Kip & Co

Bedlinen and soft furnishings from new Melbourne label Kip & Co. Photo - Armelle Habib.  Styling by Julia Green and Amber Lenette.

Bedlinen and soft furnishings from new Melbourne label Kip & Co. Photo - Armelle Habib.  Styling by Julia Green and Amber Lenette.

Cushions by Kip & Co. Photo - Armelle Habib.  Styling by Julia Green and Amber Lenette.

Bedlinen by Kip & Co. Photo - Armelle Habib.  Styling by Julia Green and Amber Lenette.

The team behind Kip & Co. - from left, Hayley Pannekoecke, Kate Heppell and Alex van der Sluys.  Photo - Brooke Holm.

The team behind Kip & Co. - from left, Hayley Pannekoecke, Kate Heppell and Alex van der Sluys.  Photo - Brooke Holm.

I have been wanting to dedicate a little post to Melbourne start up Kip & Co. since they launched their fab bedlinen label mid last year... but I'm glad I held off until now, because it means I can include their brand new fruity and fabulous Autumn/Winter 2013 range! The clever, colour-loving trio behind Kip & Co. are sisters Kate Heppell and Hayley Pannekoecke, and their good pal Alex van der Sluys.  Inspired by a shared passion for colour and brave pattern, Kip & Co's vibrant bedding options certainly pack a punch, steering well clear of the usual white-on-white approach seen in so many grown-up bedrooms! I love the humour and light-heartendess of Kip & Co.'s new Fruit Salad range - that banana print is completely mad and brilliant!  'You'll be amazed how the entire energy of your bedroom can lift by simply splashing a bit of colour across your bed' says Alex. 'Imagine waking up on a cold grey winters morning and then rolling over to discover your gorgeous crazy and heart warming banana print pillows… immediate energy boost!'.  We couldn't agree more! We spoke to Alex about the launch of Kip & Co. last year, and the inspiration behind their fabulous 2013 winter range -

Can you give us a little background on Kip & Co – who's involved and how did you guys get started?

We started Kip & Co in the middle of the long Melbourne winter last year. Kate and Hayley are sisters, and I joined the gang when Kate and I were 'studying' arts and hit it off, outside of our strenuous twelve contact-hour week. Since then, the three of us have been each others housemates, travel buddies, wing ‘men’, bridesmaids, and now, of course, business partners. Between us we have accumulated a pretty long and varied resume from naturopath to health food shop owner, yoga studio owner, lawyer, corporate affairs manager, business manager, accountant and the obligatory stints in retail and hospitality. Kip & Co has finally given us the challenge we were looking for, as well as somewhere to focus our creative energy. For us, Kip & Co is all about creating bright, beautiful bedding that brings a new energy to the home. Our new range, AW13 Fruit Salad, includes adult and kids bed linen, cushions and blankets in bold prints and colours. All of our prints are designed in Melbourne by us, and printed in India.

What influenced the new 'Fruit Salad' collection?

The response to our first range was loud and clear – people are definitely ready for a serious colour injection, and are really into experimenting with bold prints. We’ve taken that on board and focused this new range on the art of creative mixing. We wanted to create a range where all of our prints could be thrown together to achieve a brilliantly wild, but fresh and inviting look.  And as bedding will always last well beyond a season, we want people to be able to buy bits and bobs from one range to the next and ensure it will all look beautiful together. Our designs are always inspired by the world around us; art, nature, travel, friends, flea markets, and family. We love a strong geometric print, and our latest range will not disappoint on this front!  We wanted to contrast bold prints with something a bit fun and unexpected. Enter the banana. We love the craziness and humour that the banana print brings to the range, while adding a little piece of the tropics to brighten up the Melbourne winter. Kip & Co's latest range, 'Fruit Salad', and is available now.  Purchase online or from stockists listed here. 

Bedlinen by Kip & Co. Photo - Armelle Habib.  Styling by Julia Green and Amber Lenette.

Soft furnishings by Kip & Co. Photo - Armelle Habib.  Styling by Julia Green and Amber Lenette.