclusions, donations, upgrades and of course, the feel-good factor and we can’t wait to meet its new family who get a beautiful new home with a whole heap of extra value,” he said.

The house is open for inspection every Saturday and Sunday (1-to-3pm) and Wednesdays (5-to-6pm), until 30 March at 13 Harfield Avenue, Mickleham Victoria.

Visit www.henley.com.au or visit www.villawoodproperties.com.au

 

Categories
Art Expert Tips Interviews

New in town: Stunning affordable art from The Print Emporium

I was recently lucky enough to be sent a framed canvas from The Print Emporium and it was so beautiful I just had to find out more about the brand, launched in July, and the woman behind it, Zoe Bristow. As you may have noticed, I have developed a real penchant for floral and botanical art recently so it will come as no surprise that I  love what she’s producing! And everyone who saw the recent photos of my kitchen/dining reno seems to want to know where that art is from!

My Print Emporium framed canvas in my dining room | Photo by Jacqui Turk

With a background studying Textile Design at RMIT in Melbourne, Zoe specialised in screen-printing and on graduating, got into the fashion industry and moved to London, and then Sydney, to work. But a few years ago, she got into homewares when working as a buyer for a design website. Last year, she returned to her hometown of Melbourne and decided to start her business, The Print Emporium.

She’d been conceptualising the business for a few years beforehand. “I had been wanting to take the leap and launch an artwork brand for a couple of years, as I really felt it pulled together my love of prints and patterns, textile designs, but also home decor and trend forecasting.”

Rare these days, her range is proudly designed and made in Australia, and Zoe works with freelance artists to create paintings based on her design concepts. “I then sell them as high quality re-printed artworks that do not have the price tag of a true original. The unique thing I guess, is you have to really look up close to realise they are not the original hand painting, as the detail is quite amazing. Artwork is such a personal thing, but I like to think that my range is very fresh and eye-catching, unique, and also in keeping with interior design trends. I like the idea of helping customers create a lovely and inspiring space in their home or office, easily, with a piece from the range.”

Large pieces of art often come with a hefty price tag, sometimes meaning people have to buy something too small for their wall because of budget. “We have up to six sizes available in the stretched canvas medium for example, with the largest being over 1.6metres tall! And all for a price that is far less than an original of course. Being that the range has been painted originally, this makes for a point of difference in the market, where you are receiving something unique and a little bit special, but without the high price tag.”

Zoe launched at Decor & Design in Melbourne in July and had instantly great feedback. “We picked up many interior decorators as clients. We regularly work with architecture firms and interior stylists and designers to find a piece for their clients, whether they be corporate fit-outs, private houses or hotels. And then we also sell to the general public through the website. We have had many repeat customers who after buying their first piece, return to purchase more for other rooms in the house. It’s lovely to see.”

To decide what to include in the first collection, Zoe had to trust her gut instinct as there was no sales history to go on. “I went with what I would like to buy myself, and also asked many friends and family. So far the reaction has been amazing, which still makes me pinch myself regularly.”

She is very proud to be manufacturing in Australia and loves the idea of managing the process end-to-end. She also believes that, with so many size and frame combinations, to have a quality made-to-order product works best, giving customers more choice. And of course lead times are shorter too.

“Starting my own business has been both challenging and exciting! Being only a few months old, making sure smooth systems were in place upon launch has been crucial. I over-planned I think, before I launched, but it’s paid off to have done so. I was very fortunate to be picked up by some of Australia’s leading retailers within the first weeks of launch, and since launching in July I have done three more trade events, and even recently hired an assistant!

“The biggest highlights have been the positive feedback and how many ‘wows’ I hear when customers see the artwork with their own eyes. I also did a design event recently where several people walked up to me and said they loved the range and had been following me on social media or had already ordered. This gives me a buzz every time. Also receiving orders from the far reaches of the globe too is pretty exciting. I’m run off my feet daily, but I love it!”

Zoe’s advice for choosing art:

  • Decide first if you want a piece that ‘pops’ or something that is more subtle and subdued.
  • Next, decide on the artwork medium (as we offer stretched canvases along with framed giclee art prints) that would work best, and next select the frame colour (we sell raw oak, white or black options) as this should tie back in with key pieces and colours in the room.
  • In terms of the artwork pattern or design, it’s a matter of going with what excites you and speaks to you and works with other decor pieces already in the space or what you want the ‘theme’ to be in the room if starting from scratch. To make things easier, we have interior images on our website, along with every design shown in every frame colour, just to help make this process easier for the customer.
  • Another  little tip when choosing size, if you are not 100% sure, measure it on newspaper or similar and stick this paper shadow up on the wall to visualise the artwork to scale, before you buy. If customers are ever unsure I often tell them to email through a picture of the room they want it for, as I am more than happy to offer my suggestions.

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