Melbourne Home - Shannon Lamden (aka Aunty Cookie!)

Shots from the home of Melbourne design / crafter / blogger / Mum Shannon Lambden (aka Aunty Cookie!)

Shannon's desk...

Home office. Swoon.

I'm sure all die-hard local bloggers will know of Melbourne's Shannon Lamden - aka Aunty Cookie! Shannon's an incredibly prolific designer / crafter / blogger / Mum of 2 gorgeous girls - Lola and Sadie. Under the Aunty Cookie label, Shannon produces a kooky, super-cute collection of printed fabrics, soft furnishings, totebags, kids toys, hand printed cards and accessories... all handmade by Shannon herself! Oh and she also works freelance in commercial illustration / design. AND she writes for Mixtapezine. (Did I mention she also has 2 kids!???).

Aside from being some kind of designing / crafting machine, Shannon also manages to maintain the most deliciously cosy, colourful family home. I spotted some shots on her Flickr page recently... and couldn't resist asking Shannon if she would share some more photos here! ...and as you can see by the length of this post, I had some major trouble deciding which shots were my favourites! How good are the kids bedrooms...?! And the lovely textiles everywhere... and those gorgeous little blue tiles in the kitchen and bathroom? All so gorgeous! Agghhh.

You can buy Aunty Cookie wares on etsy here. (and at stockists here)

You should also definitely visit Shannon's excellent blog here. You really have to check it out - in addition to being super crafty talented you will learn that Ms Lambden is also quite hilariously funny.

There is a great little interview with Shannon here.

There is much more Aunty Cookie eye candy to see here.

Phew. THANKS so so much Shannon! You're one super clever cookie.

Sadie smiling on the couch, Lola's legs!

best. kids. room. ever??

Lola. Cute shot or WHAT?

Lola's house, don't ya know.

I only share Melbourne homes with Eames chairs in them. (kidding!)

Shannon's new Zaishu stool!

Red and blue never looked so good.

Nice little details... perhaps this came from Arhur's Circus??

Apparently Shannon also has time for a VEGGIE PATCH!? Over-achiever alert.

Awww! Cute car!

KatyJane Designs

Got an email recently from another online stationery store... and couldn't resist sharing (I know I know, enough with the stationery already! - I just can't help it!).

KatyJane Designs is a brand new stationery design company set up by two very talented ladies (Katy + Jane) in WA. Their first range is all about super-cute kids party invites, thank-you tags, gorgeous grosgrain ribbons, and party bags... The designs are so sweet and quite unique - contemporary, detailed and graphic in style but each with a little retro twist! Very Martha - in a good way!

Buy online here or check out the KatyJane website for upcoming markets and stockists... No interstate retailers listed yet, but I'm betting it won't be long before these colourful papery delights find eager stockists in Melbourne and Sydney!

Handmade in Melbourne

Handmade in Melbourne cover image

The second edition to Handmade in Melbourne hit the shelves a month or so ago, and I finally picked up a copy last week. It's a really broad, well-researched round-up, it's well laid out, the editorial is interesting and in-depth... but... I have to admit that something about Handmade in Melbourne irks me just a tiny little bit! :( Agghh! How awful!

I think it has a lot to do with the inclusion of full page ads (Coopers Beer ad on the back cover?)... and I am a little curious about the editorial selection process. Metalicus was a weird inclusion for instance. Don't get me wrong - they're a fantastic locally-designed label and should be commended for keeping all their production in Melbourne... but 'handmade'? And although it would be impossible to include every Melbourne crafter.... I just can't help but think how many wonderful local artisans were left out!

ANYWAY look I really really hate to be negative - there are so many fantastic local makers showcased in the book, and it's great to see them promoted in this way. The localised round-ups of some unexpected neighbourhoods like St Kilda, Brunswick and Canterbury also make interesting additions. So don't let me put you off... it's definitely worth a flick through - check it out before making your own judgement...!

Contents pages and Foreward by Wilkins and Kent

Many TDF favourites are included in the book - Madeleine Beatty's gorgeous resin accessories and Madeleine Sargent's beautiful hand-stitched homewares sit happily facing each other on a double-page spread... and then there's the Brunswick round-up! (But how did they miss Lygon st??)

Interview - Nadia Barbaro

Styling - Nadia Barbaro, Photos - Thuy Vu

Styling - Nadia Barbaro, Photos - Thuy Vu

Styling - Nadia Barbaro, Photos - Thuy Vu

I introduced Nadia Barbaro last week when I posted about Sesame Magazine.... and today I am very excited to share an interview with the wonder-woman herself! Nadia is a bit of a dynamo - in addition to her day-job as a fashion stylist for both film and print media, she is also constantly working on her beloved side-project, Sesame Magazine. Nadia co-ordinates all of Sesame's content, also styling most of the photo shoots personally, not to mention roping in favours from all kinds of talented contributors - models, illustrators, graphic designers etc etc... The incredible results are testament to Nadia's talent and sheer determination!

Of her many talents and achievements, perhaps the one thing I most admire about Nadia is her get-up-and-go! Nadia just never lets a set-back defeat her...! As you'll see in the interview below, Nadia started out with no publishing experience... But her perseverance with Sesame has absolutely paid off. It's a truly inspiring outlook, and just goes to show what you can achieve if you set your mind to it!

Thanks so much for Nadia for her time with this interview, and of course for featuring The Design Files in the current issue of Sesame! Do pop over and check out Sesame Mag if you haven't already... also Nadia has a blog here.

Sarah Blasko - Always On This Line music video. Costume styling by Nadia Barbaro. For more of Nadia's film styling work, visit her showreel blog.

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

I fell into doing Sesame + styling accidentally. Even though I have been really obsessed with fashion and photography since I was a young girl, I ended up studying Creative Arts at Melbourne Uni. I majored in Media and for some crazy reason was convinced I wanted to be a TV producer! Luckily, I could never find any work in production!

I decided to try to make my own work experience, and created a TV show in 2002 called Sesame for community television. It featured interviews with many independent Melbourne designers like Gorman, Obus, Gwendolynne, Alpha 60, artists like Marcel Cousins, Abbey McCulloch and Rhys Lee and illustrators Beci Orpin and Cassandra Allen.

After a brief stint as an assistant on the SBS tv show ‘Safran Vs God’, I joined a freelance agency, wanting to be listed as a production assistant. The lady there said to me “oh you love fashion, why don’t I put you down as a Wardrobe assistant as well?”. I thought why not? It ended up being the perfect move. I never got a production job, instead I assisted many stylists on tv shoots, learning on the job, and eventually worked for a Costume Designer called Katie Graham on numerous tv commercials and two feature films. I then went out on my own to style for different directors on tv commercials + music videos as well as for Frankie magazine and of course, Sesame.

Tell us how Sesame got started, and how it has developed since the first issue was printed a few years back?

So after two years of Sesame as a TV show, I decided to turn it into a print magazine. I had no experience in publishing, but luckily lots of clever people helped me out along the way. We had a limited print run of 2,000 copies and were stocked in independent boutiques and bookstores. It was a really expensive project though, and it was frustrating that we had such a small audience. It was also expensive to post them interstate, let alone overseas. I felt like we had done all this work and so few people would see it!

So I decided to turn it into an online magazine. Hopefully it is getting stronger each issue. I love collaborating with some of the same people each issue. Of course I always love finding new talent to join the team! Nobody involved really has a background in fashion publishing, the photographers are from an art and film background, which hopefully gives us a unique perspective and aesthetic.

The new issue incorporates more interactive and animated elements than before, which I think is important, we need to stand apart from the print magazines and be our own medium. I had said to myself, this issue is not going to be girly or whimsical, I want people to be surprised and think that can’t be Sesame?! However, I ended up doing the opposite and turning up the volume on the girliness! I can’t help it, I’m always told to be less girly in my day job so I need an outlet for it somewhere!

Do you manage Sesame all by yourself? It must be an incredible juggling act balancing the research / writing / photoshoots / production and promotion! How do you structure your time to ensure everything gets done efficiently?

Yes I do run things by myself, I don’t know how it all gets done, but somehow it does! I guess I just try to plan things well from the start, and work on producing one shoot at a time. Luckily with email I can contact people in my own time and get back to them when I have a moment. With freelancing I get some spare time between jobs, so I can fully focus on it, its just about keeping really organised and writing lots of do to lists!

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

There is no real typical day. If I'm working, I'm shopping, running about town sourcing clothing, I might have fittings, be looking up references, getting something custom made, and otherwise living in Savers and Myer/Dj’s!

Otherwise I'm catching up on what needs to be done on Sesame, trying to find the right clothes for a shoot, hunting down new locations to photograph, promoting it and just lots of other organisational stuff.

What is the best thing about your job?

The best thing about working on Sesame for me is complete creative freedom. It’s so much fun to be able to fully realise your ideas and not have to explain anything to anyone. I also really love working with all the Sesame contributors. It really is a pleasure to put together.

Styling - Nadia Barbaro, Photos - Germain McMicking

And the worst?

Hmmm…The worst is shooting long days outdoors in winter! I have thermals and parkers and I’m still frozen all day! Also night shoots, argh, so painful! And the combination of these two things together is the worst! But I’ll stop there…

At the moment, which designers, artists and/or creative people are you inspired by?

I’m always been inspired and excited to see older creative ladies who continue to do amazing work. I guess I like the idea that there is lots of time to do everything you want to do and you can still be relevant even when you are not so young. I was watching The September Issue last night and I just adored Grace Coddington (US Vogues Creative Director, 70 years of age).

What are you looking forward to?

I'm heading to Japan next week! It’s a little bit scary how much shopping I might get up to... I’ve never been before so it will be very exciting.

Melbourne Questions

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

Lunch at Borsch Vodka and Tears in Prahran. Porcini mushroom pierogi and chicken meatball soup. Yum!!

You favourite shopping strip in Melbourne for unique fashion finds?

Around Flinders lane is always lovely. There is Obus and Zambesi, or Smitten Kitten in Degraves lane for beautiful lingerie or Alice Euphemia in Cathedral Arcade for young Australian designers. For mens wear, there is the Leopold store on Swanston street in City Square, which is just off Flinders lane.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

If I’m working, I’m pushing slow weekend shoppers out of my way while I run about shopping! Otherwise, I’m just chilling out. If it’s Summer, I’m sunbathing and reading, and in winter, probably catching up on Project Runway or The Tudors or some other show I’ve recorded!

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

Hmm…What’s a secret I’m happy to share? You can go swimming down at Warrandyte in summer in the river. There is an area that’s set up for it so it’s totally safe. It’s really peaceful and not many people know about it…sorry for ruining it! I had to suggest somewhere!!

Styling - Nadia Barbaro, Photos - Thuy Vu (I know I posted this shot last week... but I just love it so much!)

Good Wives and Warriors painting at Mr Wilkinson!

Louise Chappell

...and Becky Bolton

Oh oh oh I am reeeeally excited about this!

On Tuesday this week, supremely-talented creative duo Good Wives and Warriors (aka Becky Bolton and Louise Chappell) worked their fingers to the bone for 14 hrs straight, painting an incredible sprawling wall painting along the front wall of Mr Wilkinson in East Brunswick! It is SPECTACULAR!

Becky and Louise painted from 7.30am until nearly 10.00pm! (look close and you might spot me in there helping out a little towards the end...!)

Louise and Becky have a unique long-distance creative partnership. The pair grew up in neighbouring towns in Scotland, and first met whilst studying fine art together at university in Glasgow. These days they collaborate regularly on art projects and commercial illustration work across the globe, despite Becky currently being based in Melbourne, and Louise in London. To learn more about Good Wives and Warriors, you can re-visit my interview with Becky Bolton from earlier this year.

We were lucky enough to snatch 14 hrs of Louise's time so the pair could work their magic at Mr Wilkinson this week... poor Louise had to catch a flight back home that very same evening!

Anyway... is it amazing or WHAT!? Watching Becky and Louise work together is so mesmerising... all the work is free-form - very little preparation or sketching. They have such a close bond, it's really interesting watching them work together... they're so in-sync!

Becky and Louise also currently have an exhibition at Westspace entitled Talking about my Spontaneous Generation. Please support this talented pair by checking out their show before it closes on September 12th!

Good Wives and Warriors are represented commercially in Australia by Jacky Winter. (Huge thanks to JW for the time-lapse lesson and gadgets!)

Concentrating...!

Details

Tired but finished! Phew! Becky signs their work...

Mr Wilkinson
295 Lygon st
East Brunswick

(Open every night except Tuesdays)

Talking About my Spontaneous Generation - until September 12th
Westspace gallery
Level 1, 15 - 19 Anthony Street
Melbourne

Open Wed-Fri 12.00 - 6.00pm, and Sat 12.00 - 5.00pm

Melbourne Home - Kyle and Steph of Five Boroughs

Kyle and Steph De Kuijer's beautiful studio apartment - top image features cushions from the pair's textile label Holly Daze on the couch, Ikea Expedit bookshelf (who doesn't have one?), bottom image features Kyle's own artwork.

DIY in-built bookshelf, functional fireplace (found under layers of plasterboard!), vintage laminex dining table and chairs... and that's the corner of the bed on the right-hand-side...

The gorgeous Alexander Girard figurines were a wedding present (Steph and Kyle were married earlier this year). Also LOVE the oversized lolly (banana and teeth) sculptures by local artist Katie Jacobs.

Top - Kyle's intricate pencil drawings hang above a 50's sideboard... bottom - Steph's vintage ceramics.

Vintage industrial letters and toy cars collection

Right. So last Wednesday when I featured Kyle and Steph De Kuijer's gorgeous shop Five Boroughs in Brunswick, I promised you would also LOVE their home. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Is it not completely FABULOUS?

You'll love it even more once you learn that:

b) It's a bedsit / studio (ie no separate bedroom)
a) It's a rental
c) It looked nothing like this when Kyle and Steph moved in - they've painted, they've re-wired, they've ripped off plasterboard and render to uncover a functional fire place, they've built custom bookshelves to fit existing dead alcoves, and created a beautiful courtyard in a tiny concrete patch only 3m square.... it's a truly incredible transformation. Proof that even the tiniest, most limited space can become extraordinary with a little love and attention.... (and a lot of elbow grease!). Shhh.... don't tell their landlord!

Not surprisingly, much of Kyle and Steph's furnishings are 50's inspired... there's also a lot of Kyle's own artwork on the walls, ceramics and artwork collected by Steph, Holly Daze cushions... and then there's the cars! Kyle walked me through to his garage (pretty much the same size as the apartment!)... and I was gobsmacked to see two original American vintage cars (don't ask me their names!), both of which he's in the process of restoring back to their original glory... Is there nothing these guys cannot make / create / improve upon ??

Thanks so much to Steph and Kyle for sharing their beautiful pad! If you love their style you'll love their store... do pop in to Five Boroughs in Brunswick if you get a chance! (They also have a blog here).

Ceramics on the kitchen dresser. The Mexican blanket is only for winter, Kyle says!

Steph's Beautiful oil painting above the bedroom cabinet was inherited from her family. Holly Daze cushions on the couch.

Pebbles + pavers + mismatched vintage furniture + potted plants and a BBQ = beautiful courtyard oasis! Love it!

Lovely little collection of plants and nik naks at the kitchen window.

The garage! I am so excited to include something that might appeal to the blokes out there (are there any blokes out there?). Kyle is painstakingly restoring his vintage Ford... love that paint job! Inside is spotless shiny red with white detailing. (But no seats - yet!)

Where They Create

All photos by Paul Barbera

Where They Create is a great website which documents creative working environments, captured by Australian photographer Paul Barbera over the last 6 or so years. Truly stunning...

Once again I am reminded that I really, really need to take some photography lessons.

More incredible work by Paul Barbera here, and also some more lovely stuff here (this one not for the prudish!)