The first collection by Melbourne’s TUCKBOX really caught my eye. I discovered it on social media recently (where all the good stuff is) and had to know more.
Did I mention there’s copper involved? Say no more!
The Klein collection comprises of a number of stools/side tables in various heights, a coffee table and a wall mountable hallway table for tight spaces. Let’s face it, we could all find a space or use for one of the beauties, whether it’s as bedsides, next to a freestanding bath tub, at the breakfast bar, around a table or next to the lounge for your cuppa and book.
If you don’t see exactly what you’re after, the good news is, you can customise too. Just contact them with your ideas.
The collection represents the journey of its designer and maker, Dan de Groot, from a cool design office in London to a dusty shed full of timber, steel and old machinery in Melbourne’s north. Dan, an industrial designer, started the business with his brother Ant and wife Prue over a long lunch in December last year. They had an idea for furniture that embraced the shadows and light of the Australian seasons, with simple lines and a modern character.
“At the heart of this collection is the ability to customise. From our timber top shapes, to finishes, sizes and base colours, there is so much flexibility,” Dan explains. “We like seeing the character of our products change when the customising takes place and customers make them their own.”
Responding to increasingly compact urban environments, pieces in the Klein collection are designed to work in smaller spaces, be stackable, transport easily and become loved items in your home or workspace.
We’re looking forward to seeing what they come up with next!
TUCKBOX offer free shipping to Australian metro areas. Shop online.
Lilyfield Warehouse by Virginnia Kerridge Architects
This year’s winners of the Intergrain Timber Vision Awards don’t disappoint. Think a stunning warehouse conversion in Sydney, two holistically sustainable properties in Melbourne and a hybrid of art and architecture in Canberra.
Stonewood by Breathe Architecture
Created to celebrate the valuable role timber plays in Australian architecture and design, this morning’s awards breakfast saw four winners picked from over 100 entries. With winners in both residential exterior and interior and commercial exterior and interior, the competition was fierce, with many entries pushing the boundaries with their innovative use of timber.
Lilyfield Warehouse by Virginnia Kerridge Architects
The two residential award recipients demonstrated how timber could be used as an alternative to other materials with advantageous sustainable qualities. Stonewood by Breathe Architecture, took home the title for best residential exterior, thanks to the unique details of its surrounding context and taking inspiration from an 1850s Georgian cottage. The best residential interior went to Lilyfield Warehouse, a NSW property designed by Virginia Kerridge Architects and a home that has to be one of my favourites ever (you can read more about it here)! With seamless integration between old and new, the project was awarded for its honest and strong response to an old building, demonstrating creative timber adaptation to an existing industrial warehouse.
The Commons by Breathe Architecture
The Commons commercial space, also designed by Breathe Architecture, won best commercial exterior. The project was awarded for its holistically sustainable and functional aspects, designed to off-set the harsh urbanised conditions of its inner city location. Judged best commercial interior was the multipurpose building Nishi in Canberra, which I visited only last month when I stayed at Hotel Hotel. Designed by March Studio, believe me when I say that it is as amazing in real life as it is in photos!
Nishi by March Studio
For more information visit Intergrain’s website here.
Four leading industry professionals have come together to form the prestigious judging panel for the 2014 Intergrain Timber Vision Awards.
Judges: Rob, Elizabeth, Cameron and Phil
The panel, which features Rob Backhouse, managing director of Hassell; Elizabeth Watson-Brown, design director at Architectus; Cameron Bruhn from Architecture Media and Phil White, general manager – Dulux Trade, will select the winning entries.
Intergrain trade brand manager, Amanda Chalmers, said: “Our judges consistently demonstrate first-class expertise, knowledge and leadership in the design industry. Their application of these abilities will be a driving force for the overall selection strategy.”
The judges will review the shortlisted entries across the following categories: commercial interior; commercial exterior; residential interior; and residential exterior. Designers have until 27 June to submit their entries, with the winners being announced on 15 August.
Not supporting the notion of a throwaway society, the team behind Bruns Acoustics have created premium analog wireless speakers that are built to last.
Aiming to inspire others to take responsibility for the impact they have on the environment, their Timbre speakers are a mix of old world craftsmanship, modern technology and most simply, they’re beautiful looking speakers (I seriously want one!). Made by hand in their workshop in Brunswick Heads, NSW, each individual speaker takes just over two weeks. Each is built using only the highest quality materials, including salvaged Australian timber, hand-dyed Australian leather and stainless steel hardware.
Coming in two styles, the relic series has worn finishes, aged parts, rusted hardware and nostalgic colour, giving a definite vintage vibe. In contrast, the classic series is inspired by the natural beauty of premium timber, with each speaker being grain matched from a single piece.
Created by a small group of designers and audio professionals who decided to leave the corporate world for a more environmentally conscious way of living, these speakers aim to bring back the old world value of having products made to last a lifetime.
2013 ITVA Winner for the Residential Exterior category: House House by Andrew Maynard Architects
Celebrating the innovative use of timber, the 2014 Intergrain Timber Vision Awards are now open and encouraging design professionals in Australia and New Zealand to enter.
2013 Residential Exterior winner: Andrew Maynard Architects
This year’s categories include Exterior Residential, Interior Residential, Exterior Commercial and Interior Commercial, with the awards aiming to celebrate projects that push the timber design boundaries.
“Timber continues to be a growing trend in both commercial and residential design and with this movement, projects are breaking away from traditional applications to using timber in new and innovative ways,” says Intergrain trade brand manager, Amanda Chalmers. “We can’t wait to receive entries which speak to this sentiment, once again highlighting the important role timber plays in Australian architecture.”
Entries for the fifth Intergrain Timber Vision Awards will be judged by a prestigious panel including: Rob Backhouse of Hassell; Elizabeth Watson-Brown of Architectus; Cameron Bruhn from Architecture Media and Phil White of Dulux Trade.
Winners will receive a $2,000 cash prize plus Intergrain product to the value of $5,000, whilst also gaining industry exposure with an editorial feature in Architecture Australia. Entries close Friday 27 June.
They may have the look and feel of timber but Amber’s newest range of timber-looking tiles and pavers have the durability to last for years indoors and out.
Amareno Tile
With its intricate natural wood design, the new Amareno Tile Range has the resilience of glazed porcelain and is available in White, Birch, Grey, Walnut and Blackbutt. The range is the newest addition to Amber’s existing collection of popular timber-look products including the Italian Atelier tile, Doga Sandal tile and the Timberstone paver.
Affordable and suitable for all areas of the family home, the richness of details, knots and shades is evident within each tile. Easy to maintain and with a high slip resistance, they are the perfect solution to avoid aging wood surfaces and potential fire hazards in bushfire prone areas.
Timberstone Paver
The collection also translates to the outdoor area with the Timberstone paver proving a popular option in Australian homes. Perfectly recreating the intricate details of aged timber it can also withstand the harsh Australian weather.
Amber’s new timber-inspired products are available on special now in stores across Australia. For more information.
I’ve spent many hours at Eurocucina today, the kitchen section (I say section, but it’s bigger than most standalone trade fairs) of Salone del Mobile in Milan. I thought I’d share the top trends I noticed and some photos from day one.
I should preface this by saying the combination of swarms of super-keen visitors and lighting designed to create atmosphere and mood, don’t make for the best photos I’ve ever taken!
Timber and timber veneer were everywhere, mostly muted cool greige tones which I found surprisingly warm and interesting. For me, this was the most obvious and overarching kitchen design trend at the fair.
The new timber kitchen is modern and sleek and just a touch industrial. Although the timber finishes tend to be pale, the look isn’t Scandi as you might expect.
I love the texture and warmth in these kitchens.
Timber and stainless steel was a popular combo.
There’s also very little gloss. It’s all about the matt surfaces on cabinetry.
Many kitchens incorporated some kind of open shelving. This makes the kitchen feel like more of a dressed room than ever before and not just a functional space. Seeing as it’s the heart of most homes these days, this makes absolute sense!
Large pullout drawers for storage, replacing cupboards, are still big, with many featuring lights which automatically come on when opened.
Touch-open cabinet doors are here to stay with very few doors with handles seen.
I saw a lot of glass fronted cabinets (and poor staff constantly polishing fingerprints off them!).
Cabinet doors folded up or back on themselves. I loved some of these smart features.
This looks like a splashback until it lifts up to reveal the storage behind. Neat.
Low hanging multiple interesting pendant lights over kitchen benches and dining tables were popular; another way to dress the kitchen, as mentioned above.
Where I saw a few pops of colour against the timber it was almost always red.
Bench tops were super slim in many cases; just a few mm.
I spotted many gloss white appliances, like ovens, and some black ones too, making a change from steel. Isn’t it funny how appliances (and electricals like TVs) go through colour trends like this? The white works well with the timber, I must say.
This is my first ever trip to Salone del Mobile and Eurocucina. It is huge and rather mad, especially on opening day. You can feel the buzz of excitement around and there are people from all over the world everywhere. There is a lot of ground to cover. Literally! It was an exciting day, getting a look at what will no doubt become common trends in Aussie kitchens in the not too distant future. Tomorrow, I’ll be chatting to two experts from Freedom Kitchens to get their take on what’s going to be big.
Emma Lipscombe’s unique way of creating her art immediately stands her apart. A mixed media artist, she sketches her designs onto the computer, which are then laser cut into timber board, creating a puzzle. From there, using her fingers, she works oil paint into the individual pieces, which, once dry, are put back together to finally reveal the finished artwork.
The result is much more impressive than any finger painting I’ve ever seen, with the texture of the paint contrasting nicely with the exact, hard edges of the angular pieces. “My art reflects my interest in the ordered rhythm of reduction and repetition,” explains Emma. “It is simple, formal, playful and considered. I like it to speak for itself.”
Painting since she was in high school, Emma studied landscape architecture in an attempt “to get something more tangible than a fine arts degree.” Now however, she practices under both disciplines, believing that the skills learnt in both complement each other.
Yet it cannot be denied that being an artist is her fundamental love, with Emma shifting from her early days of painting with oil to a predominance in mixed media. “I’ve always painted with oils both figuratively and in abstraction,” says Emma. “Mixed media was a natural progression. I started making geometric works with paper quite a few years ago but found the move to paint (and puzzles) felt right and meant I could have more control over the play of colour.”
Inspired by travel and all that comes with it, be it architecture, interiors, fashion or the more particular vintage textile designs and ceramics, Emma hopes to spend the next years travelling with her family, exhibiting and, if she’s lucky, building a bigger standalone studio at her home!
I must admit that when it’s done well, I’m a bit of a graffiti lover and the latest release from East Editions is no exception.
A collaborative artisan hub, East Editions bring designers together from around the world to produce handmade, limited edition pieces. For their latest offering, Edition 4, they fused the skills of Sydney graffiti artist Roach and Melbourne furniture makers Thomo & Coach.
The result is a series of five multi-functional, hand crafted timber boxes, each hand painted with a unique design featuring words and terms affiliated with traditional sign painting. They’re signed and numbered by Roach on the base.
For more information and to purchase visit East Editions here.
Following the first Block bathroom reveals a lot of you asked me if it was really practical to use timber in the bathroom or did it just look good? I asked Reece Bathrooms’ Belinda Geels for her expert advice.
Timber has been a big feature of many of The Block teams’ bathroom spaces this season. From the bespoke timber vanity tops in Brad and Dale’s bathrooms and feature paneling in Alisa and Lysandra’s main bathroom, to Steve and Chantelle’s parquetry ceiling feature and the stunning full timber wall in Kyal and Kara’s perfect score main bathroom, it’s been a winning element of many of the standout bathrooms from both the fans and favourites.
Image courtesy of Perini
We often get questions from customers about how to properly use this beautiful material in bathroom spaces, particularly when it comes to reducing the risks of swelling or warping of timber in damp spaces or close to wet areas. To help out those of you looking to recreate some of The Block’s best looks at home, we’ve compiled top tips from our experts and industry partners on using timber in everything from vanities to flooring and feature walls in your bathroom.
Timber choice is key
Whether you’re looking to use wood for your vanity, flooring, walls or furniture, your timber selection is crucial. As well considering the look and feel of your timber, it’s important to think about the tightness of the wood grain. According to Stephen Royce from Australian bathroom product manufacturer Formed, solid timbers with a tight grain are best for bathroom spaces as they’re less likely to be affected by moisture. Think mahogany, teak, cedar or even bamboo (preferably local plantation grown) for best results.
Image courtesy of Reece Bathrooms
Seal for success
One of the most common questions asked about timber in the bathroom is around the risk of expansion or warping. According to Stephen, regardless of the timber you choose for your bathroom space or how you plan to use it, you must ensure that it is properly sealed and waterproofed.
“It all comes down to using the correct seal. Sealing prevents moisture getting into the timber, and can reduce any issues with warping, staining or significant expansion or contraction,” he says.
Sealing is the most important factor in the process, as it helps make the timber more resistant to water and moisture. There are various water, oil and wax-based sealants available on the market, which are suitable for different timbers and applications. Be sure to speak to an expert to help select the best sealant for your timber and to ensure it is properly applied. To be doubly sure that your timber doesn’t stain or warp, make sure you wipe up any water that may pool on its surface as quickly as possible.
Image courtesy of Perini
Ventilation must-dos
Timber looks beautiful in the bathroom, however, as it’s a natural material, it pays to ensure you’ve got the right ventilation in place. A well-ventilated bathroom space will reduce the moisture in the air as quickly as possible, helping ensure the timber will respond well over time as the product ages.
Kyal and Kara’s winning bathroom from The Block
Fake it
If using natural timber is not for you, there are now plenty of great ‘timber look’ options available, particularly for flooring.
Kate Fuller from our tiling partner Perini Tiles says porcelain timber tiles are becoming increasingly popular. As well as looking and feeling like real timber, they’re perfect for wet areas like bathrooms as they’re water resistant, low maintenance and durable. They won’t warp or scratch and don’t require the sealing or oiling real timbers need in damp spaces.
“Timber tiles have become so popular there is now an abundant of colours and textures available — from oak, blackwood, spotted gum to recycled, raw and coloured options. Advancements in tile technology and digital ink printing ensure tiles perfectly simulate the look and feel of the real thing with no two tiles looking alike,” Kate says.
Reece Bathrooms provide the bathroom products and accessories you see on The Block each week. Check out www.reece.com.au for more bathroom inspiration and how to incorporate the timber look into your bathroom.
When most people struggle to find the furniture of their dreams they settle for second best, but for husband and wife team Lee Gratton and Emma Clark, that was never an option.
Lee and Emma
Rather, Lee, an old school woodworker by trade and Emma, a journalist turned interior designer, saw a gap in the market and decided to fill it.
Having worked under the title of Gratton Design since the end of 2010, the Melbourne duo assist architects and designers with cabinetry and custom furniture for private homes and the hospitality industry, but it was not until late last year that they launched their own ranges.
“We love making custom furniture pieces for clients and have a million sketchbooks filled with designs, so were very excited to finally produce our own range,” explains Emma. “The furniture range began with one stool that Lee made out of leftover bits and pieces. We refined the shape and materials until it looked great and was comfortable to sit on. We then made a complementary round table in a few sizes, which led to a coffee table and full-size dining table. It was a pretty organic process.”
But the furniture range, or adult range as Emma likes to call it, is not the only one; they also have a kids range inspired by their very own kid, son and chief product tester, Archie.
“The kids furniture came about after we couldn’t find an attractive and practical kids table and chair set that didn’t cost a million dollars but wasn’t the same mass-produced stuff that everybody has,” said Emma. “So we made our own!”
Timber fanatics, the furniture range is made from FSC-certified Victorian ash, recycled Australian hardwood, and American walnut. Entirely handmade at their Melbourne workshop, the pieces are designed for functional, small-space living that can handle daily wear and tear but still be a showpiece for your home.
The kids range similarly has the inevitable wear and tear in mind, made from birch plywood with easy to clean laminated colour tops. They come in a range of colours, with the aim to not only be a fun place for kids to play and eat but also be an item that complements your décor.
For Gratton Design the future looks bright, they hope as the years go by to still be working with architects and clients in making their one-of-a-kind customs but also continuing with their own ranges.
As Emma most succinctly puts it their mission is clear: “To encourage people to choose locally-made timber furniture that will last for 100 years and end up as a family heirloom, rather than mass-produced disposable pieces.”
Launched a few months ago, Plyroom is a new online store featuring a collection of beautifully crafted ply furniture, designed and made in Italy. Melbourne woman Elise Heslop brought it here after a year out in Italy with her family taught her about small space living and multi-purpose pieces.
Following a philosophy of affordable, beautifully designed furniture, Plyroom’s products represent an appreciation for honest materials and smart design, hallmarks of Italy’s reputation as a major player in the design world. The products are both flexible in their many uses and suitable for a diversity of environments, such as home spaces, office spaces and more.
Whilst living in Europe, Elise came to appreciate the way things in a typical Italian home were looked after with a generational permanence. “This eye on taking care of things for the sake of passing them down to children’s children was quite a difference to the fast-moving nature of interior design in Australia,” she says.
Moving from a four-bed house in Australia to a two-bed apartment in Italy also taught her a thing or two: “As we got to know more people and spend time in their homes, I began to see how intelligently small spaces were being used throughout the entire home, from the bedroom to the living room – maximising functionality without compromising quality or adding clutter.”
She’s confident customers will love the versatility of the range, with drawers that can easily be shared between children’s and adult’s rooms (even offering the added flexibility of a change-table addition) side tables on hidden wheels, and beautiful curved ply seats with hidden storage.
Rotating drawers on hidden castors make for a flexible, space-saving storage solution
“As a furniture selection, Plyroom is really catering for customers who want flexible pieces that are easy to live with, designed with simplicity and optimism, and made with the highest quality materials. The Italian companies we represent are passionate about uniting traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. As such, their furniture embodies a more sustainable ideology built around made-to-last craftsmanship and combined with a design-rich aesthetic.”
Embracing an online retail model, Plyroom caters for both corporate and consumer customers, allowing visitors to browse online and select their pieces, which are then made to order in Italy and delivered Australia-wide.
“Much of the furniture is made from sustainably forested European Birch and flat packaged to reduce transport emissions. One of our designers in particular, who is passionate about sustainable design, has spent years working to design products with a unique joinery system that avoids metal parts entirely and are intuitive and enjoyable to assemble.”
Elise, who has a marketing background, founded the business nine months ago. Plyroom’s collaboration with prominent designers in Northern Italy brings a unique selection of furniture to Australia, inspired by flexibility and sustainability for every room in the home.
I must admit I didn’t watch The Block room reveals last night as I’m “overseas” in New Zealand for a friend’s wedding. When I got these photos through, there was a clear favourite for me: Kyal and Kara. So I was delighted they not only won, but won with a perfect 30 out of 30 from the judges — the first this season. Well deserved! Here’s why…
Kyal and Kara
Those tiles! And that tub! You all know I’m a bath over a shower girl any day so this one won me over. I also loved the added warmth from the timber (and the use of it across part of the ceiling) and thought the basin was perfect and elegant and the styling, just right.
I loved the tile choices in this room, and the use of timber. Seems this is becoming a trend this season. The lack of bath was disappointing of course, but the boys revealed they had plans for another bath elsewhere in the house. It sounds like this room got mixed reviews from the judges.
I loved this useful little storage nook with the mosaic tiles. I really hate those hanging shower caddies so eliminating the need for them is a big win!
Another great basin but I find the assorted towels a bit too much and the large gold Uashama bag a bit random.
The twins weren’t happy with their low scores so I’m definitely going to have to watch a rerun when I get back to Australia to what drama went down. Shaynna Blaze called it try-hard, Darren Palmer wasn’t keen on the moss feature and Neale said the room was uncomfortable, with Shaynna adding it was too harsh with too many straight lines and no curves.
I have to say the rectangular bath didn’t appeal to me and I didn’t like the moss either, but I thought a lot of the bathroom looked sleek and expensive.
The fans weren’t too impressed with their lower than expected judges’ scores this week either, especially as they got some great comments. Neale said their tiles were the most beautiful he’d ever seen on The Block and Darren said the planning was great.
Neale thought the tub though, was an old-fashioned choice and wasn’t crazy for the black sink.
I’m just not quite sure about this room and whether I like it or not. I’ll reserve judgement until I can watch the episode myself.
If you’d like to know where to get your hands on something not referenced above, please drop me a line in the comments and I’ll do my best to find out for you!
It’s not often you get to shop furniture for your bathroom and as a total bath FIEND, I love this new Pirch range by Rogerseller.
The Bath Bridge ($445) and Side Table ($795) are designed to let you create your own bathing sanctuary. Sounds good to me! I’ve been known to take the odd glass of wine, magazine and scented candle into the bathroom!
The range is handcrafted from American Black Walnut by a local fine furniture craftsman and complimented with solid surface inserts. The timber is enhanced by a matte seal finish preventing moisture damage, while the solid surface inserts provide a durable platform, avoiding stains.
The side table sits perfectly under all freestanding baths, with the Bridge designed to span across the bath.
NOMI is an exciting new concept in Australian designed and made furniture. Designed by you online, made of timber, with customisable colours and other options, delivered to you (flatpacked) free and (possibly the best bit) no tools required for assembly. Too good to be true?!
Sydney locals Michael Grassi, Henry Gresson and Tomek Archer have collaborated to launch the new concept. By combining online technology, product design and efficient manufacturing processes, their aim is to provide affordable and accessible designer furniture that can be customised online. NOMI launched at the end of last month.
Award winning designer Tomek, of Tomahawk Studios, has created the range with simplicity at its core. Clean lines and unassuming proportions make NOMI suitable for the home or office. “The collection has been conceived as a range of basics, informed by a series of studies into fundamental furniture types,” says Tomek. “Constructed from solid timber, the adaptable series of chairs, tables and storage each have timeless and enduring qualities that are equally suited to blending in or standing out, depending on the customiser’s efforts.”
Co-founder Michael adds: “We wanted to offer something special and unique, something that hadn’t been seen in the furniture space before. Our vision was to provide affordable designer furniture and create a place where people could interact with our products in new and exciting ways.”
“It’s a pretty simple thing,” says Ryan Melder, “we make products from materials that are destined for landfill – anyone can do it, it’s just about having the motivation make it possible.” This is the humble nature of the Melder family and, in fact, the whole story around their recycled furniture and homewares business, Mulbury.
After years in the building industry, Gerry Melder became disillusioned by it – he’d been let down by too many contractors and had seen far too much beautiful timber go to landfill. Having always considered the environment, Gerry saw a way to make a positive out of this negative situation; turning to what he knew – “woodwork, design and construction” – he took the material destined for the dumpster and made it the source of his next venture. Thus, “Mulbury was born.”
Bella Lujo has announced the release of Renaza, a range of mosaic timber tiles crafted from 100 year-old hardwood, sustainably sourced from decommissioned boats. I can’t tell you how much I love this concept!
The Renaza (Spanish for ‘reborn’) timber tile range offers an affordable and ecologically sound way to bring the warmth and spirit of timber to any interior. Seasoned by the elements after a lifetime at sea, the timber used in each tile is up to a century old, possessing an incredible resilience and rich character. This, combined with the finite quantity of reclaimed hardwood available, adds to the range’s exclusivity.
In a time when many people buy cheap, plastic, imported furniture, I think it’s really important to highlight the dying crafts of local furniture makers like Michael Hayes.
You know my blog is not about being snobby or saying you can or can’t buy whatever you like at whatever price, and I realise many readers can’t afford to invest in a handmade timber dining table, for example. But one day, when you can, I’d love you to think about saving up for something that will last you generations.
Timber and stainless steel was a popular combo.
