Put A Cork In It
{Clork by Puik Art in collaboration with Ilias Ernst. Simple forms combined with the natural material gives the ‘Clork’ a great look and feel. Its left corner stable in the present, while the circular right side allows time to roll by, Clork comes in natural coloured cork or graphic black}
{The Smed bar stool by Great Dane Furniture and OX DENMARQ, showcases simple design with simple materials. The Smed Bar Stool consists of a blacksmith crafted, powder coated steel frame with cork seat in either fresh mint, brass or white}
{Muuto's sexy little Corky carafe checks me out every time I walk in to a store stocking Muuto. “The shape of the Corky carafe is inspired by the archetypical bottle. It is a straightforward combination of glass and cork that functions equally well as a wine carafe, a water jug or even a milk bottle. Corky has a simple and familiar form but with a characteristic and oversized detail. The Corky drinking glasses are small and light companions for the Corky carafe. With a low-key and light expression, they are suited for both everyday use and special occasions with friends and family.” says creator Andreas Engesvik. Available at Living Edge}
{Cork Family stools/side tables, Vitra by Jasper Morrison available from Space Furniture are a quirky addition to your home or office interior. Nothing like a giant pushpin in the corner}
{Tembo is a stool made of stacked pieces of wood, metal, and cork by La Chance and Note Design Studio, available from Living Edge. This ‘modern totem’ has a playful and bulky aspect recalling children’s toys and African tomtoms (Tembo means elephant foot in Swahili)}
{Corker pendant lights by Max Harper, are inspired by the iconic cork hats that, for better or worse, are linked to Australiana. Corker playfully mocks this cultural iconography in a modern design context. Australian designed and made, each piece is hand turned by local craftsmen in Sydney from agglomerated cork. Cork is a hardy yet renewable, bio-degradable and recyclable resource, designed for disassembly, ensuring parts end up reclaimed, recycled or disposed of appropriately}
Realising that this post has ended up a lot more Scandi than Aussie (except for the last one), but they just do so many great things. All available here in Australia though, so enjoy enjoy.
xo Romona
The Dining Room Dilemma
I'm not a ridiculous spender. In fact I am quite fiscally tight. But when it comes to my home, I want quality. That doesn't have to cost the earth - I can happily sit on sturdy well-made chairs from a past era road-side collection that have been buffed back into shape. I just don't want to give in to the fast and frequent flashes of 'Vintage replicas' all over my screens and junk mail pages.
Currently we have four of my favourite white Eames Eiffel based DSRs. You know the ones that you probably see everywhere, as that filthy filthy word 'REPLICAS'. Yuck! If I am to accept crap, it at least has to be original crap! Don't mass produce someone elses hard work and (previously) inimitable creativity and flog them off at $39 a pop. It just shits me.
I'll admit to owning two *shudder* replicas at one stage. I had my four beauties from Living Edge and on moving from an apartment to a house, and bringing two kids into the world, needed at least two more chairs. I succumbed. But boy did they grate on me. Every time I walked past the room those ugly shiny plastic things glared at me. Sure, no one else could tell the difference - apparently - but I could. And I had given in to the mass marketing of these cheap charlatans riding on the coat-tails of others.
So when I could stand them no longer, when I'd had enough of moving them to the most unused corner of the room, when I had scrubbed at dried Weetbix (that seemed to wipe easily from the others) one time too many, I made the decision. Those puppies went straight onto gumtree. The respondents came fast and eager - even though I assured them that they were… *ewww* replicas. I got the same price I had paid for them originally back in my hands, along with my now relieved conscience.
But now we only have four chairs again.
{Eames® Moulded Plastic Side Chair Eiffel Base (DSR) from Living Edge}
Perth's Got Talent 2
Here are just a few more examples of amazing WA talent from Decor + Design Melbourne 2014.
{Holiday table by Callum Campbell}
Kid-size creations
{Tables Four Two in the classic grey colour set by Sheree B Product Design. She also does other colour schemes, but this was the best. She is incredibly friendly and helpful too!}
{Treehorn Designs Oh Buoy small lamp in blue. Not sure if I would put this in the boys room or steal it for myself}
Quick distraction
Having said that, sometimes we all need a bit of aesthetic joy in our lives to remind us of people's potential to create beautiful things.
With all the above going on, I haven't yet sorted out my reams of notes, brochures and cards from the D+D conference yet, so I will leave you with just a taste of beautiful things from the conference. My iPhone pics seemed to have turned out a bit dull, so I will dedicate a couple of larger future posts to the amazing designers that I met and discovered (or rediscovered) at Decor + Design Melbourne once I have some quality images from the designers themselves. For now, enjoy this brief sample.
{The Reykjavik Cabinet by Amy Perejuan-Capone of Horse on Toast, just one of the many talented sandgropers on display at D+D}
Re-use Revolution breeds new App
To celebrate the launch of the app, Will and the team are offering a $250 giveaway to 5 lucky people. More information on the giveaway at the end of the post!
So get in there all my lucky, wonderful Melbourne and Sydney readers and snatch them up quick - or if you are feeling generous, feel free to send some of them my way 
.
Black and White
{Harbour House by uber-talented Arent&Pyke. How yum is that Christian Liaigre console table?!}
Concrete jungle
{Prahran Hotel interiors by Techné Architects}
Nautical dreams
{ 1. Compass cushion, 2. Côte d'Azur Ice bucket, 3. Ahoy Door Mat, 4. Skull & Crossbones Cushion, 5. Hold Tight wall flag, 6. Pier Rope Table lamp, 7. World Map Sticker }
Melbourne Decoration + Design 2013
{Paul Townsin’s Me + Me Too Lamps, made of moulded concrete and so, so beautiful in person}
DesignEX 13
The Hives exhibition was the stand-out for me with its gorgeous collaborative pieces. “When designers, interdisciplinary practitioners and leading industrial enterprises put their heads together, the results can be exciting, unexpected and intriguing. Curator Anne Maree-Sargeant returns the popular Hives exhibit to designEX 2013 with a highly considered display of products that bring together covetable objects from visionaries and brands under the themes of Innovation and Collaboration”.
My favourite for years has been the WebLight by Design By Them (along with everything else they do!). I fell in love with the gentle image of the aptly-named wispy-looking light set amongst a bright green forrest on their webpage years ago. “WebLight is the result of an exploration into the potential possibilities of reusing plastic bags. Made from recycled content, each WebLight is individually hand made and features an intricate pattern of texture and holes that are the direct result of its unique forming process.”
{Weblight by Design By Them}
Another creation I was looking forward to seeing in person was the precise Hoshigame by Artemide. Developed with Japanese fashion designer, Issey Miyake, the sustainably designed, foldable lampshade explores the intersection of creativity and mathematics. Made from fabric derived from recycled PET bottles, “Miyake's unique folding technology allows a single piece of fabric in a flat 2D shape to be unfolded into a 3D shade of statuesque form. The structure of the recycled material, together with an additional surface treatment allows 'Hoshigame' to perfectly keep its shape without the need for an internal frame, and to be stored flat when not in use and then re-shaped when needed.” Although smaller than I expected, it was still a thing of beauty.
{Hoshigame by Artemide + Issey Miyake}
Here are a few other highlights from the Hives exhibition and lots more from the show.
Ruby ruby ruby ruby!
{Vintage Valentine’s Day cards, Vintage & Nostalgia Co.}
So to get in the spirit of V-day, I am sharing a bunch of my favourite red and pink products-n-pics to get you in the mood, whether you celebrate valentines day or just want a spicy boost to life. Ruby, crimson, cherry, blood, fire engine, imperial, evil-queen apple, fuchsia, magenta, rust, salmon and all the Pantones in between, whatever your shade of choice, hopefully there is something here to tickle your fancy.
Industriart
“The idea started initially as an outlet for the many and varied things that my husband and I have collected over many years. However, for two hoarders, it is difficult to part with all your treasures at once, so the concept then became a shop of 'Pure Indulgence' selling only things that we like - retro, vintage, new, serious and not-so serious.”
Make sure you get on over and check out the wonders (and bargains!) ASAP. I have my eye on more than a few of the furniture items and eclectic baubles in the front room and that cool secret back area. I can’t wait for the next Perth trip to do some real damage!
{Vintage glass treasures. Some of these are now in my personal collection}
Spotlight on Australian Designers | Simone LeAmon
Her literary contributions are a great read. Simone explores What is the Price of Creativity? And How Do We Value The Future of Australian Design? addressing succinctly the report Do You Really Expect To Get Paid? by economists David Throsby and Anita Zednik. Another piece by Simone in Indesign magazine explores What it is to be ‘Australian-Made’. Links to her other articles can be found on the webpage.
A true multi-disciplinarian, she has excelled in design in many forms - furniture, jewellery, product design, lighting, artworks, events, interior design and more. Here are a few of my favourite pieces of hers.
Named after the insect species, the Lepidoptera chair takes it form from studies of the anatomy of butterflies wings, folding fabric salvaged from automotive textile remnants. Bright, stylish and beautiful - both Simone and the chair!
{Lepidoptera chair, using Automotive textile remnants}
The Ricotta floor lamp is evocative of the making process of its namesake. Uniform lines and bright chartreuse powder coated steel make this an elegant and modern statement piece.
{Ricotta Floor Lamp, Simone LeAmon for Rakumba Lighting}
I am a sucker for statement jewellery. Anyone who knows me, knows that. You can never be too fat or skinny, too short or tall, too dark or light, for stunning high-impact jewellery. LeAmon’s Limited Over pieces are sleek and sculptural, crafted from Bronze and 316 Stainless Steel wax castings of her original Bowling Arm jewellery. The originals used leather waste from cricket balls. The two pieces in the collection, Grubber and Popper, are each named after a different bowling style in the game. I would have to defer to my husband to get any more information on that, or maybe consult with our old Test Match game.
{Limited Over, Grubber (left) and Popper (right) special edition jewellery in bronze and stainless steel}
{Limited Over, Grubber special edition jewellery in 316 stainless steel}
Hope you enjoyed the second Spotlight on Australian Designers. I hope to bring you more soon - it’s a long list of lovelies!
Who are some Australian designers that you love or have influenced you in some way?
xo Romona
Perth's Got Talent
I've tried not to be too limiting of my selection of designs that I found at the conference, so if you notice that your design is not here, just know that I was so overwhelmed by the talent, I may have forgotten to grab a card or scribble a note. For now, enjoy all this sunny WA talent and I'm sure I'll have another post soon with more.
{Aerial Chair by Megan Devenish-Krauth, industrial designer at Megmeg. I want this!}