Husk Windows - again!

Husk Carlton does it again with the amazing windows! Swoon. Other retailers take note!

I wonder if this is the work of Aimee McCallum at Tiger Peacock again? I'm sure she will let us know!

State of Design!

State of Design brand identity illustration by Qube Konstrukt and R-Co.

OK so I'm sure you all know that State of Design - Victoria's design festival is nearly upon us, running from July 15th - 25th. How exciting! But do you know what is even more exciting?

1) The Design Files is officially a 'media partner' of the festival - I am the official festival blogger!

2) I have 6 double-passes to give away to the Festival Opening Night Preview at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton on Wednesday July 15th, from 7.00pm! (Thankyou State of Design marketing team!)

If you want a double pass (tickets are worth $27.50 each and are strictly limited), leave me a comment at the end of this post. If more than 6 people comment, I will put all names in a hat and let you know tomorrow who gets 'em. Very high-tech competition procedures over here at The Design Files.

Personally I have a ridiculous itinery planned for the festival which includes 21 events (plus 6 more 'maybes') in 10 days and daily updates of course! Call me crazy. I will also be posting mini-interviews with many exciting Australian and international designers who are taking part in festival events!

But in the interests of everyone's sanity, I have shortlisted my top-5 festival highlights below. These are the things I am most excited about!

Lucy's top 5 State of Design shortlist!

Design Made Trade
Incorporating Designboom Mart - all the way from Italy!!!

Design Made Trade 2008 - beautiful hand-crafted homewares from Studio Sam

Remember I blogged this one last year? An accessible, low-tech trade fair aimed at showcasing Australia's smaller manufacturers, product designers, and designer makers... free to trade visitors, $10 to the public. BUT if you get one of the double passes mentioned above, this includes a special preview of Design Made Trade on the Wednesday night, before it's open to the public!

The highlight of Design Made Trade will be Designboom Mart, showcasing design from the hottest young international designers! Background info on Designboom Mart is here.

Designboom Mart in Tokyo last year

Design Made Trade - Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Gardens.
Open 10am - 5pm daily from 16 - 19 July.
16 - 17 July - Trade only days - register here.
18 - 19 July - Public days - $10 entry, no registration required.

This is Not a Design Market

Melbourne loves a design market, and this one is sure to draw the crowds. Staged by Melbourne's own Bigger than Ten Bears (of Joost's Greenhouse fame), and the fabulous Moth Design (of Penthouse Mouse fame), there's no doubt this'll be a winner. Not to be missed!

This is not a Design Market - The Factory, 500 Latrobe St, Melbourne
Open 10.00am - 5.00pm Sunday July 19th (one day only!)

Design Capital Conference

UK designer Nipa Doshi and Partner Jonathan Levien in their London studio

An amazing line-up of Australian and International Speakers... I'll be there on day 2 (design day, Friday July 17th). I am so excited to hear UK superstar Nipa Doshi talk! If you don't know her work you must check out the Doshi Levien website. SO excited.

Doshi Levien's My Beautiful Backside couch and Principessa daybed (inspired by the Princess and the Pea, of course!). Both for Moroso.

Unfortunately Design Capital is a little pricey, but well worth it if you look at the international line-up! The upside is you can just buy a single-session ticket, which makes it a little more affordable and accessable than, say, AGIdeas! (No disrespect, but you know, who manages to get 3 days off work for these things?)

Design Capital Conference - BMW Edge, Federation Square,
Melbourne 16th - 17th July

Convergence at Yarra Lane

Convergence at Yarra Lane is a mysterious group installation in South Yarra... not sure exactly what it will entail, but the lineup of collaborating designers is extremely impressive and includes Julia deVille, Emma van Leest, Moth Design and Nick Rennie.

Oh, and Liane Rossler (of Dinosaur Designs) just tweeted(?) about it yesterday. So it must be good.

Convergence @ Yarra Lane - Yarra Lane, 9-19 Claremont st, South Yarra
18th July - 17th August, 24 hours

Design Dinner at Comme with Tim Yu from Cool Hunting

The Grand Room at Comme, Melbourne

This one is very posh. In Comme’s stunning Grand Room, Cool Hunting’s cultural curator, Tim Yu will lead a discussion on the current patterns and future trends in art, design, culture and technology around the world.

This'll accompany a three-course dinner, served with matching wines, to complement the discussion. $85 a head. Oooh la la.

ps) stay tuned with a mini-interview with Tim Yu here next week!

Design Dinner with Tim Yu - Comme, 7 Alfred Place, Melbourne
Thursday July 16th, 6.30 for a 7.00pm start
Bookings through Comme - +61 3 9631 4000

For more State of Design info, check out the website, download a catalogue, or pick one up from any number of affiliated venues around town. Also check out the State of Design lift-out in today's Herald Sun!

Gertrude st Projection Festival

Ian de Gruchy's giant polka dots grace the Gertrude Hotel (cnr Naper st and Gertrude st) for the Gertrude st Projection Festival.

Top - Crowds gather to admire the Builder's Arms Hotel in a new light! (not clear whose work this is... the website is a little confusing. Perhaps Kit Webster?). Bottom shot - clouds on the pavement!

Checked out the Gertrude st Projection Festival in Fitzroy on Friday night. SO GREAT! What's not to love about enormous coloured polka-dots brightening up a wintery night!

It was fantastic to see so many people out braving the cold to check it out... Yay for Melburnians! I especially loved the larger scale projections for sheer wow-factor, but there were also lots of great smaller works to discover in shopfront windows, projected up high from first-floor windows, and even shimmering beneath your feet here and there!

Also it was lovely to discover a few surprises off the beaten track... some so subtle you had to look twice! (I'll give you a little clue - keep an eye out for falling leaves..!)

The Gertrude st Projection Festival is free, BUT it's only on for 5 more days - closing night is this Friday July 10th. Lights go on every night from 6.00pm - midnight. More info and download-able map here.

Suggested Itinery -

7.00pm - Dinner at my favourite-est restaurant Anada (if you can get a table). Also Gigibaba, Ladro, or Wabi Sabi on Smith st would be equally fun.

8.00pm - Rug up, grab your dinner date and head for a brisk stroll - eyes wide open to uncover each glowing surprise... some where you least expect!

9.00pm - Home for hot chocolate. Yes please!

Nicholas Azidis - Leave no Trace (projected onto the Melbourne Aboriginal Youth Sports and Recreation Centre, no 184 - 186 Gertrude st). Bottom photo shows the projector positioned in the first-floor window of Title bookshop.

Pene Durston collaborated with Dell Stewart to create 'Cull' in the window of Pene's shop Cottage Industry (no. 67). Dell's animated animals are displayed on tiny screens amongst Pene's signature crocheted branches. I know I should have been concentrating on the artwork... but couldn't help getting a shot of Pene's cat looking a bit befuddled by it all!

Top image - I am really, really sorry but the festival map and website are really quite confusing and it is not clear at all who this piece is by! So sorry! If anyone knows I will amend this post asap. Anyway it was just near the corner of Fitzroy st and Gertrude st. Bottom Image - Menagerie by Jeffrey Phillips in the window of Northside Records.

THAT STORE

THAT STORE mainly sells super-cool denim (including cult US label Earnest Sewn, London's Superfine, and Nudie - as well as Aussie T shirt queens Bassike). I like the fit-out of the Melbourne Central store (pictured) - especially that battered leather couch! Nice touch.

Apparently THAT STORE owner Peter Degotardi designs the store fit-outs in collaboration with Chris Grinham from Humphrey and Edwards Architects. More photos here. (Sorry I cannot find an actual website anywhere for THAT STORE...? weird).

In Melbourne, stores are at Melbourne Central, Westfield Doncaster and at 334 Chapel st Prahran. In Sydney - 128 Oxford st Paddington, and at Chatswood Chase, 345 Victoria Ave, Chatswood.

Husk sale windows

Noticed these nice windows in Husk in Carlton yesterday... it's just tissue paper! The pom-poms are as big as watermelons though.

So simple but so effective! These would make such pretty party / event decorations...

*UPDATE - Fantastic blogger and loyal TDF reader Kate (aka captainkk) has kindly hunted down instructions for making these tissue-paper pom poms! I think Martha's are the best (of course), but there's also more info here and here. Thanks so much Kate! x

*2nd UPDATE! Aimee McCallum of Tiger Peacock emailed me today to let me know that these instore displays are her work! Beautiful work Aimee! Everyone loves your pom poms!

Interview - Phillip Graham of Tarlo and Graham

Taxidermy + industrial furniture + vintage French posters + antique medical paraphernalia + art deco lighting = Tarlo and Graham!

Love T&G's antique iron gates...

Wowsers. Lots of eye-candy to share this morning!

Today I feel so lucky to be able to share with you an interview with Phillip Graham, co-owner of Melbourne's wonderful Tarlo and Graham in Chapel st Windsor.

I would venture to say that there is no other store quite like Tarlo and Graham. Whilst vintage and industrial furniture is becoming more and more popular and collectable - no one quite does it like Phillip Graham and his business partner William Tarlo! A visit to T&G always uncovers something unexpected. Don't be surprised to find yourself coveting a tangled collection of traffic lights or a pair of antique skis after a visit to their store! Phillip and William have an incredible knack for buying and styling their store in a way that makes you see the most unusul of objects in an entirely new light. Truly! There's no one else who brings together such an eclectic and varied collection in the most spectacularly beautiful way.

Below Phillip shares some of his styling secrets (volume and repetition - simple, genius!)... AND we get a little peek into his own home, which showcases his passion for Australian contemporary art.

Ooh la la. It's all a bit much. Too beautiful.... Agghh!

ps) If you're hungry for even more images there is a great set of Tarlo and Graham photos on Flickr. (They belong to Daniel Neville of the Nevolution blog).

Tell me a little about your background - what path led you to what you’re doing now?

Tarlo & Graham opened 5 years ago, and for 8 years prior to that I ran The White Elephant in St Kilda. Previous to this I worked mainly in retail, originally at Country Road in the late 80’s and Giorgio Armani in London in the early 90’s. As well as sales I was involved with visual merchandising for both companies, which helped me develop my own skills in the importance of store presentation and understanding the power of placement.

I have always been interested in design, interiors, collecting, brands, trends etc. I am most interested in searching out ‘the different’. I appreciate it when people make an effort to present their stores in a way not seen before. There is too much bland out there and not enough newness. I like it when people push their imagination to create truly unique stores, interiors etc.


There are more and more shops selling vintage and industrial furniture these days…. but Tarlo & Graham truly stands out from the crowd. What do you think sets you apart from other stores with similar stock?

Come on Lucy, that’s an easy one, that’s the whole point of the interview isn’t it?! That’s what I want to come out most strongly from this whole thing. We are determined to be different, we work hard to present our business in such a way that the market can come in and really embrace and enjoy.

It’s all about -

1. product selection
2. presentation
3. placement
4. point of difference

And of course our windows. That is an area of self-expression which we push sometimes as far as we can depending on what we are interested in at the time.

For me, with interiors retailing for a business such as ours, the main area of focus is in the grouping of objects. It’s almost like picking a group of five completely different things (trying to select items that have no clear relationship with each other) and then throwing them up in the air and seeing how they land. Well, not exactly, but if you imagine the concept you will know what I mean. The message is putting items together that will really contrast with the next. If the piece in question is beautiful enough, or has some intrinsic quality or rarity, it should always stand up and easily find its place. Then there’s our obsession with volume and repetition. What I mean by that is the impact created by multiples is much stronger than a single item. Take for example a bag of marbles, compared with a table full of 2000 marbles. Or a collection of 50 matchboxes compared with 10 large glass vessels containing 1000 matchboxes – which looks better?


What does a typical day at work involve for you?

There is no typical day. We generally buy furniture and objects everyday, if we don’t we will definitely look at something. This could come from appointments we have organised with people, or working with other dealers and collectors to obtain stock. Going to auctions, markets, shops, homes – anywhere we can come across the next big thing.

Then there is time spent in the store. William (Tarlo, my business partner) and I divide the week and work 4 days each. We may also spend time preparing stock for sale, dealing with restorers, framers, upholsterers etc.


How are the tasks at the shop divided between you and William? Do you share the fun stuff (ie window display etc) with the boring stuff equally? How are your different strengths balanced within the business?

William and I share the job of styling/presenting the shop and creating windows. This is important for us both to be involved in, as this is what we both enjoy, are good at, and it is our form of self-expression. We share the boring stuff too.

How would you describe your own style of interior decorating at home – as compared to the eclecticism of your shop?

My interior has a strong focus on Australian art. I have been collecting contemporary art for over 10 years now and spend a lot of my spare time researching, going to exhibitions and acquiring some truly beautiful paintings, works on paper and sculpture. Subsequently my apartment walls are filled ‘salon style’ head to toe with as many as I can fit in. There is barely a square centimetre left now. My collection gives me immense pleasure and in a way gives me a break from what we concentrate on at Tarlo & Graham.

In saying that there is still a strong connection with what you would see in our store. There are a lot of objects, ideas at home that are represented in the shop. I sometimes need to live with something before I let it go.

Phillip's apartment is filled with contemporary Australian art... Wow. Beautiful.

Which designers, artists or creative people are you inspired by?

I could probably write a book on the answer to this question. Where do you start? Is it artists, designers, architects, musicians, actors….I could probably write a page on each, but as I have to summarise and give a definitive answer, the top of my list would be David Bromley. I started selling furniture to David some 10 years ago whilst he was still living in Adelaide. He, like William and I, is an obsessive collector with a wonderful eye. These days we just swap things, we always have something the other covets. My apartment is full of objects, furniture and art from David, and vice versa. David’s workload, drive and output are immense; he is a true artist whose mantra is ‘there is much to be done’. I have had the pleasure of sitting through the night watching David paint. These are truly memorable experiences – to see a canvas come to life is a real joy. He once said to me he has about 20 years of sleep to catch up on! And he has taught me ‘anything is possible’. There is virtually nothing in the creative field he will not explore. Aside from paintings, sculpture and ceramics, David has and continues to create furniture, films, lighting, music videos, interior projects, wallpaper, fabrics - the long list goes on. He is currently working on a luggage and accessories range all covered in his typical painted style, as well as a series of childrens books. It is this list, and the person, that I find truly inspiring.

Where else do you find inspiration – ie books, fine art, your environment, travel, your family and friends?

Inspiration is everywhere, isn’t it?

What’s the best thing about your job?

Having a job that allows me to constantly create interesting installations, and seeing literally hundreds, if not thousands, of different things each week and being able to buy a select few. It’s like constantly shopping!


And the worst?

There’s not much about my job I don’t enjoy.

What are you looking forward to?

The future.

Melbourne Questions

What/where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

Dinner at the Windsor Castle.

Best shops in Melbourne for furniture and interiors pieces (except your own shop!)?

Art: Karen Woodbury Gallery, Helen Gory Gallerie, Galerie Montmartre.

Furniture: A Day On Earth, Angelucci, Geoffrey Hatty (Malvern rd, Prahran), Industria (Gertrude st Fitzroy), Le Contraste, Workshop Industrial (Abbotsford).

Incredible clothing: Eastern Market.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

I always work Saturdays.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

If I told you it wouldn’t be a secret!
The beautiful taxidermy giraffe at the Carlton Hotel in the city.

Tessuti Fabrics - new Melbourne store!

Tessuti Fabrics - recently opened Melbourne showroom!

Tessuti fabrics - these currently available in the Tessuti online shop

Received a lovely email recently from previously Sydney-based Tessuti fabrics, who have just opened a gorgeous new store in Flinders Lane, Melbourne! The space looks stunning doesn't it?

Tessuti Fabrics was established in Sydney in 1992, opening their first store in Chatswood in Sydney. Since then, the company has expanded with stores in Surry Hills, Bondi Junction and now Melbourne!

Tessuti has an incredible range of fabrics including local designer ends such as Josh Goot, Karen Walker, Zimmermann, Cue, Veronika Maine, Collette Dinnigan and Mad Cortes! In addition to these, a high quality fabric range is regularly imported from Europe (Chanel, Missoni, Armani, Etro, etc.) and Japan... aaagghhhh.

Tessuti caters for dressmakers, fashion students, lovers of fashion and crafters alike... and all fashion students are entitled to a 10% discount! Nice.


Tessuti Melbourne has a lovely blog too... and if you can't make it into town just yet to visit the brand new showroom, you can also shop online here.


Tessuti Fabrics
Ground Floor, 141 Flinders Lane
Melbourne CBD

03 9654 4566

AGIdeas review! - by Imogen Stubbs

I am very excited today to share a fantastic review of Melbourne's recent AGIdeas event by Melbourne art director/crafter Imogen Stubbs!

Here Imogen shares her highlights of the 3 day event, which this year brought together an incredible group of international speakers including famed NYC-based graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister and typography guru Tobias Frere-Jones. Aagghh! . :( If, like me, you are kicking yourself for missing out, Imogen's review is a must-read!

Imogen is art director for Harvest Magazine - a Melbourne-based quarterly publication that features emerging writers, poets and artists. (I've featured it on the blog here.) She also makes and sells gorgeous little soy-based tea-cup candles called 'China Lights'! If you have a moment, please share the blog-love and pop over to visit her China Lights blog! :)

A huge thanks to Imogen for sharing her highlights with us!

AGIdeas 2009 excited audience members! - photo courtesy AGIdeas

AGIdeas audience of 3000 design professionals and students (tickets sold out in 2 weeks apparently!). This photo is from the blog of one of AGIdeas' international speakers Etienne Mineur - Etienne's blog is gorgeous by the way, and his photos of Melbourne's laneways and Fitzroy offer such a beautiful way to view our fair city through the wide eyes of an excited tourist! Definitely worth a visit!

Design is difference. 3 days and 44 speakers from local, interstate and overseas presenting their ideas to thousands at Hamer Hall. From backgrounds in graphic design, advertising, architecture, illustration and more, the forum covers a wide range of mediums, disciplines and topics, but each speaker had one main message:

Do what you love, do it because you love it, work hard at it because you love it and the rest will follow.

Of course this may sound easy coming from someone who has already found success in their chosen field, but everyone starts somewhere right?

The AGIdeas International Design Forum is now in its 19th year and brings together students, graduates, industry and big and small business. It's Melbourne's answer to Sydney's Semi-Permanent but with more varied speakers. From the book binders to the boat builders, this is a forum where you do have to sit through a few talks that won't interest you, but the gems are definitely there. Full of passion and creativity, this years highlights included a surprise presentation from Scott Schuman aka The Sartorialist along with the following:

Stefan Sagmeister at AGIdeas - Top left photo and bottom photo from the blog of fellow AGIdeas speaker Etienne Mineur. Top right photo courtesy AGIdeas.

Stefan Sagmeister. Perhaps an obvious choice but a valid one none-the-less. In Australia on a short break from the year he is spending in Bali on personal design projects (like a coffee table with a glass top and hundreds of compasses underneath, complete with a coffee cup with a magnet in the bottom so when you sit your cup down the compasses go wild), Sagmeister spoke about happiness in design and how the two are inextricably linked. He shared some points that help him to achieve this, and while the list was quite long, snippets included:
- Complaining is silly
- Having guts always works out for me
- Money does not make me happy
- Variety - party brand new, partly familiar
- Working without interruption
- Working on projects that matter
- Having things come back from the printer done well

While mostly simple, it's nice to know that someone of such high design calibre and expertise still feels the same way about the little things as the rest of us.

Melbourne Chef Shannon Bennett

Shannon Bennett of Vue de Monde fame was an interesting speaker choice in amongst the majority of designers, but in his own right a designer of food and cuisine. His inventiveness and love for the environments he creates in his restaurants was quite contagious, as well as the stories behind his dishes and choices. It would be worth checking out his bistro now knowing that he ordered the majority of the fit out and furniture online from a French restaurant that was closing down. As well as his cafe, where he left the design up to Italian coffee brand Illy, who provide an online cafe fit out service. He provided measurements and background info and a few months later a container arrived along with a builder to put it all together.

It's also nice to hear how local businesses are working towards greater sustainability. In particular Bennett's enterprises have all their food waste turned into blood and bone by a local gardener, and use packaging and paper for their chocolate boxes and menus that has seeds embedded so that you can plant them when you get home and grow herbs. Quite lovely!

Top - photo of Frere-Jones from the fantastic Helvetica documentary (dir. Gary Hustwit). Bottom - this beautiful photo found at Michael Surtee's Flickr - Michael was lucky enough to take typography tour of NYC hosted by Frere-Jones, and has blogged about it here (essential reading!).

Many of Frere-Jones own photos of classic NYC typography are currently on show in an exhibition at The Narrows gallery in Melbourne until June 6th. These shots of the Melbourne exhibition are from the Nevolution blog.

Typography guru Tobias Frere-Jones, he of the fonts used in the Obama campaign and the Martha Stewart craft magazine, gave us an in depth look at the amazing work, detail and thought that goes into creating the typefaces that many of us take for granted. Gotham, the font used in Obama's political campaign, was inspired by public lettering on sheds, building numbers and the like. It's unique because every letter is the same width, giving it a plain-spoken, accessibility and 'every man' quality. It was originally designed for the magazine GQ and Frere-Jones only realised the Obama campaign had picked it up when he saw their signage on the TV and thought it looked familiar. His photography linking to this font and others is currently on exhibition at The Narrows gallery in Flinders Lane.

The Obama campaign featuring 'Gotham' type by Tobia Frere-Jones

Sean Cummins - photo courtesy AGIdeas

Australian advertising giant Sean Cummins was everything someone who's used to selling things should be: charming, charismatic, persuasive, down-to-earth and humourous. He's created well-known campaigns for Virgin Blue (signage with tag lines like 'Wanna Route?' or ads like 'If only you got Virgin Blue service everywhere') and Tourism Queensland ('Best job in the world' campaign allowing one person to win a job as 'island keeper' for 6 months), as well as Nestle, Mars and Kmart. The nice thing about his presentation was that he wanted us all to embrace being creative and Australian. He felt that too many people idolised designers from New York and London and that being Australian gives us all a distinct view of the world and a different voice and aesthetic that we should embrace.

Etienne Mineur - photo courtesy AGIdeas

French born Etienne Mineur's energy for all his design work, no matter the client, was both inspiring and humbling. His work over 8 years on catalogues, look books and websites for Japanese fashion design Issey Miyake was a particular highlight. Creating websites that featured little user interaction and basically ran themselves to present an online fashion parade of that seasons goods, or on the other end of the scale, a user experience where blowing into the microphone on your computer would cause the website to change, or one that would slowly disappear as you were watching and recorded your IP so that you couldn't revisit.

His personal projects were also intriguing, presenting prototypes he's currently working on for a book that thinks it's a video game. The book responds to movement and touch and could even include a special part to blow into that will only allow you to use it if you are drunk! While another prototype was for a book that only allowed you 20 minutes to read it. Using thermo-sensitive inks once the pages had been opened and exposed to light the text began to gradually fade and disappear, giving the reader the unique and seemingly stressful task of reading the book quickly and only once! Unfortunately he mentioned that due to Australia's warm climate the inks wouldn't work here but even the thought and premise behind such a product was intriguing.

There were many other highlights and all speakers had interesting and unique stories to tell, some more engaging than others. Design forums have the unenviable task of trying to please a large audience and AGIdeas as a whole succeeds with a great variety and line-up each year. Perhaps a few too many speakers and rather exhausting days due to not being able to select certain speakers only to see, but all in all a great event which provides Melbourne with a design forum of international calibre.


Thankyou thankyou thankyou Imogen! - Lucy x

Save the MMOP!

Almost too late but not quite! I received an email last week from Melburnian Daniel Neville (who has a great Melbourne-centric art/design/typography blog which you should definitely visit, btw).

Anyway, Mr Neville was writing to draw my attention to a fundraising event and open day TOMORROW (ie Sunday) in aid of the Melbourne Museum of Printing in Footscray. The MMOP is a working museum of typography and printing, and is the last remaining typefoundry in Australia.

Tomorrow's fundraiser event will take place between 2.00pm and 6.00pm. The line-up will include letterpress and typesetting demonstrations, live music, a print exhibition and sale of limited edition prints by many notable local designers and artists including Jon Campbell, 3 Deep Design, Studio Round, Pip & Co, The Narrows and more.

If you're free tomorrow do take a moment to check it out and lend your support to a very worthy creative cause! Free entry.

Melbourne Museum of Printing
36 Moreland st
Footscray

Yellow Diva's new MC1 chair

Check out Melbourne-based furniture manufacturer Yellow Diva's latest project.... the MC1 chair breaks new ground for designer David Walley, whose previous work was characterised by vibrant coloured upholstery, an integrated leg-base and armless-ness! :)

The MC1's leg base is solid American oak, upholstery is either 100% wool or natural leather. I love the natural tone pictured here... and those cute splayed legs! Such character!

The range will soon include matching couch, ottoman and chaise. Ooh la la.


Yellow Diva
51 Victoria Crescent
Abbotsford

03 9421 8844

DesignEx 2009

The DesignEx central bar was designed by Michael McCann of Dreamtime Australia Design. Constructed from cardboard tubing and cableties, it was very impressive in scale etc.... but, call me pedantic... I was a bit sad that they didn't trim the cableties. :(

Furniture in the Central Bar by Spacecraft

Oooh... I hope you're not all design-festivalled out already! ...because today I have some coverage of DesignEx, which was held in Melbourne on the weekend. It never ends. I can't figure out why DesignEx happens only a few days after Milan Design Week ends. Strange. It seems to me that all the most exciting designers would be in Europe at this time? Anyway.

DesignEx is a weird one. It's trade only, which kind of annoys me. Although on this occasion I did have a media pass which made things (ie taking photos) much easier. Essentially it's a huge showcase of all the top brands in building products and interior design materials, presented to I think around 17,000 architects and interior designers who descend on the event over 3 days.

It's not always very exciting, because all the brands who show at DesignEx are very established big names, and are not necessarily very innovative. And after all the Milan coverage I must say it's hard to get excited by our local, somewhat more modest offerings! But let's be fair, this isn't the international stage, and I have to say that this year, amongst all the usual suspects, a handful of stands really did stand out. Highlights below!


Perhaps my favourite stand - Cascade Coil is a flexible wire mesh fabric, manufactured in the US. It's available in a number of colours and finishes, but I loved the all-gold theme of their stand - particularly effective with the illuminated floor! Very swish. Stand design by Hassell. It was only a smallish stand but really wowed the crowds. Fabulous. Cascade Coil is available in Melbourne through DAAC commercial window furnishings.

More Cascade Coil

Marc Pascal lights

Marc Pascal is such a great Melbourne character - that's him on the right, as colourful as his work, getting a bit frazzled by with the lack of phone reception. Hee! Love his hand-crafted lamps and pendants... beautiful.

SONA (the Student Oragnised Network for Architecture) created this scaffold wendy-house structure... the stall was unmanned... so I don't know much about it. Except that it was designed by Andrew Moller, based on ideas of adaptation and manipulation of flexible, temporary and re-usable building materials. (ie, scaffolding). Cute.

Meizai

Meizai won me over with sheer styling power - they showcased their very extensive and eclectic range of home accessories and furniture in a huge stand divided into three main themes. I took a lot of shots of the earthy, rustic-inspired area, and the more opulent boudoir-style section (bottom shot below). It all looked absolutely gorgeous... and so well put together... but... I was a bit disappointed by the very Jaime Hayon-esque inspired furniture and lamps... oh well... I guess when you're Jamie Hayon imitation is inevitable.

Meizai's rustic homewares (top) and somewhat Jaime Hayon-esque furniture and accessories.

Latitude showcased student design - my favourites were Annabelle Peters' Skewer Lamps, and I quite liked that delicate steel/timber chair (below) by Rock Martin. (both designer's websites are definitely worth a visit!)

JSB Lighting

JSB Lighting made me chuckle... mainly because their lumberjack-inspired matching outfits were so ridiculously cute! They must have been cursing their bosses. Anyway, fantastic stand showcasing their range of Modular lights. Really engaging recycled tea-crate style shelving and yes, artificial grass. It was very popular. Sometimes it feels as though DesignEx is an astroturf convention.

JSB lighting again... aww, toolbelts!

Oooh and while we're talking artificial grass - check out The Outdoor Room by Jamie Durie. He used the opportunity to launch his new Outdoor kitchen with Electrolux. Jeepers Creepers. It's a bit much. Plumbed-in sink, cooktop and BBQ and worksurface etc etc, and even an incorporated vertical herb garden etc! Jamie himself was there in full-force plugging his wares... hee! I just can't stop thinking about him doing backflips on Backyard Blitz. Ah, good on 'im. (PS also notice that in addition to his own Patio range and Eletrolux stuff, he is also flogging the 'Outdoor Cinema', and a custom Porters Paints range, with his photo on every tin!)

Jamie in full force!

Although Jamie was very entertaining, I kind of prefered the more serene award-winning 'Relativity' garden by James Dawson Landscape Design and Woodbridge Landscape Developments. I cannot believe they brought in a full scale water pool... with gold-fish!


The most inspiring and refreshing of textiles / wallpapers on show were at the Funkis Sweden stand, showcasing the incredible Tres Tintas range from Spain. (above and below)


Fisher and Paykel must be doing ok in the current economic climate - their incredible 'Ironside' stand left no expense spared, comparing a full-scale functional 'Kitchen of Today' with 'Tomorrow's Kitchen', each fully fitted within a customised 40 ft shipping container. Tomorrow's kitchen introduced the IZONA range of products, specifically the 'Cool Drawer' (fridge + drawer = Cool Drawer). Wow.

Fisher and Paykel / IZONA Kitchen of Tomorrow and IZONA cooldrawer

Last but not least. The incredible AIA bar by Chris Bosse of LAVA featuring the 'Kaleidosculp' roof constructed from a 'silicone glass composite textile with outstanding translucency and light diffusion properties'. What can I say? That Chris Bosse really knows what he's doing.

Phew. Can I go home now?