If being stuck indoors every autumn and winter isn’t reason enough to redecorate, these innovative products and approaches to WA design will give you that extra little push.
CREATIVE CLASSES
Hidden in a converted warehouse in Myaree is Little Leaf Co, an indoor garden studio that, along with selling indoor plants, pots, ceramics and homewares, offers workshops in shibori dyeing, chalk painting, and dreamcatcher making. "We decided to run workshops at Little Leaf Co as a way of connecting with Perth's creative community," says co-owner Rosie Ainslie. "There are so many clever and talented people here, and we feel very lucky to be able to provide an opportunity for people to be inspired and learn a new skill in an informal and
social environment."
Shibori workshop, April 30; Annie Sloan Chalk Paint workshop, May 5; and Yung Denim spirit ring workshop, May 14. All at Little Leaf Co, Unit 4/496
Marmion Street, Myaree (08) 9317 2010, littleleafco.com.au.
GREAT, OUTDOORS
Despite our love for the outdoors, our backyards are often the most neglected areas of the home. Here to change that is garden specialist Eco Outdoor, presenting stylish weather-resistant furniture and linen, along with a new range of accessories and napery. On the table (literally) are a number of napkins and tea towels made of highly durable Belgian linens. Featuring earthy colour palettes, the materials are designed to age beautifully over time, becoming softer and more malleable with each year. The linen has been developed specifically for outdoor applications, and tested to withstand the harshest of conditions, making it perfect as an accompaniment for picnics, barbecues, or last-minute road trips. Eco Outdoor 1300 13 14 13, ecooutdoor.com.au.
JUST ADD WATER
If you're searching for a modern statement piece to jazz up your bathroom, look no further than Kohler's Derring Wading Pool basin. Each of the standalone, bowl-like sinks is individually carved, boasting a textural pattern and natural glaze not unlike those from your favourite porcelain bowl set. From $1100, Galvin Design (08) 9442 7199, www.galvindesign.com.au.
MAKE YOUR WALLS ATTRACTIVE
Ditch the fridge, there's a better place to stick your magnets – on the wall! All you need is Scandinavian Wallpaper & Décor's magnetic wallpaper, which is made of iron particles on a vinyl backing. The paper comes in a series of geometric patterns in pink, green and blue to cover your entire wall, or you can opt for smaller, round self-adhesive magnets with animal designs or solid colours, allowing you to mix and match your mood. Scandinavian Wallpaper & Décor (08) 9444 2717, wallpaperdecor.com.au.
HOT STUFF
Looking for a fireplace to heat up your home, but wanting something a bit different from the usual 'hole in the wall' designs? Sculpt Fireplace Collection may have the answer, with its range of European-sourced suspended fireplaces that come in different shapes, sizes and configurations. The Bordelet Lea 998 range is specially made for smaller spaces – the natural heaters hang from your ceiling like fluid sculptures, but maintain a compact and understated design. Handmade in the South of France, they offer 360-degree views of the flames contained within, and come in an intense matt black or anthracite grey. Sculpt Fireplace Collection 1300 851 304, sculptfireplaces.com.au.
NO NEED TO ROUGH IT
Linen & Moore have released a line of stonewashed cotton bedlinen. The range, called Nordic, features quilt cover, pillow and sheet sets in pastel blues, flax,
and cloud white. The textured linen has a crumpled paper-like appearance that looks rough, but is actually super-soft to the touch. Buy Nordic linen from Empire, worldofempire.com; Ma Cuisine, ma-cuisine.com.au; Impressions Furniture Gallery, impressionsfurniture.com.au.
ECO CONSCIOUS
Need an indoor activity to get you through those gloomy winter days? Reading is always a winner, especially if you've got a copy of New Eco Homes by Manel Gutierrez. The book presents the latest innovations in sustainable architecture, and features two projects by West Australian architects Iredale Pedersen Hook – the CASA31_4 Room House and the Nannup Residence. Get the book at your favourite bookstore, or online at harpercollins.com.au.
CALLING ALL ARCHITECTS!!
Entries for this year's World Architecture Festival awards close May 19. Architects are invited to submit their completed and forthcoming projects for the award, which attracts more than 750 entries each year, including last year's Health category-winning project, the Walumba Elders Centre, by WA's own Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects. Billard Leece and SJB Architects also struck gold, their Casba development winning the Mixed Use category. The awards will be celebrated during this year's event, which has been moved from Singapore to Berlin. World Architecture Festival, Berlin, November 16-18. For more details,
visit worldarchitecturefestival.com.
VIEW TO A KILN
Winter dishes are best served atop Fremantle designer Simone Nabholz's range of kiln-fired porcelain and stoneware ceramics. Minimalist and earthy, each item is carefully moulded and hand-shaped by the graphic designer-turned-ceramicist.
"Every vessel is unique, featuring different curves and characteristics from the making and firing process," Simone says. "The current range includes porcelain bowls, which have been moulded from sewn baskets, and stoneware hand-built from slabs of clay." "It's about finding the beauty in ordinary days, drinking a cup of tea in solitude, or gathering around the table to share comfort food with friends. I have created the pieces with the hope to spark joy in your heart and in your home." Winterwares 0409 670 285, winterwares.com.au, @winterwares
A TREAT IN STORE
The State Buildings, located on the corner of St Georges Terrace and Barrack Street in the City, are home to fashion stalwart Aurelio Costarella's latest boutique store. But there's something more than the clothing that'll be drawing you to the shop's interior.
Janet Keating and Jack Tooley of JK Interior Design came up with the fitout, which features a combination of brushed square brass racks, matt marble surfaces, and 5m-high metallic mesh curtains.
"Our favourite feature of the store has to be the wall-mounted and freestanding brushed square brass clothes racks," Jack says. "Reaching 5m in height, the wall-mounted racks really pay tribute to the heritage space while also framing the clothes-like pieces of artwork. The freestanding racks also allow a great versatility to the space, both in terms of expressing the narrative of each collection that sits on them, and also in terms of use."
Bronzed mirrors were also used as key elements in creating the gallery-retail concept. "We used them on the inside of doorways to frame varying zones, as well as on custom-made plinths and display shelves." JK Interior Design 0409 880 317, jkinteriordesign.com.au.
EASTERN PROMISE
Perth rug designer Jenny Jones has opened up shop in Melbourne, giving the eastern states a taste of her award-winning designs. "We would often have clients fly over to our design studio in Perth to view pieces and make purchases," says Jenny. "We knew then that it was our responsibility to bring the pieces to them and not vice versa." Her latest collection, Sorbet, "is a celebration of whimsy, the easy and the joyful," she says. "It is inviting, refreshing
and so easy to decorate with." Jenny Jones Rugs, 1126 High Street, Armadale, Melbourne (03) 9077 0654; 6 Stirling Road, Claremont (08) 9286 1200, jennyjonesrugs.com.
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A BRUSH WITH GREATNESS
We chat to Painted Earth's Kristin Garland about how she developed the main feature wall for Odyssea Beach Cafe in City Beach.
You were in charge of Odyssea's feature wall. What finishes did you use?
The large wall at Odyssea – approximately 140sqm – has a finish called Vintage Fresco. This is a combination of paint and tintable plaster with accents of gold and copper. The colours were Porters Furnace (a charcoal brown) as the base; the highlights on top of this, a blend of copper and bronze gold; and the overlay of trowelled Fresco (tinted plaster) was coloured Furnace. This trowelled plaster was polished, waxed and buffed. The idea was to have an aged appearance – layers of paint, peeling back to layers underneath.
This wasn't a one-man job. Who was involved?
Vania Lawson from Sabi Art & Design; Sculpture by the Sea 2015 entrant Britt Mikkelsen; detail artist Ash-Lee Clarke; and her brother Joshua Clarke, experienced in the art of Venetian plaster. Without this team of artisans, the outcome would not be as it is now.
Do you have a favourite paint finish?
I would say brushed Distemper. This is a paint made from chalk and has a beautiful quality that gives a subtle velvet appearance – light and shade, in itself.
How important is paint to a room's ambience?
Paint is everywhere and everything. It's the most effective and cost-effective component to a home. You can change the ambience of any space with paint in the right colour.
What's trending in paint this year?
Sophisticated colour, smudgy primaries, texture, grass-weave wallpapers, and tinted polished plaster.
Odyssea Beach Cafe, 187 Challenger Parade, City Beach (08) 9385 7979, odysseabeachcafe.com.au; Painted Earth (08) 9430 5353, porterspaints.com.
THE LIGHTING'S ON THE WALL
We've got a bit of a lighting crush on ISM Objects' Loft Wall Lamp, which comes in a matt black finish. Constructed from steel and spun metal, the light has a wall-mounted pivot, allowing you to swing it from one location to the next. Simple adjustments let you direct the light in any direction, changing the ambience of the room. Choose from two options – the small extends to 415mm, while the large extends to 705mm. ISM Objects 1300 888 646, ismobjects.com.au; Dimension 8 0410 151 551, dimension8.com.au.