The Design Files Daily

Monthly Archives: January 2012

Positive Posts with Letitia Buchan – Fly High

A great big THANK YOU to Letitia Buchan for a week full of Positive Posts, it really has been a beautiful and uplifting series!! Congratulations to the two winners for Letitia’s signed A3 prints – Naomi F (comment #53) and Lauren (comment #83). Have a great weekend and be sure to visit Leitita’s website and blog! -Jenny x

Friday, oh Friday- time to Fly High and have a magical weekend!

This little swan creation just speaks of love and happiness, and is my daily reminder for 2012 to stay high in the sky, be happy and enjoy the ride, just like Jonathan Livingston Seagull! It can be a bit topsy-turvy and is about a good balancing act & about the people around us! Let this mantra be with you if you ever feel yourself falling. But why, its Fr-f-f-Friday! Fun, frolicking and fresh adventures to be had!

- Letitia x

Goldnbrown GIVEAWAY!

Great new products by Goldnbrown. Photography  - Justine Ellis.

OK so clearly most of Australia is having a public holiday today, and possibly NOT rushing to the laptop to check out their favourite blogs this morning…. but if you ARE tuning in for your daily design fix, then I am pleased to reward you with this fab and fittingly summery giveaway!

As mentioned yesterday, Goldnbrown is a gorgeous new local beach / homewares label – the joint project of two very driven local creative ladies, Andy Brown and Sass Goldsworthy.  You already KNOW these ladies are awesome because Andy shared her very beautiful HOUSE with us yesterday – so special!

Sass and Andy have worked incredibly hard over the past 18 months to design, manufacture and launch their first range of accessories and homewares.  The range currently consists of an extensive collection of cushions, towels, sun visors, beach bags, rugs, pouches and baby accessories created in eye-popping Indonesian Batik and Ikat textiles, each fabric unique and personally selected by Andy and Sass.

After 5 years living and working in Bali, Andy has re-kindled her love of Indonesian textiles and beach lifestyle a little closer to home, and this is perfectly epitomised in the Goldnbrown range.  The resulting product range is unmistakeably beach-inspired, but never twee, and authentically Indonesian yet bright and contemporary.  My FAVOURITE thing are the gorgeous towels – lined on one side with Batik (or striped) fabric, and finished off with a sweet pom pom trim, they are such a smart alternative to the usual fluffy beach towel!

Andy and Sass launched Goldbrown mid last year at Life in Style in Melbourne, and have been really encouraged by lots of supportive stockists already (listed here).  Of course as a fledgling business, you can never have too many stockist enquiries.. so do get in touch if you love their work!

As PROMISED Andy and Sass have also offered one lovely giveaway pack for one lucky TDF reader!

The giveaway package (pictured below) consists of -

- Turquoise batik cushion
- Green batik pom pom towel
- Goldnbrown signature beach bag
- accessories pouch in mandarin
- sun visor

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by 10.00pm TOMORROW Friday Jan 27th – (I’m giving you an extra day because it seems only fair given the public holiday thing.)  A winner will be drawn at random and notified by email on Monday.

* UPDATE – Thank you everyone who left a comment, such an amazing response to these gorgeous products! The lucky winner of this Goldenbrown prize pack has been drawn at random, congratulations Jacinda! (comment #458) Thanks again to Andy and Sass!!

Massive thanks to Andy and Sass from Goldnbrown for the fab giveaway!  For a few shots of this beautiful product range in situ – don’t forget to re-visit Andy’s Blairgowrie home, and Lucy Young‘s ultra gorgeous pad in Geelong!

AND do make a little visit to the Goldnbrown website to learn a little more about this lovely local brand and see many more examples of their work!

Goldnbrown giveaway – leave your comment here to enter!  Photography – Justine Ellis.

Positive Posts with Letitia Buchan – Allow Nature to Excite and Inspire You

On todays Australia Day Public Holiday, Letitia Buchan is focusing on our diverse land and finding inspiration amongst its beauty. Today is also your last chance to leave a comment and go into the draw to win 1 of Letitia’s signed A3 prints- 2 winners will be drawn after 10pm tonight and announced tomorrow morning. -Jenny x

Hooray, it’s Thursday, a beautiful Thursday, and a public holiday here in Australia!

So often quite magical and intense colours are seen from our diverse flora and fauna that it is just too exciting for words! A little trip to the local flower shop is also just as awe inspiring where beautiful symmetrical and assymetrical patterns, colours, textures and amazing scents are all there for your delight! Shells on the beach with stunning and intricate patterns, pieces of willow tree that could be transformed into something creative, stunning rolling hills, even clouds! Mother nature has given us an abundance of natural colour palettes and inspiration.

Sometimes just looking out your window, is all it takes to get your next idea, or just to pause and feel very grateful to be here on this lovely earth!

- Letitia x

Blairgowrie Home – Andy Brown and family

The beautiful beachy Blairgowrie home of Andy Brown and family.  All photos – Lucy Feagins.

Front door / entrance.  Such beautiful greenery through every window!

Kitchen – and a sneak peek at Andy’s new product range – Goldnbrown cushions in the foreground!  Rug in kitchen by Armadillo & Co.

I had the great pleasure recently of meeting two incredibly lovely, bubbly, and inspiring Melbourne ladies – Andy Brown and Sass Goldsworthy, who have joined forces to launch new beach and homewares brand Goldnbrown.  As two busy working Mums, both living on the Mornington Peninsula, Andy and Sass really have poured such incredible energy and passion into their fledgling business!   It was so lovely to hear this dynamic duo excitedly discuss their new project – that buzz is infectious, I tell ya!

Anyway, after meeting Andy and Sass and checking out at their gorgeous product range, I was convinced one of these stylish local ladies must have a beautiful creative home.  I found myself coaxing Andy B into a home tour just a week after our initial meeting… and I am so glad I did!  Just LOOK at this stunning space! Andy describes it as ‘a beach house in the tree tops’ – a real aussie bush meets tropical vibe!

Amazingly, Andy and husband Stephen and little Charlie (2 years old) have been here only a YEAR!  I know, I know.  Depressing isn’t it?  How do people achieve this level of domestic bliss in just one year!?  (and whilst launching a new business!? )  Well, just quietly, I am getting the distinct impression that Andy a bit of an overachiever.  She has squeezed SO much in to the last few years!

After 5 years living and working in Bali, Indonesia, Andy and Stephen returned to Melbourne a year ago with little Charlie in tow, and all guns firing!  They were intent on creating a little beach oasis of their own here in Melbourne.  I must say they’ve certainly succeeded – this beautiful family home, flanked by lush foliage on all sides, really does have that incredible sense of calm you feel on a beach holiday.  It’s the perfect nest for a couple who’ve spent many years living and working in Indonesia (This place really does feel a little bit like Bali in Blairgowrie!).

Andy and Stephen were lucky to inherit a functional yet beautifully designed beach house with great bones – soaring ceilings, windows overlooking the garden in every room and lots of natural light.  ’Because we are surrounded by trees, we wanted to lighten up the inside of the house to really highlight the foliage and views to the garden’ says Andy.  ’We basically removed the 70′s ‘orange feel’ by lime washing the floor boards and painting the inside ‘antique white’ (including the kitchen cupboards)’ she explains.  The pair are also planning on extending the 3 bedroom house this winter to accommodate weekend visitors and a new addition to the family!

Andy says without hesitation her favourite aspect of the home is  being up in the tree tops.   ‘It feels amazing in Summer but even better in Winter… and given I’m currently working from home with Goldnbrown, I get to really enjoy all aspects of the day’.

Of course the location ain’t bad either!  The home is just metres from the beach – Andy says ‘we love the beach and the wine region (Red / Hill Main Ridge) closeby – we feel like we are luckiest people in the world to live here and raise Charlie in such a special & calm place’.  Couldn’t have said it better myself.  A beautiful home for a beautiful, busy family!

Massive thanks to Andy for her generosity and for sharing her beautiful home with us today, and to Sass for a delicious lunch during my visit!

PS.  You’ll learn a little more about Goldnbrown TOMORROW, when we will launch a very special beach-inspired Australia Day giveaway !

CLICK HERE for the full tour and many more pics!

Positive Posts with Letitia Buchan – Anything Is Possible

What a motivating message from Letitia today- Anything Is Possible!! Letitia has a fantastic website featuring her archives of work, everything is so beautiful that it’s easy to get completely absorbed! Also, Letitia has limited edition prints available for sale though her blog here. -Jenny x

Wednesdays, happy Wednesdays!

Hump day and we need to be reminded Anything Is Possible. This is particularly true if you have just written a mammoth list of goals, dreams and desires for the new and wonderful 2012! Trying to save money for that fabulous holiday or home; or attempting to quit the caffeine! I know I need reminding of this everyday, because why wouldn’t ‘anything’ be possible you put your mind to! I joined a boxing gym three months ago, and have been only twice. I also need to redesign my website! And in reality, if I want to collaborate with an amazing super duper designer – I believe it can happen too!

It really is so simple and so true IF you believe it. Happy goal achieving!

- Letitia x

Container / Leif

Leif – a new Australian-made skincare range from Sydney design studio Container

You gotta respect a company who know their niche and stick to it.  Sydney based design studio Container have established a stellar reputation for one thing and one thing only – picture perfect packaging.  This boutique studio designs and manufactures the most elegant containers for some of Australia’s best boutique skincare, haircare and cosmetics labels – brands such as Kevin Murphy and O&M.  It is such truly beautiful, innovative, yet understated work –  and perfectly exemplifies why bespoke packaging is so important in the beauty industry.

Late last year Container launched a very special personal project.  After years consulting to high profile beauty brands, the Container crew were inspired to create their very own product range.  ’Leif‘ originally began as a design study – but eventually grew into a fully fledged skincare range, which finally launched in November last year.  One of Leif’s founders, Jonnie Vigar, says their goal with this range was to create a simple, natural product with a distinctly Australian flavour.  Drawing upon botanical extracts including Lemon Myrtle, Wild Rosella, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus, the range is free from artificial colours, parabens, synthetic fragrances and all those other nasties.  The packaging is 100% recyclable.

As is often the case with Australian tall poppies, it seems *Wallpaper magazine has outed Leif before us locals have even caught on!  Doh – why does that always happen!?   The Leif range was recently shortlisted for ‘Best New Grooming Product’ in the *Wallpaper’s Design Awards 2011.  Very impressive and well deserved.  I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of these guys…!

For now you can buy Leif products only in Sydney!  Outrageous.  I challenge Melbourne retailers to get cracking and snap up this product before someone else does!  On your marks, get set – EMAIL!

Packaging design by Container
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